Where Did You Apply for Your Immigrant Visa or Adjustment of Status?

This article was reviewed by Rohit Mittal – co-founder of Stilt, Inc, financial expert, and immigrant. To learn more about Rohit’s credentials, visit his LinkedIn, Substack, and Twitter.

Applying to replace or renew your Green Card can be a tricky (and sometimes frustrating) situation to be in. Especially if you need to provide information that you have no idea where to start looking for, or you don’t understand what they actually want. These can be questions like, “Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status?” or having to provide your A-number.

We’ll help you answer these (and other) questions with a little more ease by taking a look at the most tricky sections of Form I-90 below.

But first, the answer to the question, “Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status?” will depend on whether you applied for an adjustment of status or consular processing when you first applied for your permanent residency status.

Adjustment of Status

If you filed for a Green Card from within the U.S., you filed for an Adjustment of Status. To answer the question “Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status?” look at the details on your Green Card. It should state clearly which office granted you the adjustment of your status and use that as your answer. If you lost your Green Card, you can list the USCIS office where you applied for the status adjustment.

Please report a lost or stolen Green Card to the police as soon as possible. Having an official statement about a lost or stolen Green Card will help you to get a new one from the USCIS faster. Also, make a copy of your Green Card as soon as you receive it and store it in a safe place. This will serve as a backup if you need to apply for something like a citizenship marriage.

Consular Processing

If you applied for a Green Card from abroad, you would have made use of consular processing. This means you weren’t in the U.S. at the time of your immigration status change. When you need to answer the question, “Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status?” you can list the city and country of the U.S. Embassy or consulate where you applied for your immigrant visa. This is the acceptable answer for someone in your situation.

Adjustment of Status Process

You can use the I-90 Green Card application form for the renewal or replacing of Green Cards. The document can be downloaded from the USCIS website. To make it easier, you can follow the instruction sheet to guide you through the process of completing the form.

I-90 Sections People Struggle With

There are a few sections on the I-90 form that tend to get a bit tricky. Here are a few questions people regularly need help with and some guidance on how you can answer them.

Part 1, Item 1: Alien Registration Number (A-Number)

You can find your A-Number on any of these documents:

• Green Card – Look for the number under the heading “USCIS#”
• Employment Authorization Document – Look for the number under the heading “USCIS#”
• Immigrant Visa – Look for the number under the heading “Registration Number”
• Form I-797C (Notice of Action) – Look for the number under the heading “USCIS#”
• Immigrant Data Summary – Look for the number next to the heading that says “A-Number”
• Immigrant Fee Handout – The top right-hand corner has a number that starts with an A.

An A-Number needs to start with an A and have 9 digits that follow. If it’s only 8 digits, you need to add a zero between the A and the first digit of the number. For example, “A12345678” would need to become “A012345678” because there are only 8 digits.

Part 1, Item 2: USCIS ELIS Account Number (if any)

If you previously filed an electronic application, you will have an account number. If you didn’t you can leave this section blank.

Part 1, Item 11: Class of admission

On your Green Card, there is a “Category” section that states your class of admission. This will typically be two letters and a number, for example, “NP5”.

Part 1, Question 12: Date of admission

Use the date listed on your Green Card under the heading “Resident since” for this question.

Part 3, Item 1: Location where you applied for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status

Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status? As explained above, list the U.S. embassy, consulate, or USCIS office where you originally applied.

Part 3, Item 2: Location where your immigrant visa was issued or USCIS office where you were granted adjustment of status

List the U.S. embassy, consulate, or USCIS office where you were issued your immigrant visa or Green Card (whichever one of the two documents applies).

Part 3, Item 3a: Destination in the United States at the time of admission

You need to complete this section only if you entered the U.S. with an immigrant visa. State clearly where in the U.S. you intended to go (i.e. the place you will stay in the U.S.).

Part 3, Item 3a1: Port-of-Entry where admitted to the United States

Please list the port you entered into the U.S. (only fill out this section if you used an immigrant visa). List the airport, bridge, tunnel, border crossing, or harbor you used to enter.

Adjustment of Status Cost and Next Steps

The filing fee for your renewal or replacement application is $450, which should include the $85 biometric service fee. These appointments will be scheduled as soon as your application is processed.

Wait Time for New Green Card?

The USCIS works on a first come first served basis. You can wait anywhere between two and six months for your new card to be approved and issued. You’ll need to work fast and well in advance if you apply for a renewal. You can also check the progress of your application on your USCIS ELIS account.

Proof of Status Before the Card Arrives

Sometimes you’ll need to prove your permanent residency status before you get your new Green Card. This could be in situations such as when you want to apply for a permanent resident student loan. This can be a problem if you lost your Green Card.

As a temporary solution, you can take your passport to your biometric scanning appointment and ask an official to stamp it. This will help to prove your permanent residency status while you wait.

Read More

• Can I Stay More Than 6 Months Outside the U.S. with a Green Card?
• Green Card Process Steps: EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Visa
• SSN Update After Green Card
• How Long Does it Take for USCIS to Make a Decision After an Interview?
• Can You Be Deported if You are Married to an American Citizen?
• Which Countries Can You Visit With a Green Card?

Conclusion

Where did you apply for your immigrant visa or adjustment of status? Answering this question won’t be an obstacle when applying for the renewal or replacement of your Green Card anymore. You can use the guidelines we provide above to help increase your chances of a successful application.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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