Land Border I-94: Applying Online for $30, Who Needs One, and Driving In From Canada or Mexico on a Visa

Driving in from Canada or Mexico on a visa? Learn when you need a new I-94, how the $30 online application works, and why paying early does not mean you are admitted.

Part of our guide to the I-94 record.

Status as of 2026-11-01. A land border I-94 costs $30 per traveller (in effect), and you can apply and pay for one online up to seven days before you drive or walk in from Canada or Mexico, through CBP's official I-94 website or the CBP Link app. What you buy is a provisional I-94: you still have to reach a land port within seven days of applying, and a CBP officer still decides whether to admit you. If you already hold an unexpired I-94 and are returning from a short trip to Canada or Mexico, you usually need no new one.

Nothing here is proposed or pending. The fee rose from $6 to $30 on 2025-09-30, when CBP added the $24 fee required by H.R. 1, and CBP's fiscal year 2027 inflation notice kept it at $30 from 2026-10-16. For F-1 students, D/S still applies: the D/S final rule has been blocked by a federal court since 2026-09-14, summary judgment is briefed and DHS's appeal is pending (district court docket), so a student I-94 should still read "D/S".

Do you need a land border I-94?

You need a land border I-94 when you are a nonimmigrant making a new admission by land: arriving after travel beyond Canada and Mexico, after more than 30 days there, or without an unexpired I-94. US citizens, permanent residents, immigrant-visa holders and most Canadian visitors do not, nor do Mexican Border Crossing Card holders who stay inside the border zone for up to 30 days.

CBP's I-94 website FAQ puts it this way: "A Form I-94 is needed by all visitors except: U.S. Citizens, returning resident aliens, aliens with immigrant visas, and most Canadian citizens visiting or in transit." The legal hook is 8 CFR 235.1(h), which also says a land-border I-94 "will be issued only upon payment of a fee."

The short-trip rule saves most visa holders the fee. The same FAQ says "Short trips (less than 30 days) by land or ferry to contiguous territories will not result in a new Form I-94 or extend your current 'Admit Until Date.'" Another answer says visitors to Canada or Mexico "for 30 days or less" can re-enter "without purchasing a new I-94" if they keep their original I-94 and do not apply for a new visa while abroad (8 CFR 214.1(b), 22 CFR 41.112(d)). CBP words the limit two ways, so do not plan a trip that ends on day 30.

Do you need a new land border I-94? (as of 2026-11)

Source: CBP's I-94 FAQ, FY2027 fee notice and 8 CFR 235.1(h), read 2026-11-01; your own I-94 governs.

For BCC holders, the border zone is 25 miles in California and Texas, 55 miles or up to Interstate 10 in New Mexico, and 75 miles in Arizona via Sasabe, Nogales, Mariposa, Naco or Douglas (25 otherwise).

How much is the land border I-94 fee?

The land border I-94 fee is $30 per application, in effect as of 2026-11-01: CBP's $6 land border fee plus the $24 fee Congress created in H.R. 1.

CBP's Federal Register notice (91 FR 62534, 2026-10-01) states it directly: "the total fee to apply for a CBP Form I-94 at a land border port of entry for FY 2027 will continue to be $30, consisting of the $6 land border fee and the $24 HR-1 fee." The $6 rests on 8 CFR 103.7(d)(4); the $24 on Public Law 119-21 sec. 100008 (8 U.S.C. 1807). Only the $24 is inflation-indexed, and the FY2027 adjustment of $0.81 rounded down to $0. CBP does not assess it on air or sea arrivals, because "such aliens are not required to submit an application for a CBP Form I-94."

Land border I-94: old rule vs rule as of 2026-11

Payment runs through Pay.gov (PayPal, credit or debit card). Someone else may apply and pay for you, but "the applicant is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of all information."

How to apply for a land border I-94 online, step by step

Apply online, pay $30, then finish in person within seven days.

