Foreign nationals applying for status in the United States with USCIS have likely seen the term, “A-Number.” Many people wonder what this term refers to as it appears on virtually every USCIS form.
The “A-Number” stands for Alien Registration Number. It may also be referred to as an “Alien Number” or “USCIS Number.” This number is issued by USCIS to noncitizens of the United States. Most foreign nationals are assigned an A-Number when applying for a green card, a waiver, employment authorization and certain visas. However, not all foreign nationals receive an A-Number.
There are four different varieties of A-Numbers:
• Eight-digit A-Numbers are digitally assigned at a local USCIS office. If you are assigned one of these numbers, treat the number as if an additional zero was placed after the A.
• Nine-digit A-Numbers that start with the number one are used for employment authorization cards.
• Nine-digit A-Numbers that begin with the digit three are used for fingerprint tracking of V visa applicants. (The V visa allows families to stay together while waiting for the processing of immigrant visas.)
• All other nine-digit A-Numbers are permanent and will remain with the foreign national for the rest of their life.
If you are assigned an A-Number, it can be found in the upper right hand corner of your Form I-797 Approval Notice or on the front of your Green Card or Employment Authorization Document.
If you are interested in applying for a U.S. immigration benefit, please contact our office today to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys!
Foreign nationals applying for status in the United States with USCIS have likely seen the term, “A-Number.” Many people wonder what this term refers to as it appears on virtually every USCIS form.