The Americans like to know who’s coming knocking at their doors, so they’ve got several identification cards on the go, for drivers and others, to speed up the process at the border. The I-94 card is issued to drivers who have gone through a criminal record search, and come up clean. Given the current state of affairs, if you have no criminal record or skeletons in your closet, it might be worth your while to apply for an I-94 card. You can inquire about the proceedure at any border crossing.

If you have a record, you can apply for a pardon here in Canada, and then for a waiver in the U.S. If you’re granted a waiver, you’ll be issued an I-194 card, not to be confused with a I-94 card. The I-194 identifies you as a driver with a past, but it also tells the folks at Immigration and Naturalization that you’ve taken all the necessary steps to gain legal entry to the U.S.
Jim Park