I-94 Correction Experience

[AnshX]

Hi Folks, I recently got my I-94 corrected on San Diego - Mexico border and thought to share my experience for the people in the same situation. Note that this is just my personal experience so please do your research too as per your case.

Situation: My old passport got expired and I got a new passport, so needed to correct my I-94 dates to keep it in line with I-797 dates. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. I did not have to cross the border to correct the I-94 dates. I directly went to Land port of Entry (on US side of border) and explained my situation to an immigration officer. He was a nice guy and sent me to an immigration counter to get all this done. Below are step by step instructions from my experience.

1. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. Parked my vehicle to the closest ‘Border Station Parking’ (On the US side). Google map address is <<4570 Camino De La Plaza, San Ysidro, CA 92173>>. There are several other parking / a near by outlet mall parking you can search for.
2. I came out of the parking and walked towards the intersection of Virginia Ave & Camino De La Plaza Blvd. Now walked on Virginia Ave towards Mexico side until I saw a bus stop. Right next to it there is a Building with American Flags and the building name is ‘San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility’. Google address is <<415-499 Virginia Ave, San Diego, CA 92173>>. This is the place where I-94 was to be corrected. (Note that earlier it all would be done at East Pedestrian Facility which is around 1 mile away from West Facility and one had to cross pedestrian foot over bridge. First I also went there but an officer told me that recently they have shifted it to West facility). And I did not have to cross border to get to those buildings as both are on US side of border.
3. So, on reaching the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility building I found 2 glass doors with one having a board of I-94 Permits. I went inside that hall and saw few border agents sitting across the counter with last window as payment counter. I told security guard that why I am here and he asked to pay $6 for each applicant at the payment window and get the receipt. Then I sat down for my turn and shortly a border agent called me.
4. In my case, officer asked me some general questions like my address etc. I explained my case politely and showed him I797/other papers as required. He asked to show address proof and checked few records in the systems and finally took my finger prints/webcam pic and stapled a paper I-94 on my new passport and also put a stamp with new dates as applicable per my I797 dates. Entire process took 15 minutes around. This officer was very polite and cooperating and also gave me useful suggestions.
5. I thanked the officer and left. Immediately after coming out of building I checked I-94 official website on internet, and there too my new I-94 dates had got updated. I was all set and left the premises ! I had so many doubts before going but all of this went well and smoothly, so I thought to share my experience in detail to help others in similar situation.

P.S. : Prior to my visit to Mexico border, I also visited USCIS Deferred Inspection Site located in San Francisco and met up with an Immigration officer to correct I-94. But he confirmed that they can extend I-94 maximum until your old passport expiry date. If you got a new passport, you will have to cross border to get this corrected. Therefore, I planned to travel to Mexico Border. Hope it was helpful !


Disclaimer :These are just my personal experiences and not a legal advice.



Thanks,
Ansh

[varkeyjobin]

Hi, Thank you for this detailed information. Just wanted to know whether it has to be working day? I am assuming I can also go on a Saturday or Sunday since immigration office is open all the time.
Thanks

[AnshX]

@ varkeyjobin : I did all this on a Sunday evening.

[May312017]

I94 extension

@ varkeyjobin : I did all this on a Sunday evening.

First of all thanks for your help ..I followed the same steps and got i94 extended at San Diego mexician border( my case was similiar to you - visa valid till oct 2018 but i94 was expiring in nov2017 due to passport expiring issue ) . When I checked online I can see i94 is extended but passport number attached to this is old one .. when I try to search i94 details with new passport it says no travel history found. Will it create a issue ??

[AnshX]

@ May312017 : For me also new I94 was tagged to old passport and new passport doesn't show any record, I guess may be thats there standard procedure.. so far I did not have any issue.

[VXR]

I-94 Extension QUERY

Hi Folks, I recently got my I-94 corrected on San Diego - Mexico border and thought to share my experience for the people in the same situation. Note that this is just my personal experience so please do your research too as per your case.

Situation: My old passport got expired and I got a new passport, so needed to correct my I-94 dates to keep it in line with I-797 dates. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. I did not have to cross the border to correct the I-94 dates. I directly went to Land port of Entry (on US side of border) and explained my situation to an immigration officer. He was a nice guy and sent me to an immigration counter to get all this done. Below are step by step instructions from my experience.

1. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. Parked my vehicle to the closest ‘Border Station Parking’ (On the US side). Google map address is <<4570 Camino De La Plaza, San Ysidro, CA 92173>>. There are several other parking / a near by outlet mall parking you can search for.
2. I came out of the parking and walked towards the intersection of Virginia Ave & Camino De La Plaza Blvd. Now walked on Virginia Ave towards Mexico side until I saw a bus stop. Right next to it there is a Building with American Flags and the building name is ‘San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility’. Google address is <<415-499 Virginia Ave, San Diego, CA 92173>>. This is the place where I-94 was to be corrected. (Note that earlier it all would be done at East Pedestrian Facility which is around 1 mile away from West Facility and one had to cross pedestrian foot over bridge. First I also went there but an officer told me that recently they have shifted it to West facility). And I did not have to cross border to get to those buildings as both are on US side of border.
3. So, on reaching the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility building I found 2 glass doors with one having a board of I-94 Permits. I went inside that hall and saw few border agents sitting across the counter with last window as payment counter. I told security guard that why I am here and he asked to pay $6 for each applicant at the payment window and get the receipt. Then I sat down for my turn and shortly a border agent called me.
4. In my case, officer asked me some general questions like my address etc. I explained my case politely and showed him I797/other papers as required. He asked to show address proof and checked few records in the systems and finally took my finger prints/webcam pic and stapled a paper I-94 on my new passport and also put a stamp with new dates as applicable per my I797 dates. Entire process took 15 minutes around. This officer was very polite and cooperating and also gave me useful suggestions.
5. I thanked the officer and left. Immediately after coming out of building I checked I-94 official website on internet, and there too my new I-94 dates had got updated. I was all set and left the premises ! I had so many doubts before going but all of this went well and smoothly, so I thought to share my experience in detail to help others in similar situation.

P.S. : Prior to my visit to Mexico border, I also visited USCIS Deferred Inspection Site located in San Francisco and met up with an Immigration officer to correct I-94. But he confirmed that they can extend I-94 maximum until your old passport expiry date. If you got a new passport, you will have to cross border to get this corrected. Therefore, I planned to travel to Mexico Border. Hope it was helpful !


Disclaimer :These are just my personal experiences and not a legal advice.



Thanks,
Ansh

------------------
Hi Ansh,

Thanks for the detailed information. Based on your experience, I got my I-94 extended. The dates were updated in the I-94 website as well. When I tried to verify the updated information with the new passport number it did not fetch any information , whereas I was able to validate the extended dates with my old passport number.

So could you please clarify , if this is the way it is supposed to get updated in online or the details should be reflected with the new passport number. ?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
VXR

[AnshX]

@ VXR : Hi and Glad and hear that you got I-94 extended smoothly ! Yes As you see in my previous post, for me also I-94 is tagged to old passport and new passport did not fetch any data. In fact see below user 'May312017' also had the same thing. So far I did not have any issue and since I-94 for all 3 of us were tagged to old passport only, seems this is their standard procedure.

[thunderbolt8]

@ VXR : Hi and Glad and hear that you got I-94 extended smoothly ! Yes As you see in my previous post, for me also I-94 is tagged to old passport and new passport did not fetch any data. In fact see below user 'May312017' also had the same thing. So far I did not have any issue and since I-94 for all 3 of us were tagged to old passport only, seems this is their standard procedure.

Ansh, thank you for your post. Yesterday i successfully did i94 renew. I was quick and easy. Officers very helpful.

After renew I checked status online with new passport and did not find any information. So I checked again with old passport and found update under old passport. Hence I went to same officer and asked him should I see update under old passport or new? He explained that stamped VISA is under old passport hence as long as this VISA is valid all i94 update will be under OLD passport number. This is the reason you need to carry both passport till you get NEW VISA on NEW PASSPORT.

I hope this helps to many folks here who are not sure about going to San Ysidro Land Port of Entry.

TIP: You can also pay $6 online before going there. There is seperate line for pre-paid. So in case there is line for regular i94 update, you need not wait.

Disclaimer: This was my experience and not legal advice. You do your own research.

[@Boston]

Hi Thunderbolt8,

Thank you for the details. Can you please also share the online link to pay 6$?

Does anyone know nearest land port near Boston and has anyone experienced it on this side of the coast?

Thank you

Ansh, thank you for your post. Yesterday i successfully did i94 renew. I was quick and easy. Officers very helpful.

After renew I checked status online with new passport and did not find any information. So I checked again with old passport and found update under old passport. Hence I went to same officer and asked him should I see update under old passport or new? He explained that stamped VISA is under old passport hence as long as this VISA is valid all i94 update will be under OLD passport number. This is the reason you need to carry both passport till you get NEW VISA on NEW PASSPORT.

