travel history last 10 years

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Arrival/Departure History Now Available on I-94 Webpage

Customs and Border Protection launched a new webpage on May 1 that offers nonimmigrant U.S. visitors access to their I-94 arrival/departure record and their arrival/departure history.

The new CBP webpage allows nonimmigrant travelers to access arrival/departure records going back five years from the request date. This electronic travel-history function means that travelers may no longer need to file Freedom of Information Act requests to receive their arrival/departure history, greatly speeding their process. Travelers will have electronic access to the date and port of entry of their arrivals and departures.

When travelers visit the I-94 webpage they can retrieve their I-94 arrival/departure record number and five-year travel history by entering the required name, date of birth, and passport information.

Clicking on “Get Most Recent I-94” will return the I-94 number, most recent date of entry, class of admission and admit-until date. The information does not reflect changes of status, extension of stay or adjustments of status granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travelers then have the option to print the record.

Clicking on “Get Travel History” will return their five-year travel history based on their I-94 records, which they also can print.

Travelers can also cancel pending Freedom of Information Act requests for travel history information—after they have received the information from the new website—by adding their FOIA Request Number and clicking on “Request FOIA Cancellation” button.

CBP began the online version of Form I-94 in April 2013. The positive public response to that streamlining prompted the agency to offer travel histories online as well.

If a traveler has lost a paper form I-94 that was issued prior to the online system and the record is not available online, the traveler can file a Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Non-Immigrant Arrival-Departure Document, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Sprintax - The name for nonresident tax

• Go To Sprintax

On January 19, 2024 by Kristina Valcheva 0 comments

U.s. entry and exit dates – how to check your travel history.

(Last updated: 19 Jan, 2024)

In order to prepare your US tax documents, you will need to know the exact dates on which you traveled in or out of the US.

However, if you don’t know your travel history and you need to double-check the exact entry and exit dates, the good news is that you can easily do this online.

The US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) keeps a record of all nonresidents who travel to the country over the past 5 years.

These documents also include the reason for their travel and the dates of their previous visits to the US.

In this post, we will discuss how to track all your travel history paperwork.

When do I need my US travel history?

Applications for a visa, or Green card, as well as filing a 1040NR tax return require that you know precisely when you entered and exited the US.

If the information is not accurate, this could cause rejection or delays in visa applications, or other challenges when you file your tax return.

Also, every non-American citizen who performs the “substantial presence test” may be classified as “resident” for tax purposes if they don’t know the exact days of arrival and departure.

The correct determination of residency is a very important issue for every international student in the US. This impacts both the tax you have to pay and the documents you need when you file a tax return.

Now, you can easily track your entry and exit dates in the US on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection I-94 website.

You can easily determine your US tax residency status for free by using Sprintax.

Get started here

What is Form I-94?

Form I-94 Arrival/ Departure record is an electronic or paper document that is issued by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign nationals who enter the US.

Since most people who enter the US are not US lawful permanent residents, Form I-94 is given to them upon arrival.

It’s important to know that you need it when you are leaving the US, as this is how the government keeps track of your departure date, and knows that you did not stay in the US beyond the period permitted by your visa.

What to do if my I-94 is inaccurate?

You will need to contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as soon as possible to make the relevant change in the information.

You can call 1-800-375-5283 for additional information.

What to do if my l-94 is lost/stolen?

This is usually easy to fix, but you will need to report the missing document to the local police station.

You must also contact USCIS (1-800-375-5283) and apply for a replacement. In most cases, you should be able to download a copy of your travel record from the CBP website at no charge.

What information do I need to access my US travel history?

To access your US travel history online, you will need:

• Your first and last name
• Passport number
• Date of birth
• Country of citizenship

When you have this information, you can start with your US travel history check.

How do I get entry and exit dates in the US?

1. Go to US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) homepage . 2. Click on “Need history of your travel and departures” 3. Click on Consent & Continue when the Security page pops up 4. Then enter your personal information, such as name, date of birth, and passport number. 5. On the next page, you will be able to see your travel history and print it.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it necessary to enter all entries and exits to the us even prior to living in it i have been visiting the us ever since i was a baby and i don’t have all the passports and visas from that time.

Your residency status is determined by the complete history of all your visits to the US, including any visits as a student, trainee, tourist, and all other entries to the US from 1986 onwards.

If you don’t remember, or cannot locate the exact entry and exit dates to the US simply enter approximate ones.

Тhe i94.gov is not showing my visits. It says there are no results for the traveler information.

The i94 website will show all visits made with your current passport. If you changed your passport you will need your old passport number(s) to check all your visits.

If you don’t remember, or cannot locate the exact entry and exit dates to the US, simply enter approximate ones.

For the visit history on the residency page on Sprintax, should I include trips in and out of the country over winter break for example, even though I was on the same visa all the time?

Yes, you need to include all entry and exit dates to the US, even short ones, as they are used for counting your days of presence in the US and determining your residency status.

I’ve been to the US as a tourist before in 2012. Should I enter that as my record?

Yes, you need to include all entry and exit dates to the US, as they are used for counting your days of presence in the US and determining your residency status.

When doing my taxes through Sprintax, I was asked for my arrival and departure dates. How far back should you go with this information?

We would need you to provide all of your residency information, and all of your entry and exit dates in order to be able to correctly determine your tax residency.

How far back do the entry and exit dates need to go?

Your residency status is determined by the complete history of all your visits to the US including any visits as a student, trainee, tourist, and all other entries to the US from 1989 onwards.

When entering the history of all entries and exits to the US, how accurate does it have to be? I don’t know if I can remember the exact dates.

It’s OK if you don’t enter the exact entry and exit dates if you don’t remember them, however, you need to be as precise as possible.

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How to Get Your USA Travel History Online (Arrivals and Departures)

Do you need to see your US Travel History for a visa application or just to check when you have arrived or departed? Well, you don’t need to look for your old passports and check each page one by one, you can search it online! It’s pretty simple, here’s a guide on How to Get Your US Travel History Online .

The US Customs and Border Protection has a website for visitors to request their travel history or I-94 form. You will only need a few details so that you can get the information online. Feel free to print it too!

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Information Required

• Complete Name
• Passport Number

STEP by STEP Guide in Getting your US Travel History Online

STEP 1: Go to this website .

STEP 2: Choose View Travel History option.

STEP 3: Enter the information required and click Next .

STEP 4: You may now view the results for your US travels for the last 5 years.

You can print your information.

You can also get your I-94 results to show your visitor status as well as the last day for your visit.

Please note:

• The information shown is only records of the last five years
• Land border arrivals or departures may not be reflected
• Closed-loop cruise arrival or departures may not be shown
• Change of status or extension of stay is not available
• If you are a US Citizen or Permanent Resident, you can’t get your travel history in this website

See? It’s very easy to retrieve your travel information in case you forgot when you arrived or departed in the US. Before, you need to request from Freedom of Information Act to see your travel records, now, just a few clicks, and you’ll get it! I hope you’ll know how to Get your US Travel History Online after reading this!​

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Written by Kach Umandap

Founder of Two Monkeys Travel Group. Since 2013, Kach has visited all the 7 continents (including Antarctica) and 151 countries using her Philippines Passport. In 2016, she bought a sailboat and went on sailing adventures with her two cats - Captain Ahab & Little Zissou in the Caribbean for 2 years. She now lives in Herceg Novi, Montenegro where she's enjoying her expat life and living on a gorgeous Stonehouse. She writes about her experiences traveling as a Filipina traveler with a PHL Passport. Also tips on backpacking trips, luxury hotel experiences, product reviews, sailing & adventure travel.

