How to Record Departure from the United States After You Have Already Left

BCIS PRESS RELEASE, January 10, 2003

Most foreigners going temporarily to the United States (Non-Immigrant Visa or Visa Waiver Program) are required to fill in and submit Arrival-Departure Record Form I-94 to the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) upon entering, and return it to BCIS when departing the U.S. This is to record legal entry and timely departure.

If you returned home with your I-94 (white) or Form I-94W (green) in your passport, it means that your departure was not recorded properly. It is your responsibility to correct this record. You must provide the BCIS sufficient information so we can record your timely departure from the U. S.

If you do not validate a timely departure from the U. S., or if you cannot reasonably prove otherwise when you next apply for admission to the U. S., the BCIS may conclude you remained in the U. S. beyond your authorized stay. If this happens, the next time you apply to enter the U. S., your visa may be subject to cancellation or you may be returned immediately to your foreign point of origin.

In particular, visitors who remain beyond their permitted stay in the U. S. under the Visa Waiver Program cannot reenter the U. S. in the future without obtaining a visa from a U. S. Consulate.

To validate departure, the BCIS will consider a variety of information, including, but not limited to:

• Original boarding passes you used to depart the U. S.
• Photocopies of entry or departure stamps in your passport indicating entry to another country after you departed the U. S. (you should copy all passport pages that are not completely blank, and include the biographical page containing your photograph.), and
• Photocopies of other supporting evidence, such as:
• Dated pay slips or vouchers from your employer to indicate you worked in another country after you departed the United States
• Dated bank records showing transactions to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States
• School records showing attendance at a school outside the U. S. to indicate you were in another country after you left the U. S.
• Dated credit card receipts, showing your name, but, the credit card number deleted, for purchases made after you left the U. S. to indicate you were in another country after leaving the U. S.

Your statement will not be acceptable without supporting evidence such as noted above.

You must mail legible copies or original materials where possible. If you send original materials, you should retain a copy. The BCIS cannot return original materials after processing. To help us understand the situation and correct your records quickly, please include an explanation letter in English. You must send your letter and enclosed information only to the following address:

ACS - BCIS SBU
P.O. Box 7125
London, KY 40742-7125
USA

NOTE: Do not mail your departure Form I-94 or supporting information to any United States Consulate or Embassy, to any other BCIS office in the United States, or to any address other than the one above. Only at this location are we able to make the necessary corrections to BCIS records to prevent inconvenience to you in the future.