Once you’ve applied for a green card, you’ll have to provide your Alien Registration Number on any additional petitions or forms that you file with the USCIS. But, what is your Alien Registration Number, and how do you find it?
Put simply, your Alien Registration Numbers is how the USCIS identifies you and keeps track of your submissions. Every U.S. immigrant receives one of these numbers, and each one is unique. Once you have one, you can also apply for permission to travel using the Form I-131 advance parole document.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about alien registration numbers and if you can travel while you have one.
Alien Registration Numbers (also called A-Numbers) are numbers that the USCIS gives to immigrants who apply to live in the U.S. These numbers can be seven, eight, or nine digits long. Your Alien Registration Number gets used by the USCIS to track all of your immigration files (also called alien files). Your A-Number is extremely important -- you’ll have to include it on almost every immigration document that you send to the USCIS. Luckily, it’s usually easy to find your A-Number; it appears on various documents like your green card, work permit, and visa.
Related: Immigration FAQ
Your A-Number isn’t the only number you’ll find on your USCIS notices; you’ll also see a USCIS case number (also called receipt number). Your receipt number gets used to track your application and check its status. There’s an easy way to understand the difference: your A-Number gets assigned to you as a person, and your USCIS case number gets assigned to your application.
Your Alien Registration Number will always be 7-9 digits, while your receipt number will have three letters followed by ten digits.
Here’s where it can get confusing: you might sometimes see “USCIS#” or “USCIS number” without the word “case” on a document -- these refer to your A-Number, not your receipt number. It’s important to double-check when filling out papers to ensure that you use the correct number in the correct spot.
Yes! Your work permit or EAD card has two crucial numbers on it:
It’s also important to note that your Social Security number and Alien Registration number contain the same amount of digits, but these are not the same thing. Your A-Number identifies you with the USCIS, while your Social Security number tracks your income, benefits, and taxes with the IRS.
Anyone who applies for a green card gets an A-Number, regardless of the reasons they are eligible for the green card. Any immigrant who wants to permanently live in the U.S. will receive a unique Alien Registration Number from the USCIS. Non-citizens who come to the U.S. temporarily, like on business or tourist visas, do not get an A-Number since they are only short-term visitors.
The exception to this are students with F-1 visas who apply for work authorization. They still get an Alien Registration Numbers, even though they aren’t in the process of obtaining a green card.
If you’re unsure what your A-Number is, don’t worry; there are multiple documents that you can find it on. Here’s where you can find your Alien Registration Number:
If you don’t have any documents that show your Alien Registration Number, and you don’t have it saved anywhere, it’s not a huge problem. You can request your A-Number from the USCIS by filing a Freedom of Information Act request with Form G-639. There are no fees associated with this request, but it can take two months or longer to receive your A-Number after sending in the files.
When filling out immigration paperwork, you’ll often have to submit your Alien Registration Number in a nine-digit format, but what if your A-Number only has seven or eight digits? It’s not uncommon, and the solution is extremely simple; don’t worry. All that you have to do is add “0’s” in front of your A-Number until you reach nine digits. For example, if your A-Number is “1234567,” you’ll write it as “001234567.” That’s all there is to it!
Oftentimes, there are situations where someone needs to travel out of the country while they have their Alien Registration Number but before they have their green card. To do this without jeopardizing the immigration process, it is important to follow a specific set of rules. This is where the Advance Parole travel permit comes into play.
If you want to leave the U.S. without risking your green card status, you must apply for a travel permit. Specifically, you need to apply for the I-131 advance parole document for travel.
This document allows you to return to the U.S. without having to apply for an entirely new visa and without damaging the application you already have. This document is often used when an individual has a pending application for any number of reasons.
To get this permit, you need to fill out the Form Form I-131 advance parole document. This is the Application for Travel Document. It can be used to apply for the advance parole travel document but can also be used to apply for other documents, like re-entry, refugee travel, or TPS travel authorization. Make sure to closely follow the instructions so you fill it out correctly.
