Your Alien Registration Number appears on the front of your EAD card, printed next to the label “USCIS#” on newer cards or “A#” on older ones. It is a seven- to nine-digit number preceded by the letter “A,” and finding the alien registration number on an EAD card is straightforward once you know it sits in that specific field and not in the “Card#” line just below it.
Where to Look on the Front of the Card
The EAD is Form I-766, a credit-card-sized document showing your photo, name, date of birth, country of birth, category code, and the validity dates of your work authorization. Look on the front for the label “USCIS#.” The number printed beside it is your A-Number. Older card designs use “A#” as the label, but the number in that field means the same thing.
Don’t Confuse It With the Card Number
Near the “USCIS#” field you will see another field labeled “Card#.” That is not your A-Number. The card number identifies the physical document and changes every time USCIS issues you a new card. The A-Number is assigned by the Department of Homeland Security, follows you for life, and stays the same across every EAD, green card, and immigration filing you ever have. When an employer, form, or agency asks for your “USCIS number,” “alien number,” or “A-Number,” they want the one next to “USCIS#,” not the card number.
What the Number Looks Like
An A-Number is seven, eight, or nine digits long, always preceded by the letter “A.”1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number A nine-digit example looks like A123456789. If yours has fewer than nine digits, USCIS pads it with leading zeros on most immigration forms, so A12345678 becomes A012345678.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID If a form rejects your number as too short, add a zero after the “A” before the first digit and try again.
If You Don’t Have Your EAD in Hand
The same A-Number appears on several other immigration documents, so you don’t necessarily need the physical EAD to find it.
- Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551): on the front next to “USCIS#” for cards issued after May 2010, and also printed on the back of those cards.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.1 List A Documents That Establish Identity and Employment Authorization
- Immigrant visa stamp in your passport: shown in the field labeled “Registration Number.”2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
- USCIS Notice of Action (Form I-797): printed near the top of any receipt or approval letter.
- Approval or receipt notices for Forms I-140, I-485, or I-131: included on every notice tied to your case.
Not every noncitizen has an A-Number yet. If you entered on a nonimmigrant visa and have never applied for a green card, work permit, or other USCIS benefit, one may not have been assigned. USCIS creates the number the first time it processes an immigration filing or registration event for you.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alien Registration Requirement
If You Can’t Find the Number Anywhere
If none of your documents are available, you have two ways to recover the number.
Submit an inquiry through the USCIS Contact Center at uscis.gov/contactcenter, either online or by phone. You’ll need to verify your identity, so keep your full legal name, date of birth, and any receipt numbers ready.
You can also file a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request for copies of your immigration records, which include the A-Number. As of January 2026, USCIS requires all FOIA requests to go through first.uscis.gov after you create a USCIS account.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request Records through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act Being specific about which document you need is faster than asking for your full A-File.
Using the A-Number on Form I-9
The most common reason people need to pull the A-Number off their EAD is employment verification. When you start a new job and complete Section 1 of Form I-9, you enter your A-Number if you are attesting to lawful permanent resident status or noncitizen work authorization. Your employer then completes Section 2 by examining the physical EAD or green card and recording the document details.
Getting the number right matters. E-Verify cross-checks it against government records, and a mismatch can delay your start date or produce a Tentative Nonconfirmation you then have to resolve. Copy the digits directly from the “USCIS#” field on the card, apply the leading-zero rule if the form requires nine digits, and double-check before you sign.
If You Think You Have Two A-Numbers
Duplicate A-Numbers occasionally happen, usually when someone processes through both a USCIS office and a U.S. consulate abroad. If you have reason to believe two numbers exist for you, use the one on your most recent EAD or green card on any filing. There is no standalone form to request consolidation. USCIS typically merges duplicates during a later interview, but flagging the issue to the officer at your next appointment helps avoid delays.
Keeping the Number Safe
Treat your A-Number the way you treat your Social Security number. Federal law classifies it as a “means of identification,” and unauthorized use to commit fraud carries federal criminal liability.6Federal Trade Commission. Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act Don’t post photos of your EAD on social media, avoid sending unencrypted copies of immigration documents by email, and store physical cards securely. If you believe your A-Number has been compromised, file an identity theft complaint with the FTC, which will forward it to the major credit reporting agencies and relevant law enforcement.