Does Gusto Do E-Verify? What Payroll Leaves Out for I-9 Compliance (2026)
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An employee hands you an EAD and points at the long number under the photo. That is probably the card number. The USCIS A-Number is the field labeled USCIS#, and it has to match Section 1 character for character before E-Verify will clear.
A USCIS A-Number (Alien Registration Number) is a 7- to 9-digit identifier DHS assigns to noncitizens in the immigration system. On Form I-9 it goes in Section 1 when the employee checks lawful permanent resident or noncitizen authorized to work. On Section 2 you record the document number from the card itself, not the A-Number. This guide covers where to find the USCIS A-Number on every common document, how it differs from receipt numbers and card numbers, and where each belongs on the form.
A USCIS A-Number is the same identifier USCIS calls an Alien Registration Number or A-Number. USCIS assigns it when it opens an immigration file for a noncitizen. The number is typically 8 or 9 digits, though older records can be 7. On documents it often appears with an "A" prefix (A-123456789). On Form I-9 Section 1, enter the digits without the "A" unless your software adds it automatically.
Who has one:
Who usually does not:
The number stays with the person for life. A new green card, EAD, or approval notice shows the same USCIS A-Number. Legal basis: 8 CFR Part 264. USCIS glossary: A-Number.
The label on the document matters more than the digit count. Here is where to look on each one employers see at Section 2.
Look at the front of the card. The USCIS A-Number is in the field labeled USCIS# (or, on older cards, Alien #). The Document Number is a different 13-character code on the back. Full walkthrough: green card number for I-9.
On the EAD, both the USCIS A-Number (USCIS#) and the Card Number appear on the front. Read the labels before you type anything into Section 2. The USCIS A-Number starts with A plus digits. The Card Number is a separate 13-character code. Guide: EAD card for I-9.
The USCIS A-Number appears in the upper-left area, near the receipt number. Look for A-Number or A#.
On a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV), the A-Number is in the data block on the visa page. A temporary I-551 stamp in a passport carries it in the stamp text. See Form I-551 guide.
Most I-94 records for nonimmigrants do not include a USCIS A-Number. The I-94 Admission Number is 11 digits and goes in a different Section 1 field. Do not swap them.
If the employee presents a green card or EAD at Section 2, you can read the USCIS A-Number directly from the document even when Section 1 was completed earlier.
| Document | Field label on document | Form I-9 field |
|---|---|---|
| Green card (I-551) | USCIS# on front | Section 1 (A-Number/USCIS Number); Section 2 gets Document Number on back |
| EAD (I-766) | USCIS# on front | Section 1; Section 2 gets Card Number |
| I-797 notice | A-Number upper-left | Section 1 only (not a List A/B/C document by itself) |
| Prior I-9 on file | Alien Registration Number / USCIS Number box | Section 1 (reference only) |
Section 1 asks for Alien Registration Number / USCIS Number, or an I-94 number, or a foreign passport number. It is not asking for the receipt number from an approval notice.
| Number | Identifies | Example | On Form I-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USCIS A-Number | The person (permanent) | 123456789 | Section 1 |
| Receipt number (I-797) | One petition or application | SRC2190123456 | Not entered on I-9 |
| Document / card number | The physical card (changes on reissue) | SRC1234567890 | Section 2 document number |
| Social Security Number | Tax/benefits (SSA) | 123-45-6789 | Separate Section 1 field if required |
| I-94 Admission Number | One admission event (CBP) | 11 digits | Section 1 alternate to A-Number |
The USCIS Number printed on a card is the same identifier as the A-Number without the A prefix. If the card shows A-123456789, enter 123456789 in Section 1.
Per the M-274, Section 3.0:
Enter digits only unless your electronic system stores the A prefix. Do not drop leading zeros. A card showing A-012345678 is not the same as 12345678 in E-Verify.
Section 2 records the document title, issuing authority, document number, and expiration from the List A, B, or C documents you examined. The USCIS A-Number does not go in the document number column. On a green card, the document number is on the back. On an EAD, the card number is on the front next to USCIS#.
