NOVEMBER 2016

Nonimmigrant Admissions 

to the United States: 2014

JOHN TEKE AND WALEED NAVARRO

Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals granted temporary admission to the United States. The 

major purposes for which nonimmigrant admission may be authorized include temporary 

visits for business or pleasure, academic or vocational study, temporary employment, and to act 

as a representative of a foreign government or international organization, among others. The 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collects information on the characteristics of certain 

nonimmigrant admissions from DHS Form I-94 arrival records. This Office of Immigration 

Statistics Annual Flow Report presents information gathered from I-94s on the number and 

characteristics of nonimmigrant admissions to the United States in 2014.

Annual Flow Repor

t

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During 2014, DHS granted a total of more than 180 

million nonimmigrant admissions to the United States, 

according to DHS workload estimates (see Figure 1).1

These admissions included Canadian tourists and business travelers traveling by land and Mexican nationals 

with Border Crossing Cards, in addition to nonimmigrants who were issued Form I-94 (I-94 admissions).2

This report focuses primarily on I-94 admissions. I-94 

admissions accounted for 42 percent (74.9 million) of 

total nonimmigrant admissions. About 90 percent of 

I-94 admissions were temporary visitors for business 

and pleasure, while 4.5 percent were temporary workers and families and 2.5 percent were students and families. The leading countries of citizenship for I-94 

admissions were Mexico (27 percent), Canada (18 percent), the United Kingdom (6.4 percent), Japan (5.6 

percent), and China (3.4 percent).

Prior to April 2013, nonimmigrants arriving by air,

land, or sea were required to complete Form I-94, with

two important exceptions: (1) Canadians traveling to

the United States as tourists or for business purposes

generally did not need to complete the I-94 Form, and

(2) certain Mexicans with a nonresident alien Border

Crossing Card, commonly known as a laser visa or a

multiple-entry nonimmigrant visa, may not have been

required to complete the I-94 Form for entry either.

These exceptions were significant because Canadian and 

Mexican citizens continue to make up the vast majority

1 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 

Operations Management Reporting, Fiscal Year 2014.

2 For this report, I-94 admissions refer to admissions documented with paper Form 

I-94/I-94Ws or electronic I-94/ I-94Ws.

of all nonimmigrant admissions. I-94 admissions in 

2010 and 2011 were greater than in previous years due 

to land admission counting changes. By March 2010, 

the Department of Homeland Security completed 

updates to computer systems at vehicular lanes and 

pedestrian crossings along the Northern and Southwest 

borders to record land admissions previously excluded 

from I-94 data systems. Consequently, the numbers of 

I-94 nonimmigrant admissions in 2010 and 2011 

greatly exceeded totals reported in previous years.
2

DEFINING “NONIMMIGRANT”

Nonimmigrants are aliens whose classes of admission are specified 

in section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 

(INA).3

 Examples of nonimmigrant classes of admission include 

foreign government officials; temporary visitors for business and 

pleasure; aliens in transit; treaty traders and investors; academic 

and vocational students; temporary workers; exchange visitors; 

athletes and entertainers; victims of certain crimes; and certain 

family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. 

Maximum duration of stay is determined by class of admission. 

Unlike a person granted lawful permanent resident status4 who is 

authorized to live, work, and study in the United States permanently, a nonimmigrant is authorized a temporary status for a specific purpose. The nonimmigrant’s activities, such as employment, 

travel, and accompaniment by dependents, are prescribed by his 

or her class of admission.

In this report, nonimmigrant admissions refer to the number of 

events (i.e., admissions to the United States) rather than to the number of individual nonimmigrants admitted. Admission numbers 

presented in this report will differ from the number of Department 

of State nonimmigrant visa issuances, which include all nonimmigrant visas that were issued regardless of whether, or how many 

times, the foreign national was admitted to the United States. 

THE NONIMMIGRANT ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Eligibility

To qualify for admission in a nonimmigrant status, a foreign 

national generally must meet all of the following criteria: establish 

that the visit will be temporary, agree to depart at the end of the 

authorized stay, possess a valid passport, maintain a foreign residence (in most cases), be admissible to the United States or have 

been granted a waiver for any grounds of inadmissibility, and 

abide by the terms and conditions of admission. Additional 

3 There are a few nonimmigrant classes under statutory authority other than section 101(a)(15), 

in particular, NAFTA nonimmigrants and nationals of the Freely Associated States admitted under 

the Compacts of Free Association between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall 

Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau.