Unveiling the Perks of Flight Deal Aggregators: Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Travel Budget?

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• Immigration

How Can I Easily Go Back and Find All Of My Travel Records?

by -->Foster -->, on News

Do you need to figure out how many days you spent in the United States in a given year? It is easier than you think. In early 2013, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency started a program to automate the collection of data for non-immigrants who enter the U.S. The data was historically collected in a paper form, the I-94, and the program to automate the data collection was meant to save money and time as well as provide a more accurate record of the non-American residents who enter and leave the U.S. legally.

For many non-Americans, their relationship with the U.S. may change in a variety of ways whereby they need to produce a record of the exact number of days when they were in the U.S. over a given number of years. Some non-Americans find themselves wanting or needing to file a 1040NR (non-resident) tax return; in many cases to claim a treaty position or to get a refund. In other cases, a visitor to the U.S. may now be applying for a Green Card or a visa that will allow them to live in the U.S. for a period of time due to employment, education or for other purposes.

Many applications to the U.S. government for visas as well as the filing of a 1040NR tax return require the applicant to state precisely when they were in the U.S. In other cases, a taxpayer may need to file an 8840 form, for example, to show a closer connection to another country even if they spent a considerable amount of time in the U.S. If this information is not presented accurately it could cause delays or rejections in visa applications or challenges to a position taken on a tax return.

Now, perhaps you are working with a tax preparer, immigration attorney or other professional who has asked you for these records (because they are completing the paperwork for you) and you think, “How can I easily go back and find all of my travel records?” Perhaps you will be advised to look at the stamps on your passport, or check your frequent-flyer account online, or look at your calendar to try to determine the precise number of days. Well, there is an easier way.

If you need this information, you need to have the following: your first and last name, your full date of birth, your passport number, and the country of issuance of your passport. Next, go to this link at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website and in just a couple of minutes you will be looking at the complete record of your travel history to the U.S. For more information on the I-94 form you can go to the CBP instructions page .

The CBP database provides you with your most recent I-94 admission record including the port of entry, and this can be used as evidence of lawful admission into the U.S. The website will also provide a five-year travel history containing the arrival and departure date for a given passport number. It’s possible in some cases that your travel records don’t appear in the CBP system, but you can check out the CBP FAQs for more info.

For all kinds of additional useful information about traveling to the U.S., whether you are a U.S. citizen or an international visitor, you can visit cbp.gov/travel .

So, the next time you need to produce records of your travel into and out of the U.S., the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has done most of the work for you. Though remember, they only keep up to five years of history available online.

http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2016/05/12/how-can-i-easily-go-back-and-find-all-of-my-travel-records/

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How do I find travel records for the N-400 application?

Home » How do I find travel records for the N-400 application?

April 20, 2021

Applicants preparing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization , must list each trip outside the United States (in excess of 24 hours). Part 9 of the N-400 application includes a table to list these individual trips.

Generally, you can find your travel history information inside your official passport. Simply review the passport page for date stamps from the various trips. But, in some cases, you may not have your passport or are missing known records.

Personal Travel Records

You may be able to use your personal records to reconstruct travel history. In the absence of “official records” it’s still your duty to estimate the dates of your travel to the best of your ability. Check with relatives you may have visited, review credit card statements, or try to recover old travel records from airline or transportation company frequently flyer statements.

Mistakes on your N-400 application can cause costly delays or a denial.

Foia request for travel records.

If you are unable to locate your travel history records through the methods listed above, you can submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Generally, personal FOIA requests are free (if less than 100 pages of photocopies). Be sure to limit your request to the previous five years. You only need five years of history for the purposes of the N-400 application. A more extensive search will take longer and may even result in a photocopy fee (up to $25). A FOIA request will generally take several weeks.

In some instances, you may have traveled across a U.S. border without any records. This can happen at some land border crossings where you were “waved” across by CBP officer. The CBP office did not provide any stamps or documentation. It’s still your responsibility to record these trips on Form N-400 to the best of your ability.

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Missing I-94 Arrival Record - How Do I Prove Lawful Entry to the United States?

Every year thousands of people apply for a green card based on their family relationship with a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. If you want to apply from inside the United States, you must prove that you entered the country lawfully. To prove that, you normally submit a copy of your I-94 Arrivals and Departure record with your Green Card application. The I-94 officially documents all the dates when you left and came into the United States through ports of entry. But what happens if you can't find your I-94 record? This article explains how to get a copy of your missing I-94 record and discusses other ways you may be able to prove lawful entry into the United States.

Written by Jonathan Petts .  Written May 25, 2022

How do I prove legal entry into the U.S.?

When you apply for a marriage green card , child green card , or parent green card inside the United States, also known as an "adjustment of status," you must provide some supporting documents. Along with your green card application, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asks you to submit proof that an immigration official inspected you when you entered the United States. If you cannot provide evidence that you entered lawfully and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has no record of your lawful entry, USCIS will assume that you entered the country unlawfully. 

In most cases, you will prove that you entered the U.S. lawfully by providing a copy of your I-94 travel record. The I-94 is a document issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer that inspects a foreign visitor when entering the United States through ports of entry. In addition to listing your date of entry, an I-94 record will also show your required departure date from the United States.

If you enter the United States by plane or by sea, you typically receive an electronic I-94 travel record from CBP. If you enter through a land border port of entry through Mexico, you can receive a paper I-94 record. On the other hand, if you entered the United States under ESTA or the Canadian Visa Waiver program, you would not receive an I-94 record. For more general information about the I-94 travel record, see the CBP's I-94 Fact Sheet .

What do I do if I can't find my "Form I-94"?

If you can't find your I-94 record (sometimes incorrectly called "Form I-94," an "I-94 card," or an "I-94 number"), then you're not alone. Maybe your travel documents were lost or stolen. Perhaps a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer spoke to you and then waived you through without inspecting your documents. Or maybe you came as a child on your parent's tourist visa and that document is now lost. Fortunately, there are other ways that you can prove that you entered the United States lawfully. Contact a local legal aid organization for help or read on to learn more. 

Request I-94 record from CBP

If you entered the United States after I-94 automation (April 30, 2013), you are in luck. If you received an I-94 record, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) likely entered it into their computer database. So on the CBP website , you can request a copy of your most recent I-94 , as well as your travel history from the past five years . This is a free, easy, and fast way of retrieving your I-94 record. 

Submit Form I-102 to USCIS

If you arrived in the United States before April 20, 2013, you probably received a paper I-94 record. You won't be able to find a copy of this record online on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's website. Instead, you will need to file a paper form with USCIS to request a replacement I-94. You must fill out Form I-102 (Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document) and mail it to USCIS. If USCIS has your I-94 record, you should receive a copy of it within about two and a half months. Unfortunately, filing Form I-102 is not without cost - it carries a $445 filing fee.

Submit a FOIA request

If you can't afford the expense of filing Form I-102 , you could also request a copy of your I-94 through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. In a FOIA request, you are asking the U.S. government for a copy of your immigration file. You can file a FOIA request by completing a paper form or by writing a letter to USCIS . 

But you will receive an answer faster if you apply online on the website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Once you submit your request online, DHS will forward it to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Hopefully, CBP will find your I-94 record and return a copy of it to you. FOIA requests are typically free. Be warned though — this process takes time. You may have to wait for up to 12 months before you receive documents from the government.

