Permanent Residence (United States) - Reading A Permanent Resident Card

Reading A Permanent Resident Card

Most of the information on the card is self-evident. The computer and human readable signature at the bottom is not. The format is (digit range: expected data (information contained)):

• First line:

1–2: C1 or C2. C1 = Resident within the United States C2 = Permanent resident commuter (living in Canada or Mexico)

3–5: USA (issuing country, United States)

6–14: 9-digit number (A#, alien number)

15: application receipt number

16–30: immigrant case number that resulted in the approved green card. The "<" symbol represents a blank space

• Second line:

1-6: birth date (in YY/MM/DD format)

7: not documented, assumed to be a check digit

8: gender

9-14: expiration date (in YY/MM/DD format)

15: not documented, assumed to be a check digit

16-29: country of birth

30: not documented, assumed to be a check digit

• Third line:

last name, first name, middle name, first initial of father, first initial of mother (this line is spaced with "<<" between the last name and first name). Depending on the length of the name, the father's and mother's initials may be omitted.

A full list of category codes (i.e. IR1, E21, etc.) can be found in the Federal Register.

Since May 11, 2010, new Green Cards contain an RFID chip and can be electronically accessed at a distance. They are shipped with a protective sleeve intended to protect the card from remote access.