CBP FOIA for Your Full Travel History: When the I-94 Website Isn't Enough and How to Ask

The I-94 site stops at 10 years and ignores green card holders. A CBP FOIA reaches back to 1982, if you ask for the right records in the right way.

Part of our guide to the I-94 record.

To get your complete US travel history, use CBP's free I-94 website first, then file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for anything the website cannot show. As of November 1, 2026, the website's View Travel History covers only the past 10 years and only nonimmigrants. A CBP FOIA for travel history asks for CBP's own entry and exit records, which start in 1982. Filing is free, it must be done online through SecureRelease or FOIA.gov, and CBP promises no turnaround, so request well before you need the records.

Status as of 2026-11-01. In effect: CBP accepts FOIA requests only online; its FOIA page says that "Effective January 22, 2026, CBP is no longer accepting hard copy (mail/fax/email)" requests. Looking up your history on the I-94 website and filing a FOIA cost nothing. In effect since 2026-09-01: the DHS FOIA page says requesters "will see an increase in charging fees for some record categories when the Department can process within the statutory time frames." Scheduled for 2026-11-30: a DHS final rule (91 FR 68447) adds the option to pay FOIA fees electronically through DHS's FOIA processing system, using pay.gov. In effect since 2025-12-26: the DHS biometric entry/exit rule, which lets CBP photograph noncitizens on entry and exit; it does not create records for trips before it took effect (our reading).

CBP FOIA travel history: when the I-94 website isn't enough

You need a CBP FOIA when the trips you need are older than 10 years, when you hold a green card or US citizenship, or when you need CBP's records rather than a lookup tool. The I-94 website calls its travel history "a tool to assist you but not an official record for legal purposes," and it can leave out most land crossings.

Those are CBP's own words, on the front page of the I-94 website. The site's FAQ is just as direct about who is shut out: "United States Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents cannot retrieve their travel history using the I-94/I-95 website... To obtain your travel history records, you will need to submit a request through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)." If you only need recent trips and you are still on F-1, OPT or H-1B, start with our I-94 travel history guide, which walks through the free search.

Do you need a CBP FOIA? A decision table (as of 2026-11)

H-1B recapture from years ago

Recapture is written into 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(C): time "physically outside the United States exceeding 24 hours" during an approved H-1B petition does not count against your six years and "may be recaptured in a subsequent H-1B petition... at any time before the alien uses the full period." The regulation puts the burden on the petitioner and lists "copies of passport stamps, Arrival-Departure Records (Form I-94), or airline tickets, together with a chart." Because recapture can be claimed years later, the trips that matter may have dropped out of the website's window. A FOIA release is one more piece of evidence for that chart; the attorney decides what is enough, and whether recapture or a new period of admission is the better route.

A missing departure

If you left by land, or an airline record never attached, your history can show an arrival with no matching departure. A FOIA tells you what CBP actually holds. It does not change anything. Our guide on how to prove you left when a departure is missing covers the evidence and the CBP Information Center route.

Green card and naturalization history

Once you are a permanent resident, the website shows you nothing. Years later, naturalization turns on travel: the USCIS Policy Manual (current as of 2026-10-27) requires applicants under the general five-year rule to show physical presence "for at least 30 months (at least 913 days)" and says USCIS "will review all of the relevant records." Download and save your nonimmigrant-era history while the website still shows it to you, and plan on a FOIA for the years after.

Past overstay worries

If you are unsure whether a departure was recorded on time, CBP's records show what CBP has, not what the law makes of it. Whether a date creates an unlawful-presence problem is a question for a licensed immigration attorney, ideally before your next trip or filing.

What the I-94 website, passport stamps and a CBP FOIA each show

Each source covers a different slice of your travel. The website is instant but limited; a FOIA is slower but reaches back to 1982 and covers anyone; your passports cover only what was stamped and what you kept.

Travel-record sources compared (as of 2026-11)

Sources: CBP I-94 website, CBP FOIA FAQ, USCIS FOIA page.

Can CBP show entries before 1982?

No. CBP's Request Records Through FOIA page says plainly:

"CBP does not have records on the entry and exit of persons arriving or departing the U.S. before 1982."

The I-94 FAQ repeats it: "Travel records are only available from 1982 onward." For older travel, your evidence has to come from old passports or, if you had an immigration file, a USCIS FOIA request for your A-file.

Which agency holds which record?

Sending the request to the wrong place costs time: under DHS's rule, a misdirected request's clock starts only when the right component receives it, up to ten working days after any DHS component first gets it. CBP's own table of common requests sorts out who holds what.

Where each record lives (CBP's common-requests table, as of 2026-11)

How to file a CBP FOIA request for your travel history

What decides whether you get useful records is how precisely you describe them and whether CBP can match you to every passport you used.