I hope this helps to many folks here who are not sure about going to San Ysidro Land Port of Entry.

TIP: You can also pay $6 online before going there. There is seperate line for pre-paid. So in case there is line for regular i94 update, you need not wait.

Disclaimer: This was my experience and not legal advice. You do your own research.

[AnshX]

Ansh, thank you for your post. Yesterday i successfully did i94 renew. I was quick and easy. Officers very helpful.

After renew I checked status online with new passport and did not find any information. So I checked again with old passport and found update under old passport. Hence I went to same officer and asked him should I see update under old passport or new? He explained that stamped VISA is under old passport hence as long as this VISA is valid all i94 update will be under OLD passport number. This is the reason you need to carry both passport till you get NEW VISA on NEW PASSPORT.

I hope this helps to many folks here who are not sure about going to San Ysidro Land Port of Entry.

TIP: You can also pay $6 online before going there. There is seperate line for pre-paid. So in case there is line for regular i94 update, you need not wait.

Disclaimer: This was my experience and not legal advice. You do your own research.

Thanks Thunderbolt this is helpful and clarifies all doubts here !

[xaanaadoo]

In same situation

Hey Guys,
First of all thanks for your post. I am in the same situation and reading your experience gives me some hope. I went to my local CBP Deferred Inspection Center but they declined to update the I-94 date. My I-94 is valid April 2018 (my old passport expiry date). My visa stamp is valid until May 2018 and my current H1B petion is valid until April 2020. If I get an extension following the same process as you have, will it be until end date of my H1B visa stamp or end date of current my I797 H1B petition?

Since I have crossed the 6 years H1 cap and changed employers few months back, there is not much time for me to re-start GC process and clear labor to get new H1B extension before my I94 expires. Hopefully, I can get it updated at the border. I may have to try this at Canadian border at Niagara Falls .

Let me know your thoughts,

Thanks,
Robert F.

[grungestar]

Another similar situation

Hi, hoping someone with similar experience can help advise.

My I94 is expiring March 2018, which means my spouse and child's in the same boat. Our visa however (I am on L1A, wife and kid on L2) does not expire until Jan 2020. Thus, I need to renew my I94, so my wife can renew her EAD as well, which expires according to our current I94.
Our passports: My wife and mine expires in 2024, but my kid expires 2019.

My company will do the renewal by filing I-129, etc but they are not doing it quick enough.

Question is, can I renew our I94 at any POE (e.g. San Ysidro/San Diego) so the I94 expiry dates extends to the expiry date of my visa? From March 2018 to Jan 2020?
If so, will my kid's I94 be renewed only to the extend of the validity of her passport which is 2019 while ours can be until 2020?
I read in one of the posts, that you do not need to cross into Mexico, and can do it at the POE on US soil. If so, can we do it at ANY POE, or only specific ones?

Any help would be highly appreciated. Also, for those of you who had gotten I94 renewed at the San Ysidro CBP, just confirming - you do not need to cross over to Mexico right? It's all done within US soil? And the address is: 415-499 Virginia Ave, San Diego, CA 92173 yes?

Thanks.
M

[AnshX]

Hey Guys,
First of all thanks for your post. I am in the same situation and reading your experience gives me some hope. I went to my local CBP Deferred Inspection Center but they declined to update the I-94 date. My I-94 is valid April 2018 (my old passport expiry date). My visa stamp is valid until May 2018 and my current H1B petion is valid until April 2020. If I get an extension following the same process as you have, will it be until end date of my H1B visa stamp or end date of current my I797 H1B petition?

Since I have crossed the 6 years H1 cap and changed employers few months back, there is not much time for me to re-start GC process and clear labor to get new H1B extension before my I94 expires. Hopefully, I can get it updated at the border. I may have to try this at Canadian border at Niagara Falls .

Let me know your thoughts,

Thanks,
Robert F.

Hi Robert, I am not an expert but out of my experiences and the research I did in my case, I believe that one gets I-94 extension until the end date of current I797 and not visa stamp date (but your passport should also be valid at least until same date as is on your I797 expiry date. Or else I-94 will have dates of your passport expiry dates. Therefore, its better for you to get new passport first, and then go to the border to get your I-94 renewed. In my case, I renewed my passport first and then went to border and got I-94 renewed and got same I-94 dates as was on my I797.
Read the first original message I posted out of my experience in this thread to get more insight.

[AnshX]

Hi, hoping someone with similar experience can help advise.

