Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

What is the Alien Registration Number?

If you have ever taken a close look at some U.S. immigration forms (such as the Form I-765 or the Form I-140) you will see an entry asking for your Alien Registration Number (also called A-Number, Alien Number, USCIS Number, or A#). 

This Alien Registration Number is a unique alpha-numeric number that starts with the letter A and is followed by 7, 8, or 9 digits. 

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

Form I-765 showing an entry for the Alien Registration Number

The A-number is assigned by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to keep track of the immigration records of certain noncitizens in the United States. 

As an analogy, the A-Number or Alien Registration Number is to your U.S. immigration record what a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) is to your U.S. tax records.  

In other words, in the exact same way you use your SSN or ITIN to file your tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Treasury, you will need your A-Number when filing for immigration benefits to USCIS, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Like an SSN, an Alien Registration Number never expires, although the document where an Alien Registration Number is shown (such as an EAD card or a U.S. Green Card) might expire. 

The Alien Registration Number must not be confused with the USCIS online account number. 

Who Receives an A-Number

Interestingly, not all foreign nationals in the United States get Alien Registration Numbers.

The A-Number is generally assigned to noncitizens who have applied to permanently immigrate to the United States. This includes all classes of noncitizens who meet the eligibility requirement to obtain permanent residency in the United States such as through employment, immediate relatives, or refugee status. 

All other noncitizens present in the United States on a nonimmigrant basis do not receive an Alien Registration Number. 

The only exception when a noncitizen might receive an A-Number is if the person is a U.S. nonimmigrant on an F-1 student status who has obtained an employment benefit from USCIS in the form of Optional Practical Training (OPT). 

How to Find Your Alien Registration Number

If you have been assigned an Alien Registration Number, you will find this number on the following types of documents

  • It will be the USCIS# on the front side of the Employment Authorization Document (EAD Card)
  • It will be the USCIS# on the front side of the Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
  • It will be the same as the Registration Number on an Immigrant Visa
  • It will be in the applicant section located at the top of Form I-797 Approval Notice for an F-1 student approved for OPT or STEM-OPT. 
  • It will be in the USCIS Alien Number field located at the top of the Form I-797 Receipt Notice for someone who has applied for permanent residency 

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

Green card showing 9 digit USCIS# or Alien Number

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

Immigrant visa showing an 8 digit A-Number as the Registration Number

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

EAD Card showing 9 digit USCIS# or A-Number

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

Form I-797 Receipt Notice showing the field for the USCIS Alien Number


Entering the A-Number on USCIS Immigration Forms

Most USCIS immigration forms contain an entry for a 9 digit A-Number, in the form of A-XXXXXXXXX.

If your A-Number is 7 or 8 digits long, you should add extra zeros before the digits to complete the 9 digit requirement on the immigration form. For example if your A-Number is A-1234567, this would be entered as A-001234567 on the USCIS immigration form.

When Do You Need an A-Number

If you have been assigned an A-Number, you would need to provide this number, wherever it is requested, when you are completing any U.S. immigration forms in the future.

Some examples of USCIS immigration forms that have an entry for the A-Number are the Form I-765, Form I-485, Form I-140, and Form I-131.

On the contrary, if you are not eligible to obtain an A-Number (all nonimmigrants except F-1 students approved for OPT) you do not need to worry about leaving the A-Number entry blank on a USCIS immigration form. Simply because you were never assigned an Alien Registration Number by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Alien Registration Number for F-1 Students on OPT

As discussed, F-1 international students who have been approved for Optional Practical Training are the only US nonimmigrants who receive an A-Number. 

Once this A-Number is assigned, it should be used when completing all immigration forms in the future.

Such as when completing the Form I-765 Application for STEM OPT or when completing the Form I-129 for a change of status to a nonimmigrant worker status such as the H-1B nonimmigrant status. 

Where is the alien number on employment authorization card

With almost a decade of experience pursuing higher education in the United States, I fully understand the pain points foreign students endure. I created this website to help foreign students successfully navigate their way through the challenges they will face while living in the United States.

What is the alien number on employment authorization card?

Where can I find the Alien Registration Number on my Employment Authorization Document (EAD)? You'll find the A-number on the front of your EAD beneath “USCIS#” as shown below. In the example given here, the number is “000-000-701.”

How do I find my alien number?

You can find your A-Number and Department of State (DOS) Case ID on your immigrant data summary, USCIS Immigrant Fee handout, or immigrant visa stamp. Your A-Number is the letter “A” followed by 8 or 9 numbers (such as A012345678). Your DOS Case ID is 3 letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers (for example, XYZ0123456789).

Is USCIS number on EAD same as a

On EAD cards, or Employment Authorization Document (Work Permit), the A-number is the same as the USCIS number. It can be found under “Given Name.”

Is Alien Registration number same as USCIS number?

What Is an Alien Registration Number or “A” Number? “A” number is short for Alien Registration Number. It is a unique seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number assigned to a noncitizen. The nine-digit USCIS number listed on permanent resident green cards issued after May 10, 2010, is the same as the A-number.