When you enter the United States, Customs and Border Protection creates an arrival record called the I-94. It lists your class of admission (B-2, F-1, H-4, and so on) and — most importantly — your “admit until” date. That date, not the visa sticker in your passport, is when your permission to stay ends.
This confuses almost everyone: a ten-year visitor visa does not mean you can stay ten years. The visa is a key that opens the door; the I-94 is how long you may stay in the room.
Look it up in two minutes
Go to the official CBP I-94 website (search “CBP I-94 official”), choose “Get Most Recent I-94,” and enter your name, date of birth, and passport details exactly as they appear in your passport. The record that comes back shows your I-94 number, your class of admission, and your admit-until date. Download or screenshot it.
If nothing comes up, try small variations of your name (middle name included or not, hyphens removed) — the record matches what the officer typed at the border. If you entered by land, your record may be paper: the small white card stapled in your passport.
Why Pro Se asks for it
Almost every application asks for your I-94 number, your last arrival date, and your current status — all three are on this one record. Upload it to Pro Se and those answers fill themselves in. This article is general information, not legal advice; Pro Se by Law Aid Management LLC is not a law firm.