What else can I do if I can't replace my missing I-94 arrival record?

If you can't find your I-94 travel record in any of these ways, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will presume that you entered the country unlawfully. So if you still want to apply for a green card, you need to provide other documents with your application:

A notarized written statement that clearly explains why you don't have your I-94 record. This statement, called an "affidavit," should describe your lawful entry to this country in as much detail as possible, including:

When, where, and how you arrived in the United States

What travel documents you had, if any,

Whether you showed any travel documents to the U.S. immigration officer who inspected you, and

Any questions the immigration officer asked you

Other evidence proving that you arrived in the United States lawfully. For example, perhaps you can show a plane ticket or boarding pass with your name on it. Or perhaps you can show your parents' passport admission stamp from the date of your arrival with them as a child.

If you don't have other evidence of your lawful arrival, you need to provide at least two affidavits from people who have first-hand knowledge of your lawful entry to the United States. For example, if you know who picked you up from the airport, perhaps they could sign an affidavit swearing that you arrived lawfully by plane. Those affidavits should contain the same level of detail as your own affidavit discussed above. 

But USCIS believes that affidavits are less convincing than concrete evidence. So you should be cautious about applying if you don't have other evidence of your lawful arrival. If you do choose to apply, you should seek legal help from a local legal aid agency or an experienced immigration lawyer .

Proving that you entered the United States lawfully is critical if you want to apply for a green card while inside the country. In most cases, the I-94 travel record is the way to prove your legal entry. If you can't find your I-94 record, you may be able to search for it on CBP's website or obtain it by filing Form I-102 or a FOIA request. If none of those options work, you can also try proving lawful entry through affidavits and other evidence such as plane tickets. 

Continue reading and learning!

10 Years of Travel: Where It’s Been, and Where It's Going

A Retrospective of the Last Decade in the Air and on the Road

With a combined 400,000 miles traveled between our team of four editors in 2019, it’s safe to see we see a lot of things in the travelsphere. As we enter a new decade, our team used a mix of travel trends and research, anecdotal evidence, and our own coverage to take a look at how travel has changed in the past decade—including Instagram, low-cost carriers, and the sharing economy—and where it’s going into the 2020s and beyond. (Hint: We see a trip to Africa in your future and maybe a self-driving car or two.) —Laura Ratliff, Jamie Hergenrader, Elizabeth Preske, and Sherri Gardner

2010: Checklist Travel, 2020: Immersive Experiences

We all remember the days of writing down a bucket list for a vacation. A trip to Paris wasn’t complete without seeing “Mona Lisa” and the Arc de Triomphe. And have you really seen London if you didn’t take a picture of Big Ben?

Airbnb’s international expansion in 2011 started to shift the tide towards local, experiential travel slowly and with the launch of Airbnb Experiences in 2016, and subsequently, Airbnb Adventures in 2019, the emphasis on immersive experiences has only grown. Since the 2016 launch, there are now more than 40,000 Experiences across 1,000 destinations. Why reserve an entrance time to the Louvre and wait in line for just a brief glimpse of artistic masterpieces when you can explore artsy Montmartre with a Parisian?

2010: Convenience, 2020: Conscientiousness

Budget airlines have been around since far before 2010—Southwest will celebrate its 53rd birthday in 2020—but the 2010s saw their peak, with WowAir’s 2011 take-off and Norwegian launching transatlantic flights in 2013. Forcing industry-wide price competition even among the long-established carriers (welcome, basic economy!) meant more destinations, and more routes were available to travelers than ever before for jaw-droppingly low prices. One-way flights as low as $30 were no longer considered a steal, but the norm, ushering in the decade of convenient travel. After all, why bother spending a few hours on a train from Paris to London when it’s a one-hour flight?

Well, several years later, we have an answer to that question: the environment. In 2017, the flight shaming movement began (primarily in Sweden, called “flygskam”) to encourage travelers to stop flying due to its impact on climate change. Since then, Swedish air travel has declined rapidly . That movement has spread worldwide (remember when Greta Thunberg completed her entire European tour by train?), and “train bragging” has risen with it. Plus, with the sharp rise in air travel (meaning longer lines, more crowded airports, etc.), train travel is becoming seen as more convenient—no security lines, more space, and the bonus of scenic rides.

And the urge to consider the environment is also an undertaking in the hotel industry. Those tiny shampoo bottles you’d usually stash in your suitcase are being phased out. Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton have all pledged to eliminate them in the coming years for larger bottles that stay put in the rooms to reduce plastic waste. And while you’ve probably seen the cards in rooms allowing you to opt out of a towel or sheet change to save water, some hotels are offering stronger incentives to do so. Declining any form of housekeeping can now earn you points with hotel brands or a food and beverage voucher for your stay. Again, maybe these initiatives aren’t sacrificing convenience as much as they are reframing it—no housekeeping, no tidying up for the cleaning staff, and no interruptions all day long.

2010: The Rise of the Sharing Economy, 2020: The Fall of the Sharing Economy?

Hear us out on this one: While we’re not saying Airbnb and Uber are going anywhere, a recent spate of bad press for both companies— Airbnb’s massive fraud ring , and Uber’s long-standing labor and safety issues —have led savvy travelers to look toward alternatives.

Low-touch apartment-hotels (think an Airbnb in a building with a check-in desk and some other hotel-like amenities) have been popping up throughout the country. Bode , one such start-up, opened in Nashville and Chattanooga in 2019, with three additional locations planned for 2020. Domio , a competitor, launched its first upscale apartment-hotel in New Orleans earlier this year.

And there’s a good chance that, in a few years, your Uber driver won’t even exist–Google’s Waymo self-driving car incubator expects to add 20,000 vehicles to its fleet in the next few years, enough for more than 500,000 trips each day.

2010: Instagram Influencers, 2020: Instagram Community

Yes, Instagram has been around for (almost) an entire decade now. (Feel old? We do.) And while it began as a place to follow your friends, fam, and maybe a few strangers to engage through comments and likes, it quickly transformed into a marketing tool.

Before we knew it, “influencer” became a real job title, causing our feeds to be filled with promotions of products and places and experiences. Throughout its existence, however, influencers have become a hot topic for several reasons: transparency (or lack thereof) of sponsored content, heavily edited photos to make places look more appealing or whimsical, and the unintentional (but still subliminal) encouragement of “doing it for the ‘gram” that lands many travelers in physical or legal harm just to capture the Insta-perfect shot.

Of course, many influencers have contributed positively to the platform, but many users still crave a more tailored use of the app to cut through the noise. As a result, virtual communities were born, and users were able to follow accounts or hashtags (the latter made possible in 2017) to connect with similar and like-minded travelers. A few examples: @wearetravelgirls (women travelers), @travelnoire (Black millennial travelers), #solotravel (a self-explanatory hashtag with more than 5 million posts), @gaytravelinsta (LGBT travelers), and more. There’s no doubt that Instagram has changed the way we travel, but instead of solely being an outlet for wanderlust, it’s now also an accessible way to connect with travelers worldwide.

2010: Cost-Effective Trips, 2020: Time-Efficient Trips 

In 2010, the economy was still coming out of the previous years’ recession, which also meant people were cutting back on leisure expenses, including travel. The “staycation” became popular as people compromised their desire to travel with the need to save money, and instead, put those dollars toward restaurants and attractions in their hometowns to maintain that feeling of discovery and exploration.