4 Commonly referred to as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or “green card” recipient.

requirements differ based on a foreign national’s country of citizenship, as discussed below. 

Documentary Requirements

I-94 Admissions

Prior to April 2013, applicants for nonimmigrant admission from 

most countries were required to complete a paper Form I-94/I94W or Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)5

 registration to be admitted to the United States. Starting in 2010 for Visa 

Waiver Program travelers and in 2013 for all other nonimmigrants, 

CBP began generating electronic I-94s to record nonimmigrant 

arrivals at air and sea ports instead of requiring a nonimmigrant to 

complete the paper Form I-94/I-94W.

Visa Required. If a visa is necessary for entry, the foreign national typically must apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The Online 

Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160, or the 

Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-156, must be submitted 

for all applicants. In addition, an interview generally is required 

for applicants aged 14 to 79 years. Possession of a valid visa does 

not guarantee admission. A CBP officer determines if the nonimmigrant may enter the United States and the authorized duration 

of stay. 

Visa Waiver Program. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows nationals 

of designated countries to travel to the United States as tourists or 

business travelers without a visa for a period not to exceed 90 

days. It was initially established as a pilot program in 1986 with 

the intent to eliminate barriers to travel, facilitate tourism, and 

promote better relations with U.S. allies. Qualified nationals of 

VWP countries must be admissible to the United States and not 

have violated the terms of any previous admission under the VWP; 

5 ESTA is an internet-based system that determines the preliminary eligibility of visitors to be admitted 

under the Visa Waiver Program prior to their embarking on trips to the United States. ESTA registration must be renewed every two years or when a visitor’s passport expires, whichever occurs earlier. 

An electronic I-94W record is created upon admission at air and sea ports for ESTA-registered VWP 

entrants. Although beyond the timeline of this report, the recent passage of the Visa Waiver Program 

Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (signed into law on December 18, 2015 

and went into effect on January 21, 2016) establishes new eligibility requirements for travel under 

VWP. Some restrictions include travel or admission to the U.S. for nationals of VWP countries who 

have been present in Iraq, Syria, or countries listed under specified designation lists (currently 

including Iran and Sudan) at any time on or after March 1, 2011. These restrictions do not apply to 

VWP travelers whose presence in those countries was to perform military service or official duties 

as a full-time employee of the government of a program country.

Box 1. 

Changes to 2013 and 2014 I-94 Admissions Data

Beginning in April 2013, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) automated the I-94 

process for nonimmigrants admitted at air and sea ports. This transition from paper Form I-94s to electronic I-94 records at air and 

sea ports resulted in a dramatic increase in the reported number of business and tourist travelers from Canada. Prior to April 2013, 

Canadian business and tourist visitors generally were not required to complete the paper Form I-94, and therefore typically were not 

included in I-94 admissions data. Since the conversion to the electronic I-94, CBP automatically generates I-94 records for Canadian 

nonimmigrant visitors admitted at air and sea ports and includes these records in the I-94 nonimmigrant admission data. Admission 

counts for Canadian business and tourist visitors and other nonimmigrants who enter at land ports and of nonimmigrants from 

countries other than Canada were not affected by the transition to the electronic I-94 at air and sea ports. Additionally, Mexican business and tourist travelers going through air and sea ports, are usually mandated to complete the paper Form I-94 and accordingly, are 

included in I-94 admissions data. With the conversion to the electronic Form I-94, CBP automatically creates I-94 records for 

Mexican nonimmigrant visitors admitted at air and sea ports (along with other foreign aliens), and includes these records in the I-94 

nonimmigrant admission data.
3

possess a valid machine-readable passport; travel on an approved 

carrier and possess a round trip ticket if arriving by air or sea; 

obtain travel authorization from ESTA; and waive their right to 

contest an immigration officer’s determination of admissibility 

and the right to contest removal, other than on the basis of an 

application for asylum. At air and sea ports, an electronic I-94W 

record is created upon admission for ESTA-registered VWP 

entrants. At land ports, the paper Form I-94W is required. 

