10

I am under the Visa Waiver Program and when I entered the US by car I got a green paper form stapled to it, the I94W. This is the paper to turn in when I will leave the US that is the proof I leave the US.

But what if I lose my passport? I would lose the I94 along. If I get a new passport while staying in the US, in this new passport I will not have an I94. How do I do when I will leave, at the border or later? I am not flying out so using a plane ticket as a proof I left is not an option.

So, how to prove and signal I am leaving the US if I do not turn in the I94 because I lost my passport?

|improve this question
  • 1
    If you entered the United States after I-94 automation (April 30, 2013) and you were not issued a paper I-94, your I-94 record of admission can be obtained by visiting www.cbp.gov/I94. travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/… – DumbCoder Feb 23 '15 at 9:39
  • 2
    I did receive a paper I94 – Vince Feb 23 '15 at 13:29
  • 1
    @DumbCoder: That's only for people entering by sea or air, not by land. – user102008 Feb 23 '15 at 20:09
  • @user102008 No, it usually gets recorded even if entering by land. In fact, at least at Vancouver train station and in Blaine, if you hold an ESTA you won't even get a paper form – Crazydre Jun 28 '17 at 7:09
  • @Crazydre: they may have been moving more entry points to electronic I-94s in the years since then, but definitely people were still getting paper I-94s when entering by land for a long time after I-94 automation started – user102008 Jun 28 '17 at 7:33
6

You can apply to replace a lost I-94 by filing I-102. It's very expensive though. It might be worth checking the I-94 website in case they have it there, in which case you can print it out; though it's unlikely in your case.

How are you leaving the U.S.? According to this page, if you leave by air, you don't have to turn in an I-94. But if you leave by land, then you need to turn in an I-94, so you might need to get a replacement. Or maybe if you don't turn it in you can try to resolve it out with CBP the next time you try to enter, with proof that you entered Canada or Mexico.

|improve this answer
  • 1
    On the I-94 website, I could see that my departure by land was actually recorded. – Vince Apr 30 '15 at 17:09
6

I emailed the embassy of the USA (in the city I was staying before I visited the US), and their answer was that once I left the US soil, there is no procedure to report a departure in case of lost I94. They added that a stamp obtained when entering another country (crossing the land border to Canada in my case) was enough to prove I left the USA.

For a next visit to the USA, I shall keep the entry stamp as a proof and I can enter under the conditions of the Visa Waiver Program (no need to apply for a visa).

|improve this answer
  • Vince, feel free to unaccept the other answer and accept this if you want. This is, of course, de facto correct. – CGCampbell Apr 30 '15 at 17:02
  • @CGCampbell yeah I hesitated but the other answer suggests one way to replace it, handles the different cases of departure and I learned of the very useful i94 website. So for now I don't change my mind. – Vince Apr 30 '15 at 17:05
  • @Vince How to email the US embassy in US? – pal4life Aug 3 '15 at 23:18
  • @pal4life You can email the consulate or embassy in your residence area. Search for their website and there should be a contact page. Expect it to be slow because they probably go through a lot of questions answered in the FAQ. – Vince Aug 4 '15 at 0:01
  • "there is no procedure to report a departure in case of lost I94" Rubbish! As the I94's now electronic (mind you, these days your entry will usually be electronically recorded even if you got a paper form) you can send a printout of that along with evidence to a dedicated address in Ohio (see travel.stackexchange.com/questions/93520/…) – Crazydre Jun 28 '17 at 7:07

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.