When you create an E-Verify case, the A-Number from Section 1 must match the number on the List A document. Mismatch is a common Tentative Nonconfirmation path. Wrong or missing immigration identifiers in Section 1 can also be substantive under the March 2026 ICE fact sheet. Paperwork range for recording errors: $288–$2,861 per form (2026 I-9 penalties).
"The A-Number on the EAD and the number in Section 1 have to match character for character," says Patricia Duarte, Director of Compliance at i9 Intelligence. "We see leading zeros dropped, or someone copies the receipt number from the approval notice instead of the USCIS number on the card itself."
Putting the A-Number in Section 2 document number. The employer sees USCIS# on the front of a green card or EAD and types it where the form asks for document number. On a green card the document number is on the back. On an EAD both numbers sit on the front, which makes the swap easy if you are moving fast.
Copying the I-797 receipt number. The receipt number (SRC, LIN, MSC, etc.) identifies one filing. It is not the person's USCIS A-Number, even though both appear in the upper-left of the notice.
Leaving Section 1 blank when the employee is an LPR. Lawful permanent residents must complete the A-Number field. If they do not know it, the card in their wallet has it on the front.
Assuming every authorized worker has an A-Number. Many nonimmigrants use I-94 or passport paths in Section 1 and leave the A-Number box empty. That is correct when they truly have no A-Number. More context: what is work authorization.
A unique 7- to 9-digit number USCIS assigns to noncitizens with an immigration file. On Form I-9, enter it in Section 1 when the employee is a lawful permanent resident or a noncitizen authorized to work who has one. Verify it against the USCIS# on a green card or EAD when those are the List A documents.
On the front of Form I-766, labeled USCIS# or A#. Enter the digits without the letter A in Section 1. The Card Number on the same face goes in Section 2, not Section 1.
The A-Number identifies the person. A receipt number on Form I-797 identifies one application or petition. They appear near each other on notices but serve different purposes. Only the A-Number belongs on Form I-9 Section 1.
No. U.S. citizens and most nationals do not. Employees with only a U.S. passport or unrestricted Social Security card typically leave the A-Number field blank. Many H-1B and TN workers use I-94 or passport paths instead.
The same identifier as a USCIS A-Number. DHS assigns it to noncitizens in the immigration system. It appears on green cards, EADs, and USCIS notices and stays the same across renewals.
On a green card or EAD, look for USCIS# on the front. On I-797 notices, upper-left. If documents are lost, check my.uscis.gov, prior notices, a prior employer I-9, or an immigration attorney.
Yes. USCIS Number is the A-Number without the A prefix. A-123456789 and 123456789 are the same identifier on Form I-9.
No. The SSN is issued by SSA for tax and benefits. The USCIS A-Number is a DHS immigration identifier. A person may have one, both, or neither.
No. The I-94 Admission Number is 11 digits and identifies an admission event. The USCIS A-Number is 7-9 digits and identifies the immigration file. Section 1 accepts one or the other for authorized aliens, not both in the same box.
Front of the card, labeled USCIS# or Alien #. Document Number is on the back. See green card number for I-9.
Lawful permanent residents must provide one in Section 1. Other authorized aliens may provide A-Number, I-94, or foreign passport information depending on what their documents support.
Select noncitizen authorized to work and complete I-94 or foreign passport fields instead. Blank A-Number is correct when no A-Number exists.
The A-Number identifies the person (Section 1). The document number identifies the card you examined (Section 2). Swapping them is one of the most common audit findings.
Noncitizens with a USCIS immigration file: LPRs, asylees, refugees, EAD holders, many TPS beneficiaries, and others with pending or approved USCIS cases. U.S. citizens do not.
No. Treat it as sensitive personal information. Use it only for I-9, E-Verify, and required immigration processes.
If Section 1, the card, and the E-Verify case disagree on digits, stop before you "fix" the I-9 to match the error screen. That is usually a typo, a dropped leading zero, or a receipt number copied by mistake. Reverification rules when status changes: I-9 reverification facts.
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