Nationals of VWP countries must obtain a visa if they are traveling 

to the United States for a purpose other than tourism or business, 

or if their stay will exceed 90 days. 

At the beginning of fiscal year 2014, 37 countries participated in 

the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, 

Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, 

Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, 

Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the 

Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, 

Singapore, South Korea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, 

Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Chile was admitted 

to the Visa Waiver Program effective March 31, 2014.

The Guam-Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Visa 

Waiver Program (GCVWP) permits nationals of designated countries and geographic areas to be admitted to Guam or the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) without 

a visa. Admissions under the GCVWP may not exceed 45 days in 

Guam and/or CNMI. In 2014, Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong,6

Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, 

Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom were 

included in the GCVWP.7

Non I-94 Admissions

Two large groups of nonimmigrants are subject to unique documentary requirements, and are mostly exempted from the I-94 

process: Canadian tourist and business travelers and Mexican 

nationals with Border Crossing Cards.8

Canadian Tourist and Business Admissions. Canadian short-term 

business and tourist visitors to the United States are required to 

possess a valid passport or other Western Hemisphere Travel 

Initiative (WHTI) approved form of identification,9 but they generally are not required to obtain a visa or register with ESTA. Prior 

to April 2013, these Canadian business and tourist travelers were 

also not typically required to complete a paper Form I-94. 

However, after CBP automated the I-94 process at air and sea ports 

6 Including citizens of the former colony of Hong Kong who are in possession of the United Kingdom 

passport that states “British National Overseas” or holders of the Special Administrative Region 

(SAR) travel document. Both of these travel documents must be in conjunction with a Hong Kong 

Identification Card. 

7 On November 28, 2009, the GCVWP replaced the Guam Visa Waiver Program (GVWP) which 

permitted nationals of participating countries to be admitted to Guam without a visa. Australia, 

Brunei, Indone-sia, Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Vanuatu were included in the 

GVWP when it ended.

8 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials (seeking N1-N5 nonimmigrant classification) 

were also not required to submit an I-94 but may do so to document their admissions. Members 

of the foreign military are not generally issued and I-94 when entering the U.S. under military 

orders. 

9 WHTI approved travel documents include an Enhanced Driver’s License, Enhanced Identification 

Card, or Trusted Traveler Program card.

in April 2013, CBP began generating electronic I-94s for short 

term Canadian tourists and business travelers admitted at air and 

sea ports. Since April 2013, Canadian tourist and business travelers 

admitted at air and sea ports have been recorded in the I-94 data 

as B1 or B2 admissions. Canadian business and tourist travelers 

admitted at land ports of entry still are not typically required to 

complete a paper Form I-94, and therefore generally are not 

included in I-94 data.

Mexican nationals with Border Crossing Cards. A second class of 

travelers exempted from the I-94 process is Mexican nationals 

with Border Crossing Cards traveling within the border zone for a 

limited duration. The Border Crossing Card (BCC) or “laser visa” 

issued to Mexican nationals is a machine-readable card that is valid 

for 10 years and contains a biometric indicator, such as a fingerprint. Applicants for a BCC must meet the same qualifications as 

applicants for a B1/B2 visa (temporary visitor for business or 

pleasure), have a valid Mexican passport, and demonstrate that 

they will return to Mexico upon completion of their stay. Mexican 

citizens with a BCC are only required to fill out Form I-94 if they 

intend to remain in the United States for more than 30 days or 

will travel more than 25 miles from the border.

I-94 DATA

The data in this report were obtained from CBP’s TECS, which 

compiles and maintains information collected from nonimmigrants on both paper and electronic Forms I-94/I-94W. 

Information collected from these I-94 records includes arrival and 

departure dates, port of entry, class of admission, country of citizenship, state of destination, age, and gender. Caution should be 

exercised when interpreting trends in I-94 admissions, as year-toyear fluctuations may reflect changes in data collection procedures 

instead of or in addition to variation in travel patterns. For example, the number of recorded land admissions increased markedly 

from 2005 to 2010 as new data collection systems were installed 

on the northern and southwest borders. Canadian admissions also 

increased substantially from 2012 to 2013 as the I-94 was transitioned to an electronic format; prior to the transition, Canadian 

tourists and business travelers arriving by air or sea were typically 

not issued I-94 forms and were not included in the I-94 data. 

