I-94 Class of Admission Codes Decoded: F1, J1, H1B, H4, L1, TN, WT and B2

One short code on your I-94 decides whether you can study, work, extend or change status, and CBP sometimes types the wrong one.

Part of our guide to the H-4 EAD.

Your I-94 class of admission is the short code CBP records for the status it admitted you in: F1 for an F-1 student, H1B for an H-1B worker, H4 for an H-1B spouse or child, TN for a USMCA professional, WT for a Visa Waiver tourist. It is not your visa stamp. The code tells your employer, your DSO and USCIS what you may do in the United States (study, work, extend, change status), so check it after every entry and get a wrong one fixed quickly.

Status as of 2026-11-01: F1 and J1 records should still read D/S in the admit-until field. The fixed-date rule (91 FR 44976) has been blocked by a federal court since 2026-09-14; summary judgment is briefed (replies due 2026-11-02) and DHS's First Circuit opening brief is due 2026-11-09 (check the district court docket for a ruling). The $40.62 ESTA fee has been in effect since 2026-10-16. A mandatory ESTA social-media field is only proposed, in a December 2025 information-collection notice.

What does class of admission mean on your I-94?

Class of admission is the nonimmigrant category under which CBP admitted you at the port of entry, or under which USCIS last granted you status, printed on your Form I-94 as a code such as F1, J2, H1B, L2S, TN or WT. It sets what you may do while here; the admit-until date sets how long you may stay.

CBP creates the record at entry; USCIS issues a new one on an I-797A when it approves a change or extension of status (see reading an H-1B I-797A or I-797B). The most recent record governs, so download your most recent I-94 from the CBP I-94 website after every trip.

The official list is DHS's Nonimmigrant Classes of Admission page, run by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. DHS writes codes without hyphens (F1, H1B); USCIS forms usually add one (F-1, H-1B). They mean the same thing.

I-94 class of admission codes decoded (as of 2026-11)

Table: the codes international students and workers see most, as of 2026-11. Descriptions are DHS's wording from the OHSS list; L2S and E3S are spouse codes USCIS and CBP added in 2022 and are not on that list. The work column is a summary; your own documents govern.

F1, F2, J1, J2: students and exchange visitors

Your class stays F1 through OPT and STEM OPT; OPT appears on your EAD, never as a new I-94 code. F-2 dependents may not work (8 CFR 214.2(f)(15)); J-2 dependents can apply for an EAD. F and J admissions keep D/S while the court order stands, and USCIS says on its Form I-539 page (updated 10/07/2026) that it "will proceed under the previous regulatory provisions." A Form I-515A admission is short and dated by design; talk to your DSO if CBP gave you one. For a calendar date on an F-1 record, see our guide to the admit-until date and D/S.

H1B, H1B1, H4: specialty workers and their families

H1B and H1B1 records carry a calendar date, not D/S. An H4 record lets a spouse or child live and study here, but work only with an H-4 EAD (category (c)(26)), which is paper-filed only and valid to the end of H-4 status. Under the final rule in effect since 2026-10-14, H-4 EAD renewals filed on or after 2025-10-30 get no automatic extension. No proposed or final rule ends the H-4 EAD; DHS lists a long-term agenda item (RIN 1615-AD14) with no proposal date.

L2S and E3S: why one letter decides whether a spouse can work

For L-1 and E-3 spouses, the code is the evidence of work authorization. USCIS's L-1A page says: "As of Jan. 30, 2022, USCIS and CBP began issuing Forms I-94 with a new admission code for spouses of L-1 workers: L-2S." Its E-3 page describes a matching E-3S code, says spouses "in valid E-3 or E-3S status are considered employment authorized incident to status," and adds that "Children of E-3 workers may not be employed in the United States." A plain L2 or E3D record issued before 2022-01-30 serves as evidence when paired with the notice USCIS sent about the new code; without that notice, ask the employer's attorney about a corrected record or an EAD before relying on it.

O1, O3, TN, TD

O-3 and TD dependents cannot work. TN admissions run up to three years at a time, with "no specific limit on the total period" under 8 CFR 214.6. DHS's label still says NAFTA, which USMCA replaced. As of 2026-11-01 the USMCA remains in force although the July 2026 joint review did not renew it (USTR statement); TN rules are unchanged.

