If you left the United States and your Arrival/Departure Card (Form I-94 or I-94W) was not collected by the airline or border control, you need to return it to the United States government. Please keep in mind that as of May 1, 2013 U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin a nes system for issuing I-94. Please see the following link for additional information: CBP to roll out new I-94 Arrival/Departure record process for foreign visitors.

Important: If you lose your departure record or forget to turn it in when departing the United States, your file will remain open with USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection). Once you have exceeded the amount of days you were legally admitted to stay in the United States, you will be classified as an “overstay”. This may lead to a serious problem next time you try to enter the United States including denial of entry and/or cancellation of any United States visa you may have. If you were to be deported, the cost of obtaining a return ticket must be paid by the individual..

It is the visitor’s responsibility to proof that he or she departed the United States within the amount of days indicated he or she was admitted to stay. There are specific procedures to follow whether you lost or misplaced your Form I-94/I-94W departure record while in the United States, or you forgot to turn it in before departing the United States.

For more information, please view Customs and Border Protection website at: http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=752