An I-551 stamp is a temporary mark a USCIS officer places in your passport, or on a Form I-94, that proves you are a lawful permanent resident when your green card is lost, stolen, expired, or still being produced. Its formal name is the Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp, and it carries the same weight as the physical card for work, travel, and government services. You request one by calling the USCIS Contact Center or booking an appointment through my.uscis.gov. The stamp is valid for a period set by the officer, up to a maximum of one year.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
When You Actually Need an I-551 Stamp
You can request the stamp any time your green card is unavailable but your underlying permanent resident status is still valid. The common situations:
- You entered on an immigrant visa and are waiting for your first green card to arrive in the mail. The endorsement Customs and Border Protection places in your passport at entry already serves as temporary I-551 evidence for one year from admission.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary I-551 Stamps and MRIVs
- Your green card is lost, stolen, or damaged and you need proof of status while a Form I-90 replacement is processed.
- You filed Form I-751 to remove conditions on residence, and your card plus any receipt-based extension has expired.
- You filed Form N-400 for naturalization, and your green card and extension notice have both expired while the application is still pending.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
Before you request a stamp for a pending Form I-90, check the receipt notice. USCIS automatically extends green card validity for 36 months when you file I-90, counted from the original card’s expiration date.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals If you filed I-90 and received a Form I-797C receipt notice, your expired card together with that receipt may already be valid documentation. An ADIT stamp is only necessary once even that extended period runs out before your new card arrives.
How to Request the Stamp
By Phone Through the USCIS Contact Center
Call the USCIS Contact Center and tell the representative you need temporary evidence of permanent resident status. An immigration services officer will verify your identity, confirm your mailing address, and decide whether an in-person appointment is necessary. When it isn’t, the officer sends a request to your local field office, and you receive a Form I-94 by express mail with the ADIT stamp, a DHS seal, and a printed photo.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp Your address must accept UPS or FedEx deliveries for the mail option to work.
Online Through my.uscis.gov
You can also request an appointment directly at my.uscis.gov. “ADIT Stamp” appears as one of the available appointment types. When the online tools cannot resolve the request, USCIS routes you back to the Contact Center.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Schedule an Appointment
When You Have to Appear in Person
Some residents cannot get the stamp by mail. You’ll need to go to a field office if you have urgent travel or employment needs, if your photo in USCIS systems is outdated or missing, or if your identity or address cannot be confirmed over the phone.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp You also have to appear in person if you want the stamp placed in your passport rather than issued on a Form I-94.
What to Bring
A USCIS officer can only place the stamp in an unexpired passport or on a Form I-94.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replacement of Permanent Resident Card Bring a valid foreign passport if you have one; the stamp goes directly on a visa page. If your passport is expired or you don’t have one, the officer will issue the stamp on a Form I-94 and attach your photograph.
Also bring:
- Form I-797C, Notice of Action, showing your pending I-90, I-751, or N-400.
- Your A-Number (Alien Registration Number), which appears on prior immigration documents and ties your records together.
- Evidence of urgency, such as a flight itinerary or a formal job offer letter, if you need the stamp quickly.
- Any expired green card. Even a card that is no longer valid helps the officer confirm your identity.
Bring originals. Copies won’t do.
How Long the Stamp Lasts
The officer sets the validity period based on your situation, and it cannot exceed one year.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp Because the officer can only stamp an unexpired passport, the stamp cannot outlast the passport it sits in.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replacement of Permanent Resident Card A passport that expires in six months means a stamp valid for a shorter window.
Your actual green card supersedes the stamp once it arrives. After the expiration date on the stamp passes, it no longer counts as valid proof of status for any purpose. If the card still hasn’t come, you can request another stamp through the same process.
Using the Stamp for Work
A foreign passport containing an I-551 stamp is a List A document on Form I-9. It proves both your identity and your authorization to work in a single document.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents An employer cannot legally refuse it or demand additional paperwork.
Placement matters. A passport with the stamp is a full List A document. A Form I-94 with the stamp and photograph is treated as a List A receipt, meaning you must eventually present the actual green card or another qualifying document. Either way, your employer must reverify your employment authorization when the stamp expires. At that point, present your new green card if it has arrived, or a new ADIT stamp if it hasn’t.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 7.1 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
Using the Stamp for International Travel
Lawful permanent residents can leave and re-enter the United States as long as they do not intend to stay abroad for a year or more.8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Can a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Leave the United States Normally you show your green card at the border. When you don’t have it, an ADIT stamp in your passport is equivalent evidence of your status for re-entry.
If you plan to be outside the country for more than a year, you need a re-entry permit from USCIS, whether or not you have a green card or a stamp. Re-entry permits are generally valid for two years from issuance.8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Can a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident Leave the United States The stamp alone does not protect your status during an extended absence.
Using the Stamp for Government Services
The Social Security Administration accepts the I-551 stamp as evidence of lawful permanent resident status when you apply for a Social Security number, classifying anyone who presents it as a “legal alien allowed to work.”9Social Security Administration. List of Documents Establishing Lawful Alien Status for an SSN Card This is especially useful for new immigrants who need an SSN before the physical card arrives.
State agencies that issue driver’s licenses and other benefits use the federal SAVE system to verify immigration status electronically. SAVE checks your status using identifiers like your A-Number or Form I-94 number rather than the stamp itself.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE Verification Process The stamp gives you a document to present at the counter, and the agency confirms your status behind the scenes through that database.