What do WT and WB mean on an I-94?

WT means you were admitted under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as a visitor for pleasure; WB means a VWP business visitor. You travelled on an approved ESTA instead of a visa, and CBP's Visa Waiver Program page describes "stays of up to 90 days without a visa" for "business or tourism."

The bigger consequence is what you cannot do. USCIS lists the Visa Waiver Program among admissions that may not change status or extend their stay. A B1 or B2 visitor can at least ask USCIS for more time; a WT or WB entrant cannot. The ESTA fee is $40.62 ($10.62 if denied), in effect since 2026-10-16 under CBP's FY2027 inflation-adjustment notice. GB and GT are the separate Guam visa waiver codes.

Is class of admission the same as your visa type?

No. A visa is a State Department travel document that lets you ask a CBP officer for admission. The class of admission is what the officer granted, or what USCIS later changed your status to. They usually match on arrival but can split apart:

• Change of status inside the US. After an F-1 to H-1B change of status, your passport still holds an F-1 visa while your I-797A record reads H1B. The visa can expire while your status stays valid.
• Visa-exempt Canadians. A Canadian citizen can be admitted as TN or F1 with no visa stamp.

Our explainer on your F-1 visa number, SEVIS ID and I-94 number untangles the numbers.

When the code is wrong: two scenarios

My I-94 says B2 but I entered on H-1B

If you presented your H-1B visa and approval notice and CBP still recorded B2, the error happened at entry, and CBP corrects it. B-2 does not allow work, and your employer's Form I-9 relies on your passport and I-94 together, so a B2 record can stall onboarding or reverification. Tell your employer's immigration attorney the day you spot it (the attorney, not HR, decides how work is handled meanwhile), then take your passport, visa, I-797 and I-94 printout to a Deferred Inspection Site or port of entry.

My I-94 says WT but I came to study on F-1

This mismatch leaves the least room for error, because a WT record cannot be changed to F-1 through USCIS. If you showed your F-1 visa and I-20 and the officer keyed WT, ask CBP to correct its error and tell your DSO the same day. If you knowingly travelled on ESTA while planning to study, that is not a typo; speak to a licensed immigration attorney before any step.

Who made the error decides the fix

Decision table, as of 2026-11. Sources: CBP Deferred Inspection Sites, the USCIS Form I-102 page and the G-1055 fee schedule.

CBP says its Deferred Inspection staff can "remedy errors recorded on arrival documents issued at the time of entry to the United States relating to improper non-immigrant classification, inaccurate biographical information or incorrect period of admission, if appropriate." USCIS is equally direct: if CBP issued your I-94 with the wrong "visa classification," you should "not file Form I-102."

How to fix a wrong class of admission, step by step

1. Download your most recent record from the CBP I-94 website the week you arrive.
2. Compare the class with your visa, I-797 and I-20 or DS-2019, and note the exact mismatch.
3. Identify who issued the record: CBP at entry, or USCIS at the bottom of an I-797A.
4. Notify your DSO (F-1, J-1, OPT, STEM OPT) or your employer's immigration attorney (H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, E-3) before you act.
5. Contact the nearest office on CBP's Deferred Inspection Sites page. CBP encourages appointments at sites outside international airports, some sites list email-only instructions, and "Mail-in procedures are generally not available."
6. File Form I-102 only if USCIS issued the wrong record. The G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/26/26) lists $0 for a replacement due to USCIS error. I-102 addresses changed on 2026-10-07; old ones are accepted only if postmarked on or before 2026-11-09.
7. Re-download the corrected record and send it to your DSO or HR.

Our full I-94 correction guide covers what to bring and how visits usually go. Prevention is easier: before your next arrival, read what CBP officers ask F-1 students returning on a new I-20 and carry the documents for the status you are entering in.

Where do I write class of admission on USCIS forms?

Forms rarely say "class of admission." They ask for your status at last arrival and your current status, next to your I-94 number. The Form I-765 instructions (edition 08/21/25, the one USCIS accepts) are the clearest model:

• Item 17: your I-94 number and the date your authorized stay "expires or expired (as shown on your Form I-94)."
• Item 24, Immigration Status at Your Last Arrival: for a visitor, "type or print 'B-2 visitor'."
• Item 25, Your Current Immigration Status or Category: for a student, "type or print 'F-1 student'."

