The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is expected to announced the implementation of a new program for Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamp applications.

An ADIT stamp (also known as an I-551 stamp) can be used by a lawful permanent resident as evidence of his or her permanent residence when the permanent residence card has not been received yet, has expired, or has been lost. Traditionally, an ADIT stamp was obtained by contacting the USCIS to schedule an appointment at a local USCIS office and appearing in person to receive the stamp.

Under the new application process, which may be introduced at certain local offices initially with an eventual nationwide expansion, a personal appearance at a USCIS office will no longer be necessary and the USCIS will mail to the applicant an ADIT stamp with the applicant’s photograph on Form I-94. The ADIT stamp will be valid for one year.

To apply for an ADIT stamp under this new process, the following steps must be completed:

1. The applicant or his or her attorney should contact the USCIS Contact Center by telephone at 1-800-375-5283 and ask to speak to a Tier 2 officer.
2. The applicant or his or her attorney should request an ADIT stamp and provide any necessary details.
3. The Contact Center will notify the appropriate USCIS field office.
4. The field office will then create a Form I-94 with the ADIT stamp and the applicant’s photo, and mail this to the applicant at his or her address of record.

To date, the USCIS has not indicated any fee will be charged for this service and estimated processing times for an ADIT stamp I-94 are not yet available.  The USCIS advises, however, that, if the applicant has not received the I-94 within 60 days, an inquiry should be made with the AILA USCIS Liaison.

Some local USCIS offices may also continue to issue ADIT stamps in emergency situations to walk-in applicants.  The applicant must typically live within the jurisdiction of the local office (to determine the jurisdictions of the local USCIS offices across the nation, please refer to: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/field-offices).  The process may vary depending on the local office.

T&S Takeaway

This new application program for ADIT stamps has not yet been widely publicized, but the USCIS is expected to make a formal announcement with further details regarding its implementation in the days ahead. The new ADIT stamp application process is a positive development and, if it functions effectively, will provide a less cumbersome and time-consuming means of obtaining proof of permanent residence when a permanent resident card is not available.  We will monitor the progress of this initiative and should be able to assess in the coming months if it is being successfully executed by the USCIS.