The card number on a green card is printed on the back, not the front. On every design issued since May 2010, it appears in the first line of machine-readable text at the bottom of the back. It is a 13-character code made of three letters followed by 10 numbers.
That code is not your A-Number. The nine-digit number on the front, labeled USCIS#, is your Alien Registration Number, the number the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assigns to you. USCIS stands for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that issues green cards. Knowing which is which keeps you from copying the wrong number into an application.
If your card number is worn away or your card shows an error, Faragalla Law helps permanent residents, or green card holders, obtain corrected cards through its green card replacement services. A corrected card starts with Form I-90, the Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
Where Is the Card Number on a Green Card Issued Since 2023?
USCIS began issuing its current green card design on January 30, 2023. The front shows your name, country of birth, USCIS#, category, date of birth, sex, card expiration date and the date you became a resident. You will not find the card number on the front of this design.
Turn the card over and look at the three lines of capital letters and numbers at the bottom. The first line starts with C1USA, followed by your nine-digit USCIS number and one more digit. After that come the 13 characters of your card number. On the USCIS sample card, the line reads C1USA1234567897MSC0000000110, so the sample card number is MSC0000000110.
Some cards issued after January 30, 2023 still use the 2017 design, because USCIS uses existing card stock until supplies run out. Go by the design printed on your card rather than the date you received it.
Where Is the Card Number on Older Green Card Designs?
Older designs stay valid until the date on the card, or longer if USCIS extends them, so you may still carry one. Cards issued before 2010, such as versions with the DHS seal or the peach-colored Resident Alien cards, use different layouts. Two designs account for the cards USCIS issued between May 2010 and early 2023.
Green Cards Issued Starting in May 2017
USCIS issued this design starting May 1, 2017, with your photo on both sides and no signature or black stripe on the back. The front lists your USCIS# and category, while the card number appears only on the back. As on the 2023 card, read the 13 characters that follow your USCIS number and the single extra digit in the first machine-readable line. On the USCIS sample, that line begins C1USA0000003104 and continues with the card number LIN0000000310.
Green Cards Issued Starting in May 2010
This design changed the card color to green in May 2010. Its back carries a printed block beside a small photo, with your name, birth date, expiration date, a line labeled CARD# and a line labeled A#. The number after CARD# is your card number, and the same number appears again in the first machine-readable line. Check the expiration date on the front too, because USCIS requires you to replace a card that has expired or will expire within six months.
Consider a permanent resident from India who received her card in 2014. Her card number appears twice on the back, once after CARD# and once in the machine-readable line, and the two should match. Her USCIS number shows up on both sides of the card.
Is Your Card Number the Same as Your USCIS Number?
No. The USCIS# on the front ties the card to your immigration file, while the card number on the back is a 13-character code for the card itself. You can tell them apart at a glance, since the USCIS# has only digits and the card number starts with three letters. Employers have their own rules on Form I-9, covered in the explanation of the green card document number.
The card number does follow the same pattern as a USCIS receipt number, the tracking number printed on a filing notice. A receipt number identifies an application, though, not your card. A permanent resident from Nigeria filling out a job application, for example, would put the USCIS number wherever the form asks for an A-Number. The 13-character code goes wherever it asks for a card number.
Official USCIS Sources on Green Card Designs
Section 13.1 of the USCIS Handbook for Employers M-274 describes the 2023, 2017 and 2010 green card designs. It also shows sample images of the front and back of each. The January 2023 USCIS redesign announcement explains that the new cards display data fields in different places and that older cards remain valid until they expire.
The USCIS glossary defines the A-Number as a unique seven-, eight- or nine-digit number that DHS assigns.
Talk to a Houston Immigration Lawyer About Your Green Card
A card number that is worn away or does not match your paperwork is worth checking before you rely on the card. Faragalla Law can check the card number on a green card against your paperwork and explain whether a replacement makes sense.
From El Paso to Corpus Christi, clients meet with the firm remotely, without leaving town. Phone (800) 707-3038 and ask for a free consultation.
Prefer to write first? Send Faragalla Law a note that describes your card design and what you need the number for.