Overstaying a U.S. visa by 180 days triggers a 3-year reentry ban. By 365 days, a 10-year ban. Set a reminder 90 days before your expiration date and you'll never be the one finding that out the hard way.
Done in seconds. No sign-up required.
The penalties are not proportional to the mistake. A few days of inattention can cost years.
unlawful presence past your I-94 expiration triggers an automatic 3-year reentry ban under INA 212(a)(9)(B)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
reentry ban if you overstay by more than one year and then depart the United States
USCIS, INA 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II)
CBP's standard reminder window for Visa Waiver travelers — far too late for visa renewal abroad
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
A U.S. visa stamp can be valid for 10 years. The I-94 record stapled to that visa might be valid for six months, two years, or until graduation. The petition expiration date on an H-1B might be different from both. Three dates, three meanings, and the one you act on determines whether you stay legal.
Most travelers stop thinking about it after they arrive. The visa goes in a drawer. The I-94 record lives on a CBP website nobody visits twice. Time passes. By the time someone asks, "when does your visa expire?" the answer is often, "I think I should check."
That check is the moment a 90-day reminder would have saved. Without one, you find out at the airport, at a job offer, or at a routine traffic stop. The mistake compounds quickly.
The best time to set a visa expiration reminder is the day you get the visa stamped or receive a new I-94 record at entry. Open the document, find the expiration date, set the reminder for 90 days before that date, and put the paperwork away.
For most travelers, the I-94 "admit until" date controls how long you can stay. For students on D/S, use the program end date on your I-20 or DS-2019.
Enter your email and a reminder date. You'll get advance notice before the date, then follow-ups if you haven't marked it done.
Schedule a consular appointment, file an I-539 extension, or book your departure flight — with time to spare, not after the fact.
The penalties cascade fast, and most of them are avoidable with a single calendar entry.
Every day past your I-94 expiration is unlawful presence. After 180 days, a departure triggers a 3-year ban. After 365 days, a 10-year ban — even if you leave voluntarily.
Overstay penalties explained →The visa stamp says one date. The I-94 says another. Many holders track the wrong one and overstay the I-94 thinking the stamp date is what matters.
Visa stamp vs I-94 explained →Interview Waiver renewal takes 2 to 8 weeks. In-person consular renewal can take months, especially during summer backlogs. There is no expedite path that buys back lost time.
When to start renewal →The details that matter when an expiration date is on your calendar.
Only in narrow cases. U.S. Customs and Border Protection emails a 10-day reminder to Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) travelers and a 90-day reminder to some F-1 students. Most visa holders, including B1/B2, H-1B, and J-1, get no automatic email at all. The State Department does not send visa expiration reminders to your inbox.
Set a reminder 90 to 120 days before your expiration date. That gives you enough buffer to schedule a consular appointment, complete an Interview Waiver renewal, or change status without falling out of legal standing. For F-1 and J-1 holders, set it the day your I-20 or DS-2019 end date is updated.
A first email is sent on the lead time you choose (for example, 90 days out). A second email arrives on the expiration date itself. Then follow-ups continue every few days until you mark the reminder done. The point is to keep nudging you while you still have time to act, not to send one email you might miss.
Yes. BoldRemind is visa-agnostic. You pick the expiration date that matters to you, whether it is the visa stamp date, the I-94 admit-until date, or your I-20 end date. We send the email; you decide which date to track. For students on D/S, set the reminder for your I-20 end date instead.
No. Enter your email, the reminder date, and a short subject line on the form below. That is the whole flow. We do not require a password, a phone number, or a download. You can change the date or cancel the reminder from the email itself.
Yes. Set a separate reminder for each person. There is no limit. Many users set one for themselves, one for a spouse, and one for each dependent child, since visa expiration dates rarely line up across a family.
Free. No account. Enter your email and the date you want to be reminded — we'll send advance notice before it, then follow up until you mark it done.
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