My I94 is expiring March 2018, which means my spouse and child's in the same boat. Our visa however (I am on L1A, wife and kid on L2) does not expire until Jan 2020. Thus, I need to renew my I94, so my wife can renew her EAD as well, which expires according to our current I94.
Our passports: My wife and mine expires in 2024, but my kid expires 2019.

My company will do the renewal by filing I-129, etc but they are not doing it quick enough.

Question is, can I renew our I94 at any POE (e.g. San Ysidro/San Diego) so the I94 expiry dates extends to the expiry date of my visa? From March 2018 to Jan 2020?
If so, will my kid's I94 be renewed only to the extend of the validity of her passport which is 2019 while ours can be until 2020?
I read in one of the posts, that you do not need to cross into Mexico, and can do it at the POE on US soil. If so, can we do it at ANY POE, or only specific ones?

Any help would be highly appreciated. Also, for those of you who had gotten I94 renewed at the San Ysidro CBP, just confirming - you do not need to cross over to Mexico right? It's all done within US soil? And the address is: 415-499 Virginia Ave, San Diego, CA 92173 yes?

Thanks.
M

Hi ,

I am not much sure about how it works on L1B visa as I was on H1B when I got my extension and posted my experiences in this thread. But I guess it should be similar. Also I dont know if by 'Visa' you are referring to Petition or Visa stamp... In my experiences I-94 dates are matched to the dates on your petition (which is I797 in H1B case) and not with Visa stamp dates. And Yes, I did not cross the border to get my I94 extension and it was done on the US soil (on the US side of the San Diego Border). All step by step details including questions and addresses I have posted in the first message of this thread, please read that.

[AnshX]

Hi, Re-posting my original message in this thread as it seems many people couldn't see the first page and asking the same questions.


------------------------------Original Post------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Folks, I recently got my I-94 corrected on San Diego - Mexico border and thought to share my experience for the people in the same situation. Note that this is just my personal experience so please do your research too as per your case.

Situation: My old passport got expired and I got a new passport, so needed to correct my I-94 dates to keep it in line with my H1B’s petition I-797 dates. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. I did not have to cross the border to correct the I-94 dates. I directly went to Land port of Entry (on US side of border) and explained my situation to an immigration officer. He was a nice guy and sent me to an immigration counter to get all this done. Below are step by step instructions from my experience.

1. I traveled to Tijuana Border, San Diego. Parked my vehicle to the closest ‘Border Station Parking’ (On the US side). Google map address is <<4570 Camino De La Plaza, San Ysidro, CA 92173>>. There are several other parking / a near by outlet mall parking you can search for.

2. I came out of the parking and walked towards the intersection of Virginia Ave & Camino De La Plaza Blvd. Now walked on Virginia Ave towards Mexico side until I saw a bus stop. Right next to it there is a Building with American Flags and the building name is ‘San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility’. Google address is <<415-499 Virginia Ave, San Diego, CA 92173>>. This is the place where I-94 was to be corrected. (Note that earlier it all would be done at East Pedestrian Facility which is around 1 mile away from West Facility and one had to cross pedestrian foot over bridge. First I also went there but an officer told me that recently they have shifted it to West facility). And I did not have to cross border to get to those buildings as both are on US side of border.

3. So, on reaching the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry – West Pedestrian Facility building I found 2 glass doors with one having a board of I-94 Permits. I went inside that hall and saw few border agents sitting across the counter with last window as payment counter. I told security guard that why I am here and he asked to pay $6 for each applicant at the payment window and get the receipt. Then I sat down for my turn and shortly a border agent called me.

4. In my case, officer asked me some general questions like my address etc. I explained my case politely and showed him I797/other papers as required. He asked to show address proof and checked few records in the systems and finally took my finger prints/webcam pic and stapled a paper I-94 on my new passport and also put a stamp with new dates as applicable per my I797 dates. Entire process took 15 minutes around. This officer was very polite and cooperating and also gave me useful suggestions.

5. I thanked the officer and left. Immediately after coming out of building I checked I-94 official website on internet, and there too my new I-94 dates had got updated. I was all set and left the premises ! I had so many doubts before going but all of this went well and smoothly, so I thought to share my experience in detail to help others in similar situation.

P.S. : Prior to my visit to Mexico border, I also visited USCIS Deferred Inspection Site located in San Francisco and met up with an Immigration officer to correct I-94. But he confirmed that they can extend I-94 maximum until your old passport expiry date. If you got a new passport, you will have to cross border to get this corrected. Therefore, I planned to travel to Mexico Border. Hope it was helpful !


Disclaimer :These are just my personal experiences and not a legal advice.



Thanks,
Ansh

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