Land travelers may apply online for provisional I-94 arrival record

International travelers entering the U.S. by land may now apply and pay online for their I-94 arrival record up to seven days before entry.

Key points:

• Travelers may complete an I-94 form and pay the $6 application fee on the I-94 website.
• A provisional I-94 arrival record will be issued. In order to complete the process, the traveler must appear at a land border within seven days of the application and be prepared to show evidence of their residence, employment and travel plans and give biometrics if required.
• If the applicant fails to appear within seven days, the provisional I-94 will expire and the traveler must reapply and pay the fee again.

Background: The I-94 arrival record indicates that an international traveler has been lawfully admitted to the U.S. and is needed to verify alien registration, immigration status and employment authorization. Since 2013, the online I-94 process has been available to air and sea travelers. The recent announcement extends it to travelers entering by a land border.

BAL Analysis: The online I-94 application will make it more convenient and faster for nonimmigrant visa holders to provide their biographical information for purposes of obtaining an arrival record upon entry.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com.

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