What is the white card in my passport?

A small green or white card given to all non-immigrants when they enter the United States. The I-94 card serves as evidence that a nonimmigrant has entered the country legally. It is stamped with a date indicating how long the nonimmigrant may stay for that particular trip. It is this date, and not the expiration date of the visa, that controls how long a nonimmigrant can remain in the United States.

How do I get it?

The card is obtained from the transportation carrier (airline, ship, etc) and must be surrendered to an inspector of the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the port of entry into the US when applying for admission. The inspector will endorse the I-94 with the date, place of arrival, status (ex. F, J, H, L) and length of authorized stay. If an individual would like to stay in the US beyond that specified date he must file a petition for an extension with the USCIS.

Do I need to turn it in when I leave the country?

 Yes, a visitor must surrender his I-94 card when departing the United States, except when traveling to Canada, Mexico or the adjacent island other than Cuba for a time period not exceeding 30 days. The transportation carrier representative, usually at the check-in counter, should remove the I-94 from the passport. A new I-94 card with a new date is issued each time the nonimmigrant legally enters the United States.

Click here to view a sample I-94 card.