Your ESTA admission record, the electronic I-94, is the official proof that you entered America legally under the Visa Waiver Program. Since US Customs and Border Protection stopped issuing paper cards at airports in 2013, your record is generated automatically the moment you land, and you can download it free online. This guide explains what it shows, how to find it, and how to fix mistakes in 2026.
TL;DR: When you arrive on an approved ESTA, CBP creates an electronic I-94 admission record showing your admission class (WT or WB) and an admit-until date, normally 90 days away. You can retrieve it free at the official i94.cbp.dhs.gov portal, and you should check it after every entry to confirm your authorized stay.
| Quick Facts | Detail (2026) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Electronic arrival/departure record |
| Who issues it | US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) |
| Cost to retrieve | Free (official portal) |
| ESTA class of admission | WT (tourist) or WB (business) |
| Typical admit-until period | 90 days |
| Paper cards | Phased out at air/sea ports since 2013 |
Travelers often confuse the ESTA approval with the admission itself. Your ESTA validity and expiry rules govern whether you can board, while your admission record governs how long you may stay once admitted. Read both alongside our who needs an ESTA guide.
What the I-94 record is and why it matters for ESTA travelers
Your arrival record is the US document that proves your legal admission, your immigration status, and the date by which you must leave. For VWP visitors it is the single most important entry document, because the 90-day clock that controls your stay is set on that record, not on your ESTA approval or your passport stamp.
An approved ESTA only authorizes you to travel to a US port of entry and request admission (US Department of State, Visa Waiver Program, accessed 23 June 2026). The actual decision to admit you is made by a CBP officer, and that admission is what the record captures. Therefore, without checking it, you cannot be certain how long you are lawfully permitted to remain, and a wrong assumption about your dates is exactly how short trips turn into accidental overstays.
Pro tip: Download and save a PDF of your record within 24 hours of every arrival. If that date is ever questioned later, a dated download is far stronger evidence than a passport stamp, which CBP no longer always applies.
How an ESTA I-94 record proves your legal entry and stay
An I-94 admission record proves legal entry by linking your passport and ESTA approval to a specific admission, an admission-class code, and an authorized departure date. Employers, schools, car-rental firms and immigration officials all rely on this record rather than the ESTA itself to confirm your current status in the US.
Travelers under the program are admitted in one of two classes: WT for tourism and recreation, or WB for permitted business activities such as meetings and conferences (US Department of State, visitor visas, accessed 23 June 2026). The class on your record must match the purpose you declared, so a tourist admitted as WT should not be attending paid work. For the boundaries of permitted activity, see our what business travelers can and cannot do guide.
The admit-until date is the part visitors most often misread. Unlike a Schengen-style rolling window, the visa-waiver scheme grants a fixed period, normally 90 days, with no extensions and no in-country renewal. Our 90-day limit guide explains the narrow exceptions.
How to find and check your ESTA I-94 record online
You can retrieve your admission record free of charge from the official CBP website using your name, date of birth and passport details. The process takes about two minutes and works from any country, so you can confirm your admit-until date even after you have returned home and need proof for a future application.
- Go to the official portal: visit i94.cbp.dhs.gov and choose “Get Most Recent I-94”. Never pay a third-party site for this free service.
- Enter your details: type your name exactly as printed in your passport, your date of birth, passport number and country of issue.
- Review the record: check your admission class (WT or WB) and your admit-until date for accuracy.
- Save a copy: download the PDF and store it with your travel documents and ESTA confirmation.
You can also view your travel history, showing the last several US entries and exits. If a previous departure is missing, it can wrongly suggest an overstay, which may affect a later ESTA or visa decision. Cross-check it against your boarding passes and the ESTA status check guide.
Beware of look-alike websites that charge a fee for the same lookup. The official retrieval is always free, and no genuine government service will ask for payment to show you your own admission record. If a site demands a card number before displaying your I-94, close the page immediately and return to the official CBP portal. Keeping the downloaded PDF on your phone also means you can show your authorized dates to a hotel, employer or landlord without an internet connection.
What your I-94 shows: class of admission and admit-until date
Every I-94 displays your admission class, the date you entered, the port of entry, the document number, and the admit-until date that together set your legal departure deadline and prove the terms of your stay. Reading these fields correctly is essential, because a single misunderstanding about the admit-until date is the most common cause of an accidental VWP overstay.
If your admit-until date shows “D/S” rather than a calendar date, that applies to certain visa categories, not visa-waiver tourists, so an ESTA visitor should always see a fixed date roughly 90 days after arrival (US Department of State, visitor visas, as of 23 June 2026). Confirm your travel purpose matches by reviewing the ESTA requirements and, if your trip is commercial, the business trip guide. Keep in mind that the port officer can grant less than 90 days, so never assume the full period without confirming the printed date.
Common I-94 problems and how to fix them
The most frequent I-94 issues are a missing departure record, a misspelled name, the wrong admission class, or an admit-until date that seems too short. Most can be corrected, but the route depends on whether you are still inside the United States or have already left, so act quickly once you spot an error.
If you are still in the country and the record is wrong, you must contact a CBP Deferred Inspection Site rather than rebooking a flight. If you have already departed and a departure was not logged, keep evidence such as boarding passes plus entry stamps from your next country to prove you left on time. For payment or application mix-ups that can cascade into record errors, see our name mismatch fix guide and the official US visas overview (accessed June 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my ESTA I-94 record?
Visit the official i94.cbp.dhs.gov portal, choose “Get Most Recent I-94”, and enter your name, date of birth and passport details. Retrieval is free and takes about two minutes from anywhere in the world.
Is the I-94 the same as my ESTA approval?
No. Your ESTA authorizes travel to a port of entry, while that record logs the admission a CBP officer grants on arrival. The record, not the ESTA, sets your 90-day admit-until date.
How long can I stay according to my I-94?
VWP visitors are normally admitted for up to 90 days, shown as a fixed admit-until date. There are no extensions and no in-country renewals under the program in 2026.
What does WT or WB mean on my I-94?
WT is the class of admission for ESTA tourists and WB is for permitted business visitors. The code must match the purpose you declared when you applied and at the border.
Do I still get a passport stamp with an I-94?
Not always. CBP phased out routine paper I-94 cards at air and sea ports in 2013 and stamps are inconsistent, so the electronic I-94 record is your reliable proof of legal entry.
What if my I-94 admit-until date is wrong?
If you are still in the United States, contact a CBP Deferred Inspection Site to correct it. Do not rely on a travel agent. Keep your boarding passes and ESTA confirmation as supporting evidence.
Why does my travel history show a missing departure?
Land and some sea exits are not always recorded automatically. A missing departure can look like an overstay, so keep boarding passes and foreign entry stamps to prove when you actually left.
Understanding your ESTA arrival record turns a confusing piece of paperwork into a simple safeguard. Approve your ESTA, request admission at the border, then download and check your I-94 admit-until date after every arrival. Keeping a dated copy protects your record, supports future applications, and helps you avoid an accidental overstay under the visa-waiver scheme.
Last updated: 2026-06-23 — verified against travel.state.gov guidance.
