Alien Registration & I-94 Number: Find Easily on Passport

It’s not always easy to figure out the official document identification numbers within the immigration system. For instance, you might need the Alien Registration Number, the so-called A-number, A#, or USCIS number given by US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

At the same time, the citizenship and immigration services can ask you to provide a copy of the I-94 arrival/departure record for alien registration verification as well as work authorization, immigration status, or immigration benefits. You also need the alien registration number and Form I-94 when you initially apply for your green card.

Other immigration forms and petitions you lodge with the USCIS may involve looking for the right number on your passport or on other documents.

Now, what is the Alien Registration and I-94 Number on a passport, and where to find the details?

Let’s jump right in.

Alien Registration number vs I-94 number

You need to differentiate between the Alien Registration and Form I-94 as they are not the same. First of all, they differ in digits. The Alien Registration Number or A-number is a 7 to 9-digit number. The admission record number found on Form I-94 contains 11 digits.

The I-94 number of the arrival/departure record is a special number that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency employs internally. It was introduced to monitor the legal entries of foreign visitors into the US.

Starting in May 2013, the track of air and sea arrivals was automated by Form I-94. Please also note that I-94 numbers have become alphanumeric since May 2019. This is to develop a long-term operating program. The number has preserved 11 characters, although the 9th digit is now followed by a letter and then by a digit again.

How can the Alien Registration on your passport be transformed?

Your A-number may be fewer than nine digits. Still, you can use your number while preparing new USCIS forms to request immigration benefits. What you can do is insert a zero after the letter A and before the first digit. That will give you a nine-digit number. Thus, 87654321 will transform to A087654321.

What is the Alien Registration on your passport?

In its turn, the Alien Registration on passports is a non-citizen identification number for the US government to roster immigration petitions, applications, and forms, including the former INS.

Meanwhile, an alien registration card which is your green card, also has the number—Form I-551. The Alien Registration number or A-number is there on your green card too. This way, the government keeps track of immigration files an immigrant or some nonimmigrant might put in through the years.

Alien Registration (A-Number) on your passport

Let’s discuss where the Alien Registration or A-Number can generally be found.

Where is the A-Number on your immigrant visa?

A-numbers are placed on an immigration visa in your passport. It sometimes refers to a visa stamp or visa foil. You can easily trace the A-Number under the Registration Number at the top right corner of the visa stamp.

Please note it’s only applicable to immigrant visas. The nonimmigrant visa does not contain an Alien Registration Number.

Where is the A-Number on Notice of Action?

Not all variants of the Notice of Action showcase the Alien Registration Number, though some do. For instance, the I-797C Biometrics Notice contains the A-Number next to USCIS#.

Where is the A-number on a green card?

https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/130-acceptable-documents-for-verifying-employment-authorization-and-identity/131-list-a-documents-that-establish-identity-and-employment-authorization 

To find the A-number on your green card (also called a resident card), you can look for it in the front or the back, or sometimes both. In most cases, the A-number is in the 000-001-001 format number underneath USCIS#.

Where is the A-number on an EAD?

The green card is not the only document to showcase the Alien Registration Number. A work permit also called the Employment Authorization Document, can display the number. The number appears as 000-000-811 underneath USCIS#.

A-Number on Immigrant Data Summary and Fee Handout

You can find the Alien Registration Number in a few other places like Immigrant Data Summary and Fee Handout.

The Immigrant Data Summary is located on your immigrant visa package and stapled to the front. This is usually the case when you apply for your green card through https://citizenpath.com/consular-processing-green-card/.

The immigration officer hands you the Fee Handout with info on how to pay the USCIS immigrant fee. It will also include your A-Number in the top right corner.