Photo by Alex Perz on Unsplash

Have you received permanent residence status but still haven't received your green card?

If that's your situation, you should learn about something called an ADIT stamp. 

An ADIT stamp (Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication stamp, also known as an I-551 stamp) is a stamp that is placed either on an Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) or in an unexpired passport, and it acts as temporary evidence of Lawful Permanent Resident status and employment authorization.

USCIS recently announced that Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who are waiting for a green card may receive an ADIT stamp by mail, rather than by physically visiting a USCIS field office. 

You may remember a couple years ago when we wrote about the thousands of lawful permanent residents waiting for green cards due to USCIS' printing backlog. Although USCIS seems to be making great strides in that area, there are still thousands of people waiting longer than expected to receive their green card. 

Should I Get an ADIT Stamp?

As an LPR, you are entitled to evidence of status and may require temporary evidence of status in the form of an ADIT stamp if:

• You do not have your Green Card; or
• Your Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, or Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is still pending adjudication and your Green Card and extension notice have expired.

How Do I Get an ADIT Stamp?

If your situation matches the above criteria, you should call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 to request temporary evidence of status. An immigration services officer will verify your identity, your physical mailing address, and whether your address can receive UPS or FedEx express mail. 

They will then either schedule an in-person appointment for you, if needed, or submit a request to the USCIS field office to issue the ADIT stamp. If an in-person appointment is not needed, the USCIS field office will review the request for temporary evidence and mail you a Form I-94 with ADIT stamp, DHS seal, and a printed photo of you obtained from USCIS systems.

Although the goal behind this new announcement is to reduce the scheduling burden on USCIS field offices, please note that some lawful permanent residents will still need to appear in person at a USCIS field office to receive temporary evidence of status, including those who have urgent needs, do not have a useable photo in USCIS systems, or whose address or identity cannot be confirmed.

If you have questions about applying for a USCIS petition, please reach out to us at (757) 422-8472, or send us a message on our website. You can also schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys by clicking on this link.