My departure record was not collected when I left the USA. Is this a problem?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 28 Jul, 2023
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I am not sure how it works when you leave the US on a commercial airline, but to answer the general question: Yes, that could be a problem.
When leaving the U.S. for Mexico you may forget about the departure card. In Tijuana for example you just go through a revolving gate with no US or Mexican border officials anywhere in sight.
I was on my way to Argentina, so I had no intention to come back to the US anytime soon. After finding some Mexican officials to get my entry stamp I walked back over the freeway to the other side to the area where you enter the US from Mexico. I called a US border official to the fence and handed him my departure record. He asked whether I would come back to the US and then took it. I asked him what would have happened if I hadn’t give it back to him.
He explained: As the US had no record of me leaving the country, after the 90 days I would have been considered an illegal alien living in the US. It would be on record and the next time I would enter the US I could be in trouble and could be refused entry.
Later one in Mexico I met several people who also crossed over from the US and did not give back their departure record at the border. I convinced them to hand in their card at the next US consulate.
Same happened to me earlier this year. As far as i know this is a multi entry card, went to Mexico for a short trip and nobody at the border asked me for it.
Rest assured, they have your records on file and also know where and when you board a plane – even outside the US.
Per the CBP website, short-term visitors (< 30 days) can retain their I-94 departure record for subsequent visits.
As such, most countries are straying away from paper documents for their fallibility, and moving to electronic record keeping for border entry and exit – for visitors and citizens alike.
Further clarification from the website –
In general, if you have been admitted to the United States under most
visa classifications if you take a short trip (30 days or less) to
Canada or Mexico, you may retain your I-94/I-94W, so that when you
resume your visit to the United States you are readmitted for the
balance of the time remaining on your I-94/I-94W.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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