A green card number is a unique identification number used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to track your immigration case before the actual card is issued. While the green card itself might seem simple at first glance, flipping it over reveals a lot of important information, including your green card number.
Where Is the Green Card Number Located?
The green card number, also known as the receipt number or permanent resident number, is located on the back of the card, in the first line of a 90-character string. The green card number is typically found in the last 13 characters of the first line, followed by two space holders, represented by “less than” symbols (<<).
To be precise, the green card number starts at the 16th character and goes to the 28th character, followed by the “>>” symbols.
What Does the Green Card Number Format Look Like?
The first line of the 90-character string begins with either C1 or C2, which indicates your residency status. Here’s what the codes mean:
- C1: Long-term permanent resident in the U.S.
- C2: Permanent resident commuter (for people living in Canada or Mexico)
Next, the string includes:
- 3 letters representing the country of residence, usually USA for U.S. residents.
- Digits 6-15 represent the alien number (A-number), a unique ID assigned to all immigrants.
Then, the green card number follows, and it includes a 3-letter service center code. The service center code indicates which USCIS center handled your case. Some examples of these codes are:
- CSC: California Service Center
- EAC: Eastern Adjudication Center (now Vermont Service Center)
- LIN: Lincoln Service Center (now Nebraska Service Center)
- MSC: Missouri Service Center (now National Benefits Center)
- NBC: National Benefits Center
- NSC: Nebraska Service Center
- TSC: Texas Service Center
- VSC: Vermont Service Center
- YSC: Potomac Service Center
After the service center code, you’ll see two digits representing the fiscal year the case was received. The U.S. government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30, so for example, a case received on October 15, 2019 would have a fiscal year code of 20.
Following that, three digits represent the workday of the year when the case was processed. These digits are based on the number of weekdays in the year (excluding weekends and holidays). For example, if your card reads NBC 20 045, it means your case was received at the National Benefits Center in the 2020 fiscal year, on the 45th workday.
Finally, the last 5 digits are your unique immigrant case number — the number assigned to your case when it was approved.
Example of a Green Card Number Format
Here’s how the green card number is typically formatted:
- NBC2004551423: This example shows that the case was handled by the National Benefits Center, it was received in fiscal year 2020, on the 45th workday, and the unique case number is 51423.
What’s on the Rest of the Card?
Besides the green card number, the other lines on the card contain important information:
- The second line includes your birth date (in year-month-day format), gender, card expiration date, and your country of birth.
- The third line contains your full name, your father’s and mother’s initials, and other personal details.
Your green card number is a key part of your identification as a U.S. permanent resident. It helps USCIS track your case and immigration status. If you need assistance with your immigration process, Law and Visas is here to guide you every step of the way! Reach out for expert support in navigating your green card journey.