Now, as the economy improves, most of us are scant on another valuable resource: time. The challenge of work-life balance, the ability to work remotely from anywhere, and the lifestyle of constant hustle have led travelers to find ways to be more efficient with their trip planning, seeking alternatives to traditional week-long getaways.

One example: "bleisure" trips (business trips extended for leisure purposes) are on the rise—SAP Concur travel and expense data showed that bleisure trips increased by 20 percent from 2016 to 2017, and another study showed that while millennials lead the trend , bleisure is appealing to all generations in the workforce. Long weekend getaways are becoming more popular for the same reasons; you can travel more frequently to spread out and savor your precious time off. In a 2015 survey , close to half of the respondents were more likely to take multiple weekend trips in the year instead of one long vacation, as compared to data from 2010.

With a shorter trip time, though, people are also trying to pack as much into a getaway as possible, leading to new meaning of an “all-inclusive trip.” Some travelers have turned to “country coupling”—visiting more than one country on a trip—and choosing destinations for their diversity of attractions (where can you go that has city life, outdoor adventure, and beaches), and combining destinations to well-known places with nearby off-the-radar places for a mix of bucket list and discovery.

2010: Planning More, 2020: Planning Less

It’s a fact that vacationers are often happier planning a trip than actually taking it, but that blissful planning stage might be fleeting as more travelers look to spur-of-the-moment deals and apps that offer deep discounts for procrastinators. More than 60 percent of travelers have said they would be willing to book an impulse trip if they can get a good deal.

Scott’s Cheap Flights, a popular newsletter that alerts potential travelers to screaming deals on airfare, grew to more than 1.6 million subscribers since its launch in 2013, while apps like HotelTonight make it simple to reserve a deeply-discounted hotel room the day you arrive. Finding things to do and place to eat is as simple as opening Google Maps and seeing what's in the area—the company says searches including "near me" grew 150 percent in 2018 and that trend is set to continue.

No-planning trips are even an option now. Services like Pack Up + Go and Whisked Away take care of everything—down to the destination. All you have to do is give your available dates and your budget. In 2020 and beyond, expect to see more and more spontaneous trips for birthdays, long weekends , or just because.

2010: Zone-Out Travel, 2020: Transformational Travel

When the film adaptation of “Eat Pray Love” came out in 2010, it changed the way we travel. At the time, travel was all about sitting on a beach—just daiquiri in-hand, no introspection necessary. But now, thanks to the film and other factors, we’re all looking for personal fulfillment as we travel.

Women especially are traveling solo more than ever . In the last four years alone, Hostelworld reported an increase in the number of female solo travelers by 88 percent. As we move into the 2020s, we predict we’ll see even more solo travelers looking for that transformational experience.

As for Bali, the romantic centerpiece of “Eat Pray Love,” the Badung Regency Tourism Office revealed that Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport saw a 10.1 percent increase in tourists year-over-year—a number that’s only risen since the film’s release a decade ago. Thanks, Julia Roberts.

2010: The Rise of Asia, 2020: Africa and the Middle East Have a Moment

Asia was the lion—literally—of the 2010s' tourism boom. Japan expects 40 million tourists in 2020 (six times the number it saw in 2003), while Bangkok boasts about being a consistent contender for the world’s most visited city . But will unrest in Hong Kong and pollution and environmental concerns quell the region’s growth in 2020 and beyond, making way for a new part of the world to steal the spotlight?

The Middle East and Africa showed strong performances in the latter half of the 2010s, with Dubai leading the charge. The shining Emirate, along with Abu Dhabi, sees more foreign arrivals than any other city in the region, but new opportunities for leisure travelers to visit Saudi Arabia make it one to watch too. (Saudi Arabia and the UAE also plan to introduce a joint visa for both countries.)

Africa is poised for a 2020 tourism boom too: continued post-Arab Spring recovery has seen travelers flowing back into Egypt, while new flights—like Kenya Airways’ historic non-stop between Nairobi and New York in 2018, and RwandAir’s upcoming flight from New York to Kigali, Rwanda—have made the continent easier to reach than ever. Twenty African nations now offer visa-free travel or visas on arrival for Americans, while South Africa just launched an e-Visa pilot for travelers who need them. If you’ve been considering a Kenyan safari or a Nile River cruise, there’s no better time than now.

2010: Overtourism, 2020: Sustainability

As travel has become more affordable, more accessible, and easier to plan than ever, it’s also becoming one of the largest-growing industries in the world . According to the World Tourism Organization, 2018 saw 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals , a record high that occurred two years ahead of schedule according to the organization’s 2010 predictions. Not surprisingly, the onslaught of travelers has been painful for many destinations to handle over the past decade, leading to an era of overtourism.

Iceland is a well-known example. In 2010, just under 500,000 people visited the country; in 2017, more than 2 million did. Some destinations have taken action to combat the suffocation—Venice has started charging day trip visitors a fee, the Louvre now operates on a reservations-only system to limit crowds flocking to get a pic of the Mona Lisa, and the Philippines temporarily closed the island of Boracay to tourism following damage to its landscape from the throngs of visitors. 

Destinations haven’t been the only ones taking steps to reduce the impact of overtourism; travelers are now considering that as a factor in their trip planning. Data from Booking.com showed that 51 percent of travelers would go to a lesser-known destination similar to their original intention if it would help reduce the effects of overtourism, a concept known as “second city” traveling. Plus, the idea of going somewhere “off the beaten path” is appealing to a lot of people—crowds and lines at attractions are considerably more tolerable (or non-existent), prices on flights and accommodations are typically lower, and you get to discover things you haven’t already seen all over social media. 

2010: Fido Stays Home, 2020: Fido Eats a Filet

Call it the scourge of the fake emotional support animal, but we think dogs on planes, trains, and automobiles are here to stay in 2020 and beyond.

With Americans spending more than $72 billion on their pets in 2018 , hotels are wisening up to the traveler who can’t stand to leave their furry friends at home when they hit the road. A 2016 survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that around 75 percent of hotels allow pets—up from just 50 percent in 2006—with many going above and beyond to cater not only to travelers but to their German Shepherds, too.

At the Dream Hollywood in Los Angeles, pups are treated to Sprinkles pupcakes and mini-bath robes, while Nashville’s Bobby Hotel designed an on-brand hot chicken chew toy. Meanwhile, some hotels have opted to add their own canines to the crew, like Kitty, the resident Bernese Mountain Dog at St. Regis Aspen , or Max, a rambunctious yellow Labrador who rules the roost at Turks and Caicos’ COMO Parrot Cay.

2010: To Grandma’s House We Go, 2020: Grandma Hits the Road

Traveling to your grandparents’ house? That’s so 2010. Now, instead of going to grandma’s house, grandma’s taking the grandkids—and leaving the parents at home. According to an AARP survey , 61 percent of grandparents are interested in taking a skip-gen trip with their grandchildren, and more than 30 percent have done just that. Boomers are generally still healthy and plenty active, and as they enter retirement, they have more time than ever.

Travel Leaders Group found that, in 2017, 91 percent of its agents had booked a multigenerational trip and these families aren't just going to Disney World. A report by Virtuoso, a collection of travel advisors, found that Generation Z—persons born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s—are influencing their family's travel decisions, leading families from stayed beach vacations toward safaris, adventure-focused cruises, and other excursions instead. In fact, the high seas remain a popular choice, thanks to the wide assortment of activities, dining, and excursions available on cruise lines. A report conducted by the Cruise Lines International Association last year says the industry saw a 45 percent increase in multi-generational adventure travel requests.