More recently, in 2014, the implementation of additional electronic data collection systems resulted not only in less complete 

recording of certain data elements,10 including country of residence, gender, and state of destination, but also in more complete 

recording of country of citizenship.

CHARACTERISTICS OF I-94 NONIMMIGRANT ADMISSIONS

Class of Admission

CBP granted 74,930,606 I-94 nonimmigrant admissions in 2014 

(see Table 1). The largest category of admission in 2014 was temporary visitors for pleasure, which represented 80 percent of I-94 

admissions. This category includes the B2 (temporary visitors for 

10 I-94, ESTA collection methods were digitized through programs such as Automated Passport 

Control (APC) and Global Entry (GE). APC and GE currently do not require some or all of these 

data elements to be collected. Prior to implementing APC and GE, the majority of the I-94 data 

entry was done by the Nonimmigrant Data Processing Service vendor.
4

Table 1. 

Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 only) by Class of Admission: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014

Class of admission

2014 2013 2012

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total .......................................................... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

Temporary workers and families ......................................... 3,398,961 4.5 2,996,743 4.9 3,049,419 5.7

Temporary workers and trainees ...................................... 2,095,175 2.8 1,853,915 3.0 1,900,582 3.5

CNMI-only transitional workers (CW1) ................................ 4,045 - 1,642 - D -

Workers in specialty occupations (H1B) .............................. 511,773 0.7 474,355 0.8 473,015 0.9

Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreement aliens (H1B1) .................. D - 8 - D -

Registered nurses participating in the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas 

(H1C) ..................................................... D - 7 - 29 -

Agricultural workers (H2A) ........................................ 240,620 0.3 204,577 0.3 183,860 0.3

Nonagricultural workers and returning H2B workers (H2B, H2R) ............. 105,416 0.1 104,993 0.2 82,921 0.2

Trainees (H3) ................................................. 4,306 - 4,117 - 4,081 -

Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement and their assistants (O1, O2) .. 107,191 0.1 87,366 0.1 70,611 0.1

Internationally recognized athletes or entertainers (P1) ................... 95,470 0.1 85,583 0.1 84,209 0.2

Artists or entertainers in reciprocal exchange or culturally unique programs (P2, P3) 24,999 - 21,818 - 22,116 -

Workers in international cultural exchange programs (Q1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,976 - 2,685 - 2,494 -

Workers in religious occupations (R1) ................................ 13,839 - 14,191 - 15,906 -

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) professional workers (TN) ...... 712,737 1.0 612,535 1.0 733,692 1.4

Spouses and children of temporary workers and trainees (CW2, H4, O3, P4, R2, TD) 271,773 0.4 240,038 0.4 227,637 0.4

Intracompany transferees ........................................... 835,707 1.1 723,641 1.2 717,893 1.3

Intracompany transferees (L1) ..................................... 591,728 0.8 503,206 0.8 498,899 0.9

Spouses and children of intracompany transferees (L2) ................... 243,979 0.3 220,435 0.4 218,994 0.4

Treaty traders and investors and spouses and children (E1 to E3) .............. 422,025 0.6 373,360 0.6 386,472 0.7

Representatives of foreign media and spouses and children (I1) ............... 46,054 0.1 45,827 0.1 44,472 0.1

Students .......................................................... 1,837,664 2.5 1,669,225 2.7 1,653,576 3.1

Academic students (F1) .......................................... 1,737,927 2.3 1,577,509 2.6 1,566,815 2.9

Vocational students (M1) ......................................... 20,534 - 19,106 - 17,600 -

Spouses and children of academic and vocational students (F2, M2) ......... 79,203 0.1 72,610 0.1 69,161 0.1

Exchange visitors .................................................... 557,760 0.7 492,937 0.8 475,232 0.9

Exchange visitors (J1) ........................................... 486,827 0.6 433,534 0.7 421,425 0.8

