180 days or fewer
No automatic ban
Your visa is voided and future applications may be affected, but leaving now does not trigger a time bar.
Millions of people enter the United States every year on temporary visas — tourist visas, student visas, work visas, and visa waiver entries. Most leave on time. But circumstances change: medical emergencies happen, flights get missed, family situations become complicated. If your authorised stay ends and you are still in the US, you have overstayed — and the consequences depend almost entirely on how many days have passed.
The I-94 Is What Controls Your Stay
The single most important thing to understand about US immigration is the difference between your visa and your I-94. Your visa stamp gives you permission to travel to the US and request entry. Your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record — issued electronically when you pass through customs — sets the actual deadline for when you must leave. You can have a valid 10-year tourist visa and still be overstaying if your I-94 expired. The visa is irrelevant once you are inside the country; the I-94 date is what matters.
You can check your current I-94 record online at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Look for the field labelled “Admit Until Date.” If that date has passed and you are still in the US, unlawful presence is accumulating. Every day counts.
How the Re-Entry Bans Work
The US immigration system does not immediately punish overstayers while they remain inside the country. The penalties activate when you leave and try to return. This is an important distinction — but it is not a loophole. The clock is running whether you leave or not, and the consequences of an extended overstay compound over time.
With 180 days or fewer of unlawful presence, no automatic re-entry bar triggers when you depart. Your visa is voided and future visa applications will be affected, but you are not automatically barred from returning. With more than 180 days and less than a year, a 3-year bar triggers the moment you leave US soil. At one year or more, a 10-year bar applies. These are hard thresholds — one day over each line moves you into the next category.
What This Calculator Does
This tool calculates your unlawful presence based on your I-94 expiry date and today's date. It tells you exactly which threshold you are in, how many days remain before you cross into a worse category, and what the consequences are if you leave now versus waiting. It also flags situations where standard rules may not apply — pending extension applications, TPS status, age exceptions, and asylum cases.
This is a free informational tool. It does not store your data and does not require registration. If your situation is complex — especially if you are close to a threshold, have a pending application, or are considering adjustment of status — speak to a licensed US immigration attorney before making any decisions about travel or departure.