A number question

[missaero 7]

I am an F-1 student currently enrolled. I have had an EAD in the past for a pre-completion OPT. I've been working on my AOS documents and I have noticed a few places where A-number is requested. I did not think I had one until I looked at my EAD card and saw an A-number on there.

Should I use this A-number in my AOS application?

Thanks!

[marriedtomrg 141]

Your A-number should be on your NOA2 (the approval letter when you first applied for the F-1 petition).

I am an F-1 student currently enrolled. I have had an EAD in the past for a pre-completion OPT. I've been working on my AOS documents and I have noticed a few places where A-number is requested. I did not think I had one until I looked at my EAD card and saw an A-number on there.

Should I use this A-number in my AOS application?

Thanks!

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Yes, use that A-number.

[missaero 7]

I came to school in 2006, I don't have the NOA form.

What I do have is the EAD card and the A-number on it. To confirm, I will use this number?

[JoannaV 174]

Yes.

[Fritz6333 0]

Sorry if this confuses you, but I too had an OPT EAD card with an A-number. I was unsure if this was the correct one, so I did not use it on anywhere. On the I-485 and other forms, I put down "None" wherever they asked for the alien number.

They issued me a different A-number, which appears on all my NOAs and my current EAD (it does not match the number on my OPT EAD).

I'm unsure what the A-number is, apart from being a way to identify your case/person. So I guess from my experience, if you're unsure, you can always put down "none".

On a slightly related note, there is also a debate on what is your "visa number". Some say it's the numbers in red on your visa, some say that it's the control number. I guess as long as you are consistent and use the same number on all forms, they won't make a big deal out of it.

[Maxximus1074 14]

Your A-number should be on your NOA2 (the approval letter when you first applied for the F-1 petition).

I may be wrong (and am saying that since time has passed since I applied for colleges here in the US) - but at least 10 years ago there was no A-number

as the student visa is a non-immigrant visa and so you are not an alien that needs to have a number. Also, when I went to college in 2000

and all I had to do is send it my passport to the US embassy together with an approval letter of my school getting the visa in return with no NOAs etc.

Again, I know things have changed in the recent years how to apply for visas, but I believe that the F-1 still is not having an A-number.

Correct me if I am wrong...

M.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Sorry if this confuses you, but I too had an OPT EAD card with an A-number. I was unsure if this was the correct one, so I did not use it on anywhere. On the I-485 and other forms, I put down "None" wherever they asked for the alien number.

They issued me a different A-number, which appears on all my NOAs and my current EAD (it does not match the number on my OPT EAD).

I'm unsure what the A-number is, apart from being a way to identify your case/person. So I guess from my experience, if you're unsure, you can always put down "none".

On a slightly related note, there is also a debate on what is your "visa number". Some say it's the numbers in red on your visa, some say that it's the control number. I guess as long as you are consistent and use the same number on all forms, they won't make a big deal out of it.

They shouldn't have done this. The "A" number, or "Alien Registration Number" is used to identify a person - not a case or application. Each person should only be issued one A# in their entire life. It's not unlike a Social Security number in this respect. If they issued a second A# then they now have two files for two people with the same name. This can cause problems when they try to match up your history with US immigration prior to AOS with your current AOS application.

The visa number is printed in red. The control number is something else entirely. If you write the wrong number on the forms they will correct it. I made this mistake myself, and I watched the IO cross out the number I had written and copy the number from the visa at the interview.

Edited November 24, 2010 by JimVaPhuong

[Vuvu zela 9]

In my case, I put "none known".

I just compared it to the one on my OPT and the two are different.

Not sure how(if)it will affect my case.

I guess it's now one more thing to worry about (boy!)

[Fritz6333 0]

This seems to be one of those things where the USCIS should be a little more clear about, just like the control number/red-colored number on the visa. Based purely on my opinion, if they wanted to use the A# that was on my OPT-EAD, they could have, as I was already in their system (I'm sure they perform checks on your visa, POE(s) and college/SEVIS records) and they could have just re-used that number instead of issuing me a new one.

So I guess the thing we've learnt from anecdotal evidence of some people on the forum is that you can use the OPT A# OR put down "none" and not have issues with your application.