U.S. Customs and Border Protection now has an online I-94 application form

The I-94 application form has recently been requested online to accelerate the arrivals in America. This form is comparable to the ESTA which you can request on our website. The difference is that ESTA Applies only to travellers arriving by boat or airplane to America, and the I-94 form for travellers arriving from Mexico or Canada.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection now has an online I-94 application form

Travellers arriving at customs accessible ports can accelerate the process from now on using an online I-94 application form. This form is comparable to the ESTA which can be requested on our website.

Accelerated entry

Washington-U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have made an expansion of the I-94 online. This allows travellers online to request and pay for an I-94 form for arrivals at the customs gateways. Travellers can speed up arrivals in the US by issuing their personal information and travel information and meeting an online payment of $ 6 for an I-94 form up to seven days prior to their trip. (It may be possible to arrive at the entrance gates on arrival, fill in the form and pay.)

R. Gil Kerlikowske

‘We continue to be involved in transforming international entry into this new online application system for an I-94 form that accelerates US access at the ports of customs while maintaining the highest level of security’, said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske. ‘This automated functionality increases the efficiency of arriving in the US and reduces administrative tasks for CBP officials. Eventually, this leads to shorter queues for travellers who need an I-94 form.’

The I-94 form

Travellers will receive a provisional I-94 form after requesting this online and payment. The information requested on the I-94 application form is normally collected by a CBP official at the customs office. For example, name, date of birth, place of birth and nationality. But also passport data, Visa data (if applicable) and the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVIS) number (if applicable).

After the application

In order to complete the issue of the I-94 form, the traveller must report to the US customs gates within seven days after filing their application to submit biometrics (if applicable) and to undergo an interview with a CBP officer. Travellers must be prepared to provide proof of registration of their place of residence, work and/or travel plans when requested by a CBP officer. If the traveller does not report within the seven days after the application of the I-94 form, the provisional issue will expire and the traveller will have to apply and pay again. This will not be refunded once they have not reported this within the seven days, or when they are denied access to the US.

Benefits

The secure website is easy to use and can be paid by credit card, debit card, direct debit or PayPal. The benefits of this process include; more efficient processing, reduced paper usage, a streamlined CBP inspection process for travellers and lower operating costs.

The I-94 form provides non-immigrants with proof that they have legitimately gained access to the US, which is required to verify foreign registration, immigration status and work permit. In May 2013, the CBP automated the I-94 form for travel by air or sea. The automated system allows CBP officers to create an I-94 Arrival Record within the primary and secondary inspection process systems during the inspection with the passenger list information. This eliminates the use of paper and manual data entry. The automation of the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record has greatly improved the passenger's arrival process, while the US government has saved about $ 34.5 million in the first two years.