An ADIT stamp in an unexpired foreign passport is a temporary ink endorsement that USCIS places directly on a passport page to prove you are a lawful permanent resident of the United States when you don’t have a physical Green Card in hand. Immigration paperwork calls it a temporary I-551 stamp, because Form I-551 is the official designation for the permanent Green Card. The stamp is a full stand-in for that card while yours is being produced, renewed, or replaced.
The stamp typically shows an officer’s signature, the issuance date, and a validity period. Once it’s in your passport, that passport works as proof of both status and work authorization for most everyday purposes.
What You Can Do With It
A foreign passport carrying an unexpired ADIT stamp is a List A document for Form I-9 employment verification, meaning it establishes both identity and employment authorization on its own.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents The Social Security Administration accepts an admission stamp in an unexpired foreign passport as proof of immigration status when you apply for a Social Security number.2Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Number TSA recognizes the stamp as a valid Form I-551 at state DMVs for REAL ID purposes.3Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions And U.S. Customs and Border Protection accepts it as valid documentation for permanent residents returning to the country.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents
In short: work, driver’s license, Social Security number, re-entry. Federal agencies generally treat the stamped passport the same as a physical Green Card.
Who Can Get One
You qualify if you already have permanent resident status but don’t have a usable Green Card to show for it. Common situations include:
- You filed Form I-90 to renew an expired card or replace one that was lost, stolen, or damaged, and you no longer have a usable card.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
- You’re a conditional resident with a pending Form I-751 (marriage-based) or Form I-829 (investment-based) and need current proof of status.
- You entered on an immigrant visa and your first Green Card hasn’t arrived from the production facility yet.
- Your card is physically unreadable or contains incorrect information.
When You Probably Don’t Need One
Before requesting a stamp, check whether an automatic extension already covers you. If you filed Form I-90 and you still have your physical card, USCIS automatically extends its validity for 36 months past the printed expiration date. Your card together with the I-797C receipt notice is enough evidence of continued status; no stamp is needed.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity Extension to 36 Months for Green Card Renewals
If you filed Form I-751 or Form I-829, USCIS extends your card’s validity for 48 months past its expiration. The updated receipt notice paired with the expired card proves status, work authorization, and travel eligibility for that entire window.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Extends Green Card Validity for Conditional Permanent Residents with a Pending Form I-751 or Form I-829 The ADIT stamp is the fallback for people who no longer have the card itself.
How to Request the Stamp
Start by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (or 800-767-1833 for TDD).7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Contact Center From there, USCIS decides how to deliver the stamp. In some cases a field office mails you a Form I-94 with an ADIT stamp, DHS seal, and a printed photo pulled from USCIS systems after an officer verifies your identity and confirms your address can receive express mail.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Temporary Status Documentation for Lawful Permanent Residents In other cases USCIS schedules an in-person appointment at a local field office, where an officer stamps your passport directly.
USCIS has discretion over whether to issue the stamp and which delivery method to use.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp A clear, time-sensitive need like an upcoming flight or a job start date strengthens the case for faster handling.
Bring or have ready:
- Your unexpired foreign passport, which is where the stamp will go.
- Your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), the identifier starting with “A” followed by eight or nine digits. It appears on your Green Card, immigrant visa stamp, or prior USCIS correspondence.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment – Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
- Your receipt number, the 13-character code on Form I-797C that tracks your pending case. It begins with three letters such as MSC, LIN, SRC, or IOE followed by ten digits.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Glossary – Receipt Number
- Evidence of urgency if you have any: a flight itinerary, job offer letter, or similar document.
There is no separate filing fee for the stamp itself. You do need to have filed and paid for the underlying application (such as Form I-90) that establishes your pending case.
Traveling Internationally With It
CBP recognizes an ADIT stamp in a valid passport as acceptable documentation for permanent residents re-entering the United States, and its Carrier Information Guide, which airlines consult before boarding passengers, lists the stamp as a valid travel document.4U.S. Customs and Border Protection. For U.S. Citizens/Lawful Permanent Residents
In practice, some airline check-in agents aren’t familiar with the stamp and may hesitate to board you. Carrying a copy of the CBP Carrier Information Guide or your I-797C receipt notice as backup helps resolve confusion at the gate. Two other limits are worth knowing. CBP only controls your return to the U.S., so entry requirements for your destination country are a separate question you need to verify. And the stamp covers absences of less than a year; trips longer than that require a re-entry permit (Form I-131) whether you hold a stamp or a physical card.
How Long the Stamp Lasts
USCIS sets the validity period case by case, but it cannot exceed one year unless a specific regulation or policy says otherwise.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces Additional Mail Delivery Process for Receiving ADIT Stamp In practice, the stamp’s expiration is often tied to your passport’s expiration date. A passport with six months left means the stamp won’t last longer than that.
The stamp becomes moot once your physical Green Card arrives, since the card supersedes it. If the card hasn’t arrived by the time the stamp is close to expiring, you’ll need to go through the request process again to keep uninterrupted proof of status.
What Happens at Work When It Expires
Employers who accepted the stamped passport for Form I-9 purposes are required to reverify your employment authorization when the stamp expires. At that point you need to present either a new List A document or a List C document (your Green Card, once it arrives is the typical one).12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 7.1 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
Don’t wait until the last day. If your Green Card hasn’t arrived and the stamp is close to running out, call the USCIS Contact Center well in advance to request a new one. A reverification gap can cause real problems at work even though your underlying permanent resident status hasn’t changed.