2010: The Rise of Culinary Travel, 2020: Food Travel Becomes an (Exclusive) Sport

The 2010s were arguably the decade where eating—and documenting it—became part and parcel for a trip. Now, it’s a competitive sport.

Social media’s rise has spurred travelers to plan every meal before putting fork to plate—or even taking off. A new generation waits in bated breath not only for Michelin guides to be released but also for reviews from sites like The Infatuation, who bought old-guard print guidebook Zagat in 2018. Meanwhile, restaurant reservations are made—and even paid for—in advance, not unlike concert tickets, thanks to services like Tock.

Of course, even if you can get your seat at Noma, you still might want to a truly one-of-a-kind experience like Marriott Bonvoy’s November Moment Masterclass, which involved a private villa stay in the Cayman Islands with renowned chef David Bouley. Or look to Mastercard’s Priceless pop-up: the card issuer has recreated notable restaurants from around the world, like Tokyo sushi cynosure Terazushi and London boîte Lyaness, in an empty SoHo warehouse. (You need a Mastercard to get in, natch.)

2010: Travel Is a Luxury, 2020: Everyone Is a VIP

When the recession hit in 2008, the cost of plane tickets soared, influenced by sky-high fuel prices and other factors. Basic Economy fares and low-cost carriers made travel accessible again. Still, unless you were keen on dropping $4,000 on a business-class ticket, you were likely crammed in the back of the bus, noshing on a $17 airport sandwich.

Now, some carriers and services have aimed to restore a bit of dignity to the everyman’s travel experience, with Delta introducing a revamped transatlantic meal service in late 2019, that includes a welcome cocktail and hot towel service, and services like TSA PreCheck and CLEAR whisking you through security in a flash. Let’s also not forget the LAX’s Private Suite offering—a service that lets well-heeled travelers hang out in a comfortable suite before being driven, via private chauffeur, directly to their aircraft on the tarmac.

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Access to Information and Privacy Travel History Report

In this section.

A Travel History Report is a record of a traveller's entries, exits or both into Canada. This information is collected by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ).

Retention period for a Travel History Report is 15 years.

The CBSA began collecting traveller exit information on foreign nationals (excluding American citizens) entering the United States from Canada on June 30, 2013 . As of July 11, 2019 , the CBSA collects exit information on all travellers (including Canadian and American citizens) in the land mode and in the commercial air mode as of June 25, 2020 . Exit data may also be requested through the Travel History Report.

Highway Passage Reports may also be requested; however, they indicate only that a specific licence plate has been recorded, and do not show the people travelling in the vehicle.

Information collected for Travel History Reports

The records for both Entries and Exits include:

• date of birth
• citizenship
• date of entry
• location of the port of entry, and
• any document numbers associated with that travel, such as a passport number

When not to ask for a Travel History Report

When you request your Travel History Report directly from the CBSA it can take up to 30 days to complete. There are many reasons you may require your report, but sometimes requesting it directly is not the best option. When your travel history is needed as part of an application, such as the application for Canadian citizenship, check the form for the option to release your report. Using this option means that you will not have to request it yourself. When this option is available, requesting the report directly from the CBSA will cause a significant delay to your application process. Listed below are the three applications that do not require you to request your report directly from the CBSA .

Applying for Canadian Citizenship: Adults and Minors

If you are applying for Canadian Citizenship, you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can collect the report on your behalf when needed since consent to share information about the entry/exit information is no longer required.

Applying for Canadian Citizenship: Unaccompanied Minor

If you are applying for Canadian Citizenship you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA . Checking "Yes" on page 6, Question 9 (b) of your application form permits Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ) to collect the report on your behalf.

Applying for a Permanent Resident card

If you are renewing or applying for a Permanent Resident Card you do not need to request your Traveller History Report from the CBSA . Checking "Yes" on page 3, (Section 7) Consent to Disclose Information allows IRCC to collect the report on your behalf.

Getting your Travel History report

If you have checked the When not to request your Travel History Report section and still need to request a copy, you can apply online by following the instructions on the Access to Information and Privacy online request page. Note that it may take up to 30 days to process your request.

If you are applying for yourself, you can do so under the Privacy Act, which is a free service provided by the Government of Canada.

If you are applying for someone else, you must provide form BSF745 - Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Representative completed by the party you are representing.

To get a highway passage report, provide the licence plate number and a copy of the vehicle's ownership. If you are not the owner, you will need to provide the CBSA with a BSF745 form completed by the owner of the vehicle.

When requesting your Travel History Report, you must indicate whether you are seeking your exit information, your entry information, or both. Exit information is limited and will only be included when specifically requested.

What information should I give for travel and residence details?

• / Partner Visa Info
• / By Emma Drynan MARN0960361
• / 10 COMMENTS

Do I really need to give all my travel details?

Good question! This relates to providing Immigration with the details of your travel and address history. This includes a record of your short-term travels as well of your place of residence where you have lived for an extended period.

In most cases, Immigration forms ask for your travel history over the last 10 years and our clients often ask, “Do I really have to provide ALL the details?” and the short answer to this is YES! When the department asks for specific information, you have to provide it.

How am I supposed to find all that info from 10 years ago?

I feel for you and understand it may take a major effort to collect the details of your travel and address history. One of the ways to do this would be to check entry and exit stamps in your passport. However, this method alone is no longer reliable as many airports and customs agents aren’t stamping our passports anymore.

You could also check your travel itineraries, or reach out to friends and family who you may have lived or travelled with at the time. Still, your complete travel record is really important to have for your visa application process and it’s essential the information you give is as ACCURATE as possible.

What if I really can’t find or remember the information?

If there are periods where you really can’t remember the details, you need to give as much information as you CAN. You’ll see that some of the forms ask for the month and the year as opposed to the day , the month, and the year.

If for some reason, you can’t remember exact dates, Immigration does allow for example, ’01/01/2000′ to be the ‘dummy date’. But, when I put an application together, if I was to use a dummy date for a client, I will include an APPENDIX to clearly explain this.

Because remember, what’s IMPORTANT to Immigration is that they’re able to have an ACCURATE indication of your travel history and your address history over the past 10 years. So, if for some reason you are unable to provide this having exhausted all options to find it and have to use dummy dates, then it’s important to you provide an appendix to explain why you can’t recall or access the detailed information.

And so to recap, if your travel or address history is complicated or you can’t find the details, I would definitely recommend booking in for one of our Visa Planning Sessions . Together, we can assess whether this might cause a problem in your Visa application process.

Thanks for reading our blog! As always, feel free to leave a comment below for any questions or concerns and we’ll be more than happy to answer them.

IMPORTANT : Please note, this does not constitute Immigration advice. Always seek advice from a Registered Migration Agent before applying for an Australian Visa. Migration Law is constantly changing. This information is accurate only at the time of publication.

How about countries in transit? Thank you.

May we ask which country is the applicant from?

Hello! I have a question about address history..I’m from the Philippines and for the last 8 years I’ve been here working here in Qatar with a month vacation in my country of origin. So what I’m gonna put on the the address history? Thanks

Hi, what type of visa are you applying for?

