What Is Your A-Number?

Where to find it: the A-Number appears on several common immigration documents:

• Permanent Resident Card (green card) — usually near the top, labeled "USCIS#" or "A#"
• Employment Authorization Document (EAD/work permit)
• Notice of Action (Form I-797), the receipt/approval notice USCIS sends for filed applications
• Immigration court documents, if applicable

Format: it's typically written as A- followed by 8 digits (older numbers sometimes have 7 digits, in which case a leading zero is often added to make 8 when entering it into newer forms).

What it's used for: USCIS and other immigration authorities use the A-Number to track a person's immigration case and file across different applications and processes, similar in purpose to how a Social Security Number tracks someone within the tax and benefits system — it's a case/identity reference number, not something that itself grants or restricts any status.

Who has one: generally, anyone who has gone through certain immigration processes — green card holders, people with pending or past immigration court cases, and some visa holders — rather than everyone with any type of visa.

This is general reference information about a government form field, not immigration legal advice — for questions about a specific case or document, USCIS's own account tools or an immigration attorney are the accurate source.

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