E Visa Holders Can Obtain New Two-Year Admission Period At Land Border But Need to Request It

The immigration rules permit an individual with an expired visa who travels solely to a contiguous territory for up to 30 days to be readmitted to the United States, effectively revalidating that visa. The foreign national is neither issued a new I-94 nor receives an extended admission period, but instead uses the unexpired I-94 period of admission. E visa holders who have unexpired visas and who travel to Canada or Mexico for 30 or fewer days should be issued a new two-year period of admission. However, they are routinely being readmitted to the U.S. on their unexpired I-94s for the sake of expedience. While at an airport, where I-94s are automated, a fresh two-year admission period will be given. But this is not necessarily the case at land borders. To resolve this issue, CBP has advised that such applicants seeking a two-year I-94 at a land border crossing should request one and be able to articulate why it is necessary.