What Is Class of Admission on Green Card

If a USCIS form asks for your class of admission, it usually wants the short code printed on your green card. This code tells USCIS how you became a lawful permanent resident.

The confusing part is that the form may also ask for your date of admission. That is a different piece of information. One is a category code. The other is a date.

Here’s how to tell them apart and find the right details before you submit a form.

What “class of admission” means on a green card

Your class of admission is the immigration category through which you received lawful permanent resident status. USCIS often calls this a COA, short for “class of admission.”

The COA appears as a code on your green card. It usually has:

• One or two letters
• A number after the letters

The letters point to the type of visa or immigration category involved. The number helps identify the specific category within that group.

Think of the code as a short label for your path to permanent residence. It can relate to a family petition, a job-based case, or a humanitarian program, among other categories.

The code does not tell your whole immigration story. It is not a full description of your case, and it does not replace the approval notice, immigrant visa record, or other documents connected to your application.

In USCIS terminology, class of admission on a green card means the category or route that led to your permanent resident status.

Where to find the class of admission code on your green card

Look at the front of your green card for a field labeled “Category.” The value in that field is generally the class-of-admission code USCIS wants when a form asks for your category or class of admission.

It may look like a short combination of letters and numbers rather than a written description such as “family-based immigrant.”

Do not confuse it with these other items on the card:

• USCIS# or your A-Number
• Card Expires
• Resident Since
• Your card number
• Your name, birth date, or country of birth

The code may be easy to miss because it is brief and printed among several other fields. If you have an older green card, the layout may look different. Start by looking for Category or a similar category field instead of relying only on the position of the code.

If the print is worn, blurry, or damaged, compare the card with your other immigration records. Avoid guessing from memory or choosing a code that merely looks similar.

How the letters and numbers in the code work

A class-of-admission code generally uses one or two letters followed by a number. The letters identify the broader visa type or immigration category. The number points to a more specific classification.

That basic pattern can help you recognize the code on your card. It does not, by itself, let you decode every part of your immigration history.

For example, two people may both have codes that begin with the same letter but have different numbers. Those numbers can represent different eligibility categories or circumstances. A code list may help explain a code, but only if you are using the correct list and the correct version of your immigration record.

This is why you should enter the code exactly as it appears. Do not:

• Add spaces or punctuation that are not printed
• Replace a letter with a number that looks similar
• Leave out the number
• Convert the code into a plain-English description
• Choose a code because it seems to match your family or work situation

A code list can tell you what a listed category generally means. It may not prove every fact about your individual case. For example, the code may point to a family-based category, but it may not tell you every detail about the petition, relationship, or processing history behind your admission.

What your admission category may relate to

The class of admission usually connects to the reason or legal pathway under which you became a permanent resident.

Common broad groups include:

Family-based admission

Family reunification is the largest immigrant class of admission. These cases can involve a qualifying family relationship and the immigration process connected with that relationship.

The code identifies the admission category. It does not necessarily spell out the exact family relationship in plain language.

Employment-based admission

Some people become permanent residents through employment, a job offer, professional qualifications, or another work-related path. The code can identify the employment-based category used for the admission.

Again, the code is a label. You may need your approval notice or other case records to confirm the details of the underlying case.

Humanitarian admission

The United States also grants lawful permanent resident status for humanitarian reasons. This can include certain programs or protections created for people facing serious hardship or danger.

A humanitarian-related code may show the category used for permanent residence, but the code alone may not explain the full basis for the protection or benefit.

These broad groups are useful for understanding what the code relates to. They are not a complete code table. If you need the exact meaning of a particular code, check the relevant USCIS or Department of Homeland Security record rather than trying to reconstruct it from a short example.

Class of admission versus date of admission

These two fields often appear together on USCIS forms, which makes them easy to mix up.

Your class of admission is the code. It answers:

> Through what category did I become a lawful permanent resident?

Your date of admission is a date. It answers:

> When was I admitted as a permanent resident?

The date may be connected to the date you became a permanent resident, not the date you first entered the United States as a tourist, student, worker, or another temporary visitor.

On a green card, the date you need may appear as “Resident Since.” That field is separate from the category code. It is often the first date to compare when a form asks for the date you became a permanent resident, but read the form’s instructions carefully because the exact wording matters.

Do not use the following automatically:

• The expiration date on your card
• The date you filed for the green card
• The date you received the physical card in the mail
• The date of a recent trip into the United States
• The date on a temporary visa

If the form says date of admission, check the wording against your green card and immigration records. If the date is unclear, use the official record that relates to your permanent resident admission. A temporary entry date and a permanent admission date are not the same thing.

How class of admission appears on Form I-94 for a B-2 visa

The phrase class of admission can also appear on Form I-94, the arrival and departure record used for many people admitted to the United States temporarily.

That creates an important distinction:

• On a green card, the class of admission describes the route to lawful permanent resident status.
• On an I-94, the class of admission describes the category under which you were admitted for that temporary stay.

For a person traveling with a B-2 visitor visa, the I-94 may show an admission category or code connected with that visit. The I-94 record is the key document for that entry. Do not assume that the code on a green card, a visa stamp, and an I-94 will serve the same purpose.

If a form asks for the I-94 class of admission for a B-2 visa, copy the information from the I-94 record for the relevant trip. Do not guess a code based only on the words “B-2” or on a code you saw in another person’s record.

A B-2 admission is also not the same as admission as a permanent resident. A person may have an I-94 from a temporary visit and later receive a green card through a separate immigration category. Each record can contain its own class-of-admission information.

What to do if the code is unclear or does not match your records

First, check the physical green card again. Look for the Category field and compare every character carefully. A smudged letter or number can change the meaning of the code.

Then compare it with records such as:

• Your USCIS approval notice
• Your immigrant visa or admission paperwork
• Your permanent resident records
• Your I-94, if the form concerns a temporary entry

The right record depends on the question being asked. A form about your green card may need the permanent resident category. A form about a particular trip may need the I-94 information for that trip.

If your card’s code does not match an approval notice or another official record, do not pick the code that seems most likely. The mismatch could come from a printing error, a changed immigration category, or confusion between two different records.

You can ask USCIS for help with a card or record problem. If the mismatch affects eligibility, immigration history, or a major application, consider speaking with a qualified immigration lawyer or accredited representative before filing.

How to use the class of admission when completing Form I-90 or another USCIS form

Form I-90 is used for several green card replacement and renewal requests. It may ask for information from your current or previous card, including your class of admission and the date you became a permanent resident.

For the class of admission field:

1. Find the Category code on the front of your green card.
2. Copy the letters and numbers exactly.
3. Check that you are entering the code in the class-of-admission field, not the USCIS number or card number.
4. Use the form instructions if the wording differs from the label on your card.

For the date field:

1. Look for Resident Since on the card.
2. Compare that date with the form’s wording.
3. Do not use the card expiration date.
4. Confirm the date against your permanent resident records if the card is damaged, incorrect, or replaced.

The same approach works on other USCIS forms: identify which immigration record the question refers to, then copy the matching information. A green card COA and an I-94 COA may both be called a “class of admission,” but they can describe different types of admission.

Before filing, compare the code and date on your green card with the USCIS form instructions. If the information does not match your records or you cannot read it with confidence, get qualified immigration help rather than guessing.