Alien Registration Number (A#) for I-485/I-130

[h1bdude1]

Hello gurus,
need little help from you guys. Right now i am on H1b.
I am about to file my Family based I-485, I-130, I-765, I-131. on all these forms they are asking for A# ( Alien Registration Number).

I was on F1 visa before. so i have one expired EAD card which i got during my OPT in 2005. this card has a A#.
so should i put this A# on all forms( I-485,I-130,I-765,I-131) or leave it blank.???

H1bdude1

[h1bdude1]

anybody please respond !!


hibdude1

[kondur_007]

Originally Posted by h1bdude1

Hello gurus,
need little help from you guys. Right now i am on H1b.
I am about to file my Family based I-485, I-130, I-765, I-131. on all these forms they are asking for A# ( Alien Registration Number).

I was on F1 visa before. so i have one expired EAD card which i got during my OPT in 2005. this card has a A#.
so should i put this A# on all forms( I-485,I-130,I-765,I-131) or leave it blank.???

H1bdude1

I believe that A# is like SSN and one person can have only one number. To the best of my knowledge you should use the same A# on all those applications.

However, I have known people who had more than one A# assigned, but they were then advised to contact USCIS to merge those files. I would think, it would make sense to use the same A#.

Again, it would be of great help if you can clarify this with an attorney, or someone else on this forum who is more knowledgeable than me.

Good Luck.

[h1bdude1]

I also read somwhere that if you are not sure regarding your A#, then you can also leave it blank.
I have one more problem. I lost this Expired EAD card during moving and now i only have its Front copy which i am going to submit with my I-765 form.
will it be any problem submitting only front copy of the Previous EAD because they are requesting for both (Front and Back).

thanks
h1bdude1

Originally Posted by kondur_007

I believe that A# is like SSN and one person can have only one number. To the best of my knowledge you should use the same A# on all those applications.

However, I have known people who had more than one A# assigned, but they were then advised to contact USCIS to merge those files. I would think, it would make sense to use the same A#.

Again, it would be of great help if you can clarify this with an attorney, or someone else on this forum who is more knowledgeable than me.

Good Luck.

[ashkam]

Originally Posted by h1bdude1

Hello gurus,
need little help from you guys. Right now i am on H1b.
I am about to file my Family based I-485, I-130, I-765, I-131. on all these forms they are asking for A# ( Alien Registration Number).

I was on F1 visa before. so i have one expired EAD card which i got during my OPT in 2005. this card has a A#.
so should i put this A# on all forms( I-485,I-130,I-765,I-131) or leave it blank.???

H1bdude1

You can give your OPT A# but once you're assigned a permanent visa number, they'll give you a different number. Your OPT A# is just a temporary number.

[InTheMoment]

Originally Posted by ashkam

You can give your OPT A# but once you're assigned a permanent visa number, they'll give you a different number. Your OPT A# is just a temporary number.

I think you mean once you are assigned a permanent A# ! It is assigned before a visa number is assigned.

A number series starting with 1 (eg. for OPT) are temporary. Those starting with 9 are permanent.

USCIS has a regular A# consolidation unit as well as a column to check for more than one A# on their internal worksheet for I-485.

Bottom-line: give your OPT A# and they will take care of the rest. This is what I did and worked.

[h1bdude1]

one more question Plz. Sorry for bugging.

I lost this Expired EAD card during moving and now i only have its Front copy which i am going to submit with my I-765 form.
will it be any problem submitting only front copy of the Previous EAD because they are requesting for both (Front and Back) of the Previous EAD.

thanks
h1bdude1

Originally Posted by InTheMoment

I think you mean once you are assigned a permanent A# ! It is assigned before a visa number is assigned.

A number series starting with 1 (eg. for OPT) are temporary. Those starting with 9 are permanent.

USCIS has a regular A# consolidation unit as well as a column to check for more than one A# on their internal worksheet for I-485.

Bottom-line: give your OPT A# and they will take care of the rest. This is what I did and worked.

[InTheMoment]

I personally don't think that would be a problem. Just send whatever you have.

[transpass]

Originally Posted by h1bdude1

Hello gurus,
need little help from you guys. Right now i am on H1b.
I am about to file my Family based I-485, I-130, I-765, I-131. on all these forms they are asking for A# ( Alien Registration Number).

I was on F1 visa before. so i have one expired EAD card which i got during my OPT in 2005. this card has a A#.
so should i put this A# on all forms( I-485,I-130,I-765,I-131) or leave it blank.???

H1bdude1

As far as I know, the OPT A# is different from what you will get from filing 140. Once you receive 140 approval notice, it should have the A# which you can use on 485...If you don't have one or don't know, leave it blank...

[huchinango]

Dear h1bdude1:

I'm in your exact same situation. Would you mind letting me know what happened with your A# and misplaced EAD with only the copy of the front side? Did you use the old F-1 OPT A# or leave it blank?

Thanks and hope things worked out!
-H