US immigration guide
Your US visa expiration date is not your departure date
Written and checked by the QueueCheck editorial team. Last checked July 21, 2026. How we verify information
It is one of the most common and most costly mix-ups in US immigration: people read the expiration date on their visa and assume that is how long they can stay. It is not. A US visa is permission to travel to a US port of entry and ask to be let in. How long you can actually stay is a separate date, set by the Customs and Border Protection officer when you arrive.
That date is your Admit Until Date, and it is recorded on your Form I-94, the official arrival record. You can hold a visa valid for ten years and still only be admitted for six months at a time. This guide explains the difference, shows you exactly where to check your own Admit Until Date, and sets out what happens if you stay past it.
The one date that governs your stay
Last reviewed 21 July 2026Your authorized stay is the Admit Until Date on your Form I-94, not the expiration date printed on your visa. Check your I-94 for free at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Students and exchange visitors may see D/S, meaning Duration of Status, instead of a fixed date.
This is an editorial summary of official State Department and CBP guidance, not legal advice and not a live case record. Confirm your own dates on the official pages linked at the end.
From visa to authorized stay, step by step
- 1Visa issued (travel document)
- 2Travel to a US port of entry
- 3CBP officer inspects and admits you
- 4Officer sets your Admit Until Date
- 5That date (or D/S) is your stay limit
- 6Depart, extend, or change status before it
Two dates, two completely different jobs
The confusion comes from treating one date as if it did the other one's job. Here is what each date actually controls.
Visa expiration date
Printed on the visa foil in your passport
- What it controls
- The last day you may travel to a US port of entry and request permission to enter.
- What it does not control
- How long you can stay once you are admitted.
Admit Until Date (Form I-94)
Set by the CBP officer at entry; checked online at i94.cbp.dhs.gov
- What it controls
- The last day of your authorized stay in the United States for that visit.
- What it does not control
- Whether your visa is still valid for a future trip.
Worked example: you hold a 10-year B1/B2 visitor visa, but on this trip the CBP officer admits you for six months. Your I-94 Admit Until Date is six months out. You must depart or file to extend before that date, even though the visa foil is still valid for years of future travel.
How to find your Admit Until Date
1. Go to the official CBP I-94 website
Use i94.cbp.dhs.gov, the free official service run by US Customs and Border Protection. There is nothing to pay and no third party involved. Anyone charging a fee to retrieve your I-94 is not official.
2. Enter your passport and travel details
You provide your name, date of birth, passport number, and country of issuance exactly as they appear on the document you travelled on. The site matches this to your most recent admission record.
3. Read the Admit Until Date, or D/S
Your most recent I-94 shows an Admit Until Date, which is the last day of your authorized stay. Students and exchange visitors often see D/S, meaning Duration of Status, instead of a fixed date. That is the number that governs your stay, not the visa date.
4. Save or print it
Keep a copy for your records, especially if you plan to extend, change status, or apply for a benefit, because the I-94 is the official record of your admission and class of admission.
The D/S exception for students and exchange visitors
Not every I-94 shows a calendar date. Students on F visas and exchange visitors on J visas are commonly admitted for D/S, Duration of Status. That means the authorization lasts as long as you keep meeting the conditions of your status, such as remaining a full-time enrolled student and following the rules of your program, rather than expiring on a fixed day.
D/S is not a licence to stay indefinitely. If you stop meeting the conditions, your authorized stay can end, and the consequences of falling out of status can be serious. Students should track their program end dates and grace periods through their school's international office and their SEVIS record, not the visa foil.
What happens if you overstay
Overstaying is measured against the Admit Until Date on your I-94, so a still-valid visa foil offers no protection. The consequences can reach well beyond the current trip.
You stay past the Admit Until Date without extending
Remaining after the Admit Until Date is generally an overstay, even if your visa foil still shows a later expiration date. The visa date is about travel, not stay, so it does not protect a late departure.
An overstay can void the visa
Under US law, staying beyond your authorized period generally voids the visa you used to enter, so it can no longer be used for a future trip. You would usually need a new visa, applied for in your home country.
Unlawful presence can trigger re-entry bars
Accruing more than 180 days of unlawful presence and then departing can trigger a multi-year bar on returning. The specifics are legal and fact-dependent, so anyone close to their Admit Until Date should act before it passes, not after.
You need more time
If you have a lawful reason to stay longer, you generally must file to extend or change status with USCIS before the Admit Until Date on your I-94, not after it. Filing on time is what protects you; a valid visa foil does not.
Questions people actually ask
My visa is valid until 2034. Can I stay in the US until 2034?
No. The visa expiration date is only the window in which you can travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted. How long you can stay on any given trip is the Admit Until Date the CBP officer records on your Form I-94, which is often far shorter. A 10-year visitor visa with a 6-month admission means you must leave or extend within those 6 months.
Where do I find my Admit Until Date?
On the official CBP website at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Enter your passport details and it shows your most recent I-94 with the Admit Until Date. It is free; ignore any site that charges to retrieve it.
What does D/S mean on my I-94?
D/S stands for Duration of Status. It is used mainly for students (F visas) and exchange visitors (J visas), and it means you are authorized to stay for as long as you maintain your status, such as being a full-time enrolled student, rather than until a fixed calendar date. You still have to keep meeting the conditions of that status.
Who decides how long I can stay?
The CBP officer at the port of entry decides whether to admit you and for how long, each time you travel. The visa lets you request entry; the officer sets the Admit Until Date. That is why two people with the same visa can receive different lengths of stay.
The date on my entry stamp and my online I-94 are different. Which one counts?
Use the official electronic I-94 at i94.cbp.dhs.gov as your record of the authorized stay and class of admission. If you believe there is a genuine error in your admission, CBP has a process to review and correct I-94 records; do not ignore a discrepancy, because your stay is measured against the official record.
Can I extend my stay?
Often, yes, if you qualify and file on time. Most visitors use Form I-539 to request an extension or change of status, and it generally must be filed before the Admit Until Date on your I-94. Filing late is treated differently and can be denied, so the safe move is to file well before the date, not after it.
Waiting on a USCIS case?
If you are extending your stay, changing status, or waiting on a related USCIS decision, the processing-times navigator helps you match your form and office to the right official timing before you act on any number.
USCIS processing-times navigator