Is the USCIS Number the Same as the Alien Number?

Yes. The USCIS Number and the Alien Number are the same nine-digit identifier. On Permanent Resident Cards issued after May 10, 2010, the label on the front changed from “Alien Registration Number” to “USCIS#,” but the number behind the label did not change. The USCIS employer handbook for Form I-9 states it plainly: “The USCIS Number is the same as the A-Number without the ‘A’ prefix.”¹

So a Green Card showing USCIS# 012345678 and an older notice referencing A012345678 are pointing at the same record. The only difference is that older documents keep the “A” prefix and newer ones drop it.

Why the Labels Are Different

USCIS defines the USCIS Number as a unique nine-digit number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security and listed on the front of Permanent Resident Cards issued after May 10, 2010. Its own glossary entry then directs readers to “see also Alien Registration Number or Alien Number.”² It is a rebranding. The government moved away from the word “alien” on newer documents; the underlying identifier stayed put.

The A-Number itself is a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit identifier DHS assigns to a noncitizen, and it acts as a permanent personal identifier. Applications, approvals, denials, status changes, and court records all tie back to this one number.³ Once you have one, it stays with you. It does not change when your status changes, and naturalized citizens keep it in USCIS records as part of their immigration history.

Not everyone in the country on a visa has one right away. An A-Number is typically assigned when you apply for a Green Card, receive employment authorization, enter removal proceedings, or apply for asylum. Short-term visitors on tourist or business visas generally do not have one unless they later apply for a benefit that triggers the assignment.

Reading the Number on Your Documents

On Green Cards issued after May 2010, the number appears on the front labeled “USCIS#.” On older Green Cards and other documents, the same number appears as “Alien Registration Number” or “A#.”² You will also find it on Employment Authorization Documents, on immigrant visa stamps in a passport (labeled “Registration Number”), and on USCIS notices such as Form I-797.⁴

If your A-Number has fewer than nine digits, pad it with a leading zero after the “A” to bring it to nine. A12345678 becomes A012345678. Forms and verification systems generally expect the full nine-digit form.

The Number People Usually Confuse It With

The identifier most often mistaken for the A-Number is the USCIS receipt number, and the distinction matters. The A-Number identifies a person. The receipt number identifies a case. Every time you file an application or petition with USCIS, the agency assigns a unique 13-character receipt number: three letters followed by ten digits.⁵ The letter prefix reflects the service center or system handling the case (IOE, for example, marks an electronically filed case).

You get one A-Number for life. You collect a new receipt number every time you file. Someone who applied for a work permit, adjusted status, and later renewed their Green Card would have three different receipt numbers across those filings but the same A-Number on all of them.

Receipt numbers are also what the USCIS Case Status Online tool accepts. Enter the 13-character code and you see where that specific application stands.⁶ Your A-Number will not work there because it is tied to you, not to any one filing. If you have lost a receipt number, you can retrieve it through your myUSCIS online account or by calling the USCIS Contact Center.

The USCIS Online Account Number

There is a third identifier that adds to the confusion. When you create a myUSCIS online account or file electronically, USCIS assigns a 12-digit online account number. It exists only to link your digital account to your filings. It is not your A-Number and it is not a receipt number.

The online account number usually appears on the confirmation notice after you create your account, and USCIS may print it on later mailings under the heading “USCIS Online Account Number.” If you file a paper application, adding this number on the form lets USCIS link the case to your online account automatically. Skip that step and the case may not appear in your dashboard, in which case you will need a new access code to connect it.⁷

Where the Distinction Actually Matters

Form I-9 at a New Job

Section 1 of Form I-9 asks for your “Alien Registration Number/USCIS Number.” Lawful permanent residents enter their A-Number in that field. Noncitizens authorized to work can provide their A-Number, their Form I-94 admission number, or a foreign passport number with the country of issuance.¹ This is where the double label trips people up most often. The form wants the A-Number, not a receipt number.

SAVE Verification

State DMVs, public housing authorities, and other agencies use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to confirm immigration status. To open a SAVE case, the agency submits your name, date of birth, and at least one immigration identifier. The A-Number is the most common, though Form I-94 numbers, SEVIS IDs, naturalization certificate numbers, and I-797 receipt numbers also work.⁸ A driver’s license number or foreign passport number alone is not enough.

Checking a Pending Case

For tracking where a pending application stands, use the 13-character receipt number. The Case Status Online tool accepts only receipt numbers, not A-Numbers.⁶ The receipt number appears on the Form I-797, Notice of Action, that USCIS mails after accepting your filing, and it also appears in your myUSCIS account if you filed electronically.⁵

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Section 1: Employee Information and Attestation
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Number
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number (A-Number or A#)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipt Number
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Get a New Online Access Code
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Verification Process