Yes. The A-Number and the USCIS Number are the same nine-digit identifier the Department of Homeland Security assigns to a non-citizen; only the label on the document changed. Permanent Resident Cards printed after May 10, 2010, display it under “USCIS#,” while older cards and forms call it “A#” or “A-Number.”1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Number If one form asks for your USCIS Number and another asks for your A-Number, you enter the same digits in both places.
Why There Are Two Names for One Number
The number itself is a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit identifier DHS uses to tie every interaction a person has with the immigration system to a single permanent record.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Glossary – Section: All A When USCIS redesigned the green card in 2010, it began printing that number under the heading “USCIS#” rather than “A#.” The USCIS glossary defines the USCIS Number as the nine-digit number on green cards issued after that date, and cross-references it directly to the A-Number.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Number
So the two terms are not two different numbers assigned at different points in the process. They are one number under two labels, and the label depends on when your document was printed.
Where the Number Appears on Your Documents
The same digits show up across immigration paperwork, sometimes as “A#,” sometimes as “USCIS#,” sometimes under another heading entirely.
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551): on the front of the card, labeled “USCIS#” on cards issued after May 2010 and “A#” on older cards.3FBI. Locating the Alien Number ATF Form 4473
- Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766): on the front of the card, under “USCIS#” or “A#.”3FBI. Locating the Alien Number ATF Form 4473
- Immigrant visa stamp in your passport: shown as the “Registration Number.”
- USCIS notices (Form I-797): near the top of the Notice of Action.
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550): labeled “USCIS Registration No.” This is not the certificate number printed in red at the top right of the document.
The Form I-9 you complete at a new job labels the field “USCIS Number/A-Number,” which is USCIS spelling out on the form itself that the two terms mean the same entry.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
One boundary worth knowing: not every non-citizen has one of these numbers. A visa issued by the State Department does not, by itself, carry an Alien Number.3FBI. Locating the Alien Number ATF Form 4473 The number is generated when you apply for or receive an immigration benefit such as permanent residency, asylum, or employment authorization, or during certain enforcement encounters.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request
The Leading Zeros Rule
Even though the number can be seven, eight, or nine digits long, most USCIS online systems and newer forms expect exactly nine digits. If yours is shorter, pad it with zeros between the “A” and the first digit until you reach nine. USCIS gives the example that A12345678 should be entered as A012345678.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID This is the same rule whether the form calls it your A-Number or your USCIS Number.
Don’t Confuse It With Your Receipt Number
The A-Number/USCIS Number is often mixed up with the USCIS receipt number, which is a different thing entirely. Your A-Number identifies you as a person across every immigration filing you ever make. A receipt number identifies one specific application or petition.
The formats make them easy to tell apart. An A-Number starts with the letter “A” followed by seven to nine digits. A receipt number is 13 characters: three letters identifying the service center or filing channel, followed by 10 digits, with prefixes like “IOE” for online filings, “LIN” for the Nebraska Service Center, or “SRC” for the Texas Service Center.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online – Case Status Search
The USCIS case status tool takes the 13-character receipt number, not the A-Number.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online – Case Status Search Entering your A-Number there will return nothing, and that empty result is a common source of panic rather than an actual problem with your case.
If You Can’t Find Your Number
Because the A-Number and USCIS Number are the same, any document that shows one shows the other. Old USCIS correspondence is usually the fastest place to look. Approval notices, receipt notices, and denial letters typically print the number near the top of the page.
If no documents are available, you can file Form G-639, a Freedom of Information/Privacy Act request, to obtain your own immigration records, which will include the number.8Homeland Security. How to Make FOIA Requests USCIS does not charge for the first 100 pages of copies and two hours of search time on Privacy Act requests for your own records, and if fees beyond that would exceed $25, you will be notified before charges are assessed.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request You can also contact the USCIS Contact Center or schedule an appointment at a local USCIS office; bring government-issued identification so staff can look up your record.
Once you have the number in hand, the label at the top of the field, whether the form says “A-Number,” “USCIS#,” “USCIS Number,” “Alien Registration Number,” or “Registration Number,” does not change what you write. It is one identifier, and it stays with you for life.