Proof of INS status is any current government document showing your immigration or citizenship status in the United States. The Immigration and Naturalization Service was dissolved in 2003 and its functions moved to three agencies inside the Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).1Cornell Law School. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) The phrase still shows up on older forms and in employment, licensing, and benefits paperwork, but what an agency actually wants is a document from one of those successor agencies (or, for citizens, the State Department or a vital records office) that proves you are authorized to be here.
Which document you present depends on your status. The sections below cover the accepted documents for each category, followed by how they fit together for employment verification and what to do if you lose one.
If You Are a Lawful Permanent Resident
The primary proof is Form I-551, the Permanent Resident Card, commonly called a Green Card. The current version shows your photograph on the front and back along with your name, date of birth, USCIS number (A-number), and expiration date.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization A standard card is valid for ten years. The card expires; your status does not. To renew the card, file Form I-90.
A conditional Green Card, issued when permanent residence comes through a marriage less than two years old or through certain investor programs, is valid for only two years. You remove the conditions by filing Form I-751 (marriage) or Form I-829 (investor) within the 90-day window before the card expires.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Conditional Permanent Residence Once USCIS accepts the petition, the receipt notice extends the card’s validity for 48 months and serves as proof of continued status during that period.
If you have been approved as a permanent resident but haven’t received the physical card yet, two documents work as temporary proof:
- An unexpired foreign passport carrying a temporary I-551 stamp (also called an ADIT stamp), placed by CBP at entry or by USCIS at a field office.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Status Documentation for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
- A machine-readable immigrant visa endorsed “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR.” Even without that exact language, the visa is valid proof of permanent residence for one year from the date of admission.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary I-551 Stamps and MRIVs
If You Are on a Temporary Visa
Proof of status here is a combination, not a single card. You need your unexpired foreign passport (usually with a U.S. visa stamp inside) together with your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. The visa stamp lets you request entry at a port; the I-94 controls how long you can stay.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, Information for Completing USCIS Forms The I-94 is now almost entirely electronic and can be looked up and printed at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.7Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website – Official Site for Travelers Visiting the United States It lists your class of admission (H-1B, B-2, F-1, and so on) and an “Admit Until” date. That date, not the expiration on the visa stamp, sets the end of your authorized stay.
People trip on this regularly. A visa stamp can be valid for five years while an I-94 authorizes a stay of only six months. Overstaying the I-94 date by even one day can create serious immigration consequences, so check the I-94 online before making plans.
F-1 students and J-1 exchange visitors carry an extra document. F-1 students receive Form I-20 from their school; J-1 visitors receive Form DS-2019 from their program sponsor. Both are linked to the SEVIS database and serve as evidence of student or exchange visitor status while in the country.8U.S. Department of State. Student Visa For F-1 students, the program end date on the I-20 sets the authorized stay, followed by a 60-day grace period to depart or change status.
If You Are Authorized to Work but Not a Permanent Resident
If you are neither a citizen nor a permanent resident but have permission to work, your proof is generally Form I-766, the Employment Authorization Document (EAD). USCIS issues EADs to refugees, asylum applicants, people with Temporary Protected Status, F-1 students doing practical training, spouses of certain visa holders, applicants with a pending adjustment of status, and others.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization The EAD shows your photo, an expiration date, and a category code identifying the basis for your work authorization.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document
A Form I-797C, Notice of Action, is the receipt USCIS mails when it accepts an application. The receipt confirms your filing but does not by itself grant status or work authorization.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Some state agencies accept it as evidence of a pending case, but its weight depends entirely on the context.
If You Are a U.S. Citizen
Citizens are not subject to immigration status verification, but the same forms that ask for proof of INS status usually ask citizens to prove citizenship. The right document depends on how you became a citizen.
Born in the United States. A full-validity U.S. passport or passport card proves both citizenship and identity in a single document. A certified copy of your birth certificate also works, provided it was issued by the city, county, or state of birth, carries the registrar’s signature, and bears an official seal.12U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport Hospital souvenir certificates and commemorative certificates without a registrar’s seal do not qualify.
Naturalized. Your Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550), issued at your naturalization ceremony, is standalone proof of citizenship and is accepted for passport applications and benefits.13USAGov. Get or Replace a Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization
Born abroad to U.S. citizen parents. Two documents cover this route. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad, issued by the State Department, is available for children born overseas to U.S. citizen parents when the application is submitted before the child turns 18.14Travel.State.Gov. Birth of U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals Abroad A Certificate of Citizenship, obtained by filing Form N-600 with USCIS, is the alternative if a Consular Report was not issued in time.13USAGov. Get or Replace a Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization
How the Documents Fit the I-9 Employment Verification Lists
Most people are asked for proof of status when starting a job. Form I-9 sorts acceptable documents into three lists, and knowing which list a document belongs to tells you whether it stands alone or needs a partner.15U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
- List A proves identity and work authorization together. One List A document is enough. Examples: U.S. passport, Green Card, EAD, foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp.
- List B proves identity only, such as a state driver’s license or a school ID with a photo. It must be paired with a List C document.
- List C proves work authorization only, such as an unrestricted Social Security card or a U.S. birth certificate. It must be paired with a List B document.
You choose which acceptable documents to present.16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents An employer cannot demand a specific document, insist on one issued by DHS because you are not a citizen, or reject a document that reasonably appears genuine and has a future expiration date. If reverification is needed when your work authorization expires, the employer may ask only for a List A or List C document, not a List B identity document.17U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employee Rights
You Are Required to Carry Your Document
Federal law requires every non-citizen age 18 and older to carry their registration document, such as a Green Card or other proof of status, at all times. Failing to carry it is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in jail, or both.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1304 – Forms for Registration and Fingerprinting Address changes must be reported to USCIS within 10 days on Form AR-11, which can be filed online.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1306 – Penalties
Replacing a Lost or Damaged Document
Losing an immigration document does not erase your status, but replacing it quickly matters because you are required to carry proof. The form and fee depend on which document you need to replace.
- Green Card: File Form I-90. The 2026 fee is $415 online or $465 by mail, waived if USCIS made an error on the original or the card was returned as undeliverable. Filing I-90 also triggers an automatic 24-month extension of the expired card, so keep the receipt notice with the card as proof of continued status. While waiting, you can request a temporary I-551 stamp in your passport at a USCIS field office, or USCIS may mail you a Form I-94 with an ADIT stamp.20USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Status Documentation for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
- Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship: File Form N-565. You will need a copy of the original document if you have one, plus a police report or sworn statement explaining the loss.21U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
- Employment Authorization Document: File Form I-765 as a replacement. Fees vary by eligibility category; check the current USCIS fee schedule for your code.22U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees
- I-94: Reprint it free at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
- U.S. birth certificate: Order a certified copy from the vital records office in the state or county where you were born.