The United States quietly introduced a US$30 fee on 29 November for every non-immigrant who requests an I-94 record when crossing a land border or filing online within seven days of arrival. The charge stems from the newly enacted “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which instructs the Department of Homeland Security to index a series of immigration-related fees to inflation every fiscal year.
For Brazilian citizens, the change matters even if most leisure and business trips take place by air. Brazilian executives who routinely drive into the U.S. from Mexico for maquiladora audits or who cross the Canadian border after meetings in Toronto must now budget an extra US$30 per entry—or ensure their air itinerary covers the entire journey so an electronic I-94 is issued automatically at the airport.
![U.S. Land-Border I-94 Fee Now Hits Brazilian Travelers Under New Immigration Bill]()
CBP has confirmed that the fee is mandatory and non-waivable. Companies that rotate technicians on short notice through U.S. facilities will have to update their travel-expense policies, while global mobility managers should remind employees that failure to obtain—or renew—an I-94 can trigger unlawful-presence findings. The 90-day admission clock still starts on the date stamped at the port of entry; the fee buys no extra time.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has not protested so far, but São Paulo-based immigration lawyers expect consular reciprocity discussions next year. Multinationals with large cross-border field teams are already exploring whether to reroute travelers through Miami or Houston to avoid the land-border fee altogether. Until regulations are clarified, assignees who must enter by land should keep digital copies of their I-94 and the payment receipt in case of audits.
For Brazilian citizens, the change matters even if most leisure and business trips take place by air. Brazilian executives who routinely drive into the U.S. from Mexico for maquiladora audits or who cross the Canadian border after meetings in Toronto must now budget an extra US$30 per entry—or ensure their air itinerary covers the entire journey so an electronic I-94 is issued automatically at the airport.
CBP has confirmed that the fee is mandatory and non-waivable. Companies that rotate technicians on short notice through U.S. facilities will have to update their travel-expense policies, while global mobility managers should remind employees that failure to obtain—or renew—an I-94 can trigger unlawful-presence findings. The 90-day admission clock still starts on the date stamped at the port of entry; the fee buys no extra time.
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has not protested so far, but São Paulo-based immigration lawyers expect consular reciprocity discussions next year. Multinationals with large cross-border field teams are already exploring whether to reroute travelers through Miami or Houston to avoid the land-border fee altogether. Until regulations are clarified, assignees who must enter by land should keep digital copies of their I-94 and the payment receipt in case of audits.