Spouses and children of exchange visitors (J2) ......................... 70,933 0.1 59,403 0.1 53,807 0.1

Diplomats and other representatives ...................................... 421,144 0.6 373,330 0.6 365,779 0.7

Ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomats, consular officers, other foreign 

government officals and their spouses, children, and attendants (A1 to A3) ... 220,837 0.3 200,825 0.3 207,349 0.4

Representatives to international organizations and their spouses, children, and 

attendants (G1 to G5) ......................................... 152,903 0.2 141,744 0.2 135,623 0.3

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials, spouses, and children (N1 to N7) 47,404 0.1 30,761 0.1 22,807 -

Temporary visitors for pleasure .......................................... 59,784,922 79.8 48,346,018 79.2 42,041,426 78.0

Temporary visitors for pleasure (B2) ................................. 40,457,847 54.0 29,915,467 49.0 24,476,086 45.4

Visa Waiver Program - temporary visitors for pleasure (WT) ................. 18,161,646 24.2 17,168,958 28.1 16,380,307 30.4

Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program - temporary visitors for pleasure to Guam or 

Northern Mariana Islands (GMT) .................................. 1,165,429 1.6 1,261,593 2.1 1,185,033 2.2

Temporary visitors for business .......................................... 7,734,191 10.3 6,299,533 10.3 5,707,218 10.6

Temporary visitors for business (B1) ................................. 4,755,509 6.3 3,498,688 5.7 2,972,355 5.5

Visa Waiver Program - temporary visitors for business (WB) ................ 2,976,445 4.0 2,798,130 4.6 2,731,887 5.1

Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program - temporary visitors for business to Guam or 

Northern Mariana Islands (GMB) ................................. 2,237 - 2,715 - 2,976 -

Transit aliens ....................................................... 1,004,916 1.3 628,711 1.0 313,514 0.6

Aliens in continuous and immediate transit through the United States (C1) ..... 987,546 1.3 608,396 1.0 289,105 0.5

Aliens in transit to the United Nations (C2) ............................ 638 - 2,269 - 4,158 -

Foreign government officials, their spouses, children, and attendants in transit (C3) ... 16,732 - 18,046 - 20,251 -

Commuter Students .................................................. 109,833 0.1 105,263 0.2 115,561 0.2

Canadian or Mexican national academic commuter students (F3) ............ 109,833 0.1 105,263 0.2 115,561 0.2

Alien fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens and children ................................ 41,778 0.1 29,773 - 32,102 0.1

Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens (K1) .................................... 36,680 - 26,046 - 27,977 0.1

Children of K1 (K2) ............................................. 5,098 - 3,727 - 4,125 -

Alien spouses of U.S. citizens and children, immigrant visa pending ................ 1,340 - 1,679 - 5,152 -

Spouses of U.S. citizens, visa pending (K3) ............................ 1,004 - 1,262 - 4,534 -

Children of U.S. citizens, visa pending (K4) ............................ 336 - 417 - 618 -

Alien spouses of U.S. permanent residents and children, immigrant visa pending ...... 935 - 1,335 - 3,075 -

Spouses of permanent residents, visa pending (V1) ...................... 647 - 867 - 1,928 -

Children of permanent residents, visa pending (V2) ...................... 252 - 271 - 449 -

Dependents of V1 or V2, visa pending (V3) ............................ 36 - 197 - 698 -

Other ............................................................. 72 - 87 - 91 -

Unknown .......................................................... 37,090 - 107,626 0.2 125,141 0.2

-- Represents zero or rounds to 0.0.

D Data withheld to limit disclosure.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
5

Table 2. 

Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 only) by Country of Citizenship: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014

Country of citizenship

2014 2013 2012

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total .......................................................... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

Mexico ........................................................... 20,002,936 26.7 17,980,784 29.5 16,462,118 30.5

Canada ........................................................... 13,254,972 17.7 4,445,881 7.3 1,466,120 2.7

United Kingdom ..................................................... 4,814,074 6.4 4,566,669 7.5 4,486,666 8.3

Japan ............................................................ 4,199,152 5.6 4,298,081 7.0 4,141,299 7.7

China ............................................................ 2,555,896 3.4 2,098,801 3.4 1,756,747 3.3

Germany .......................................................... 2,448,591 3.3 2,359,681 3.9 2,308,207 4.3

Brazil ............................................................. 2,390,245 3.2 2,143,154 3.5 1,792,425 3.3

France ............................................................ 2,115,350 2.8 1,959,424 3.2 1,913,551 3.6

Korea, South ....................................................... 1,780,662 2.4 1,656,795 2.7 1,527,085 2.8

India ............................................................. 1,720,729 2.3 1,491,712 2.4 1,296,276 2.4

Other ............................................................. 19,622,267 26.2 17,886,490 29.3 16,461,702 30.5

Unknown .......................................................... 25,732 - 164,788 0.3 275,090 0.5

-- Represents zero or rounds to 0.0.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Table 3. 

Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 only) by Port of Entry: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014

Port of entry

2014 2013 2012

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total .......................................................... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

New York, NY ....................................................... 6,840,544 9.1 6,129,709 10.0 5,744,877 10.7

Miami, FL .......................................................... 5,996,284 8.0 5,679,558 9.3 5,115,113 9.5

Los Angeles, CA ..................................................... 4,511,326 6.0 4,165,812 6.8 3,905,034 7.2

Toronto, Canada ..................................................... 3,272,177 4.4 1,323,357 2.2 404,655 0.8

Newark, NJ ........................................................ 2,378,659 3.2 2,148,824 3.5 2,088,591 3.9

San Ysidro, CA ...................................................... 2,198,221 2.9 1,981,939 3.2 2,082,911 3.9

Honolulu, HI ........................................................ 2,184,386 2.9 2,107,178 3.5 1,892,134 3.5

Chicago, IL ......................................................... 2,112,491 2.8 1,832,126 3.0 1,606,615 3.0

San Francisco, CA ................................................... 2,107,390 2.8 1,986,263 3.3 1,859,836 3.5

Houston, TX ........................................................ 1,855,594 2.5 1,501,909 2.5 1,382,759 2.6

Otay Mesa, CA ...................................................... 1,777,473 2.4 1,523,289 2.5 1,303,897 2.4

Atlanta, GA ........................................................ 1,697,023 2.3 1,516,566 2.5 1,379,717 2.6

Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, TX ............................................... 1,630,676 2.2 1,446,231 2.4 1,302,120 2.4

Vancouver, Canada ................................................... 1,573,396 2.1 741,873 1.2 297,375 0.6

Boston, MA ........................................................ 1,333,341 1.8 861,150 1.4 660,107 1.2

Washington, DC ..................................................... 1,317,550 1.8 1,239,607 2.0 1,165,318 2.2

Nogales, AZ ........................................................ 1,301,907 1.7 1,144,427 1.9 1,012,572 1.9

Orlando, FL ........................................................ 1,261,033 1.7 1,117,181 1.8 1,048,272 1.9

Agana, GU ......................................................... 1,260,180 1.7 1,293,000 2.1 1,202,976 2.2

Dallas, TX ......................................................... 1,236,698 1.7 1,112,289 1.8 914,619 1.7

Other ............................................................. 26,764,781 35.7 19,984,689 32.7 17,341,228 32.2

Unknown .......................................................... 319,476 0.4 215,283 0.4 176,560 0.3

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

pleasure) and WT (Visa Waiver Program—temporary visitors for 

pleasure) classes of admission, which accounted for 54 and 24 

percent, respectively, of all admissions. Approximately 10 percent 

of admissions in 2014 were in the temporary visitors for business 

category of admission. B1 (temporary visitors for business) 

admissions represented 6.3 percent of all admissions and WB (Visa 

Waiver Program—temporary visitors for business) accounted for 

4.0 percent. About 4.5 percent of all admissions were represented 

by temporary workers and their families. The leading classes of 

admission in this category were TN NAFTA professional workers 

(1.0 percent), L1 intracompany transferees (0.8 percent), and 

H1B workers in specialty occupations (0.7 percent). F1 academic 

students represented 2.3 percent of I-94 admissions, nearly all of 

the admissions in the student category.