1. Gather every passport you have traveled on since you first came to the US, plus any name variants, your date and place of birth and your Alien Registration Number (A-Number) if you have one. CBP's FAQ asks for your "Alien number (A number), your parents' names, and any alias you may have used at the time of entry or apprehension."
2. Check the I-94 website first if you are still a nonimmigrant, and save a PDF of what it shows, so you know which years and trips your request must cover.
3. Create an account on the SecureRelease portal, or start the request on FOIA.gov and choose CBP. Do not mail, fax or email it.
4. Describe the records, not a question. Name the record type ("information regarding entry and exit" and, if relevant, inspection records), the exact date range, and every passport number and country of issue.
5. Verify your identity. CBP asks for "your full name, address, date of birth, and a signed Certification of Identity form, or a perjury statement and signature or notary." DHS's identity rule for requests about yourself (6 CFR 5.21(e)) also asks for your place of birth and country of citizenship or residency.
6. Attach written consent if someone else files for you. CBP recommends Form G-28 for an attorney, or a notarized consent from you.
7. Set a fee limit. CBP's FAQ says filing is free and that "some agency regulations provide that making a FOIA request represents an agreement to pay fees up to $25" unless you state another amount.
8. Save the acknowledgment and FOIA tracking number, and check status in the portal.
9. Review the release when it arrives. If records are missing or withheld, appeal through SecureRelease. CBP's FAQ says to appeal "within 90 days of the date of your final response letter"; DHS's rule at 6 CFR 5.8 allows 90 working days, so working to CBP's shorter count is the safe reading (ours).

A plain description CBP can search might read: "I request copies of all CBP records of my arrivals in and departures from the United States, including entry and exit records and any records of inspection at a port of entry, from 2008-01-01 to the present. I traveled on passports [number, issuing country] and [number, issuing country]." CBP's I-94 FAQ warns that "FOIA requests submitted as questions will not be processed," so do not write "Did I overstay in 2014?"

How long does a CBP FOIA take?

CBP does not publish a promised turnaround. The FOIA itself, at 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6), tells an agency to "determine within 20 days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays)," and allows an extension of no more than ten working days in unusual circumstances by written notice.

In practice, FOIA.gov says the time "will vary depending on the complexity of the request" and "any backlog of requests already pending at the agency." The DHS FOIA page adds that DHS "receives and responds to more FOIA requests each year than any other U.S. Federal Agency."

Can you speed it up?

Only in narrow cases. Under 6 CFR 5.5(e), DHS expedites a request involving an imminent threat to life or safety, an urgency to inform the public by someone primarily engaged in disseminating information, "the loss of substantial due process rights," or a matter of widespread media interest touching the government's integrity. You must submit "a statement, certified to be true and correct, explaining in detail the basis." An employer's petition timeline is not one of the listed grounds (our reading). Otherwise, the practical lever is a narrow request (one person, exact dates, one record type), because DHS's rule lets components put simpler requests on a separate track.

Worked timeline: a request filed on Monday, 2026-11-02 (our arithmetic)

These are the dates the statute sets for CBP's determination, not a forecast of when pages arrive. A late answer does not cancel your request, and DHS's fee rule (6 CFR 5.11(d)(2)) says a component that misses the FOIA's time limits generally may not charge search fees, subject to listed exceptions.

If the release is late, the FOIA Public Liaison and the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives offer help; OGIS mediates disputes between requesters and agencies. If a trip abroad depends on these records, read when not to travel on H-1B before you book.

What records will CBP send back?

You get a response letter and copies of whatever CBP found that matches your description. DHS's FOIA handbook describes the process in one line: "The agency will first review the information and black out anything that must be withheld under the law. They will then send you the records you requested."

Three things to expect:

• Codes, not narrative. Withheld passages are typically marked with the FOIA exemption relied on; CBP's Exemption Definitions page explains them. Build your own trip chart from the pages.
• Only what CBP captured. A FOIA searches CBP's records, which can go beyond the website's list, but a land exit CBP never recorded will not appear by FOIA either (our reading).
• No corrections. A release shows errors; it does not fix them. CBP's I-94 FAQ sends wrong travel history to the CBP Information Center or DHS TRIP, with supporting evidence, and a wrong class of admission or date on your I-94 follows the routes in our guide to fixing I-94 errors.

If CBP answers "no records," check the identifiers you gave before appealing. A passport you left out, a reversed name or a missing alias can each explain a miss (our reading), and the appeal itself can challenge "the adequacy of the component's search," in the words of 6 CFR 5.8.

Worked example: recapturing days abroad from a 2011-2015 H-1B

Suppose you held H-1B status from 2011-10-01 until you moved abroad on 2015-06-30, and a US employer now plans a new petition in 2027 that seeks to recapture your unused time. On 2026-11-01, the I-94 website's 10-year window reaches back only to about November 2016. Every trip you took during your H-1B years is invisible there.

Your evidence then comes from three places: CBP entry and exit records for 2011-10-01 to 2015-06-30 by FOIA, the stamps in your old passports, and any tickets or boarding passes you kept. Filed on 2026-11-02, the statutory determination point would be 2026-12-02 (our arithmetic). The same regulation, at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(C)(2), says a recapture petition does not subject you to the H-1B cap again if you were counted toward it for that six-year period, "whether or not the alien has been physically outside the United States for 1 year or more," and that the employer may instead seek a new period of admission. Which route fits, and whether to wait for the release before filing, is the employer's attorney's call; under the regulation, USCIS "may grant all, part, or none of the recapture period requested."

