Alien Registration Number, also known as an A-Number, is an eight- or nine-digit number that can be found on a variety of documents from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS creates an Alien Registration Number for every permanent resident. Generally, they do not assign the number to nonimmigrant visitors, however may assign it to a certain classes of nonimmigrants that have been granted employment authorization or other benefits.
You can find your Alien Registration Number in the following documents:
- Green Card
If you have a permanent resident card (green card), search for the A-Number on the front side. The number is also embedded within the characters on the backside.
- Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
If you do not have a green card, look into your Employment Authorization Document (work permit).
- Immigrant Visa
Your immigrant visa, also called a visa stamp, is found in your passport. Your A-Number is identified as the “Registration Number” in the top right part of the visa stamp. Note that a nonimmigrant visa does not contain an Alien Registration Number!
- Notice of Action
Some versions of the Notice of Action may contain the Alien Registration Number.
- Immigrant Data Summary
If you applied for your green card through consular processing (applied for green card at a U.S. embassy or consulate), you probably had an Immigrant Data Summary stapled to the front of your immigrant visa package. You can find your A-Number at the top of the Immigrant Data Summary.
- Immigrant Fee Handout
Again, if you applied for your green card through consular processing, the immigration officer probably gave you a USCIS Immigrant Fee handout. This document includes your A-Number in the top right corner.
If you are unable to locate your Alien Registration Number on one of the documents described above, you can file Form G-639, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request, to get access to your own immigration file at USCIS. This simple request can be used to get a copy of your A-Number or even your entire immigration file.
And don’t forget this when applying your Form N-400. If your A-Number is fewer than nine digits, insert a zero after the “A” and before the first digit to create a nine-digit number.