I-9 Documents for Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents)
Which acceptable documents work, and your right to choose them. General info, not legal advice.
Your Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551, the “green card”) is a List A document, it proves both identity and work authorization on its own.
How I-9 documents work
To complete Form I-9 you show your employer either one document from List A (which proves both who you are and that you’re authorized to work) or one document from List B (identity) plus one from List C (work authorization). You never need all three, it’s List A, or List B + List C. See the full lists of acceptable documents.
Documents you’ll commonly use
You can also choose a List B + List C combination instead (for example, a driver’s license plus an unrestricted Social Security card), and your employer cannot insist on seeing Form I-551 specifically.
The expiry date on a green card is the most common source of confusion here. It is the expiry of the card, not of your status, which is why permanent residents are generally not reverified at all. An employer who reverifies you because Form I-551 shows a date approaching is over-reverifying, and doing that only to green card holders is the pattern that reads as discrimination.
You choose which documents to show, not your employer
This matters: you decide which acceptable documents to present. An employer cannot require a specific document, reject a valid one, or ask for more than the I-9 requires, doing so is illegal “document abuse.” The documents described here are common examples for your situation, not a required list.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules depend on your individual circumstances, check USCIS I-9 Central or a qualified immigration attorney for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) is a List A document, so it proves both identity and work authorization by itself, nothing else is needed.
No. As a lawful permanent resident you may present any valid documents from the lists, the green card, or a List B + List C combination. Requiring the green card specifically is illegal document abuse.