Form I-485 · Part 1, Item 10
I-485 Passport Number Used at Last Arrival (Part 1, Item 10): Which Passport To Use
Which passport number goes in Part 1, Item 10 when your passport has been renewed, replaced, or has expired since you entered, and how to tell it apart from your visa number and I-94 number.
Quick answer
Enter the number of the passport you physically handed to the officer at your most recent entry into the United States, copied exactly from that passport's data page, even if that passport has since expired, been renewed, or been replaced. The field is tied to the trip, not to whichever passport is valid today. If you last entered on a travel document instead of a passport (for example a refugee travel document or an advance parole document, the paper that lets certain applicants re-enter), use that document's number instead.
Summary
For a typical marriage-based filer, Form I-485 Part 1, Item 10 ("Recent Immigration History") wants the number of the passport you actually used the last time you entered the United States, even if that passport has since expired or been renewed. You, the immigrant spouse, are the applicant filing this I-485 for a green card (the process of getting one without leaving the country is called adjustment of status); your U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse is the petitioner who filed the Form I-130, and you are the beneficiary of that petition. Find the passport you handed to the officer at your last arrival, open it to the photo (data) page, and copy the passport number exactly as printed there. This is not your visa number and not the I-94 number (the Form I-94 is the arrival record U.S. Customs and Border Protection creates each time you are admitted). The passport tied to that specific entry is the right one because the Instructions say your evidence of admission "must be related to the most recent arrival," so a passport you renewed or replaced afterward is the wrong one to list here.
| What it asks | The number of the passport (or travel document) you used to enter the United States on your most recent arrival, not whichever passport is valid today. |
| Where to find it | The passport number on the photo (data) page of the passport you actually traveled on for that last entry. Copy it exactly, including any letters. |
| If that passport has expired or been renewed | Still use the old one you actually entered on. The field is tied to the trip, not to your current passport. USCIS lets you file with an expired passport. |
| Not the same as | Not the nonimmigrant visa number (a separate field just below), not the 11-digit I-94 admission number, and not the passport's expiration date or issuing country (their own separate fields). |
| If you entered on a travel document | Use that document's number instead of a passport number, for example a refugee travel document or an advance parole document you were paroled in on. |
Who this page is for
This page helps you pick the right passport number for Item 10 and tell it apart from your visa and I-94 numbers, including when the passport has since expired or been renewed. It does not cover whether your entry itself could be a problem for your green card. If your most recent entry was without inspection or parole, if you overstayed or worked without permission, or if your name appears differently across passports in a way that could raise identity questions, talk it through with a licensed immigration attorney before you complete Part 1.
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What Item 10 looks like on the form
The passport field is the first line in Part 1 (Information About You), Item 10, the “Recent Immigration History” block. The visa number, the manner of entry, and the arrival date all sit in the same block, which is why the numbers get mixed up.
Verbatim · Form I-485, Part 1, Item 10 (edition 01/20/25, page 2)
“Recent Immigration History”
“If you last entered the United States using a passport or travel document, provide the following information.”
“Passport or Travel Document Number Used at Last Arrival”
“Expiration Date of this Passport or Travel Document (mm/dd/yyyy) / Country that Issued this Passport or Travel Document”
The field label says “Used at Last Arrival,” so it is tied to the passport you traveled on that specific trip. The Instructions do not spell out Item 10 step by step, but they do set the rule that ties the answer to that arrival: your proof of being admitted has to describe the same entry.
Verbatim · I-485 Instructions, “Evidence of Inspection and Admission or Inspection and Parole” (edition 01/20/25, page 11)
“All other applicants must provide evidence of inspection and admission or inspection and parole into the United States. This evidence also must be related to the most recent arrival into the United States.”
That is why a passport you renewed or replaced after your entry is the wrong one to list: it does not describe your last arrival. In the rare case you did not enter on a passport or travel document at all, the general rule below tells you what to write.
Verbatim · I-485 Instructions, “How To Complete Form I-485,” Item 3 (edition 01/20/25, page 5)
“Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been married and the question asks, "Provide the name of your current spouse"), type or print "N/A," unless otherwise directed.”
Always complete the current edition from uscis.gov/i-485; USCIS rejects outdated editions.
What the passport number is, and why “last arrival” matters
A passport is the booklet your home country issues to identify you as its citizen for international travel. The passport number is the identifier printed on the photo page (also called the data page or biographic page), usually near your name and photo. Item 10 does not ask for whatever passport you hold now. It asks for the passport you used at your last arrival, the one you handed to the U.S. officer when you were inspected and admitted or paroled into the country. That is why the field label ends in "Used at Last Arrival." A passport is one kind of travel document, so if you entered on a different travel document instead, such as a refugee travel document or an advance parole document (the paper USCIS issues that lets certain people leave and re-enter while a case is pending), the number of that document goes here.