Hi Emma! I am preparing travel history for a visa application for Australia, I am from the Netherlands. Only trips outside of Europe are on my passport with stamps, should I include trips to other countries in Europe or passing through countries as well? Or would only the ones that are in the passport suffice? Thanks a lot! Kind regards, Lieke

Hi Lieke, it seems like you are putting together your visa application. Are you applying for a Partner Visa? If so, we highly suggest you check out The Partner Visa Academy at https://thepartnervisaacademy.com.au/

It contains different how to’s on putting together your application. We also have a section on forms and how you can efficiently complete each one.

Im currently filling out Form 80 for my Partnership Visa Application. I am Canadian, but have spent the last 8 years backpacking, so sometimes I stay in a single location for 1 month, while maintaining a residential address in Canada. Do I add my address for the one month abroad, or do I skip over that and just put my longer-term address?

Hi Bella, you have asked excellent questions and that can be answered at The Partner Visa Academy.

It’s an online course program designed to help couples like yourselves complete their Partner Visa Application. Visit https://thepartnervisaacademy.com.au/ and discover more ways to increase your chances of partner visa success!

I am applying for a 887 and I have been lived in Australia for nearly 8 years. I use to travel to my country of citizen and spend 3 or 2 weeks there and return. So do I need to include that on my travel history as well? Thanks in advance

Hi there, our company specialises in Partner Visa Applications. We don’t normally handle other visa applications, however, please call our office so we can send referrals your way to help you with your case. Here’s our number: 07 3063 1200

About the Author Emma Drynan MARN0960361

Emma is the founder and principal migration agent at Freedom Migration. She is extremely passionate about uniting partners and families with their loved ones overseas. It might be because she's a product of a partner visa family.

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Visa Traveler

Exploring the world one country at a time

Is travel history important for UK visa

Updated: March 1, 2024

UK visa application asks for your travel history for the last 10 years. You must also submit your original passport that has the visas and stamps from your previous travels. You may be wondering why is travel history important for UK visa. Many are in the same boat and do not understand the importance of travel history.

In this article, you will learn everything about travel history for UK visa.

Is travel history important for UK visa?

Yes. Travel history is an important factor in the UK visa decision. Travel history shows that the applicant is a genuine visitor and has complied with the immigration laws of the countries previously visited. Previous travel to the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Schengen countries is extremely important.

Let’s look at travel history in more depth. Let’s understand why travel history is important and what exactly ECOs are looking for in your travel history.

TRAVEL HISTORY FOR UK VISA

Travel history is one of the most important factors in UK visa decisions. Entry Clearance Officers (ECOs) look at your previous travels to the UK and other VISA-STRICT countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Schengen countries.

To consider you as a genuine visitor, ECOs have to make sure that you have complied with the immigration laws of the UK and all other countries that you have visited so far. They pay attention to the length of your stay and the frequency of your travels to the UK and other countries.

Travel history is not merely traveling to different countries. Travel history is about how well you have complied with the visa and immigration rules of these countries. 

UK Visas and Immigration specifically asks for details of your travel history for the past 10 years. ECOs check for travel history in your passport and the countries you have listed in your UK visa application . They also pay attention to any previous visa refusals you have listed in your application. 

If need be, UKVI can verify your previous visa refusals, visa overstays, deportations and entry refusals for all the countries you have been to. These days, many countries have data sharing agreements and UKVI can look you up in those databases. Hiding any such information can lead to UK visa refusal and a permanent ban. 

Keep in mind that travel history is only one factor among many used for UK visa decisions. If you do not have a travel history, you can still satisfy the ECO with strong personal, social and economic ties with your country. 

Similarly, if you fail to prove strong social and economic ties with your country, having great travel history will not be of much help either.

Why is travel history important for UK visa?

The UK is a developed country. It’s politically stable and economically developed. The UK has one of the best education and healthcare systems in the world. It’s a lucrative place for many looking for a better life, especially those coming from developing countries. 

Many legally immigrate to the UK every year. At the same reason, illegal immigration and human trafficking are also on the rise. Many entering as tourists remain in the country illegally, work without proper authorization or seek asylum. They become a financial burden on the country. The government has to identify, shelter and deport those overstayers at the expense of their tax-paying citizens and residents. 

ECOs are responsible for screening visa applicants and making sure that they are genuine visitors. They have to make sure that you have the intention and ability to leave the UK at the end of your visit. They have to make sure that you have no intention of overstaying, work illegally or seek asylum.

In order to assess whether you are a genuine visitor, ECOs have to look at your previous travels to the UK and other countries. They focus on where you have traveled, how often you have traveled and how long you stayed in each place. 

Your travel history indicates a pattern of travel and you are most likely to follow this pattern in the future. This pattern tells a lot about you whether you are a genuine visitor or you have intentions of working, studying, finding a partner, overstaying, etc. 

If you have been to the UK before, ECOs pay attention to your previous visits to the UK. They assess whether your previous visits to the UK were significantly longer than you have mentioned in your visa applications. That’s an indicator that you may stay longer again or end up overstaying your visa. 

Can you get UK visa without travel history?

Yes. Travel history is only one of the many factors that ECOs consider in visa decisions. There are many other factors that are equally important. Most important is your personal, social and economic ties with your country. Your financial solvency matters too. Current security, political and economic situation in your country matters too. 

If your country is in a conflict zone, politically unstable or has social unrest, you may be subject to scrutiny. If many applicants from your country haven’t complied with the UK immigration laws, you are subject to scrutiny too. 

You have no control over such situations. But you can very well control your own personal, social and economic ties with your country. Proving strong ties with your country can compensate for the lack of travel history. 

What are some examples of travel history for UK visa?

For the purpose of understanding travel history, I have come up with two examples. These are, of course, fictional scenarios just to illustrate travel history. But these examples should give you a fairly clear idea on what is considered as travel history. 

Meet David. He lives in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a Nigerian passport. He is single and loves to travel. 

He gets 30 days of vacation per year at his job. He takes one local trip and one international trip every year. He takes a yearly international trip for 15 days.

Each year, he travels to a new country. He has been taking these international trips every year since 2010. One year he had to travel to the same country due to a friend’s wedding. In total, he has been to 9 countries so far. 

He always spent pretty much the same amount of days on each trip. Most of his trips were during the same time of the year. And, he never overstayed his visas. 

ECOs may look at many things in his travel history. But we can clearly see that he loves to travel and he has been a genuine visitor so far. 

Meet Sara. She lives in Cairo, Egypt. She holds an Egyptian passport. She is married and does not like to travel that much.

She gets 20 days of vacation per year at her job. She mostly spends that time with family and kids. But occasionally she takes a family vacation to Europe. 

She and her family went on vacations to Italy, Switzerland and France before. She also visited Dubai on a business trip.

Her cousin in London is getting married and she was invited. She decides to travel by herself since the kids are in school.

She always traveled with family. Spent more or less the same amount of days on each trip. She has quite a few Schengen visas in her passport. She never overstayed any of her visas.

That’s a perfect pattern. Her travel history is quite less but she has been a genuine visitor. 

We can talk about many scenarios like these. Travel history varies for each of you since everyone’s situation is different. What matters ultimately is how genuine are you as a visitor. Your travel history does not lie. So even if you pretend to be genuine visitors, ECOs can pick up indications from your travel history. 

How to build travel history for UK visa?

You can build a significant travel history within 1-2 years. The best countries to build travel history with are the VISA-FREE, VOA and eVISA countries for your passport. This is the most realistic way of building travel history quickly. It gives you a foundation and boosts your confidence to travel more.

