How important is the I-94 card?
[top] A6: Extremely important. This card serves as the main evidence of the person’s legal status in the U.S. and it is used to track the duration of the person’s presence in the U.S. When a J-1 holder enters the U.S. and receives a new I-94 card, he/she should always check to make sure the port of entry officer has written in “J-1” as his/her immigration status and “D/S” as the period of authorized stay. When he/she leaves the U.S., he/she should turn in the card to the airline representative (unless he/she is traveling to Canada, Mexico, or an adjacent Caribbean island under the special travel procedures).
