Several US agencies keep records about your travel and applications. Checking them yourself before you apply for anything tells you what officers will see.
Who holds which record
- CBP records your arrivals and departures and issues your I-94. This is where admission dates and “Admit Until” dates come from.
- USCIS holds records of applications you filed (for example extensions, petitions and applications for status) and decisions on them.
- The Department of State holds your visa applications and any refusals.
- ICE and the immigration courts hold records related to enforcement and removal proceedings.
Check your I-94 and travel history
- Go to the official CBP I-94 website.
- Use “Get Most Recent I-94” to see your latest admission and “Admit Until” date.
- Use the travel history option to see past entries and exits recorded by CBP.
If you left after your “Admit Until” date, the difference between that date and your departure date is the period of overstay recorded. If your record is missing an exit, an exit may not have been captured and you may need proof of departure, such as a boarding pass or passport stamp.
Your USCIS account
If you have filed applications with USCIS, you can see their status and notices in your USCIS online account. That account shows your filings and case history. It is not a general “overstay report” and does not list your CBP travel history.
Request your full file with FOIA
You can ask each agency for the records it holds about you through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or the Privacy Act. USCIS handles requests for your immigration file, and CBP handles travel and inspection records. Requests can take months, and each agency has its own instructions and identity-verification rules, so use the official pages linked below.
If a record is wrong
- Check the online record again and note exactly what is wrong.
- For a CBP admission or I-94 error, you can ask CBP to correct it, normally through a Deferred Inspection office, with documents that prove the correct information.
- If the error matters to a pending application, tell your attorney before filing. An error can sometimes be explained with evidence in the application itself.
How long does an overstay stay on record?
There is no automatic deletion date for the record that you overstayed. But the legal consequences that are time-limited do end: a 3-year or 10-year bar runs out. Questions on visa forms, however, often ask whether you have ever overstayed, and you need to answer truthfully. For the specific rules, see the unlawful presence guide.
Privacy
Your records are protected by privacy law. Government agencies can see them, you can request them, and an attorney or representative can request them for you with your written consent. Family members cannot get them without your permission.