Forms I-539, I-129 and I-485 ask for similar facts in their own wording. Copy the status from your latest record, never from the visa stamp.

Worked example: last arrival vs current status, 2023 to 2026

Meera and her husband Rohan are hypothetical, but this sequence is common.

Timeline, as of 2026-11.

Until that trip, Meera's status at last arrival is F-1 and her current status H-1B; Rohan's are F-2 and H-4. If Rohan later qualifies for an H-4 EAD and files Form I-765 before travelling, item 24 says F-2 and item 25 says H-4; H-4 in both would misstate his last arrival. As of 2026-11-01, under State's interview-waiver update of September 18, 2025, their H-1B and H-4 visa applications would need in-person interviews.

Common mistakes

• Reading the visa stamp as your status. Your I-94 and any later USCIS approval decide it.
• Expecting OPT to change your code. It stays F1; the EAD carries the OPT authorization.
• Filing Form I-102 for a CBP error. USCIS says not to. Go to CBP.
• Treating L2 as L2S. Only the spouse code, or an older L2 record with USCIS's notice, shows work authorization.
• Sitting on a wrong code. Fix it when you find it, not at your next extension or green card filing.

Frequently asked questions

What does class of admission mean on my I-94?

It is the status in which CBP admitted you, or that USCIS last granted you, shown as a code such as F1, H1B, H4, TN or WT. It sets what you may do here; the admit-until date sets how long. As of November 1, 2026, F1 and J1 records should still read D/S, because a court has blocked the fixed-date rule.

What do WT and WB mean on an I-94?

WT is a Visa Waiver visitor for pleasure and WB a Visa Waiver business visitor, both travelling on an approved ESTA for stays of up to 90 days. Neither can extend their stay or change status through USCIS. The ESTA fee has been $40.62 since October 16, 2026.

My I-94 says B2 but I entered on H-1B. What now?

If you showed your H-1B documents and CBP still recorded B2, CBP corrects it at a Deferred Inspection Site or port of entry, not through Form I-102. Tell your employer's immigration attorney first, because B-2 does not allow work and your Form I-9 relies on that I-94.

Is class of admission the same as my visa type?

No. The visa lets you ask for admission; the class of admission is what CBP granted, or what USCIS later changed your status to. They differ after an F-1 to H-1B change of status, for example, or for Canadians admitted without a visa.

Where do I write class of admission on USCIS forms?

Forms ask for your status at last arrival and your current status. On the 08/21/25 Form I-765, item 24 is status at last arrival, item 25 current status (written like "F-1 student") and item 17 your I-94 number. Copy them from your latest I-94 and approval notice.

How we checked this: on 2026-11-01 we read the DHS, CBP and USCIS pages, the 08/21/25 I-765 instructions, G-1055 (edition 10/26/26) and CBP's FY2027 fee notice listed under Sources, and checked policy status against the court docket and Federal Register.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice; your own I-94, I-20, DS-2019 or approval notice, and your DSO or immigration attorney, govern your situation.

Sources

• DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Nonimmigrant Classes of Admission
• CBP, Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and Deferred Inspection Sites
• CBP, Visa Waiver Program
• USCIS, Change My Nonimmigrant Status and Extend Your Stay
• USCIS, Form I-102, Form I-539 and Form I-765 instructions, 08/21/25
• USCIS, Form G-1055 fee schedule, edition 10/26/26
• USCIS, L-1A intracompany transferee and E-3 specialty occupation workers
• Federal Register, CBP FY2027 HR-1 inflation adjustments, including ESTA (91 FR 62534) and ESTA and I-94 information collection notice
• DHS, H-4 EAD agenda item, RIN 1615-AD14
• USTR, Statement on the USMCA joint review, July 2026
• CourtListener, Presidents' Alliance v. United States docket (D. Mass.)
• State Department, Interview waiver update, September 18, 2025

If your I-94 is in order and you are working toward a sponsored role on OPT or STEM OPT, F1Jobs helps international candidates run a focused search for employers that sponsor visas.