Class of Admission is a designation given to nonimmigrants when they enter the country. Generally, it aligns with your initial visa type. Your Class of Admission can be found on your I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, and on your Permanent Resident Green Card.
As you go through the immigration process with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), this class may change. Keeping track of these changes is critical. If you put the wrong class on your green card renewal, for example, you could face serious delays.
What Are the Classes?
There’s a huge number of classes you’ll find on immigration and visa paperwork. The famous H-1B program to hire skilled nonimmigrant workers gets its name from the class of admission for that kind of visa.
If you are curious about your code, you can look at the full list of Immigrant Classes of Admission to learn what your code means. What’s more important is knowing where to find the code if you’re asked for it.
Why Is This Code So Important?
Sometimes the USCIS will ask for this code when you send them an application. The most common one is Form I-90, the green card renewal form. On the top left of this form, you need to put in the three-character code.
Since you need to keep your green card up to date to remain a permanent resident, it’s crucial to know what it is! Putting down the wrong code could cause the USCIS to misclassify you, or even consider you a nonimmigrant.
Where Is Class of Admission on My Green Card?
Your Class of Admission is located under “Category” on your green card. It is typically one or two letters followed by a number. See below, circled in red.
If you still have an older green card, the Class of Admission may appear on the back instead. There are other places you can find this code if you’ve lost your green card.
Where Else Can I Find My Class of Admission?
If you still have your initial visa, that will also have your class of admission under “IV Category”, but be careful of using this code. If you were admitted under a code that starts with C, your code may have changed.
The C codes are for conditional residents, like if you’re a relative of a U.S. citizen. If those conditions have changed, your code will be different. If you have received documents that updated your code, use the new code instead.
What If I’m a Permanent Resident Already?
If you’re already a permanent resident, then your nonimmigrant visa code will be invalid. Instead, if you don’t have your green card, look for your I-485 Adjustment of Status approval notice and use the code from that form.
Can I Find My Class of Admission in My I-94 Record?
An I-94 record is how Customs and Border Protection tracks people who are not citizens or permanent residents in the United States. This form tells you how long you can legally stay in the United States, and it also has your Class of Admission. Newcomers to the country may get one of these at the very start of the process if they did not enter on an immigrant visa. It is simple to get a copy of your I-94 record. Simply go to the Customs and Border Patrol website and request one.
