Yes. The Alien Registration Number and the USCIS Number are the same nine-digit identifier assigned to you by the Department of Homeland Security. USCIS began printing it under the label “USCIS #” on Permanent Resident Cards issued after May 10, 2010, but the underlying number is the same one that older documents call the A-Number or A#.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Glossary – USCIS Number
Why There Are Two Names for One Number
The Alien Registration Number is a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number DHS assigns to noncitizens in the United States, usually written with an “A” in front (for example, A012345678). It is your personal identifier across immigration records and stays with you for life, even if your status changes.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number
When USCIS redesigned the Green Card in 2010, the field that had read “A#” was relabeled “USCIS #.” Nothing about the number itself changed. The USCIS glossary confirms this directly: it defines the USCIS Number and then instructs readers to “see also Alien Registration Number or Alien Number.”1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Glossary – USCIS Number So if your older card shows “A#” followed by nine digits and your newer card shows “USCIS #” followed by the same nine digits, those are the same number wearing two labels.
How the Number Appears With and Without the “A”
The A-Number is often written with the “A” prefix on immigration documents. The USCIS Number field on newer cards drops the letter and shows only the nine digits. That is the only real difference in presentation.
This matters when you fill out forms. When a form asks for your “USCIS Number” and gives you nine boxes, it wants your A-Number without the “A.” On Form I-9, for example, a lawful permanent resident enters the A-Number in the field labeled “Alien Registration Number/USCIS Number,” and the two terms sit side by side because they refer to the same thing.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Section 1: Employee Information and Attestation
If your A-Number is only seven or eight digits, you can add leading zeros to reach nine digits when a form requires it. The number itself does not gain or lose value; the format simply matches the field.
Numbers That Look Similar but Are Not the Same
USCIS uses several other tracking numbers that get confused with the A-Number. Knowing which is which keeps you from putting the wrong number in the wrong place.
Receipt Number
A receipt number is a 13-character code USCIS assigns to each application or petition it receives. It begins with three letters (EAC, WAC, LIN, SRC, NBC, MSC, or IOE) followed by ten digits, and you get a new one every time you file something. It identifies a case, not you.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipt Number
Card Number
Both Green Cards and Employment Authorization Documents carry a separate Card Number on the back. On an EAD it also starts with three letters and ten digits, which makes it easy to mistake for a receipt number. The Card Number identifies the physical card. When the card is replaced, the Card Number changes; your A-Number does not.
DOS Case ID
If you went through consular processing, the Department of State issued a DOS Case ID for your visa application. It is three letters followed by nine or ten digits, and Diversity Visa cases follow a different format. It is not your A-Number.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
USCIS Online Account Number
Creating an account on the USCIS website generates a 12-digit Online Account Number, which is separate from your A-Number. Some newer forms ask for it. If you have never created a USCIS online account, leave that field blank.
Where to Find Your A-Number
The number appears on most immigration documents USCIS has issued to you. The label varies with the age of the document.
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551): on the front, labeled “USCIS #” on cards issued after May 2010 or “A#” on older cards. It also appears on the back.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Glossary – USCIS Number
- Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766): on the front, labeled “USCIS #,” and on the back.
- Immigrant visa stamp inside your passport: shown as the “Registration Number” in the top right of the stamp.
- Approval notices (Form I-797): near the top of the first page, next to “A#” or “USCIS #.”
- Immigrant Data Summary or USCIS Immigrant Fee handout from consular processing: listed alongside your DOS Case ID.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
When Everyone Gets an A-Number
Not every noncitizen has an A-Number from day one. It is assigned when you first interact with the immigration system in a way that requires individual tracking. That includes becoming a lawful permanent resident, applying for work authorization, filing certain immigration petitions, or being placed in removal proceedings. Once assigned, it follows you for life.
So if you are early in a process and have not been given a number yet, that is normal. It will be assigned as your case moves forward, and the same number will appear on every document you receive afterward, whether the label reads “A#” or “USCIS #.”
If You Have Lost or Forgotten the Number
Check any immigration document you still have first. An I-797 approval notice, an older visa stamp, or a prior EAD will show the same number your Green Card would.
If you have no documents, you can file a Freedom of Information Act request with USCIS using Form G-639 to obtain copies of your immigration records. You can submit it online at uscis.gov/foia or by mail. You do not need to know your A-Number to file the request; USCIS can locate your records with your name, date of birth, and country of birth. If you are requesting your own records, you must sign the form before a notary or under penalty of perjury.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request
USCIS may charge processing fees up to $25, though Privacy Act requests by the subject of the records are generally fee-exempt. You can also call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283, but FOIA processing times vary and can take several months.