All visitors who travel to the U.S. with a nonimmigrant visa receive an I-94 Arrival-Departure record from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This record is attached to their passport and serves as proof of legal entry into the United States. It also states how long the individual is allowed to stay in the country.
To streamline this process and reduce cost, the DHS has issued these records electronically since April 2013. Visitors can access their electronic I-94 card on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website. For older paper records, however, they must file Form I-102 to request a replacement copy.
What Is Form I-102 Used for?
Form I-102 allows nonimmigrants to replace paper versions of their Form I-94, Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document. Filing this form with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is necessary for specific cases, including when the record pertains to certain nonimmigrant classes of admission that still require a physical I-94 form.
You might have been issued a paper I-94 document if your travel occurred before April of 2013. A paper form is also provided for limited alien classes such as asylees, refugees, parolees, and others for whom the CBP decides that a paper form is required.
You can use I-102 to request a new I-94 if:
- You were admitted into the U.S. through a port-of-entry after traveling here by air, land, or sea, and you were not given an I-94 in any form upon entry.
- You initially received a printed I-94. You may not use I-102 to request a printed copy of an electronic record.
Why Would I Need a New Form I-94?
Your travel documents contain vital information about your legal presence in the U.S. and may be needed to verify your status or authorize employment while you are here.
You may need to use Form I-102 to request a new I-94 record from USCIS if:
- Your original arrival/departure record, whether issued by the CBP or the USCIS, was mutilated, lost, or destroyed.
- The original I-94 issued by USCIS contained incorrect information. The inaccurate information can be your name, date of birth, date of admission, or visa classification.
Please note that if your CBP-issued I-94 contains incorrect information, you cannot request a corrected copy using Form I-102. In that case, you must go in person to the nearest CBP port-of-entry (POE) or Deferred Inspection Office (DIO) to fix the error and request an updated document.
How Much Does It Cost to File Form I-102?
Unless you are in the military or are correcting an I-94 error that was not your fault, you must pay a filing fee to the USCIS when submitting Form I-102. The current filing fee is $445, but this rate is subject to change. You should verify the correct cost before submitting your payment.
There is no fee when you request a replacement I-94 through the CBP website or in person at a CBP office. However, if you aren’t eligible to get a new I-94 using these methods, you must file USCIS Form I-102 and pay the filing fee.
You can pay your filing fee using a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check made out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You may also be able to pay using a credit card at a USCIS lockbox facility.
How Long Does It Take to Process Form I-102?
The timeline from the date the USCIS receives your application until their decision to approve or deny your request can take anywhere from two to 15 months. Their processing times are subject to change, however, based on fluctuating caseloads.
The USCIS processes applications in the order that they are received, and some field offices may take longer than others.
How Can I Check My I-102 Application Status?
To receive notifications through email or text message about the status of your application Form I-102, you need to complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance. This page needs to be attached to the first page of Form I-102 when you submit it to the USCIS Lockbox facility.
The e-notifications you receive will contain your receipt number and provide information on accessing your case status update. Since text and email may not be secure forms of communication, these messages will not contain any personally identifying information.
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