U.S. Customs and Border Protection is emailing certain foreign visitors when little time remains on their authorized stay. Official CBP Traveler Compliance guidance says travelers may receive a notice when 10 days or fewer remain on their admission, or a notice about a possible overstay.
Those emails come only from [email protected], according to the same official page. If you are visiting the United States on a covered admission class, confirm your admit-until date on the I-94 site, trust only that sender, and ignore look-alike phishing mail that tries to force a payment or password handoff.
- Agency: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Traveler Compliance emails.
- Trigger: 10 days or fewer remaining on admission, or a possible overstay notice.
- Official sender: [email protected] only.
- Status check: I-94 website View Compliance tab.
- Scope start: Certain Visa Waiver Program travelers, expanding gradually.
What CBP says the email program does
On the official CBP Traveler Compliance page, the agency says it is taking proactive steps to help travelers comply with their terms of admission by sending reminders about time left in the United States and notifications to travelers who may have overstayed.
CBP states that travelers may receive an email indicating they have 10 days or less remaining on their admission, or an email regarding a potential overstay violation. The same page directs travelers to check admission status on the I-94 site under the View Compliance tab.
CBP also draws a bright line on authenticity. Email notifications will come from [email protected], and if a notice did not come from that address, it may be phishing or another fraudulent message.
How independent coverage describes the same traveler alert
The Travel reported on August 12, 2026 that foreign visitors are receiving CBP stay-duration emails tied to the I-94 record and the official travelercompliance sender, and that travelers should verify status on the I-94 compliance tools.
That independent write-up is useful discovery context for why the program is showing up in traveler inboxes now. For load-bearing rules, keep CBP’s own wording first: 10 days or fewer remaining, View Compliance checks, and the single official sender address.
Where specialist pieces expand into broader visa classes or enforcement theories, treat those as interpretation unless CBP itself states them. CBP’s page currently frames the rollout as beginning with certain Visa Waiver Program travelers and expanding gradually as more classes become in-scope.
What is in scope today versus still expanding
CBP says travelers in-scope for the email process begin with certain Visa Waiver Program travelers and will gradually expand to include most classes of admission. As additional groups are added, the View Compliance tab is supposed to update so travelers can see whether they are eligible for the compliance check.
That means a friend on a different visa class may not receive the same message on the same timeline. Do not assume every nonimmigrant in the country is already on the same automated list.
CBP also states that while email notification is a new process, there is no change in CBP policies or enforcement actions. The agency describes the emails as a transparency and compliance aid, not a rewrite of the underlying admission rules.
How to verify your admit-until date without guessing
Start with the official I-94 website rather than a screenshot forwarded in a group chat. Retrieve your arrival and departure record, then use the View Compliance path CBP points to for traveler compliance status.
Compare the admit-until date on the record with your ticketed departure. If your flight leaves after that date, you have a rebooking problem now, not a packing problem later.
If you never received an email but your remaining days are short, do not wait for a message. CBP’s process is proactive for in-scope travelers, but the admit-until date on the I-94 remains the binding planning fact either way.
Travelers who also use Trusted Traveler benefits for airport speed can keep those programs separate in their heads. Deep Arrival’s Global Entry versus TSA PreCheck comparison covers enrollment and lane access, not the I-94 stay clock itself.
If your fix is an earlier outbound flight with tighter bags, use the international carry-on size guide so a last-minute rebook does not create a gate-side bag surprise on top of the admission deadline.
Phishing risk and what not to click
CBP’s authenticity rule is simple enough to write on a sticky note: only [email protected] is the official compliance sender named on the agency page. A message that demands gift-card payment, remote desktop access, or a password reset is not that program.
Open the I-94 site yourself by typing the known government address or using a bookmark you already trust. Do not follow a link inside a suspicious message just because the subject line mentions 10 days or overstay.
If you are unsure whether an email is real, check the I-94 View Compliance tab first and, if needed, use the Traveler Communications Center contact path CBP lists on the same official page rather than replying to the message body.
Save a PDF or screenshot of your clean I-94 history after each U.S. trip if you travel often. A later false overstay flag is easier to challenge when you already have your own dated proof of when you left.
Airline app status alone is not a substitute for the I-94 admit-until date. A rebooked outbound ticket that still falls after the admit-until day remains a compliance problem even if the airline shows the flight as confirmed.
If you are hosting visitors, share the official CBP page and the I-94 tool rather than a group-chat summary. The admit-until date is personal to each traveler’s entry record, so one person’s remaining days never prove another person’s status.
Business travelers on short U.S. loops should check the I-94 record after every entry, not only when an email arrives. A multi-city domestic itinerary can make the departure plan feel loose even when the federal clock is fixed.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Got mail from [email protected] | Open I-94 View Compliance yourself and confirm the admit-until date. |
| Got a 10-day warning from any other address | Treat it as phishing risk; do not click payment or login links. |
| Have 10 days or fewer left on your I-94 | Move or rebook departure before the admit-until date, not after. |
| Are on Visa Waiver Program travel | Expect you may already be in the first email scope and check compliance often. |
| Left the U.S. but still get overstay mail | Pull I-94 history and keep boarding-pass proof of departure before the next trip. |
- Check the admit-until date today: Use the official I-94 site, not memory of what an officer said.
- Trust only the named CBP sender: [email protected] is the authenticity test CBP publishes.
- Rebook early if the clock is short: A late flight change is cheaper than an overstay record.
- Separate lane programs from stay rules: Global Entry or PreCheck do not rewrite the I-94 clock.
- Keep departure proof: Save boarding passes if an exit might not write cleanly to the record.
The decision rule is narrow: believe the I-94 admit-until date, treat only CBP’s named sender as real, and fix travel plans before the remaining days run out rather than after a second automated warning arrives.
What does the CBP 10-day stay email mean?
CBP may email certain travelers when 10 days or fewer remain on their authorized U.S. admission, or when a possible overstay is detected, according to the official Traveler Compliance page.
Which email address is official?
CBP says notifications come from [email protected]. Messages from other addresses may be phishing or fraud.
Where do I check my remaining days?
Use the official I-94 website and the View Compliance tab that CBP points to on the Traveler Compliance page.
Does everyone get the email already?
No. CBP says the process begins with certain Visa Waiver Program travelers and expands gradually to more admission classes.
Did CBP change overstay penalties with this email system?
CBP states there is no change in its policies or enforcement actions. The emails change transparency and notice, not the underlying admission rules themselves.