Keep your visits short and never overstay in these countries. Research visa rules and know the number of days you can stay in each of these countries. You can travel to multiple countries in one trip and build your travel history quickly.

After that, aim for VISA-EASY countries. Once you gain a few visa stickers in your passport, aim for a Schengen visa. After traveling to a few Schengen countries, aim for VISA-STRICT countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, etc.

Below is a detailed plan to build your travel history for UK visa. I’m using Nigeria and Egypt passports in these examples but the same steps can be applied to any “weak” passport that lacks travel history. 

EXAMPLE 1: Nigeria passport

• Total countries traveled: 17 countries
• Total visas: 9 stickers
• Total time: 2 years

EXAMPLE 2: Egypt passport

• Total visas: 8 visa stickers

Travel history is important for UK visa. It’s one of the important factors in UK visa decisions. Travel history shows that you are a genuine visitor and have complied with the immigration laws of the countries you have visited. Previous travel to the UK and other VISA-STRICT countries such as US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Schengen countries is essential.

Travel history is only one factor among many others used for UK visa decisions. You must still prove that you have strong personal, social and economic ties with your country. 

There you have it. Everything you need to know about travel history for UK visa. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. I will answer them as soon as I can.

WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI

Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.

PLAN YOUR TRAVEL WITH VISA TRAVELER

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02. Book your fight

Find the cheapest flight tickets using Skyscanner . Skyscanner includes all budget airlines and you are guaranteed to find the cheapest flight to your destination.

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Book your hotel from Booking.com . Booking.com has pretty much every hotel, hostel and guesthouse from every destination.

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If traveling on a one-way ticket, use BestOnwardTicket to get proof of onward ticket for just $12, valid for 48 hours.

05. Purchase your insurance

Purchase travel medical insurance for your trip from SafetyWing . Insurance from SafetyWing covers COVID-19 and also comes with a visa letter which you can use for your visas.

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U.S. Airports Keep Setting New Daily Passenger Records. Here’s Why.

More people are set to fly in the U.S. this Friday than ever before. That was also true on Sunday. And in late May.

Over three million should make their way through airport security Friday to kick off a stretch of record-breaking travel around the July 4 holiday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Seven of the 10 busiest air-travel days in the history of the TSA happened between May 24 and June 27. Fliers reset the record again last Sunday, when just under three million passed through U.S. airports. The numbers are still climbing. More than 32 million people are projected to fly between Thursday and July 8, a 5.4% rise over last year’s Independence Day holiday travel volumes, according to the TSA.

Air travel typically peaks around now, but this year’s levels are unprecedented. Here’s why:

Cheaper airfares

Travelers are snatching up better deals to fly this time of year.

Airfares have dropped 5.9% since May 2023, according to the latest consumer-price index.

Between the pandemic and inflation, airfare has been on a roller coaster. It fell in 2020 when nobody was flying, then edged back up as travel began normalizing again. Inflation drove further price increases—partially accounting for the 37.8% jump in airfares between May 2021 and May 2022.

So even though airfares remain relatively high, they are looking more palatable than they did two years ago or even last year.

Dreaming big

Americans are hungry for travel this summer, hopping on cruises, hitting beaches and sightseeing in Europe, travel analysts say. A stronger dollar is also driving them to some of the world’s top tourist destinations, including Japan.

More than 60% of Americans plan to venture 100 or more miles away from their homes this summer, an April survey from Allianz Partners found, and they plan to stay away for at least a week. That’s up slightly from last year—and up from about 40% in 2019.

Orlando, Fla., Honolulu, Miami and Anchorage, Alaska, are among the top domestic-travel locations for the Independence Day week, according to AAA. Travelers heading abroad are drawn to sites including Rome, Athens and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Young and ready to spend

Younger adults are fueling the summer’s demand for travel.

Almost a fifth of Gen Z respondents to a recent Bank of America survey said they planned on taking more vacations this year, followed by millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers.

That group’s members, which the survey defined as adults born after 1995, also were most likely to say they would spend more on vacations this year than in prior years, travel for longer and plan an international trip.

Two weekends in one

The arrival of Independence Day on a Thursday is inspiring travelers to take flight early. Travelers can leave Friday and return to work the Monday after July 4. That gives them two weekends to enjoy their destinations, even if they spend part of that time working remotely.

“Who is going to leave Friday and come back on Wednesday?” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross says. “You are probably going to stay all the way through.”

Escape, weather permitting

With these crowds come complications. Passengers leaving this weekend should prepare for flight cancellations and delays as high temperatures hit parts of the South, Midwest and Northeast, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

The TSA says it’s prepared to screen the influx of people without increasing wait times at security. More congested airports do mean fliers should think about how much time they’ll need to get through the airport.

Sign up for the WSJ Travel newsletter for more tips and insights from the Journal’s travel team.

Write to Margot Amouyal at [email protected]

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Personal history of last 10 years

• Thread starter Sen_
• Start date Sep 22, 2022

Full Member

Hello! So I am filling in the PR application, and there are 2 questions that I have: 1. In "personal history" page (as well as traveling info page) you're required to provide info on last 10 years. So now that it's September, should I fill in starting from Sept 2012, or January 2012? 2. This year my husband left a job on March 31, and then went to new job on April 24. Should I mention in the application that he was unemployed for 24 days? It will look like "april 2022-april 2022: unemployed", and it looks a bit silly to be honest, that's why I thought I should ask. Also, I think I have missed a trip while filling in the application. Does that mean that I have to delete and start all over again or the chronological sequence is not important? TIA!  

Sen_ said: Hello! So I am filling in the PR application, and there are 2 questions that I have: 1. In "personal history" page (as well as traveling info page) you're required to provide info on last 10 years. So now that it's September, should I fill in starting from Sept 2012, or January 2012? 2. This year my husband left a job on March 31, and then went to new job on April 24. Should I mention in the application that he was unemployed for 24 days? It will look like "april 2022-april 2022: unemployed", and it looks a bit silly to be honest, that's why I thought I should ask. Also, I think I have missed a trip while filling in the application. Does that mean that I have to delete and start all over again or the chronological sequence is not important? TIA! Click to expand...

Taran D said: Yes you should start again, every small info is important or it can create problem in the future. Keep everything straight, if you are unemployed mention same, if working mention that. Click to expand...

Sen_ said: So basically you mean for those 24 days I should mention "unemployed"? I don't have anything to hide. I just want to know whether chronological order is important. Its difficult to delete and re-fill each time you notice you missed something. And what about 10 year question? Do you know anything for sure? Click to expand...

Hi I have a question in filling up personal history in my application of permanent residence. I was self studying at home for 10 months for a medical college admission test after my high school graduation. How to fill this up? Will I select unemployed or educational activity? If I select educational activity then many question comes. I am confused about the answer to level of education. If I choose level of education the following options comes- 1. None or less than secondary(high school) 2. Secondary diploma (high school graduation) 3.One-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school or other institute 4. Two-year program at a university, college, trade or technical school or other institute 5. Bachelor's degree or three or more year program at a university, college, trade or technical school or other institute 6.Master's degree or professional degree needed to practice in a licensed profession 7. Doctoral level university degree (PHD) What should I choose? Should I choose none or less than secondary (high school) as I was self studying at home and was not admitted in any college or school? or Should I choose high school graduation as it was after my graduation from school? please help me out.  