1. Check your current record with "Get Most Recent I-94" on the I-94 website. If it is unexpired and you are returning from a short Canada or Mexico trip, you may need nothing new.
2. Wait until your crossing date is firm and no more than seven days away. The site lets you apply "up to seven days before arriving," and the record expires seven days after the day you apply.
3. Open "Apply for Provisional I-94" on the website or in CBP Link and confirm you are entering by land, or by ferry through CBP Victoria Preclearance, the only ferry port CBP lists.
4. Enter the passport you will actually carry, exactly as printed, plus your visa's issue date and number. For the visa's country of issuance, pick USA: "All U.S. visas are issued by the United States 'USA' regardless of the country you received your visa."
5. Pay $30 per application through Pay.gov and save the receipt. The site times out after 19 idle minutes.
6. Cross at a land port within seven days, give biometrics if asked, and keep your status documents in hand.
7. Download the final record afterwards and check the class and admit-until date (F-1 should read D/S). For a CBP error, USCIS says "do not file Form I-102"; "go to the nearest CBP port of entry or deferred inspection office" instead (USCIS I-102 page).

Is the app still called CBP One?

Not in CBP's listings. The CBP mobile apps directory (modified 2026-10-07) lists CBP Link for "applying for Provisional I-94 entry" and CBP Home, a separate app for notice of intent to depart. CBP One is not listed. If you searched "CBP One I-94," use CBP Link or the website, and start from cbp.gov links so you do not pay an unofficial site.

Does a provisional I-94 guarantee entry?

No. A provisional I-94 is a prepaid application, not an admission. CBP's FAQ: "Paying online can help expedite processing at the port of entry, but it does not guarantee admission into the United States. The final determination is made by the CBP officer during the admission process."

Common misconception: "I prepaid, so I'm cleared." Correction: CBP calls the online record "just the first step." The "final, legal-for-travel Form I-94" is issued only after an officer admits you, and if you are refused, "the fee will not be returned."

Since 2025-12-26 all noncitizens may be photographed on entry and exit under DHS's biometric entry-exit rule. Electronic device searches are rare but rising: CBP's device search table counts 55,318 in FY2025 ("less than 0.01%" of travellers), with FY2026's first three quarters up about a third year over year. Our guide to the questions CBP officers ask H-1B, OPT and H-4 travellers at re-entry covers what to say and carry.

Driving in from Canada or Mexico on a visa: five crossings worked through

An H-1B worker back from a long weekend in Canada

Say you drive to Montreal for Thanksgiving, Thursday 2026-11-26 to Sunday 2026-11-29. Your I-94 came on your I-797A and runs to 2028; your H-1B stamp expired last year. Under CBP's short-trip answer you normally keep that I-94 and pay nothing. The stamp is a separate question: automatic visa revalidation for an expired H-1B stamp explains the 22 CFR 41.112(d) conditions, including the one that catches people (applying for a new visa while in Canada ends it). Carry your passport, I-797 and recent pay stubs.

Arriving by land after a trip home: a worked timeline

Suppose you fly Delhi to Toronto, landing Friday 2026-12-18, and plan to drive over the Peace Bridge into Buffalo on Sunday 2026-12-20. Your trip went beyond Canada, so this is a new admission: you need a valid visa stamp, a new I-94 and the $30.

• Friday 2026-12-18: apply from your hotel once the crossing day is firm. The window runs to about Friday 2026-12-25.
• What not to do: applying on Monday 2026-12-14 "to get it done" leaves a window closing around Monday 2026-12-21. One snowstorm that pushes your crossing past it costs another $30.
• Sunday 2026-12-20: cross with the passport on your application. If admitted, you get the electronic I-94.
• Monday 2026-12-21: download the record and check the class (H1B, or F1 with D/S) and the admit-until date. CBP's FAQ warns that land departures into Mexico are not automatically registered; see how to prove you left when a departure isn't recorded.

An F-1 student on a weekend trip to Vancouver or Tijuana

A weekend away with an unexpired D/S I-94 normally keeps your record, with no $30. You do need your passport, a visa or a revalidation-eligible trip, your EAD if you are on OPT, and a Form I-20 with a current I-20 travel signature from your DSO. Check what Canada or Mexico requires of your nationality. If an OPT or STEM OPT application is pending, ask your DSO before any crossing: Cornell, Johns Hopkins and USC advise graduates with OPT pending against international travel until the EAD arrives, since a missed biometrics appointment while abroad can delay or deny the case.

A TN worker's first entry

A Canadian's first TN entry cannot be pre-filed: CBP says Canadians "applying for employment or school status at the U.S. port of entry" are "not eligible to apply for a Provisional I-94 in advance," so the officer issues it on admission. A Mexican TN worker needs a TN visa first, and since 2026-10-01 State's online-presence review covers TN and TD visa applicants (in effect); MIT's International Students Office notes it "does not apply to Canadian citizens who do not apply for U.S. entry visa stamps." With the visa in hand, a Mexican TN can pre-apply like any visa holder. Strategy lives in our TN guide for Canadians and Mexicans.

