U.S. Customs and Border Protection will stop routinely stamping travelers’ passports during the initial stage of entry checks, aiming to reduce processing times and operating costs. In an October 1 notice, the agency describes the change as part of its wider move toward electronic records, mobile tools and biometric identification.
Passport stamps are not disappearing entirely. Travelers can specifically request one from a CBP officer, and the notice says stamps may still be issued when appropriate during secondary inspection. They also remain possible in limited circumstances during initial processing, including when officers handle immigrant visas. A request does not make a stamp automatic.
Travelers can retrieve evidence of admission, their authorized length of stay and five years of arrival data through the official I-94 website or the CBP Link app. If an admission record cannot be retrieved, the notice directs travelers to contact their local CBP port of entry for assistance.
For visitors admitted until a specific date, the date on their I-94 is the key deadline to check. Some travelers are admitted for “duration of status,” marked D/S, rather than a fixed end date. State Department guidance explains that a visa’s expiry does not determine how long a visitor may remain in the country.
The shift has been under way for years: 2022 liaison documents described an expanding stampless-entry pilot at some ports. The new bulletin does not specify a date for ending routine stamping. We have also covered efforts to clarify entry rules as U.S. border procedures and traveler information become increasingly digital.
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