Consequences of Leaving Without Surrendering the I-94

Houston-area immigration lawyer Annie Banerjee describes some action steps if you leave the United States without surrendering a little white or green form called an I-94.

When you entered the U.S., you were required to fill out a white form if you entered with a visa and a green form if you entered without a visa. Upon leaving the United States, you were supposed to surrender that I-94 form to the U.S. government. What if it didn’t happen? It’s still in your pocket when you get to your destination after a flight. The airline you traveled on didn’t take it from you. In any case, you still have it – and the U.S. government doesn’t. “For all they know, you are in the country illegally, past the date stamped on the I-94, and you are in trouble,” explains Annie Banerjee, a Houston-area immigration lawyer.

“If this happens, there’s only one option, you have to mail it back to the government and hope for the best,” Banerjee asserts, “You will also need to send corroborating documents to prove that you are out of the country.” Addressing the letter to: DHS-CBP-SBU, 1084 South Laurel Road, London, KY, 40744, USA – is the easy part, as long as you’ve slipped in the precious I-94. But corroborating documents must be sent too. “These can include, but are not limited to, the following items,” Banerjee said, before rattling off the ensuing ‘laundry list.’

1. Original boarding passes you used to depart another country, such as Canada, if you flew home from there;

2. Photocopies of entry or departure stamps in your passport indicating entry to another country;

3. After you departed the United States, you should copy all passport pages that are not completely blank, and include the biographical page containing your photograph.

4. 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;

5. Dated bank records showing transactions to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States;

6. School records showing attendance at a school outside the United States to indicate you were in another country after you left the United States;

7. Dated credit card receipts, showing your name, but, the credit card number deleted, for purchases made after you left the United States to indicate you were in another country after leaving the United States.

To learn more, visit http://www.visatous.com.

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