Where to find the number
Work through these in order, starting with the passport you actually traveled on.
Pull out the passport you actually used for your last U.S. entry
This is the booklet you handed to the officer at the airport or border the last time you came in, even if you have since renewed it or been issued a new one. If you have traveled on more than one passport, the one tied to your most recent arrival is the one that matters here.
Open to the photo (data) page
The passport number is on the main identity page with your photo, name, date of birth, and nationality. On most passports it is labeled "Passport No." or "Document No." and sits near the top-right or is printed down the side.
Copy the number exactly, letters and all
Passport numbers are usually six to nine characters and can mix letters and digits. Type it character for character as printed on the data page. Do not confuse it with the two lines of characters and chevrons (<<<) at the very bottom of the page, which are the machine-readable zone, not the passport number to enter.
If you entered on a travel document, use that document's number
Some applicants last entered not on a passport but on a refugee travel document, a reentry permit, or an advance parole document. In that case, enter the number of that travel document, and the expiration date and issuing authority fields below it describe that document instead of a passport.
Which number is this? Four that get mixed up
Item 10 stacks several identifiers in one block. These are the four people confuse, and where each one actually lives.
Scroll the table sideways to see the “On the I-485” column →
| Number | What it is | Where shown | On the I-485 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passport number | Identifies your passport booklet, issued by your home country. This is the number Item 10 asks for. | The photo (data) page of the passport, near your name and photo | Part 1, Item 10, "Passport or Travel Document Number Used at Last Arrival" |
| Nonimmigrant visa number | Identifies the visa foil (sticker) a U.S. consulate placed in your passport. Usually eight characters, printed in red. | Lower-right corner of the visa sticker, in red ink | Part 1, Item 10, "Nonimmigrant Visa Number Used During Most Recent Arrival (if any)" (a separate field just below the passport field) |
| I-94 admission number | The 11-digit number U.S. Customs and Border Protection assigns to your admission record each time you are admitted or paroled. | Your Form I-94 at the CBP website (cbp.gov/i94), or a paper I-94 | Used for the manner-of-entry questions (Items 11-12), not the passport field |
| Travel document number | Identifies a non-passport travel document, such as a refugee travel document, reentry permit, or advance parole document. | On the travel document itself, usually the biographic page | Part 1, Item 10, in the same box, only if you entered on that document instead of a passport |
How to write the number in the box
Four rules cover the passport-number field in Item 10.
Copy it exactly from the data page, character for character
Enter the passport number just as it is printed on the photo page, including any leading letter. Do not add spaces or dashes that are not printed, and do not drop or add leading zeros.
Use the passport from the last arrival, not your current one
If you renewed your passport or were issued a new one after that entry, the new number describes the wrong document. Item 10 is tied to the trip, so the number must come from the passport you actually presented at your last arrival.
This is not the visa number or the I-94 number
The nonimmigrant visa number has its own field just below this one, and the I-94 admission number belongs to the manner-of-entry questions. Keep each number in its own box so the three do not get swapped.
The expiration date and country go in their own fields
The two fields directly under the number, "Expiration Date of this Passport or Travel Document" and "Country that Issued this Passport or Travel Document," describe the same document whose number you just entered, including when it is an expired passport.
If the passport is expired, renewed, lost, or you hold two
The answer stays anchored to the document you actually entered on.
Your passport has expired
An expired passport is still the right one to name if it is the passport you entered on. USCIS accepts I-485 filings with an expired passport, and the copy you submit as proof of your admission is the page from that passport. Bring valid photo identification to your biometrics appointment and interview, but the expired passport number is what belongs in Item 10.
You renewed or replaced the passport after entering
Use the old passport's number, not the new one. The field is about the document tied to your last arrival, and the Instructions require your admission evidence to relate to that arrival, so the passport you traveled on is the correct one even after a renewal.
You no longer have the passport you entered on
Look for a photocopy, a scan, or a photo of the data page, or the admission stamp your I-94 record was built from at cbp.gov/i94. Enter the number from whatever record shows the passport you actually used. Do not substitute a different passport's number to fill the box.
You hold two passports (dual nationality)
Enter the number of the specific passport you presented at your last U.S. entry, not the other one. Your admission record is tied to the document the officer inspected, so that is the passport this field describes.
