E-2 Visa and I-94 Expire on the Same Date — Shouldn't I Get Two Years of Stay?

Posted by Murat Yildiz

16 views

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some clarification regarding my E-2 visa and I-94 admission period.

I'm currently in the United States on an E-2 Treaty Investor visa, which is valid until September 12, 2027.

I recently checked my I-94 record and noticed that its expiration date is also September 12, 2027.

This has left me a little confused because I was under the impression that E-2 visa holders generally receive a two-year period of authorized stay upon entering the United States, regardless of when their visa expires.

Here's my situation:

Visa category: E-2 Treaty Investor
E-2 visa expiration: September 12, 2027
I-94 admit-until date: September 12, 2027
Expected admission period: Up to two years

My questions are:

Is it normal for an E-2 visa and I-94 to have exactly the same expiration date?
Aren't E-2 visa holders generally granted two years of authorized stay upon admission?
Did any recent immigration rule or CBP policy change how E-2 admission periods are determined?
Can CBP limit an E-2 I-94 to the visa expiration date rather than granting the full two years?
Could this be an administrative error that needs to be corrected?
If the I-94 date is incorrect, should I contact a CBP Deferred Inspection office?
Has anyone else received an E-2 I-94 that expires on the same date as their visa?

I'm trying to understand whether this is normal or something I should address before my authorized stay expires.

If you've recently entered the US on an E-2 visa, how long was your I-94 valid for?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, particularly from anyone who encountered a similar situation.

Thank you!

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Replies (10)

0
Noor Hassan
My main advice would be not to treat September 12, 2027 as an automatically extendable date. Until CBP corrects the I-94 or USCIS grants an extension, that's the date you should plan around. The two-year admission rule gives you a legitimate reason to request clarification, but it doesn't authorize you to disregard your actual I-94.
0
Camila Duarte
If CBP doesn't change the date, you may have the option of applying for an E-2 extension of stay through USCIS before September 12, 2027. For a principal E-2 investor, that generally involves Form I-129 and evidence that the qualifying business continues to meet E-2 requirements. I'd discuss the filing timeline with your lawyer rather than leaving it until the last minute.
0
Yuki Sato
There doesn't appear to be a general rule requiring E-2 admission to end when the visa expires. The regulation still describes an initial admission period of not more than two years. Notice the wording though, it says not more than two years, not that every applicant must receive exactly two years.
0
Hassan Rahimi
Have you checked the official I-94 website rather than relying on an old passport stamp? You can retrieve your latest admission record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. I'd compare the class of admission, entry date and admit-until date. A simple data entry issue is possible, although matching expiration dates alone don't establish one.
0
Anna Kowalska
I wouldn't rush to leave the US and reenter just to obtain another two years. A new admission isn't guaranteed, and CBP can examine whether you still qualify for E-2 status. Since there's an existing I-94 question, checking with Deferred Inspection or an immigration attorney first seems much more sensible.
0
James Whitfield
When did you last enter the United States? If your entry was September 12, 2025, an I-94 ending September 12, 2027 would already represent approximately two years. But if you entered recently in 2026, the same expiration date would mean a shorter admission. Your actual admission date is essential to understanding this.
0
Pierre Laurent
One distinction that gets overlooked is that an E-2 visa allows you to request admission, while your I-94 determines how long you're authorized to stay after entry. You can legally remain in the US beyond your visa expiration if your I-94 permits it and you continue meeting your status requirements. Unfortunately, that doesn't help if both documents currently expire together.
0
Megan Foster
I would contact a CBP Deferred Inspection office rather than assume the date will correct itself. They can review possible errors in the period of admission. Keep your passport, E-2 visa, I-94 and most recent entry information available. If they confirm the shorter admission was intentional, you'll at least know where you stand.
0
Caner Yilmaz
The first thing I'd check is your passport expiration date. Under 8 CFR 214.2(e)(19), E-class admissions generally cannot extend more than six months beyond passport expiration. If your passport expires around March 2027, that might explain why CBP gave you a shorter period. What date does your Turkish passport expire?
0
Selin Aydin
Murat, your understanding is generally correct. E-2 investors can receive up to two years of authorized stay upon admission, even if their visa expires sooner. The visa expiration and I-94 expiration serve different purposes. Having matching dates isn't automatically proof of an error, but I'd definitely ask CBP to review it.

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