A Green Card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document that provides proof of an individual’s lawful permanent residency in the U.S. It is a highly valuable card that is necessary for all permanent residents, and it is important to keep it safe and secure.
One of the most important pieces of information on the Green Card is the Green Card Number. This is a unique identification number that is assigned to each permanent resident by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The permanent resident card number is also called a Case number and I-551 receipt number. In this article, we will discuss what the Green Card Number is, why it is important, and how to locate it quickly.
What is The Green Card Number?
The Green Card Number is a unique identification number that is assigned to each permanent resident by the USCIS. It is a 13-digit number that is printed on the back side of the Green Card, usually located in the bottom. In total, there are 90 characters made of letters, numbers and less-than symbols (<<). Permanent resident card number is often made up of 3 letters followed by 10 numbers.
The Green Card Number is an important piece of information that is used to verify an individual’s status as a permanent resident. It is also used by the USCIS to keep track of each permanent resident’s history and to verify their eligibility for certain benefits and services. This number is different from an Alien Registration number.
Why is The Green Card Number Important?
The Green Card Number is an important piece of information that is required for many different purposes. It is used to verify an individual’s status as a permanent resident, and it is required for many different applications and forms.
For example, when applying for a driver’s license or state identification card, the Green Card Number is often required as proof of identity and residency. It is also required when applying for certain government benefits, such as Social Security and Medicare.
In addition, the Green Card Number is used to track an individual’s immigration history and to verify their eligibility for certain immigration benefits. This includes applying for citizenship, sponsoring a family member for a Green Card, and applying for certain types of visas.
How to Read The Permanent Resident Card?
Generally, a green card has two sides, front and back. You have valuable information on both sides. Front side of the card is self-explanatory of individual person and back side of the card contain green card number and other information.
How to Read the Front Side of Green Card
The front of a Green Card is typically easy to understand as it displays personal details like the cardholder’s name, birth country, birth date, gender, the expiry date of the card, and the date of becoming a permanent resident. The USCIS# printed on the card is the cardholder’s Alien Registration Number, also known as their A-number, which is a unique 8- or 9-digit identification code given to all permanent residents. Dates on the card are commonly written in the MM/DD/YYYY format.
The most important part of the front side of a green card is the category section. This section indicates the immigrant visa category that was used to allow an immigrant to permanently reside in the U.S. or become a conditional permanent resident. In other USCIS documents, this section is referred to as the “class of admission”. Generally, the category consists of one or two letters followed by a number.
The next is the signature. Not all green card has the card holders’ signatures. USCIS waives the signature for under age children and physical disabilities preventing them from providing a signature. And for the new lawful permanent resident who entered the U.S. since Feb 2015, USCIS waives the signature. If the signature is waived by USCIS, both sides signatures will not be there.
Note:There is no green card expiry date issued in the period 1979 and 1989 August. You do need to renew this type of card if you use the GE kiosk, else no need to renew
How to Read the Back Side of Green Card
On the back of every Green Card, there is a long string of numbers at the bottom. The permanent resident card number can be found at the end of the first line. It starts with 3 letters and is followed by “<<” at the end, which simply indicates a space holder.
First Line Characters
- The first letters are C1 or C2 – You can find whether the green card holder is a permanent resident inside the U.S. (C1) or a permanent resident with commuter status from Canada or Mexico (C2).
- The next letter indicates the location of the permanent residence “USA”.
- The next 6-15 letters denotes Alien Registration Number
- The Final 13 digits in the first line denotes your green card number
- << less than symbol denotes place holders and you no need to read.
Understand the information of the 13-digit number format in the permanent resident card number.
The 3 letters highlighted in the picture above identify the service center that handled the case. Below are the different service centers with 3 letter code.
- CSC – California Service Center
- EAC – Eastern Adjudication Center (now known as Vermont Service Center)
- IOE – ELIS (efile)
- LIN – Lincoln Service Center (now known as Nebraska Service Center)
- MSC – Missouri Service Center (now known as National Benefits Center)
- NBC – National Benefits Center
- NSC – Nebraska Service Center
- SRC – Southern Regional Center (now known as Texas Service Center)
- TSC – Texas Service Center
- VSC – Vermont Service Center
- WAC – Western Adjudication Center (now known as California Service Center)
- YSC – Potomac Service Center
For example, in the permanent residence card number CSC 17 012 34567, this case was received by the California Service Center.
CSC 17 012 34567
The following 2 digits represent the fiscal year that the case was received. Government agencies use a fiscal year that goes from October 1st to September 30th. This means that cases that are received between the months of October and December will not state the actual calendar year the case was received. For example, in the permanent residence card number example bolded above, this case was filed between October 2016 and September 2017.
CSC 17 012 34567
The next 3 numbers represent the work day that the case was opened. For example, in the permanent residence card number example bolded above, this case was opened on the 12th work day of the 2017 fiscal year.
CSC 17 012 34567
The final 5 numbers represent the case number that is specific to you.
Second Line Characters
- The second line will have the information of your birthdate in YY/MM/DD format
- The Next one-letter abbreviation denotes your gender
- The next will have the information of Green Card expiration date in YY/MM/DD format.
- The next is << placeholders.
Third Line Characters
The final line in your green card represents your last name, first name, your father’s first initial, your mother’s first initial, and placeholders.
Conclusion
Obtaining a green card can be a complex process, but with good immigration lawyer support, you can get it easily. ImmigrationDirect software provides you with the process and assists you in preparing and submitting your application form without any mistakes.
