CBP Ends Routine Passport Stamps: Check Your I-94 Instead

As reported by Condé Nast Traveler, US Customs and Border Protection said on October 1 that it would cease routine passport stamps during primary processing. The agency says the move streamlines inspections and cuts costs. The change does not alter who is admitted or how long they can stay, but it removes the physical record travelers used to rely on.

Sébastien Couix, CEO of Visamundi, told Condé Nast Traveler that until now you left the counter with two records: the ink stamp and the electronic I-94. Now you leave with one. Without the stamp, travelers must pull up their electronic I-94 to confirm how long they are allowed to stay and under which immigration category.

What to do now

Immigration attorneys Kathleen Walker and Joseph Kwon told Condé Nast Traveler that the stamp was always more of a receipt; the official record was the I-94. Kwon recommends checking your I-94 immediately after entry to make sure your name, passport number, entry category and departure date are correct. Save a copy somewhere easy to find.

Walker notes one downside: with a stamp, a traveler could spot a wrong date or visa class before leaving the airport. With the electronic record, a mistake might not become apparent until after you have already left the inspection area. If something is wrong, contact a CBP Deferred Inspection office to request a correction. Kwon warns that waiting turns a typo into an overstay.

Can you still get a stamp?

CBP’s guidance says officers may still stamp passports when a traveler requests it, but only when appropriate. Couix advises treating a stamp as a favor, not a right. For travelers who like collecting stamps, it is worth asking politely, but there is no guarantee.

Why the stamp mattered

Couix told Condé Nast Traveler that entry stamps often serve as supporting proof for visa and residency applications, bank forms, or school paperwork. They are also helpful for green card holders, who generally cannot use the I-94 system to look back at their trips. With the change, travelers should keep their own digital paper trail.

The United States joins a growing list of countries moving away from physical travel records. Europe’s Entry/Exit System and at least 35 other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea, have also phased out routine stamping.

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