The advance parole for travel document sounds a little scary. After all, when most people think of parole, they think of how it relates to prisoners dealing with legal issues. However, in this context, it simply means having official permission to leave the U.S. without worry.
You will need this to avoid jeopardizing any other applications you have in progress. If you simply leave the U.S. without filing anything, your green card application will be denied. This means that when you return, you will have to redo everything and even pay the fees again. In serious cases, doing so may even prevent you from returning at all.
Some people wait a while to apply for a travel document. This makes sense, in a way, because you don’t need to have it before you want to travel.
However, you don’t need to wait. You can actually apply for a travel document almost immediately. When you initially apply for your green card, you can simply send in Form I-131 alongside your other forms. Doing so allows you to get this in right away.
This allows you to expedite the process if you need to leave the U.S. quickly for whatever reason. This is because you already have the form you need. You don’t need to wait around to submit it and then wait around again for a response. Instead, you are ready for the next step.
This can be key in a few different situations. For example, if you have a sick family member and are leaving the U.S. to visit or care for them, you don’t want to wait around for forms to come in. You want to leave as soon as possible. Because of this, we recommend applying for a travel document right away.
On top of this, submitting your travel document application when you submit your initial green card application saves you money. When doing so, you don’t have to pay an additional fee. So, there are even more advantages to working in this way.
You should apply for your travel document with the proper application. You will need to fill this out and submit it alongside your green card application or by itself if you already have a green card.
You will have to include some additional information alongside this. This includes a copy of your photo identification, most likely your passport. You will also need to include two additional photos of you, which need to be passport-sized.
When submitting your information and waiting for your travel document, it is important to recognize that there are a few restrictions you should be aware of.
The first and perhaps most important is that you should not leave until you actually receive your travel document. Alongside this, you must keep the document’s expiration date in mind. There should be a date printed on the document itself. You must return to the U.S. before that date. In most cases, your travel document will be valid for one year after it is issued. However, make sure to note this day, as processing time can impact exactly what date is listed.
If your travel document has expired, you can renew it. You can even renew it up to 120 days before it expires, allowing you to have a new document by the time the old one expires. If you want to be ready to travel constantly, this is essential.
To renew your document like this, the process is similar to applying for it in the first place. You need to fill out and submit Form I-131. However, you must also include a copy of your current document, a copy of the receipt from your green card application, and two passport-sized photos. If you include all of this properly, there should be no fee for the renewal.
Having the travel document allows you to travel outside of the U.S. However, what if you need to leave the U.S. because of an emergency and you don’t have a travel document?
In this case, you can apply for an expedited travel document. These are issued in response to things like the death or serious illness of a family member who lives abroad. They are not issued for regular travel.
To get an emergency travel application, you need to make an appointment at your local USCIS office. You should bring all the materials you need for the travel document application and proof that you have an emergency that requires you to leave the country.
You can stay outside the country for as long as your travel permit is valid. However, it is important not to miss anything in the U.S. because of your time abroad. You still need to show up for fingerprinting and green card interview appointments. If your travel will prevent you from making these, you need to reschedule or contact the USCIS to see how they can help.
It is also important to remember that you still will need to go through immigration when returning to the U.S. This means you will have to go through the regular inspection and may have to go through a secondary inspection as well.
This also means that border control will respond if you have any issues with your immigration status and can even prevent you from reentering. If your immigration status has been in flux or you have any other issues that may flag you, you should consider if you really want to leave the U.S. When you return, these issues could prevent you from fully returning.
Understanding what your alien registration number is and when you’ll need it is an important part of the immigration process. Once you apply for your green card, you’ll receive your A-number. Just remember, if you need to travel during this time, you’ll need to apply using Form I-131 advance parole document.
During the time you have an alien registration number, it’s critical that you follow all regulations, so you don’t delay your next steps. Remember, an immigration lawyer can make it easier to navigate this entire immigration process.
Related: When You Need an Immigration Lawyer
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