Form I-102 guide: replacement or initial I-94 (Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document)

Wang Law Firm, LLC · David Wang, Managing Attorney · Attorney-reviewed · Updated October 2026

Form I-102's official title is Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document. It is decided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and is used to request a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged arrival-departure record (I-94, I-94W or I-95), or an initial record for a nonimmigrant who was not issued an I-94 at entry and now needs one.

The I-94 is the key record showing when you were admitted, in what status, and until when you may stay; it is used for extensions, changes of status, green card applications, driver's licenses, Social Security numbers and more. But before filing an I-102, know this: today, for travelers arriving by air or sea, the I-94 is almost always an electronic record, and most people only need to look it up and print it on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) I-94 website; they do not need to, and should not, file an I-102. The I-102 is mainly for the small number of situations in which the record cannot be obtained from the CBP website.

At a glance

Item	Details
Official title	Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document
Agency	USCIS
Who files	Nonimmigrants and others in the United States who need a replacement or initial I-94 / I-94W / I-95 (details below)
When to file	When the I-94 record you need cannot be obtained from the CBP website; you must be in the United States
Online filing	Check the current instructions on the official USCIS form page; the official page currently lists filing with a USCIS Lockbox
Try this first	Look up and print the I-94 for your most recent entry on the CBP I-94 website
Commonly used with	G-1145 (e-notification of acceptance), G-28 (attorney representation)
Official page	uscis.gov/i-102

Do this first: look up your I-94 on the CBP website

Since 2013, CBP has used electronic I-94s for travelers arriving by air and sea, and generally no longer issues paper cards at entry. At i94.cbp.dhs.gov you can enter your passport information to look up and print the I-94 for your most recent entry, and you can also view your travel history.

If you cannot find it, common causes and fixes:

Input issues: try different spellings of your name (for example, first and last names reversed, middle names, compound surnames, hyphens), old and new passport numbers, and the passport used at entry; for nationality, choose the country that issued the passport.
Very recent entry: a record from a recent entry may not be updated yet; check again later.
Passport renewed: search with the old passport number used at entry.
The record itself is wrong: see "What to do about record errors" below.

Travelers entering at land ports of entry who need an I-94 can apply and pay in advance online following CBP's current instructions, or obtain it at the port. The 2025 "H.R. 1" legislation increased the I-94 fee, which CBP has begun collecting; check CBP's current published amount.

Who needs to file an I-102

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, the I-102 applies in these situations:

Replacement: a paper I-94, I-94W or I-95 was lost, stolen or mutilated, and the electronic record cannot be obtained from the CBP website;
Initial issuance: a nonimmigrant was not issued an I-94 at entry (for example, some Canadian visitors, or people who entered with a Border Crossing Card) but now needs an I-94 for a change of status, extension or similar purpose;
Correcting USCIS errors: an I-94 issued by USCIS (for example, the I-94 attached to the bottom of an I-797A approval notice) has incorrect information such as name, date of birth, class of admission or validity date.

Eligible filers generally include nonimmigrants, parolees, refugees and certain people admitted under the Compacts of Free Association. Asylees and I-94 holders with a temporary I-551 stamp generally must go to a USCIS office or asylum office, but derivative asylees who obtained status through an I-730 may use the I-102.

When you cannot or should not use the I-102

When you can get the electronic I-94 from the CBP website: simply download and print it.
CBP errors: if the I-94 CBP issued at entry is wrong (for example, a misspelled name, wrong date of birth, wrong visa class or miscalculated period of stay), do not file an I-102; contact or visit the CBP port of entry or a Deferred Inspection office to request a correction.
Entry without inspection: the I-102 cannot be used to "create" a record of a lawful entry that never happened, and it cannot fix problems with the manner of entry itself.
Records of earlier entries: generally only the I-94 for the most recent entry can be replaced; records of earlier entries usually cannot (except in specific reentry situations provided by regulation). If you need historical travel records, check the travel history on the CBP website or make a FOIA request to CBP (see G-639).
Green card holders: green card issues call for I-90, not the I-102.

What to do about record errors: first determine whose error it is

Source of the error	Typical situation	How to fix it
CBP (issued at entry)	The I-94 found on the CBP website after entry has a misspelled name, wrong visa class or wrong period of stay (for example, shorter than the passport or visa should allow)	Contact or visit the CBP port of entry or a Deferred Inspection office to request a correction; do not use the I-102
USCIS (issued when approving an extension or change of status)	The I-94 at the bottom of the I-797A has incorrect information	You can request a correction with the I-102; if the error was caused entirely by USCIS and not by the applicant, special fee rules apply; follow the official instructions
The applicant provided incorrect information	The applicant entered the wrong name or date when applying, causing an incorrect I-94	You can request a correction with the I-102, with the fee paid as required (the same applies to errors caused by incorrect information provided by the applicant or by the State Department)

The period of stay on your I-94 directly determines when you start to overstay. If you find an error in the period of stay, deal with it promptly; do not wait until it is about to expire.

