CanadianSpruce

The thing that always confuses me with the GE machines (and some of the new APC machines that print admission receipts) is that sometimes it will say you are admitted until so and so date but in reality it hasn't issued you a new I-94. Not sure what kind of recourse someone would have if they had a slip that said admit until October 2019 but their I-94 wasn't renewed and expired before that. Its not really and issue for me as I don't live in the US (just visiting from Canada under either B status on my Canadian passport (hence no I-94) or under the VWP under my British Passport, although I don't really use my UK passport anymore)

E2Brutus

My wife had some medical issues restricting travel so my border trip is back on. I will be taking a day trip to Tijuana. I am not sure whether I will apply for the I94 provisionally online, I think it might be better just to see what happens at the border. If he doesn't extend by I94 I will still have a couple of weeks to have a longer exit. Hmm

crg

Sounds like you were very fortunate because overstaying the I-94 voided the visa upon departure per 222(g) of the INA. The visa would remain void even with the subsequent admission. The I-94 must be valid throughout the period of stay regardless of the validity period of the visa.

E2Brutus

In the end I registered the I94 online in advance online and today walked into and out of Tijuana.

My I94 expires in under a month and my E2 Visa expires in two years. They refused to extend my I94, but admitted me with the same I94 as I had before which expires in under a month.

Here is what happened:

At the first desk the officer said his computer wasn't accepting the entry so I had to go to the back room for processing.

In the back room I was handled by five different officers because none of them could work out how to handle my entry or find my details in their system. I provided them with a print out of my existing I94, receipt of online payment for the new one I was hoping for, and the record of my last entry in Phoenix two years ago.

All the officers were really friendly and in the end the supervisor said that I94s cannot be issued to those entering from contiguous countries. I told him that I had previously been issued one when I entered at Phoenix from Los Cabos, but he said that flights are different because they trigger an automatic entry in the system.

I have to say these were the friendliest bunch of immigration officers I have ever know, and I left there not really minding that I didn't get the I94 because they were so nice!

So in conclusion, now I have to take a meaningful trip outside the USA in the next few weeks!

LouisB

Useful info.

So if you fly out of US it doesn't matter if you fly to part of the contiguous land? Where as that doesn't work for land travel?

Must admit the idea of walking over the border to Tijuana sounds like something out of Breaking Bad but I'm sure like most things it wasn't as bad as one might imagine

E2Brutus

Yes, I asked that specifically and was told it is considered a meaningful exit if you fly there, but not if you walk or drive. He told me that if I have flown to SD airport instead of walked across the system would have extended the I94.

It was EXACTLY like the movies. I saw a guy with a warrant being arrested at the border, and three different people being cuffed. I also saw the Mexico border side forcing a homeless American woman back onto the US side because she wasn't their problem!

crg

The contiguous territory requirement only applies to VWP/ESTA travel. The 'meaningful departure' regulations only apply for green card holders. Any departure of a non-immigrant makes them an applicant again.

ian-mstm

It sounds as though CBP were relying too much on the machines that, apparently, aren't properly programmed, or the officers were simply too lazy to check the regulations... or some combination thereof.

Ian

crg

It could be a local policy of cutting down their workload by deterring people from seeking to be processed at their busy border crossing.

E2Brutus

"The contiguous territory requirement only applies to VWP/ESTA travel. The 'meaningful departure' regulations only apply for green card holders. Any departure of a non-immigrant makes them an applicant again."

It is probably best I didn't point that out to them, or they may have decided to deny my application for being a smart ass :-)

I am flying to England for a week to see how the Queen is doing.

wisygreen

Thanks for the feedback. Say hello to the Queen for me.