Who Is the Issuing Authority of Permanent Resident Card

For the Form I-9 issuing-authority field, enter U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a Permanent Resident Card, unless your card shows different wording. The card’s issuing authority appears on the front, so use the authority printed on your physical card when checking the form.

The issuing authority for a U.S. Permanent Resident Card

USCIS issues Permanent Resident Cards to people who have been granted lawful permanent residence in the United States.

The card is often called a Green Card. It shows that the person may live and work permanently in the United States. For employment paperwork, the card is also an acceptable document for proving identity and work authorization.

If you’re completing Form I-9, the answer to “issuing authority” is not your employer, the state where you live, or the office where you submitted an immigration application. It refers to the government agency that issued the card.

For most current Permanent Resident Cards, that agency is:

> U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

The safest way to confirm the answer is to look at the front of your card. Card designs can vary by issue date, and the printed wording matters when a form asks for the issuing authority.

Why the card is also called Form I-551 or an Alien Registration Receipt Card

A Permanent Resident Card has several names. You may see it described as:

• Permanent Resident Card
• Green Card
• Form I-551
• Alien Registration Receipt Card

These names refer to the same immigration document. “Form I-551” is the form number connected with the card. “Alien Registration Receipt Card” is another formal name for it.

That does not change the issuing authority. USCIS is generally the agency that issues the card. The different names can cause confusion when you’re filling out Form I-9, especially if the form or an employer’s instructions use one name while your card uses another.

Think of the terms this way:

• Form I-551 identifies the document type.
• Permanent Resident Card is the common name.
• Alien Registration Receipt Card is another formal name.
• USCIS identifies the issuing authority.
• The document number identifies the specific card.

Those details belong in different parts of the I-9 process.

Where to find the issuing authority on the card

Look at the front of the Permanent Resident Card. The issuing-authority wording is printed there.

On cards issued after May 2017, the authority is shown as:

> USCIS

You may need to look closely because the card includes several numbers, dates, and labels. Don’t assume the first number you see is the issuing authority. A number is usually part of the document information, not the name of the agency.

If you’re checking the card for Form I-9, identify these items separately:

1. The name of the document: Permanent Resident Card.
2. The issuing authority: usually USCIS.
3. The document number: the number assigned to that particular card.
4. The expiration date, if the form asks for it.

The card itself should be your first reference. This is especially useful when an older card does not look exactly like a newer one.

What to enter for issuing authority on Form I-9

For a Permanent Resident Card used with Form I-9, enter the authority shown on the card. For newer cards, that will be USCIS.

If the form has a separate field for the document number, don’t type “USCIS” there. The fields ask for different information:

• Issuing authority: USCIS, or the wording printed as the authority on your card.
• Document number: the card’s own identification number.
• Expiration date: the date shown on the card, when applicable.

This distinction matters because “USCIS” is an agency name, while the document number belongs to your individual card.

Employers and HR staff should also compare the entry with the physical document. If the wording on the card does not match the expected example, the card should not simply be relabeled from memory. Check the official Form I-9 instructions or ask the employee to confirm the information before the form is submitted.

How newer and older cards may display the authority

Newer Permanent Resident Cards issued after May 2017 display USCIS as the issuing authority.

Older cards may have a different design or may present the information less clearly. That does not automatically mean the card has a different issuer. It means the printed layout and wording may not look the same as a newer card.

This is where checking the actual card becomes more helpful than relying on a general list. Some references may describe the document under another government department, including the Department of State. That wording can create uncertainty. For the I-9 field, focus first on the issuing-authority wording printed on the card and follow the official Form I-9 instructions if the card does not fit the usual example.

In other words, don’t guess based only on the card’s nickname or the agency involved in an earlier immigration process. The authority that matters for this field is the authority shown on the document.

Other Permanent Resident Card details used on Form I-9

The issuing authority is only one piece of the information connected with the card. Form I-9 may also require details that identify the document itself.

The most common mix-ups involve the document name and document number. A person may correctly identify the card as a Permanent Resident Card but then place “Form I-551” or “USCIS” in the wrong box.

Use the labels this way:

• Document title: Permanent Resident Card, if that is the option or wording used on the form.
• Issuing authority: USCIS, or the authority printed on the card.
• Document number: the number assigned to the specific card.
• Expiration date: copy the date from the card if one is requested.

The Permanent Resident Card document number for I-9 is not the same thing as the issuing authority. The document number is tied to the individual card. USCIS is the agency name.

Before submitting the form, compare each entry with the card instead of entering all the information from memory.

Common mistakes when identifying the issuing authority

A few simple errors show up often:

Entering the document number as the authority

A long string of letters and numbers may stand out on the card. That is not the issuing authority. The authority is the agency name, usually USCIS.

Using the applicant’s country or state

The issuing authority is not the person’s birthplace, home state, or current address. It is the government agency that issued the Permanent Resident Card.

Confusing Form I-551 with USCIS

Form I-551 is the document name or form designation. USCIS is the issuing agency. They are related, but they do not belong in the same field.

Assuming every card has identical wording

Older and newer cards can look different. If the authority on the physical card does not match the example you expected, don’t change the wording without checking the official instructions.

Treating the authority field as an immigration-status question

The I-9 field asks who issued the document. It does not ask you to explain how the person became a permanent resident or when the application was approved.

How the Permanent Resident Card differs from other I-9 documents

A Permanent Resident Card is one type of document used for Form I-9. Other documents have different issuing authorities.

For example, an Employment Authorization Document, often called an EAD, is not the same as a Permanent Resident Card. If you’re asking about the issuing authority for an employment authorization card, check that card itself and enter the authority printed on it. Don’t automatically copy the answer used for a Permanent Resident Card.

The same rule applies to other identity or work-authorization documents: look at the document being used, identify its issuing authority, and keep that information separate from its document number.

So, who issues permanent residency cards? USCIS generally does. Where is the issuing authority on an ID in this case? On the front of the Permanent Resident Card. What should you enter for the I-9? Use USCIS for newer cards, or the authority wording shown on the card.

If the authority on your card does not match these examples, check the official Form I-9 instructions or ask your employer’s HR representative before submitting the form.