Common mistakes

• Asking a question instead of requesting records. CBP will not process "Did I overstay?" Ask for entry and exit records for named dates.
• Mailing a paper request. CBP stopped accepting hard copy on 2026-01-22. Its records page (last modified 2026-02-11) still lists a mailing address, but the FOIA landing page (modified 2026-09-10) and FAQ (2026-07-16) say hard copy is not accepted; follow the newer pages.
• Asking CBP for your I-94 or A-file. CBP sends I-94 requests to the website, and USCIS holds the A-file.
• Listing only your current passport. Include every passport and name variant you traveled under.
• Paying a third-party site. "There is no fee to file a FOIA request," CBP says.
• Expecting records before 1982. CBP has none.
• Expecting FOIA to fix a record. Use the CBP Information Center, DHS TRIP or the I-94 correction routes.
• Filing late. Request well before a petition, adjustment or naturalization filing depends on the records.
• Reading the release as a legal answer. An attorney, not the printout, decides what a date means for status.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my complete US travel history?

Start with the free View Travel History search on CBP's I-94 website, which shows up to 100 arrivals and departures from the past 10 years for nonimmigrants. For older trips, for green card holders and citizens, or for CBP's own records rather than a lookup, file a FOIA request with CBP through SecureRelease or FOIA.gov. Add your old passports and boarding passes, because no single source is complete (as of November 1, 2026).

When do I need a CBP FOIA instead of the I-94 website?

You need one when the trips you must document are older than the website's 10-year window, when you are a green card holder or US citizen (the site serves nonimmigrants only), or when you want CBP's records rather than a tool CBP calls not an official record for legal purposes. Common cases are H-1B recapture of time from long ago, a missing departure, and a later green card or naturalization history.

How long does a CBP FOIA take?

As of November 1, 2026, CBP publishes no promised turnaround. The FOIA gives an agency 20 working days to make a determination, extendable by up to 10 working days in unusual circumstances, and FOIA.gov says timing varies with complexity and backlog. File early, keep your tracking number, and ask for expedited processing only if you meet a DHS criterion such as the loss of substantial due process rights.

What records will CBP send back?

CBP searches for the records you described, such as its entry and exit records about you, and releases what it finds with a response letter. Anything withheld under the law is blacked out and the FOIA exemption is cited. If CBP finds no records or withholds some, CBP's FAQ says you can appeal through SecureRelease within 90 days of the date of the final response letter.

Can CBP show entries before 1982?

No. CBP's FOIA records page says it does not have records on the entry and exit of people arriving in or departing the US before 1982, and its I-94 FAQ says travel records are only available from 1982 onward. Evidence of older travel has to come from your own passports or, if you had an immigration file, a USCIS FOIA request for your A-file.

Sources

• CBP, Freedom of Information Act (hard-copy notice, effective 2026-01-22): https://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia
• CBP, Request Records Through FOIA (common requests table, 1982 note): https://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia/records
• CBP, FOIA Frequently Asked Questions (fees, identity, appeals): https://www.cbp.gov/site-policy-notices/foia/faq-foia
• CBP, I-94 website and FAQ: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/
• USCIS, Request Records through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act: https://www.uscis.gov/records/request-records-through-the-freedom-of-information-act-or-privacy-act
• USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part D, Chapter 4: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-d-chapter-4
• 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(C): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/section-214.2
• 6 CFR 5.5 (timing and expedited processing): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-6/chapter-I/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5
• 6 CFR 5.8 (appeals): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-6/chapter-I/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.8
• 6 CFR 5.11 (fees): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-6/chapter-I/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.11
• 6 CFR 5.21 (verification of identity): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-6/chapter-I/part-5/subpart-B/section-5.21
• 5 U.S.C. 552: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/552
• DHS FOIA and FOIA handbook: https://www.dhs.gov/foia and https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-foia-handbook
• FOIA.gov FAQ: https://www.foia.gov/faq.html
• DHS biometric entry/exit final rule (90 FR 48604): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/27/2025-19655/collection-of-biometric-data-from-aliens-upon-entry-to-and-departure-from-the-united-states
• DHS, Electronic Payments for FOIA Requests (91 FR 68447, effective 2026-11-30): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/30/2026-22165/electronic-payments-for-foia-requests

How we checked this: on November 1-2, 2026 we read CBP's FOIA landing page, FAQ and records page, the I-94 website text and FAQ, the USCIS FOIA page, the DHS FOIA pages, the Federal Register entries for DHS's FOIA payment rule and biometric rule, 5 U.S.C. 552, 6 CFR 5.5, 5.8, 5.11 and 5.21, and 8 CFR 214.2(h)(13)(iii)(C).

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-94, approval notices and FOIA release govern, and your DSO (for F-1, OPT and SEVIS), a licensed immigration attorney (for recapture, status and green card questions) or a tax professional (for day counts on a return) should answer questions about your case.

Clean travel records make every later filing easier. If you are on OPT, STEM OPT or H-1B and want a focused search for employers that sponsor, F1Jobs can help you plan the next step.