I-94 or Visa: How Long Can I Stay?

I just entered the US. I have a visitor’s visa that says it is good for 10 years, but at the airport they stapled a card in my passport that says I was admitted for 6 months. How long can I actually stay in the US: 6 months or 10 years?

I can’t tell you how often we get asked this question, but it has to be at least a dozen times a month. The lack of knowledge or misunderstanding about the role of a visa and the I-94 card has been a major factor for many foreign nationals that have fallen out of status in the United States. Why is this? And what is the difference between the visa and the I-94 card.

The simple answer: A visa allows a person to appear at the gate (a port of entry) and ask to be let in, and the I-94 card is your actual admission ticket, telling you how long you can stay and what you can do while you are here.

The long answer: Very few foreign nationals are aware that their stay in the US is controlled by the I-94 card issued to them at the time of entry, and not by their visa. This lack of understanding has landed many in trouble. It is the I-94 card that says how long you can stay in the US, and in what status you were admitted. Just to make sure you clearly understand this, let<< Back