Customs and Border Protection Pilots New Stampless Entry Program

As of October 1, 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the federal border control agency within the Department of Homeland Security, has started phasing out entry stamps in passports upon arrival in the United States. The new “Stampless Entry” program, which will be gradually implemented at airports nationwide, has been proposed in an effort to simplify the entry process for international travelers. 

CBP has indicated that officers can continue to stamp passports upon request.  We encourage all foreign nationals to request an admission stamp when re-entering the United States after international travel for the following reasons.  First, the CBP’s online system for recording the entry and exit of foreign nationals is not always accurate; it can miss an entry or exit.  Second, a complete record of international travel history for maintenance of green card, applications for naturalization and “recapture” of time spent abroad for temporary work visa petitions is crucial.  Third, a complete record of international travel is helpful for tax purposes to show “residence.” Finally, the Social Security Agency and state DMVs often ask to see the admission stamp to verify status.  

For Lawful Permanent Residents (“LPR”), in particular, CBP has ceased to record international arrivals and departures due to privacy complaints and shifting enforcement concerns. This can become an issue at the naturalization stage because LPRs must be able to document all international travel, and may not be able to rely on the CBP’s online system to collect their entire travel history. Lawful Permanent Residents can avoid this issue by making sure that they request a passport stamp upon each admission to the United States. They can then use a copy of the complete passport as a record of their international travel history. 

For all other foreign nationals traveling to the United States, please be sure to download and review your Form I-94 Arrival Record here after each international trip to make sure your entry, status, and validity period are properly recorded.  If you can’t locate a record of your admission on this website, or if the I-94 has incorrect information, you should contact the CBP Deferred Inspection Site closest to where you entered the United States to have them update their records to show your admission. You can find more information about this process here. 

This alert is for informational purposes only. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this development further.