Immigration Terms, A-Number, EAD and Receipt Number Defined
The USCIS glossary defines the numbers and abbreviations you’ll keep running into on immigration paperwork: an A-Number is a seven-, eight- or nine-digit number the Department of Homeland Security assigns to a noncitizen; a receipt number is the 13-character identifier USCIS gives each application it receives; and EAD refers to the work permit card USCIS issues on Form I-766.
Your A-Number stays with you, while each application has its own receipt number, and the receipt number is what you use to check a case’s status.
Numbers and documents
Definitions from the USCIS glossary (USCIS glossary):
| Term or abbreviation | USCIS definition |
|---|---|
| A-Number | A unique seven-, eight- or nine-digit number the Department of Homeland Security assigns to a noncitizen |
| Receipt Number | A unique 13-character identifier USCIS gives each application or petition it receives |
| EAD (Employment Authorization Document) | A general term for the card USCIS issues on Form I-766 |
| I-94 | The arrival and departure record, paper or electronic; since April 30, 2013, most are created electronically on arrival |
| Priority Date | The date that determines when it’s your turn to apply for an immigrant visa |
Status and processes
- Adjustment of Status: the process you can use to apply for lawful permanent resident status, also known as applying for a green card.
- Lawful Permanent Resident: someone living in the US under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence, also called a green card holder.
- Naturalization: how a person not born in the US voluntarily becomes a US citizen.
- Biometrics: identifying people by physical traits, including fingerprints, a photograph and a signature.
- Petitioner: the person who files an immigration petition or application.
- Beneficiary: a noncitizen sponsored by a relative or a business, or who self-petitioned for an immigration benefit.
For adding receipt numbers to your USCIS account, see Track Cases in Your USCIS Account, Add Each Receipt Number; for what to do after a green card is approved inside the US, see Green Card Approved, Get a New SSN Card and Show It at Work; for EAD renewals, see EAD Renewals Lose Auto Extension, File Up to 180 Days Early. General abbreviations on forms and addresses are left to our tools site’s guide to common abbreviations.
What this article did not check
- The rules behind each term: this article gives only the glossary definitions and did not check who can apply or how.
- What an RFE (Request for Evidence) covers: the glossary lists several situations that lead to one; this article doesn’t go through them.
Frequently asked questions
How is an A-Number different from a receipt number?
An A-Number is the seven- to nine-digit number DHS assigns to you; a receipt number is the 13-character identifier USCIS gives each application it receives, one per application.
What is an EAD?
A general term for the work permit card USCIS issues on Form I-766.
Is the I-94 still on paper?
USCIS says the I-94 can be paper or electronic; since April 30, 2013, most are created electronically on arrival.
What does Adjustment of Status mean?
The process you can use to apply for lawful permanent resident status, also known as applying for a green card.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-10-30. This article is not legal or immigration advice.
- USCIS Glossary (no update date on the page):https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary