You landed, handed over your passport, answered a few questions, and got it back with no stamp. No ink, no date, no class of admission. If you have traveled to the United States before, that feels like something went wrong. It did not. In an October 1, 2026 bulletin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it will stop routinely stamping passports at primary inspection, and the proof that you were admitted now lives in one place: your electronic I-94 record and your CBP travel history. Retrieve both within a few days of arriving, check them, and save a copy.
This is a short page on what changed and what to do about it. Our full guide to the I-94 admission record explains what the I-94 controls and why it, not the visa, sets how long you may stay.
Did CBP really stop stamping passports?
Yes. CBP has announced the end of routine stamping. In a Carrier Liaison Program bulletin dated October 1, 2026 (Publishing No. 5680-1026), CBP told airlines that it “will cease the routine use of admission stamps during primary processing.” The bulletin is addressed to carriers, not travelers. As of October 6, 2026, CBP has not posted it on its own website; the copy in circulation is the one published by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA Doc. No. 26100108). The bulletin gives no separate start date, so plan on any entry from now on being stampless.
Stamps have not disappeared entirely. Put in plain terms, the bulletin says an officer may still stamp a passport in secondary inspection, and, in limited circumstances, in primary inspection: when admitting someone on an immigrant visa, and when a traveler specifically asks. Everyone else should expect a clean page.
If there is no stamp, was I still admitted?
Yes. Admission is the officer’s decision at the port of entry, not the ink. The stamp was only one piece of evidence of that decision, and the regulations have long treated the I-94 as the record: an admitted nonimmigrant is issued a Form I-94 “as evidence of the terms of admission” (8 CFR § 235.1(h)(1)). What has changed is that for most travelers the electronic record is now the only evidence. Nothing in your hand shows that the entry happened, on what date, or in what status.
How do I get proof of my entry now?
Use the CBP I-94 website or CBP’s free CBP Link mobile app. According to the bulletin, these give travelers evidence of their admission, their authorized length of stay, and five years of arrival data. Pull two things:
- Your most recent I-94. Check your name, date of birth and passport number, your class of admission (B-2, H-1B, TN, and so on), and the “admit until” date. That date is the outer limit of your stay.
- Your travel history. Confirm that this trip appears, with the right arrival date.
Save both as a PDF or a screenshot and keep them with a copy of your passport. Do it within a few days, not a few years. For air travelers, the record is built partly from passenger data the airline sends CBP, and CBP’s own bulletin warns airlines why that matters: “Accurate and timely APIS transmissions are critical in this process as this data directly feeds into the I-94 website portal.” APIS is the Advance Passenger Information System. A typo in the airline’s data is a typo in your record, and no one but you is checking.
Why does a missing stamp matter later?
Because proof of lawful admission is the fact that later applications turn on. The Social Security office, the driver’s license counter, an extension or change of status on Form I-539, and above all a green card application all ask for it. Adjustment of status inside the United States is generally open only to a person who was “inspected and admitted or paroled” (INA § 245(a)). Until now, a stamp in an old passport could settle that question years after the trip. Going forward there will be no stamp to find.
When the record is missing years later, it can still be recovered. Our I-94 guide describes how we use a Freedom of Information Act request to CBP to rebuild a client’s entry. It works, but it is slow. An error you catch this week costs a short correction request to CBP. The same error found at a green card interview can cost the case months.
What if my I-94 is missing or wrong?
Fix it while the entry is recent. The bulletin tells travelers who cannot retrieve their I-94 to contact their local CBP port of entry. CBP also runs more than 70 deferred inspection sites, which handle requests from travelers who believe the documents and endorsements issued at the port need review and correction. In our experience, it helps to bring your passport, your visa or approval notice, and your boarding pass or itinerary. If the date or classification is wrong and the date shown is close, talk to a lawyer before it passes; staying past the I-94 date can start unlawful presence even when the date was CBP’s mistake, unless it is corrected first.
I am Canadian. What will I see?
It depends on why you are entering.
- Visiting. Canadian citizens admitted as visitors for business or pleasure are generally not issued an I-94 at all (8 CFR § 235.1(h)(1)(i), read with 8 CFR § 212.1(a)). Canadian visitors were often not stamped even before this change; your travel history is the record of your entries. Check that each crossing appears. It is also what an officer looks at when counting your days; our guide for Canadians and the I-94 guide’s six-month section explain why that count matters.
- Working. A Canadian admitted in TN status at the port, or on an approval notice for H-1B, L-1 or H-2A, does receive an I-94. Check that the classification is right and that the admit-until date matches the petition. A wrong class or a short date is the error to look for.
- E-2 investors. Canadians need an E-2 visa from a U.S. consulate before entering in that status; see our E-2 guide for Canadians. The same check applies to the I-94 issued on entry.
Should I ask the officer for a stamp?
You may ask. The bulletin allows a stamp in primary inspection “upon a traveler’s specific request,” but only when appropriate, so it is not guaranteed. A stamp is a useful backup to have in hand. It does not replace the I-94: even with a stamp, the I-94 is the record USCIS, the Social Security office and the licensing agency will look for.
If you are entering on an immigrant visa, the officer will likely stamp it, though the bulletin does not promise it. Once CBP endorses the immigrant visa at admission, it serves as temporary evidence of permanent residence for one year. If it is not stamped, ask before you leave inspection, and if the green card has not arrived well within that year, follow up with USCIS.
The habit that replaces the stamp
Within a few days of every entry, pull your I-94 and your travel history, check them, save a copy, and put the admit-until date on your calendar. It takes five minutes, and it turns a record you cannot see into one you have checked. If the record is missing or wrong, or the date is close and your plans have changed, contact us. These problems are easy to fix early and hard to fix late.