Country of Citizenship

The leading countries of citizenship for I-94 nonimmigrant 

admissions to the United States in 2014 were Mexico (27 percent), Canada (18 percent), the United Kingdom (6.4 percent), 

Japan (5.6 percent), China (3.4 percent), Germany (3.3 percent), 

Brazil (3.2 percent), France (2.8 percent), South Korea (2.4 percent), and India (2.3 percent) (see Table 2). I-94 Admissions from 

Canada increased from 1,466,120 in 2012 to 4,445,881 in 2013, 

and 13,254,972 in 2014 because CBP began recording Canadian 
6

Table 5. 

Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 only) by Age and Sex: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014

Characteristic

2014 2013 2012

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

AGE

Total .......... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

Under 18 years ..... 8,244,844 11.0 6,922,805 11.3 6,067,171 11.3

18 to 24 years ...... 6,705,294 8.9 5,672,694 9.3 4,978,091 9.2

25 to 34 years ...... 15,461,342 20.6 12,929,049 21.2 11,433,982 21.2

35 to 44 years ...... 15,329,585 20.5 12,866,158 21.1 11,685,053 21.7

45 to 54 years ...... 13,618,203 18.2 10,885,774 17.8 9,566,343 17.8

55 to 64 years ...... 9,345,085 12.5 7,132,243 11.7 6,181,493 11.5

65 years and over ... 6,220,330 8.3 4,580,183 7.5 3,873,243 7.2

Unknown .......... 5,923 - 63,354 0.1 101,910 0.2

SEX

Total .......... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

Male ............. 36,306,392 48.5 31,420,318 51.5 27,825,034 51.6

Female ........... 33,942,123 45.3 29,285,737 48.0 25,605,018 47.5

Unknown .......... 4,682,091 6.2 346,205 0.6 457,234 0.8

- Represents zero or rounds to 0.0. 

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Table 4. 

Nonimmigrant Admissions (I-94 only) by State of Destination: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2014

State of destination

2014 2013 2012

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total .......................................................... 74,930,606 100.0 61,052,260 100.0 53,887,286 100.0

California .......................................................... 10,102,622 13.5 11,182,804 18.3 10,208,709 18.9

Florida ............................................................ 9,180,841 12.3 8,089,139 13.2 7,234,508 13.4

New York .......................................................... 7,419,709 9.9 6,805,732 11.1 6,409,286 11.9

Texas ............................................................ 5,248,779 7.0 7,605,578 12.5 6,854,454 12.7

Hawaii ............................................................ 2,552,833 3.4 2,261,576 3.7 1,969,089 3.7

Nevada ........................................................... 2,293,655 3.1 2,128,680 3.5 1,793,376 3.3

Arizona ........................................................... 1,653,321 2.2 1,952,808 3.2 1,749,492 3.2

Illinois ............................................................ 1,309,781 1.7 1,197,625 2.0 1,021,476 1.9

Massachusetts ..................................................... 1,156,761 1.5 1,056,505 1.7 963,171 1.8

Washington ........................................................ 1,141,456 1.5 1,415,063 2.3 1,262,020 2.3

Other ............................................................. 10,904,311 14.6 10,986,783 18.0 10,147,921 18.8

Unknown .......................................................... 21,966,537 29.3 6,369,967 10.4 4,273,784 7.9

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

air and sea admissions of tourists and business travelers in April 

2013. The large increase from 2013 to 2014 resulted from having 

a full year of admission records with the new procedures in 2014.

Port of Entry

The largest 20 ports of entry represented 64 percent of I-94 nonimmigrant admissions in 2014 (see Table 3). About half of all 

nonimmigrants were admitted through the following ports of 

entry: New York (9.1 percent), Miami (8.0 percent), Los Angeles 

(6.0 percent), Newark (3.2 percent), San Ysidro (2.9 percent), 

Honolulu (2.9 percent), Chicago (2.8 percent), San Francisco (2.8 

percent), Houston (2.5 percent), Otay Mesa (2.4 percent), Atlanta 

(2.3 percent), Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, Laredo (2.2 percent), Boston 

(1.8 percent), and Washington, DC (1.8 percent).

