People planning to move to the US permanently from their home country are allotted nine-digit numbers by the USCIS. These numbers are known as alien registration numbers. It is usually present in a petition and forms filed with the USCIS. USCIS uses these numbers as an identification number for the people who are presently not in the US but are planning to move permanently.
In addition, the US government uses this number to keep track of the immigration documents that you will file with the USCIS to live in the United States. This nine digital number is provided to every individual who is willing to immigrate to the United States.
In this guide, you will get complete details about the alien registration number and find this number in your important immigration document.
What is Alien registration?
Alien registration number as the unique number seven to nine-digit number that USCIS issues to the people applying to live in the United States. People who are presently not the US citizen is called alien, and this number is given to them for identification.
If you get an alien number, you will have to keep it with yourself for the lifetime. This number is similar to the social security number which the US government issues. If you are a non-citizen, then your A-number will be referred to as your legal identification number and is plays a vital role when you will about to start your new life in the U.S.
You will find the A-number on some of the immigration documents like Permanent Resident Green Card, Employment Authorization Document, and your Immigrant Visa. To get the details about the green card application process you can refer to the green card guide. There you can also find documents for marriage green card.
Who gets an Alien Registration Number?
The alien registration number is allotted to each individual who applies for the green card, regardless of which type they have applied, be it family ties, employment, or as a refugee or asylee. Thus, all the immigrants who intend to live and work in the United States get an Alien registration number.
The non-US citizens presently in the United States for a short period, such as tourist visas or business meetings, do not obtain the alien registration number. Therefore they are known as a short-term visitor and not permanent immigrants.
There is the only exception: Individual with the F-1 visas receives the work authorization is provided the alien registration number even if they do not apply for the green card.
Any documents you submit to the USCIS needs to be translated in English, for the documents translation you can contact with the certified translation agency USA.
When Do I Get an Alien Registration Number?
As mentioned, most people get an Alien registration number while they are applying for the green card. Moreover, if any time in the past you have received work authorization in the United States with the F-1 Student visa, then you must have the got an A-number. This thing mostly happens when you have worked under the Optional Practical Training program after completing the studies.
If you are present in the United States and from there only you are submitting the application for the marriage-based green card, then you will get your Alien registration number on your receipt notice that you have obtained from the USCIS. Make sure the immigrant documents including marriage green card that you submit to the USCIS should be in English language. To get your immigration document translation it’s better to hire a certified translation agency.
If you are married to a U.S citizen and you file a green card application form, i.e., I-485 and hence you will obtain your alien registration number within 30 days after you have started your application procedure. If you are married to the green card holder, there is no need to file an application form I-485 till your I-130 petition does not get approved, and your immigrant visa gets available. In such a case, you do not receive the A-number till a year after starting the process.
If you are applying for the marriage green card but are not physically present in the United States, you will get your alien registration number when you attend the interview in the US. No matter if your spouse is a green card holder or US citizen; You’ll have to complete some basic legal paperwork with your alien registration question number at the time of the consular interview. You can easily locate your alien registration on the visa stamped on your passport.
Where Can I Find My Alien Registration Number?
Once you’ve applied for a green card, your Alien Registration Number will be on all of the documents that USCIS sends you, including the notice you get telling you that USCIS has received your green card application. You’ll also see your Alien Registration Number on any approval notices and essentially all correspondence you get from USCIS.
After you have applied for the green card or any other permanent migration documents, you can easily locate your alien registration number on all the documents sent by the USCIS. For example, the notice by the USCIS mentioning that you have received here green card application. In addition, you can easily find your alien registration numbers on any of the given approval notices and all these correspondence documents provided to you by the United States citizenship and immigration services (USCIS).
In most of your documents, your alien registration number will appear as A#, or also it might be present on the top of the first page. Mentioned below are examples of some of the most common documents where you can easily find your A-number.
- On your Employment Authorization Document (“EAD,” “Work Permit”)
Applicants can easily find their A-number on their employment authorization document. The below-mentioned image is an example; the unique nine-digit number is labeled below as USCIS#
- On your Permanent Resident Green Card
If you are a green card holder and USCIS issues your card after 10 May 2010, then your alien registration number (A-number) will be labeled as USCIS# in the image mentioned below:
And if your green card is issued by the USCIS between 2004 and May 10, 2010, then your alien registration number will be located at the top of your documents, same as it is shown in the picture below:
- On your Immigrant Visa
In case you haven’t received any ID cards or documents from the USCIS, then you can find your alien registration number a-number on your immigrant Visa stamp in your given passport. You will find the alien registration number (nine-digit number) under the column of “Registration number.” Just same as it is mentioned in the image given below:
- On your USCIS Immigrant Fee Handout
Immigrant P handout is referred to as a document that You octane from the USCIS mentioned about the method of paying your USCIS immigrant fee. You’ll receive this document from USCIS if you have applied for the consulate green card at the time of attending your interview at the US embassy or consulate. You can easily locate your alien registration number at the top of the document. Refer to the image given below:
- On your Immigrant Data Summary
If you have requested for green card from any abroad country (known as consular processing), then you can easily locate your alien registration number on the immigrant data summary, which is usually the first page of your immigrant visa package provided to you from USCIS. You will find your A-number exactly at the top of the data summary page. Refer to the image mentioned below:
- On your Notice of Action
At last, your notice of action document provided to you from USCIS, Form number I-797C, usually contains your A-Number. If your application form contains the alien registration number ( A-number), then you will be able to find the number under the USCIS#” at the document:
Comparison between A-numbers and case numbers?
After submitting the application to the USCIS, you will get a receipt from them; you will see that it contains a receipt number or a Case number when you receive the notice from them.
The case number is used to check the status of your application online, whereas A-number is allotted to you as a person. For example, suppose you apply for an immigrant visa now, and after a few months or years, you applied for US citizenship; both the documents will contain different case numbers, but the A-number will be the same in both documents.
These numbers display differently. A- number consists of 7 to 9 digits, whereas the case number only contains 13 characters. It begins with her three letters followed by ten digits.
FAQs
Is a USCIS Case Number the same thing as an A-Number?
No, the USCIS case number is not the same as the alien registration number. USCIS issues an alien registration number used to keep the record of all the applications; on the other side; the USCIS case number is defined as a separate application.
Though both are different things so always be clear about the difference among them. A-number is a unique 7 to 9 digit number; on the other side, the USCIS case number is usually 13 characters, in which the ten-digit number accompanies three letters such as “EAD” or “MSC.”
Is a Social Security Number the same thing as an A-Number?
No, social security number is not the same thing as a number. The US government provides the Social Security number only to the qualified immigrants or workers willing to work in the United States.
In contrast, USCIS provides an alien registration number to those who apply for immigration documents to live and work in the United States permanently. As a result, several immigrant workers have a social security number and an A-number both.
Is a USCIS Online Account Number the same thing as an A-Number?
No, the A-number is a different thing from the USCIS online account number; A-number is the nine-digit number that the USCIS issues to track all immigrants applying for permanent status in the US.
In comparison, USICS online account number is only allotted when you create an online account and work as an additional method to allow the USCIS to track your information.
What should I do if I can’t find my A-Number?
If you misplace your Indian registration number or cannot find it in any of the documents. Don’t worry! There is a very simple process through which you can again request your alien registration number.
The US government has introduced the simple process that enables you to request for A-number from the USCIS. In order to get the alien registration number, you will be required to file an FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) with USCIS. Don’t stress. You won’t have to pay any money to file this request. You can get more information about this on the official website of USCIS