Explainers7 min readJan 22, 2025

Why the I-94 Website Doesn't Work for Green Card Holders

You've probably been told to check i94.cbp.dhs.gov for your travel history. If you're a green card holder, you've probably also seen "no results found." That's not a bug — it's by design.

What Is the I-94?

The I-94 is an arrival/departure record that CBP creates when a foreign national enters the United States. It records the date of entry, the port of entry, and the authorized period of stay. For decades it was a physical card stapled into your passport; today it's electronic.

The I-94 website lets you look up your most recent I-94 record, which is useful for checking your authorized stay or verifying entry dates.

Why It Doesn't Work for LPRs

The I-94 system was designed for nonimmigrant visa holders — people on tourist visas (B-1/B-2), work visas (H-1B), student visas (F-1), and similar categories. These visitors have a limited authorized period of stay, and the I-94 tracks that.

As a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), you don't have an "authorized period of stay" in the same sense — you're a permanent resident. CBP still records your entries and exits, but that data isn't surfaced through the I-94 portal. It's stored in their internal systems (TECS/ADIS), but there's no public-facing self-service tool for LPRs to access it.

What You'll See When You Try

When you enter your green card information on i94.cbp.dhs.gov, you'll typically get one of these results:

  • "No results found" — the most common response for LPRs
  • Only your most recent entry if you happen to also have a nonimmigrant visa record
  • An error or no matching records

This doesn't mean CBP doesn't have your records — they do. It just means those records aren't accessible through this particular tool.

What You Can Do Instead

Since the I-94 website is off the table, here are your real options:

Submit a FOIA/Privacy Act Request to CBP

You can formally request your travel records from CBP. This gives you the official entry/exit data, but expect a wait of 40+ business days. Here's how to submit a FOIA request.

Reconstruct from Financial Records

Your credit card statements, bank records, and airline accounts contain the same travel data — often with more detail. This is what TripTrace automates.

Use Passport Stamps + Email Records

Combine passport stamps with email searches for flight confirmations and hotel bookings. This is free but time-consuming and often incomplete.

The Bottom Line

The I-94 website simply wasn't built for green card holders. Don't waste time troubleshooting it — focus on methods that actually work for LPRs. Your financial records are the fastest and most complete source of travel data you have access to.

Get Your Exact Travel Dates in Minutes

TripTrace automatically finds your trip dates from credit card transactions and flight records—no guesswork, no spreadsheets.