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Policy Manual
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Book outline for Policy Manual
  • Policy Manual
    • Search
    • Updates
    • Table of Contents
    • Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures
    • Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants
    • Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole
    • Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees
    • Volume 5 - Adoptions
    • Volume 6 - Immigrants
    • Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status
    • Volume 8 - Admissibility
    • Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
    • Volume 10 - Employment Authorization
    • Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
      • Part A - Secure Identity Documents Policies and Procedures
      • Part B - Permanent Resident Cards
      • Part C - Reentry Permits
      • Part D - Refugee Travel Documents
      • Part E - Advance Parole Documents
      • Part F - Arrival-Departure Records
        • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
        • Chapter 2 - Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-102)
    • Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization
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  3. Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
  4. Part F - Arrival-Departure Records
  5. Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background

Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background

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  • Guidance
  • Resources (5)
  • Appendices (0)
  • Updates (4)
  • History (0)

A. Purpose and Background

DHS issues an Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) to certain non-resident noncitizens upon their arrival in the United States or when they change status or extend their stay in the United States.[1] DHS uses Form I-94 to document arrival and departure and provide evidence of the terms of admission or parole. While some noncitizens are still issued a paper Form I-94, many are not; instead, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) creates an electronic Form I-94 record.[2]

B. Legal Authorities

  • 8 CFR 1.4 - Definition of Form I-94

  • 8 CFR 264.6 - Application for a nonimmigrant arrival-departure record

Footnotes


[^ 1] In addition, the USCIS Asylum Division issues Form I-94 to persons granted asylum at an asylum office. In certain circumstances, USCIS also issues Form I-94 as temporary evidence of a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) to persons granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. Asylees and those who have Form I-94 as a temporary Form I-551 cannot use the Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document (Form I-102) to replace a lost, mutilated, or destroyed Form I-94. Instead, they must contact a USCIS field office or the asylum office with jurisdiction over their current residence to obtain a replacement or corrected Form I-94. Those who obtained derivative asylee status through a Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition (Form I-730) may file a Form I-102 to obtain a replacement or corrected Form I-94.

[^ 2] Before April 30, 2013, CBP issued noncitizens admitted or paroled at an airport or seaport a paper Form I-94. On April 30, 2013, CBP automated the I-94 process to create an electronic Form I-94 for a noncitizen arriving at an airport or seaport.

Resources

Legal Authorities

8 CFR 1.4 - Definition of Form I-94

8 CFR 264.6 - Application for a nonimmigrant arrival-departure record

Forms

I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document

I-912, Request for Fee Waiver

Other Materials

How to Use the USCIS Policy Manual Website (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Appendices

No appendices available at this time.

Updates

Technical Update - Incorporating Existing Guidance into the Policy Manual

May 20, 2021

This technical update is part of an initiative to move existing policy guidance from the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) into the Policy Manual. This update does not make major substantive changes but consolidates and incorporates existing AFM guidance into the Policy Manual, streamlining USCIS’ immigration policy while removing obsolete information. This guidance replaces Chapter 30.4 of the AFM, related appendices, and policy memoranda.

Affected Sections

11 USCIS-PM F - Part F - Arrival-Departure Records

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Alien”

May 11, 2021

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other appropriate terms throughout the Policy Manual where possible, as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Moving the Adjudicator’s Field Manual Content into the USCIS Policy Manual

May 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating and incorporating relevant Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) content into the USCIS Policy Manual. As that process is ongoing, USCIS has moved any remaining AFM content to its corresponding USCIS Policy Manual Part, in PDF format, until relevant AFM content has been properly incorporated into the USCIS Policy Manual. To the extent that a provision in the USCIS Policy Manual conflicts with remaining AFM content or Policy Memoranda, the updated information in the USCIS Policy Manual prevails. To find remaining AFM content, see the crosswalk (PDF, 350.49 KB) between the AFM and the Policy Manual.

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

3 USCIS-PM - Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole

4 USCIS-PM - Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Foreign National”

October 08, 2019

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “foreign national” with “alien” throughout the Policy Manual as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Version History

No historical versions available.

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Current as of February 02, 2023
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