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485 Visa- Travel History

• Thread starter karishmak
• Start date Feb 25, 2022

• Feb 25, 2022

Travel history​

MysticRiver

Administrator.

• Feb 26, 2022

Yes, you should mention all. Take all questions literally.  

• Feb 27, 2022

MysticRiver said: Yes, you should mention all. Take all questions literally. Click to expand...

• Feb 28, 2022

If you are currently living in Australia (does not include short-term temporary visit), then you should put Australia as your usual country of residence. Yes, Immigration can contact you, it’s up to them. Regardless, you should answer correctly to the best of your knowledge.  

• Jul 27, 2023

If I am applying for 485 visa and I travelled to a country last year (which is not my home country) for about 10 days, should I mention that in my travel history?  

• Jul 31, 2023

Regarding your husband's travel history since turning 16, you only need to give details about his travels within the past 10 years. It is optional to state his travel history in Dubai before coming to Australia on a work visa. Remember to review instructions properly when submitting applications, as conditions change by type. Get advice from an immigration professional if doubtful.  

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TSA at Philadelphia International Airport is prepared for busiest summer travel season ever

PHILADELPHIA --The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is prepared for the highest passenger volumes the agency has seen at airport security checkpoints nationwide during this summer’s travel season, including at Philadelphia International Airport.

Since mid-May, TSA has seen multiple days break into the top 10 busiest days in the agency’s 22-year history. Typically, TSA had been screening approximately 2.5 million people per day nationwide, however since last month, the number of people screened has increased by several hundred thousand per day.

“Here at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) we also are seeing a jump in checkpoint volume,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Philadelphia International Airport. “Travel volume expected out of Philadelphia is expected to be high. We expect to screen 8.3 percent more individuals at our checkpoints this summer compared to last summer. Our teams have been in close coordination with airport, airline and travel partners, and we ready to handle this summer’s increased travel volumes as we approach the July 4th holiday,” he said.

On a typical day, TSA screens about 33,400 people at Philadelphia, but since Memorial Day Weekend, closer to 40,000 people are coming through the security checkpoints with the busiest times of the day from 4 to 9 a.m. and again from noon to 5 p.m.

“Now more than ever it is vital to give yourself plenty of time to park or return a rental car, check in with your airline to check bags and prepare for the security checkpoint. If you find yourself in a checkpoint line, travelers can save time by removing items from their pockets and placing them in a carry-on bag, instead of putting items directly into bins at the conveyor belt,” Spero said.

“The best advice that I can offer is to get to the airport well before your ticketed departure time,” Spero said. “We ask that the travelling public do their part in efficient checkpoint screening by arriving to the airport at least two hours prior to their scheduled flight departure and know what they can – and cannot pack – in their carry-on luggage,” he said.

TSA is continuing to modernize airport security checkpoints across the country with a focus on enhanced detection methods to best secure the aviation system. If individuals have not flown since last summer, they are likely to encounter a second generation of credential authentication technology (CAT) units at our travel document checking podium at Philadelphia and at other airports so they will want to listen for guidance from our TSA officers.

These units ensure the authenticity of a passenger’s ID and match the face of the passenger with the face on the ID by snapping a photo of the person who is presenting the ID. After the CAT unit validates the ID, the photo is deleted and travelers who prefer not to have their photo taken may opt out and the TSA officer will validate the traveler’s ID without the use of a photo.

It is important for travelers to come to the airport prepared to go through the security screening process. Passengers need to make sure that there are no prohibited items among their carry-on items. Prohibited items will result in a need for our officers to open and inspect a bag to determine what triggered the alarm. This process takes a few minutes and will slow down someone’s trip through the checkpoint.

When packing, it is recommended to start to pack with an empty bag, so that travelers are well aware of the contents of their bags. Prior to packing that empty bag, individuals can check TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” tool to know what is prohibited. Individuals who are heading to the beach, may wonder how to pack their sunscreen. Any liquids, sunscreen containers and alcohol over 3.4 ounces must be packed in a checked bag. Liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes are allowed in carry-on bags as long as each item is 3.4 ounces or less and placed in one quart-sized bag . Each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes.

It is important for individuals who own firearms to remember that they are prohibited to pass through security checkpoints, even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction. Passengers may travel with a firearm, but it must be secured in the passenger’s checked baggage; packed unloaded; locked in a hard-sided case; and declared to the airline when checking in at the airline ticket counter. If a passenger brings a firearm to the security checkpoint on their person or in their carry-on luggage, TSA will contact local law enforcement to safely unload and take possession of the firearm. Law enforcement may also arrest or cite the passenger, depending on local law. TSA may impose a civil penalty up to $15,000 when weapons are intercepted, and passengers will lose TSA PreCheck® eligibility.

TSA PreCheck® members should make sure that their known traveler number (KTN) is in their airline  reservation. It is essential that airline reservations have the passenger’s correct KTN, full name and date of birth so they can receive the program’s benefits. Those who fly with multiple airlines should ensure their KTN is updated in each of their airline profiles every time they travel. TSA PreCheck passengers are low-risk travelers who do not need to remove shoes, belts, 3-1-1 liquids, food, laptops and light jackets at the TSA checkpoint. TSA’s wait time standards for TSA PreCheck lanes are under 10 minutes and less than 30 minutes for standard lanes. Travelers may visit https://www.tsa.gov/precheck for more information about enrolling or renewing in TSA PreCheck and to find enrollment locations and pricing information for all TSA PreCheck enrollment providers.

“Our officers along with all frontline airport and airline employees and local law enforcement, are working together to ensure safe and secure travel. Consider offering them a kind word of thanks,” Spero said. 

TSA also reminds travelers that starting on May 7, 2025, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or driver’s license to fly within the U.S., make sure you have a REAL ID or another acceptable form of ID. If you are not sure if you have a REAL ID, check with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. For questions on acceptable IDs, visit TSA’s web site. “Put REAL ID on your summer to do list,” Johnson recommended.

Travelers can contact TSA with questions may contact TSA by sending a text directly to 275-872 (“AskTSA”) on any mobile device or over social media by sending a message to @AskTSA on X or Facebook Messenger. An automated virtual assistant is available 24/7 to answer commonly asked questions, and AskTSA staff are available 365 days a year from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET for more complicated questions. Travelers may also reach the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673. An automated service is available 24/7.

Passengers who need additional assistance through security screening may request a TSA Passenger Support Specialist (PSS). A PSS is a TSA officer who has received specialized training, including how to effectively assist and communicate with individuals with disabilities, medical conditions or those who need additional screening assistance. Individuals should request passenger assistance at least 72 hours in advance by contacting our TSA Cares passenger support line at (855) 787-2227. Live assistance is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, or weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

TSA encourages all passengers to remain vigilant. If You See Something. Say Something®.

FEMA wants travelers to know how to prepare and stay safe before, during, and after disasters and emergencies— especially while traveling. Hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and extreme heat are common during this time of the year depending on the destination. By understanding the unique hazards in places travelers may go, they can better prepare themselves and their loved ones.  There are several things travelers can do to help them and their families stay safe. They can download the FEMA App to receive preparedness tips and weather alerts for up to five different locations; know evacuation zones and evacuation routes so you know how to respond and stay safe during an evacuation order by checking with state and county emergency management offices to learn about local evacuation zones. And they can stay informed by monitoring trusted sources such as local emergency management agencies and the National Weather Service for updates on threat conditions, shelter locations and other important safety information.