What USCIS does with the passport number
USCIS uses the passport (or travel document) number to confirm exactly which document you traveled on for your most recent entry and to match it against the government's own record of how and when you were admitted or paroled. The Instructions require your proof of admission to relate to that last arrival, so the passport number, the manner of entry, and the I-94 all describe the same trip. This is a recordkeeping field, not a test you pass or fail. What can slow a case is a mismatch: entering the number of a passport you were issued after that entry, or copying the visa number or I-94 number into this box, so the document named on your form does not line up with the document you actually entered on. Listing the passport you truly used, even if it has since expired, is what keeps everything consistent.
Common mistakes
These are the ones that show up most often on this field.
- 1
Entering your current passport instead of the one you entered on
If you renewed your passport after your last U.S. entry, the current passport has a different number than the one you actually traveled on. Item 10 asks for the document used at that arrival, so the newer passport describes the wrong trip.
- 2
Putting the visa number in the passport box
The nonimmigrant visa number is a separate field just below this one and is the eight-character code printed in red on the visa sticker. The passport number is on the passport's photo page. Swapping them makes the form disagree with your documents.
- 3
Using the 11-digit I-94 admission number
The I-94 admission number comes from Customs and Border Protection at entry and identifies your arrival record, not your passport. It belongs to the manner-of-entry questions, not to the passport-number box in Item 10.
- 4
Copying the machine-readable zone at the bottom of the data page
The two long lines of characters with chevrons (<<<) at the bottom of the photo page are the machine-readable zone, not the passport number. Copy the shorter passport number printed in the identity fields near your name and photo instead.
- 5
Leaving it blank because the passport has expired
An expired passport is not a reason to leave the field empty. If you entered on that passport, its number still belongs here, and USCIS accepts filings made with an expired passport.
Not sure which number goes in which box?
Our software asks a few plain questions and fills the right fields the right way, keeping your passport, visa, and arrival numbers consistent across your whole I-130 and I-485 packet.
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Form and pathway context
Frequently asked questions
I renewed my passport after I arrived. Which passport number do I use?
Use the old passport, the one you actually handed to the officer at your last U.S. entry, not the renewed one. Item 10 asks for the document "Used at Last Arrival," and the I-485 Instructions say your evidence of admission must relate to that most recent arrival. The renewed passport describes a different document, so its number is the wrong one for this field.
My passport has since expired. Can I still file, and what number goes here?
Yes. USCIS accepts an I-485 filed with an expired passport, and the number that belongs in Item 10 is still the expired passport's number, because that is the passport you entered on. Submit a copy of that passport page as part of your proof of admission, and bring valid photo identification to your biometrics appointment and interview.
Is the passport number the same as my visa number or my I-94 number?
No. The passport number is on your passport's photo page and identifies the booklet. The nonimmigrant visa number is a separate field just below, printed in red on the visa sticker. The I-94 admission number is the 11-digit number Customs and Border Protection assigns your arrival record at cbp.gov/i94. Three different numbers, three different fields.
I entered on a travel document, not a passport. What do I enter?
Enter that travel document's number. The field is labeled "Passport or Travel Document Number," so a refugee travel document, a reentry permit, or an advance parole document you were paroled in on goes in the same box, and the expiration-date and issuing-country fields below describe that document.
I hold two passports. Which one does Item 10 want?
The one you actually presented at your most recent U.S. entry. Your admission record is tied to the specific document the officer inspected, so enter that passport's number, not your other nationality's passport.
Key takeaways
- ✓
Item 10 wants the passport you actually used at your last U.S. entry, copied exactly from the passport's photo (data) page.
- ✓
Use that passport even if it has since expired, been renewed, or been replaced. The field is tied to the trip, not to your current passport.
- ✓
USCIS accepts an I-485 filed with an expired passport; the expired passport's number still belongs in this field.
- ✓
It is not the nonimmigrant visa number (a separate field below, in red on the visa sticker) and not the 11-digit I-94 admission number.
- ✓
If you last entered on a travel document rather than a passport, enter that document's number in the same box.
This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-485, edition 01/20/25. Last verified August 2026.
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- 01Form I-485: Application to Adjust Status (2026 Guide)
- 02I-485 Nonimmigrant Visa Number (Part 1, Item 10): Find It or Leave Blank (2026)
- 03I-485 Place and Date of Last Arrival (Part 1, Items 10-12) (2026)
- 04I-485 A-Number (Part 1, Item 4): Leave It Blank? (2026)
- 05I-130 Beneficiary's Entry Information (Part 4, Items 45-46.d): I-94 & Class of Admission (2026)
- 06Adjustment of Status Guide (2026): Marriage Green Card
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