State of Destination

The most frequent states of destination for I-94 

nonimmigrant admissions in 2014 were 

California (14 percent), Florida (12 percent), 

New York (9.9 percent), and Texas (7.0 percent) 

(see Table 4). These four states represented the 

destinations of approximately 43 percent of foreign nationals admitted.

Age and Gender

In 2014, 59 percent of I-94 admissions were 

individuals aged 25 to 54, 49 percent of whom 

were males—both figures remained largely 

unchanged from 2013 (see Table 5). 
7

Appendix A. 

Nonimmigrant Classes of Admission — Continued

Class Description

Temporary Workers and Families

Temporary workers and trainees

CW2 ........ Spouses and children of CW1

H1B ........ Workers in specialty occupations

H1B1 ....... Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreement aliens

H1C ........ Registered nurses participating in the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas

H2A ........ Agricultural workers

H2B ........ Nonagricultural workers

H2R ........ Returning H2B workers

H3 ......... Trainees

H4 ......... Spouses and children of H1, H2, or H3

O1 ......... Workers with extraordinary ability or achievement

O2 ......... Workers accompanying and assisting in performance of O1 workers

O3 ......... Spouses and children of O1 and O2

P1 .......... Internationally recognized athletes or entertainers

P2 .......... Artists or entertainers in reciprocal exchange programs

P3 .......... Artists or entertainers in culturally unique programs

P4 .......... Spouses and children of P1, P2, or P3

Q1 ......... Workers in international cultural exchange programs

R1 ......... Workers in religious occupations

R2 ......... Spouses and children of R1

TN .......... North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) professional workers

TD .......... Spouses and children of TN

Intracompany transferees

L1.......... Intracompany transferees

L2.......... Spouses and children of L1

Treaty traders and investors

E1 .......... Treaty traders and their spouses and children

E2 .......... Treaty investors and their spouses and children

E2C ......... Treaty traders and their spouses and children CNMI-only

E3 .......... Australian Free Trade Agreement principals, spouses and children

Representatives of foreign information media

I1 .......... Representatives of foreign information media and spouses and children

Students

F1.......... Academic students

F2.......... Spouses and children of F1

M1 ......... Vocational students

M2 ......... Spouses and children of M1

Exchange visitors

J1 .......... Exchange visitors

J2 .......... Spouses and children of J1

Diplomats and other representatives

A1 ......... Ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomatic or consular officers and their families

A2 ......... Other foreign government officials or employees and their families

A3 ......... Attendants, servants, or personal employees of A1 and A2 and their families

G1 ......... Principals of recognized foreign governments 

G2 ......... Other representatives of recognized foreign governments 

G3 ......... Representatives of nonrecognized or nonmember foreign governments

G4 ......... International organization officers or employees

G5 ......... Attendants, servants, or personal employees of representatives

N1 to N7 ..... North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials, spouses, and children

Temporary visitors for pleasure

B2 ......... Temporary visitors for pleasure

WT ......... Visa Waiver Program—temporary visitors for pleasure

GMT ........ Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program—temporary visitors for pleasure to Guam or Northern Mariana Islands
8

Appendix A. 

Nonimmigrant Classes of Admission — Continued

Class Description

Temporary visitors for business

B1 ......... Temporary visitors for business

WB ......... Visa Waiver Program—temporary visitors for business

GMB ........ Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program—temporary visitors for business to Guam or Northern Mariana Islands

Transit aliens

C1 ......... Aliens in continuous and immediate transit through the United States

C2 ......... Aliens in transit to the United Nations 

C3 ......... Foreign government officials, their spouses, children, and attendants in transit

Commuter Students

F3.......... Canadian or Mexican national academic commuter students

M3 ......... Canadian or Mexican national vocational commuter students

Alien Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens

K1 ......... Fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens

K2 ......... Children of K1

Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act

K3 ......... Spouses of U.S. citizens, immigrant visa pending

K4 ......... Children of K3, immigrant visa pending

V1 to V3 ..... Spouses and children of permanent residents, immigrant visa pending

Other categories

N8 ......... Parents of international organization special immigrants

N9 ......... Children of N8 or international organization special immigrants

Q2 ......... Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program aliens 

Q3 ......... Spouses and children of Q2

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security.