Misprinted I-94 Cards Issued by CBP
Posted May 23, 2008
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Misprinted I-94 cards, used by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in early 2008, are causing problems with Social Security number issuance. According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), CBP received approximately one million I-94 Arrival-Departure cards that were missing the first digit. They utilized these misprinted cards and issued them to individuals arriving through various Ports of Entry.
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Correct I-94 cards should have eleven digits. The incorrect I-94 cards only had ten digits. I-94 cards are issued one of two ways: either at the Port of Entry (POE) by the CBP, or by the USCIS as an attachment to certain approval notices for changes or extensions of status. The defective cards were only issued at the POE. Long-time readers of MurthyDotCom and the MurthyBulletin may recall a discussion of I-94 cards in our June 30, 2006 article, Always Keep a Copy of Your I-94 Cards.
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Misprinted I-94s Causing Delays in Issuance of SSNs
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These misprinted I-94 cards have caused the Social Security Administration (SSA) to refuse and delay the issuance of Social Security numbers (SSNs) to applicants who are otherwise eligible. CBP indicated that the misprinted I-94 cards have been recalled and replaced. The cards were issued by Calgary Airport in Canada and may have been issued by POEs on a more widespread basis. Although the defective cards have been recalled, CBP does not know how many were issued.
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Replacing a Misprinted I-94 Card
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Anyone with one of these defective I-94 cards can request a new card from CBP through a Deferred Inspection site or at a POE. FAQs on the I-94 card corrections are available on the CBP WebSite.
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Conclusion
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Individuals who received I-94 cards from a POE in 2008 should double check the card and make sure it has eleven digits. The card numbers appear as nine digits, a space, and then two digits. If the card is incorrect, it can be corrected as described above.