Tips for completing the form

Part 1, personal information: family name, U.S. mailing address and date of birth are required, and leaving them blank leads to rejection. Use your legal name as shown on your passport; a corrected I-94 will show only the legal name.
Part 2, reason for applying: clearly check whether this is a replacement (lost, stolen or damaged), an initial issuance, or a correction. Leaving it blank leads to rejection.
Entry information: date of entry, port of entry, class of admission at entry and the passport used should match evidence such as the entry stamp in your passport.
Signature: unsigned forms are rejected. Use the current edition stated on the official USCIS page.

Documents to prepare

Copies of your passport biographic page and the page with the entry stamp;
A copy of the visa page (if any);
If you have a damaged original I-94, submit the original;
For corrections, the original I-94, an explanation of the error, and evidence of the correct information;
If you have none of the above evidence of entry, you can include your own statement describing your entry and why other evidence is unavailable;
If represented by an attorney, Form G-28.

The burden of proving lawful entry is on the applicant. USCIS checks its own system records, may request additional evidence, and in some cases may schedule an interview (for example, when someone claims to have entered but was never issued an I-94). Foreign-language documents must include an English translation; see Translation requirements for immigration documents.

How to file and fees

The I-102 generally requires a USCIS filing fee; special fee rules apply in situations such as errors caused entirely by USCIS and initial issuance requests from certain people such as some military members. 2026 change: on April 29, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security published an interim final rule (effective May 29, 2026) that adds the statutory I-94 fee required by the "H.R. 1" legislation, on top of the existing filing fee, for directly filed I-102s; by law this fee cannot be waived, but it is not charged for I-102s filed to correct DHS's own errors. Check current USCIS rules for the exact amounts: USCIS Fee Schedule G-1055; see also How to check fees and processing times. For the filing address, follow the official I-102 page.

What happens after filing

Receipt notice (I-797C); you can check the status online (see How to check your USCIS case status).
Records check: USCIS verifies the date, place and manner of entry and existing status records.
Request for evidence or interview (in a few cases): see How to respond to an RFE.
Decision: upon approval, a new or corrected arrival-departure record is issued.

The I-102 is not a discretionary application: in an I-102, USCIS does not review whether you maintained status or are admissible; as long as the records and evidence support the admission or parole you claim, it should be approved. For processing times, see USCIS processing times.

Options after a denial

An I-102 is usually denied because the evidence does not prove the claimed entry, or because the requested record was obtained by fraud. An I-102 denial cannot be appealed, but you can file a motion to reopen or reconsider within the deadline using I-290B. If the reason for denial involves the manner of entry itself, consult an attorney promptly to evaluate the effect on your status.

How it differs from similar options

Situation	What to use
You only need the electronic I-94 for your most recent entry	Look it up and download it yourself on the CBP I-94 website
The I-94 CBP issued at entry is wrong	The CBP port of entry or a Deferred Inspection office
A paper I-94 was lost or damaged and is not on the CBP website; or you need an initial issuance; or an I-94 issued by USCIS is wrong	I-102
You need complete travel records from earlier years	Travel history on the CBP website; if necessary, a FOIA request to CBP (G-639)
Your I-94 is about to expire and you need to extend your stay	I-539, or an I-129 filed by your employer; not the I-102
Your green card is lost or has an error	I-90

Frequently asked questions

I did not get a paper I-94 when I entered. Do I need to file an I-102?

If you entered by air or sea, you generally have an electronic I-94; just download and print it from the CBP website. You do not need an I-102. Consider an I-102 only if you truly have no I-94 record and need one.

The period of stay on my I-94 on the CBP website is too short. What should I do?

This is a CBP-issued record; contact the CBP port of entry or a Deferred Inspection office to request a correction rather than filing an I-102. Until it is corrected, calculate your period of stay using the date on the I-94 to avoid overstaying.

My name is misspelled on the I-94 at the bottom of my I-797A approval notice. What should I do?

This is a USCIS-issued record. If the error was caused entirely by USCIS, you can request a correction with the I-102 and explain that it is a USCIS error; special fee rules apply in that case. If you made the mistake on your own application, the correction requires the fee as required. Follow the official instructions and fee schedule.

I need all my travel records from the past several years for my naturalization application. Can I use the I-102?

No. The I-102 generally covers only the record of your most recent entry. You can first check your travel history on the CBP website; for more complete records, you can make a FOIA request to CBP.

Can I file an I-102 from outside the United States?

The I-102 is designed for people in the United States. If you are abroad, a new I-94 record will be created at your next entry; questions about past records should usually be handled through CBP.