Mark Carroll

I'm confused. A few years ago the situation for non-citizens (probably
non-NAFTA too) entering the US, in terms of forms to fill in, seemed
to be:

Non-immigrant, no visa - fill in green I-94 form
Non-immigrant, visa - fill in white I-94 form
Immigrant, visa[1] - no I-94
Immigrant, I-551 - no I-94

[1] e.g. an IR-1 or something

Then, maybe around December 2001, when I got to the POE with my I-551
and passport, the INS people were surprised that I hadn't been given a
magical pre-printed I-94 at check in, and went off to make me one. I
shrugged my shoulders and accepted the I-94, returning it at the gate
when I next left the US.

I'm still a permanent resident. A few days ago I flew from London
Heathrow to Chicago O'Hare by United. At check in they had no idea
that PRs might need an I-94, on the aeroplane they gave out the old
green and white forms instead of the computer-printed things, and
indeed at the POE they didn't want me to have an I-94.

So, what's going on? Are different airports different? Did PRs briefly
need I-94s, but no longer? I was just surpised not again to have to
have a new computerised I-94.

-- Mark

Joachim Feise

On 26 Sep 2002, Mark Carroll wrote:

    > I'm confused. A few years ago the situation for non-citizens (probably
    > non-NAFTA too) entering the US, in terms of forms to fill in, seemed
    > to be:
    > Non-immigrant, no visa - fill in green I-94 form
    > Non-immigrant, visa - fill in white I-94 form
    > Immigrant, visa[1] - no I-94
    > Immigrant, I-551 - no I-94
    > [1] e.g. an IR-1 or something
    > Then, maybe around December 2001, when I got to the POE with my I-551
    > and passport, the INS people were surprised that I hadn't been given a
    > magical pre-printed I-94 at check in, and went off to make me one. I
    > shrugged my shoulders and accepted the I-94, returning it at the gate
    > when I next left the US.
    > I'm still a permanent resident. A few days ago I flew from London
    > Heathrow to Chicago O'Hare by United. At check in they had no idea
    > that PRs might need an I-94, on the aeroplane they gave out the old
    > green and white forms instead of the computer-printed things, and
    > indeed at the POE they didn't want me to have an I-94.
    > So, what's going on? Are different airports different? Did PRs briefly
    > need I-94s, but no longer? I was just surpised not again to have to
    > have a new computerised I-94.

PRs don't have to fill out an I-94.
Whoever had you fill out one didn't have a clue.
There was, however, a pilot program in the late 1990s which used the
boarding pass as an automatic I-94 for all non-citizens. This was
tested with certain airlines (TWA and USAirways, I think) and on
certain routes to and from Europe only.
There is also one other use of an I-94 for PRs that I've come across:
instead of getting the I-551 stamp in the passport, it is possible
that INS puts it on an I-94, and attaches a photo to it. This I-94
is not to be handed over to the airline when you travel abroad.

-Joe