Stamping at a Mexican consulate, then driving back

Since 2025-09-06, State expects applicants to apply in their country of nationality or residence, so a Mexican consulate mainly serves Mexicans and Mexico residents; read the update atop our guide to H-1B stamping in Ciudad Juarez and Matamoros before booking. Applying abroad switches off automatic revalidation: if the visa is refused or held in 221(g), revalidation of an expired stamp will not get you back. If it is issued, the short-trip rule no longer fits, since it assumes no new visa application, so expect a new I-94 and the $30. Check State's live Global Visa Wait Times page, not anecdotes.

If your nationality is on Proclamation 10998's list (39 countries, in effect since 2026-01-01; see State's announcement), talk to an immigration attorney before any crossing, however short.

Common mistakes

• Applying too early. The record lasts seven days from the day you apply; if plans slip, you pay again.
• Buying one you don't need. A short trip on an unexpired I-94 usually needs nothing new, and "Even if an application is submitted in error, the fee is non-refundable."
• Switching passports. Present a different passport and CBP "will not be able to locate your Provisional I-94"; you pay again.
• Pre-filing a Canadian TN or F-1 entry. CBP does not allow it.
• Using revalidation as the backup for a visa appointment abroad. Applying ends revalidation. Pick one plan before you leave.
• Not checking the final record. A wrong class, or a date instead of D/S on an F-1 record, is fixed at a port or deferred inspection office, not with Form I-102.
• Travelling with an application pending. Ask your DSO (OPT, STEM OPT) or attorney (change of status) first.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an I-94 when driving into the US from Canada?

Usually yes for a new admission, such as after travel beyond Canada and Mexico or after more than 30 days there. CBP exempts US citizens, returning residents, immigrant-visa holders and most Canadian visitors. Coming back from a short Canada or Mexico trip on an unexpired I-94, CBP says you get no new I-94.

How much is the land border I-94 fee?

As of 2026-11-01 it is $30 per traveller: CBP's $6 land border fee plus the $24 H.R. 1 fee. It rose from $6 on 2025-09-30, and CBP's FY2027 notice (91 FR 62534) kept it at $30 for amounts assessed from 2026-10-16. CBP does not charge it on air or sea arrivals, and it is non-refundable.

Can I apply for an I-94 before I reach the border?

Yes. On the I-94 website or in CBP Link you can apply and pay up to seven days before reaching a land port or CBP Victoria Preclearance, then must appear within seven days or pay again. Canadians seeking work or student status at the port, such as first-time TN applicants, cannot pre-apply.

Does a provisional I-94 guarantee entry?

No. CBP says paying online can speed processing at the port but "does not guarantee admission," and the officer makes the final decision. If you are refused, the $30 is not returned. Carry the passport you applied with and your status documents.

Do H-1B or F-1 holders crossing by land get a new I-94?

It depends on the trip. A short Canada or Mexico trip on an unexpired I-94 normally keeps your record, and automatic revalidation may cover an expired visa if every condition is met. A land arrival after travel farther away, after more than 30 days, or without an unexpired I-94 means a new I-94 and $30, pre-payable up to seven days ahead.

Sources

• CBP, Official I-94 website, including its Provisional I-94 FAQ (read 2026-11-01)
• CBP, I-94 information page (last modified 2026-07-22)
• CBP, Mobile apps directory (last modified 2026-10-07) and CBP Link (last modified 2026-10-14)
• DHS/CBP, Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation, 91 FR 62534 (2026-10-01)
• eCFR, 8 CFR 235.1 and 22 CFR 41.112
• USCIS, Form I-102
• State Department, Global Visa Wait Times and Proclamation 10998 announcement
• CBP, Border search of electronic devices
• MIT International Students Office, TN and TD screening notice
• CourtListener, Presidents' Alliance v. United States docket

How we checked this: we read CBP's I-94 website FAQ, its I-94 and mobile-app pages, CBP's FY2027 fee notice in the Federal Register, 8 CFR 235.1 and 22 CFR 41.112 on eCFR, and the USCIS I-102 page on 2026-11-01, and matched every status label to our dated facts brief.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your own I-94, I-20 or approval notice, and your DSO (for F-1, OPT and SEVIS questions) or a licensed immigration attorney (for petitions, TN and status strategy), govern over anything published here.

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