The A-Number on an EAD card is your Alien Registration Number, a unique seven-, eight-, or nine-digit identifier assigned to you by the Department of Homeland Security. On Form I-766 (the Employment Authorization Document) it appears on the front of the card, beneath your photo and personal details, labeled “USCIS#.”1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.1 List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
Why the A-Number Matters
Think of the A-Number as your permanent immigration ID. It follows you across every interaction with USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You will use it when filing for a green card, applying for other immigration benefits, or checking case status online.
Unlike other numbers on the card, the A-Number does not change. Renew your EAD, switch to a different immigration category, or eventually adjust status, and the number stays the same. Keep it recorded somewhere safe and separate from the card itself.
The Category Code
The category code sits on the front of the card, usually near the bottom in a field labeled “Category.” It is a short alphanumeric code that tells anyone reading the card the exact legal reason you are authorized to work. Employers reference it during Form I-9 verification, and it determines which renewal rules apply to you.
Category codes fall into three broad groups defined by federal regulation:3eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.12 – Classes of Aliens Authorized to Accept Employment
- (a) codes mean you are authorized to work because of your immigration status itself. Examples include (a)(5) for someone granted asylum, (a)(3) for a refugee, and (a)(12) for a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipient.
- (c) codes mean you had to apply separately for work authorization. Examples include (c)(9) for a pending adjustment of status applicant, (c)(8) for a pending asylum applicant, and (c)(3)(B) for an F-1 student on post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).
- (b) codes cover people authorized to work only with a specific employer based on visa status, such as H-1B or L-1 workers. People in (b) categories generally do not receive an EAD because their authorization is tied to the visa petition rather than a standalone work card.
USCIS maintains the full table of codes on its employment authorization page and in the Form I-765 instructions.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization If you do not recognize the code on your card, check it against that list. An incorrect category code can cause I-9 verification problems and should be reported to USCIS.
The Expiration Date
The expiration date is printed prominently on the front of the card and shows the last day your work authorization under that card is valid. After that date, the card can no longer be used to prove you can work, and employers are required to reverify your work authorization when it lapses.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.0 Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
How long your card stays valid depends on your category, and the windows recently got shorter. As of December 4, 2025, USCIS reduced the maximum validity period from five years to 18 months for initial and renewal EADs in several major categories, including refugees (A03), asylees (A05), pending asylum applicants (C08), pending adjustment of status applicants (C09), and certain cancellation of removal applicants (C10). TPS and parole-based EADs are valid for one year or the end of the authorized parole or TPS period, whichever comes first.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Reduced Validity Periods for Newly Issued Employment Authorization Documents
USCIS recommends filing renewal as soon as your EAD is within 180 days of expiration.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document With shorter validity and current processing times, waiting longer creates real risk of a gap.
The Receipt Number
Your EAD also displays a 13-character receipt number: three letters followed by ten digits.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipt Number The three-letter prefix identifies where or how the case was processed. Older prefixes like EAC, WAC, LIN, and SRC correspond to USCIS service centers; IOE means the application was filed electronically through the USCIS online system.
The receipt number is a case-tracking tool. Enter it on the USCIS website to check application status. It also appears on your Form I-797C receipt notice, so you can match the card to the notice you received when USCIS accepted the application. Have this number ready if you need to contact USCIS about your case.
The Machine Readable Zone
Flip the card over and you will see three lines of letters, numbers, and chevron characters (the “<” symbols). That is the machine readable zone, or MRZ. It encodes key data from the front of the card, including your name, date of birth, document number, and expiration date, in a standardized format that scanners can read instantly. You will never need to type or reference these characters, but they are what lets the card work as a machine-verified identity document.
Automatic Extensions Are Gone for Most Categories
One rule change matters enough to mention alongside the expiration date. Before October 30, 2025, people in many EAD categories could keep working for up to 540 days past their card’s expiration date while a renewal was pending. An interim final rule effective October 30, 2025, ended that automatic extension for most categories. File a renewal on or after that date and your current card’s expiration date means what it says.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. DHS Ends Automatic Extension of Employment Authorization
Limited exceptions involve certain TPS-based EADs, where extensions provided by law or Federal Register notice may still apply, though even those have been shortened or constrained.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Update to TPS Page on EAD Automatic Extensions For everyone else, a gap in the EAD means a gap in the legal ability to work, even if the underlying immigration status has not changed.
Checking Your Card for Errors
When your EAD arrives, compare every field to what you submitted. Check the spelling of your name, your date of birth, the category code, and the expiration date. A misspelled name or wrong category code can cause an employer’s I-9 verification to fail or create confusion when you file for other immigration benefits later.
If the error was made by USCIS, such as a typo in your name or an incorrect validity period, you can get a corrected card at no cost, and you do not need to file a new Form I-765. For simple typos, submit a service request through the USCIS website and select the “EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error” option. For errors that require supporting evidence, such as a wrong validity period, mail a letter explaining the problem along with the incorrect card and documentation of the correct information. Either way, you must return the card that contains the error. USCIS estimates about 30 days from receipt to process the correction and issue a new card, not counting mail transit time.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Employment Authorization Document – Section: Replace an EAD
If the mistake came from information you provided on your own application, USCIS will not fix it for free. You would need to file a new Form I-765 and pay the applicable filing fee.