When you make a digital archive of immigration records, scan both sides whenever the back contains printing, stamps, handwriting, barcodes, conditions, instructions, or other information. For important cards and identity documents, scanning both sides by default is a useful preservation habit.
Why the back can matter
The reverse side may contain information that is not obvious from the front. If you later send only the front to an attorney or use it to prepare another filing, the missing side can make the copy incomplete.
A practical scanning method
Name the files so the two sides stay together, for example I-94-front and I-94-back, or combine both sides into one clearly ordered PDF. Keep the scan in color when color helps preserve stamps, annotations, or security markings.
Do not crop so tightly that document edges, page numbers, or identifying marks disappear. Check the finished scan at normal zoom to make sure names, dates, receipt numbers, and small print are readable.
Keep the physical original
A scan is a working copy, not a reason to destroy the original. Store important original immigration and civil documents safely unless an agency specifically instructs you to submit an original.
When submitting a copy
Follow the current instructions for the specific form or agency. A complete personal archive can contain more than the pages an agency actually asks you to submit.
Useful official starting points
This is general recordkeeping information, not legal advice.