The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has made significant strides in modernizing the admission process for foreign nationals entering the U.S., most notably through the implementation of “Simplified Arrival” and the move to stampless entry for most admission categories in 2022. However, despite these technological advancements, errors in admission records continue to occur. What is an individual to do to correct these errors?

Option 1: Deferred Inspection

One longstanding method for correcting CBP errors is through the deferred inspection process. Deferred inspection offices are located at various ports of entry across the country and are authorized to handle errors in the I-94 admission record. Depending on the port of entry, corrections may be sought either in-person or through mail/email.

Option 2: Traveler Communication Center (TCC)

Recently, CBP’s Traveler Communication Center (TCC) has become a more popular option for addressing I-94 admission record issues. The TCC can be contacted through CBP’s “Ask a Question” webform. It has been reported that this option has been an effective way handling some of these correction, specifically for those that presented two Forms I-797 and was admitted as per the incorrect document.

Although technological advancements like Simplified Arrival have introduced efficiencies in the CBP admission process, the absence of a physical admission stamp under the stampless system requires greater vigilance in monitoring electronic records.

Some of our clients have had issues getting their I-94 corrected at the ports of entry, as CBP ports do not implement policies in a consistent manner. However, TCC is another helpful option to get these errors resolved.

If you have any questions or need more information, please reach out to me at cprescott@patellegal.com.