What Is an I-551 Stamp: How to Request One, Uses, and Validity

An I-551 stamp is a temporary ink stamp that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) places in your passport, or on a Form I-94 with your photo attached, to prove you are a lawful permanent resident while you wait for a physical Green Card. Its formal name is the Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp. It usually stays valid for up to one year and lets you work, travel internationally, and prove your status for government services during that window.

Form I-551 is the official name of the Permanent Resident Card itself, so the stamp acts as evidence of the same status the card would prove.¹ New arrivals get a related form of proof: when you first enter on an immigrant visa, U.S. Customs and Border Protection endorses the machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in your passport at the port of entry, and that endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidence for one year from admission, even without the words “FOR 1 YEAR” printed on it.² The ADIT stamp from a USCIS field office is what existing permanent residents get later, when their card is missing or expired.

When You Need an I-551 Stamp

You may need one any time you are a lawful permanent resident without a valid physical Green Card in hand. Common situations include:

Your Green Card is lost, stolen, or damaged, and you have filed or plan to file Form I-90 to replace it.
You filed Form I-90 to renew or replace the card, but your card and any extension notice have already expired while USCIS processes the application.
You are a conditional resident with a pending Form I-751 to remove conditions, and your conditional card and extension have expired.
You filed Form N-400 for naturalization, and your card and extension notice expired before a decision.
You recently entered on an immigrant visa and your permanent card has not arrived by mail. In that case, the endorsed MRIV already serves as proof for one year.

USCIS has stated that lawful permanent residents are entitled to evidence of their status, and the ADIT stamp exists to fill the gap when the physical card is unavailable.³

How to Request an I-551 Stamp

Request an Appointment Online

USCIS offers an online appointment request form that lets you schedule a field office visit for an ADIT stamp without calling. Sign into your USCIS online account, where “ADIT Stamp” appears as one of the primary appointment types.⁴ Attorneys and accredited representatives can submit requests on your behalf through the same system.

Call the USCIS Contact Center

You can also call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).⁵ An immigration services officer will verify your identity and mailing address, then either schedule an in-person appointment or, when possible, request that the stamp be mailed to you.

Receive the Stamp by Mail

Some permanent residents can now get temporary proof of status without visiting a field office. If an in-person appointment is not required, the field office reviews your request and mails you a Form I-94 bearing the ADIT stamp, a Department of Homeland Security seal, and a printed photograph pulled from USCIS records. Your address must be able to receive UPS or FedEx express mail. You will still need to appear in person if you have an urgent need, if USCIS does not have a usable photograph of you on file, or if your identity or address cannot be confirmed by phone.³

What to Bring to an In-Person Appointment

If your appointment requires a field office visit, bring:

A valid, unexpired foreign passport, which is where the officer places the stamp.
Form I-797 or I-797C (Notice of Action), the receipt notice for your pending I-90, I-751, N-400, or other application.⁶
Your expired Green Card, if you still have it. It helps the officer verify your records.
Emergency documentation if you need the stamp urgently for travel or a medical situation, such as flight itineraries, medical records, or death certificates.

If you do not have a valid passport, bring a recent passport-style photograph. The officer can place the ADIT stamp on a Form I-94 and attach your photo to it instead.¹

At the appointment, staff check you in, and a USCIS officer reviews your immigration records to confirm your status is active and clear. The officer then places the ink stamp in your passport or on a Form I-94. Before you leave, look the stamp over. Make sure the dates are legible, any expiration date is clearly printed, and the officer’s signature or initials are present. Fixing errors on the spot is far easier than correcting them later.

How Long the Stamp Is Valid

For new immigrants with an endorsed MRIV, the stamp is valid for one year from the date of admission to the United States. For an ADIT stamp placed by a field office, the officer sets the expiration date, generally up to one year from issuance, based on your circumstances. If the stamp has no printed expiration date, employers and other parties should treat it as valid for one year from the date it was issued or from the date of admission.²

Using the Stamp for Work

A foreign passport with an unexpired I-551 stamp is a List A document for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. A List A document proves both identity and work authorization, so you do not need to show anything else.¹ If the stamp sits on a Form I-94 rather than a passport, that I-94 with the stamp and photo is treated as a List A receipt, meaning it works as temporary proof while you wait for the physical card. Once the stamp expires or your card arrives, you will need to present the actual Green Card or another acceptable document to your employer.⁶

Employers cannot legally reject a valid I-551 stamp or demand a different document. Under federal anti-discrimination rules enforced by the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, rejecting reasonably genuine-looking documents or insisting on specific documents based on citizenship status or national origin is unlawful, and violations can result in civil penalties and back pay awards.⁷

Using the Stamp to Travel Internationally

The I-551 stamp lets you board a commercial flight or other carrier bound for the United States and re-enter at a port of entry. On arrival, a CBP officer reviews your stamped passport along with any other identity documents you present and decides whether to admit you.⁸

If your Green Card or I-551 stamp is lost, stolen, or destroyed while you are abroad, you may need to file Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation), from outside the United States. That carrier documentation lets the airline board you without penalty.⁸ Extended trips outside the country, generally more than six months, may also raise questions about whether you have abandoned your permanent resident status.

Using the Stamp for REAL ID and a Social Security Number

A foreign passport with an unexpired I-551 stamp is accepted for establishing identity and lawful status when applying for a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state identification card. The documentation must be verified through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.⁹ Since REAL ID enforcement for domestic air travel took effect on May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant license is now required to board flights within the United States unless you use another TSA-approved document such as a passport.¹⁰

The stamp can also support an application for a Social Security number. The Social Security Administration lists Form I-551 among the acceptable immigration documents for noncitizens applying for an SSN, and permanent residents with work authorization are eligible to apply.¹¹ Driver’s license and state ID requirements vary by state, so check with your local motor vehicle agency to confirm what it accepts.

What to Do When the Stamp Expires

If your Green Card still has not arrived or your application is still pending when the stamp’s expiration date passes, get a new stamp. The renewal path is the same as the original: an online appointment request, a call to the Contact Center, or a mailed stamp if you are eligible for that option.

If you filed Form I-90 to renew or replace your card, the receipt notice combined with your expired Green Card can serve as evidence of your status for up to 36 months from the card’s printed expiration date, so a separate ADIT stamp may not be needed. If you no longer have the physical card at all because it was lost or stolen, USCIS may issue an ADIT stamp after you file Form I-90 to serve as proof while you wait for the replacement.¹²

Try not to let proof of status lapse. Without a valid Green Card, an unexpired stamp, or a qualifying receipt-and-card combination, you may run into problems with employer reverification, delays at the border when returning from travel, and difficulty accessing government services.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary I-551 Stamps and MRIVs
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Launches Online Appointment Request Form
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Schedule an Appointment
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
7
U.S. Department of Justice. IER Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. International Travel as a Permanent Resident
9
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions
10
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS Announces Extension of REAL ID Full Enforcement Deadline
11
Social Security Administration. Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Replace Your Green Card