L1B Visa Number: Location on the Stamp and I-94 Differences

Your L1B visa number is the eight-character code printed in red at the bottom-right corner of the visa stamp (the full-page foil sticker) inside your passport. It is usually all digits, though it occasionally starts with a letter. Every other field on the stamp — your name, photo, classification, issuing post, expiration date — is printed in black, so the red number stands out once you know where to look.

What the Number Looks Like on the Stamp

The visa stamp is placed in your passport by the U.S. consulate or embassy after your L1B application is approved. The visa number itself is short: eight characters, red ink, bottom-right of the foil. That is the number a form means when it asks for your “visa number.”

The same stamp also carries a control number, printed elsewhere on the foil. That is an internal Department of State tracking code and is almost never what an immigration form is asking for. If you are unsure which is which, the red one at the bottom-right is the visa number.

Numbers That Are Not Your Visa Number

L1B holders carry several tracking numbers across their paperwork, and swapping one for another is one of the most common filing errors.

Petition receipt number. A 13-character code USCIS assigns when your employer files Form I-129. It starts with three letters identifying the service center (EAC, WAC, LIN, or SRC) and is followed by ten digits. It appears on your I-797 Notice of Action and in USCIS correspondence. It tracks the petition, not the visa.¹
I-94 admission number. Also called the departure number or admission record number. Customs and Border Protection issues it when you enter the United States, and it governs how long you may stay. It is a separate number from the visa number.²
Alien Registration Number (A-Number). The letter “A” followed by eight or nine digits, labeled “Registration Number” on the visa stamp. If yours has only eight digits after the A, pad it to nine with a leading zero. This number follows you across USCIS interactions and is not the visa number.³

If a form asks for the visa number, none of these will do. Go back to the red eight-character code on the stamp.

Documents Where the Visa Number Does Not Appear

A few documents that L1B holders assume must carry the visa number actually do not.

I-797 Approval Notice. This confirms that USCIS approved your employer’s L1B petition. It carries the petition receipt number and case details, but not the visa number, which is issued later by the Department of State at the consulate.⁴
DS-160 confirmation page. The online nonimmigrant visa application produces a barcoded confirmation page used at the interview. The visa has not been issued at that stage, so no visa number appears on it.⁵
Electronic I-94. Your online I-94 shows admission date, class of admission, and the date your authorized stay expires. It does not display the visa number from the stamp.

Visa Stamp Number vs. I-94 Number on Forms

This distinction genuinely matters. The visa stamp controls whether you can travel to the United States and request entry at the border. The I-94 record controls how long you may stay once admitted. Two documents, two numbers, sometimes two different expiration dates.

Your visa stamp can expire while you remain in the U.S. in valid status. As long as your I-94 has not expired and your L1B petition is still approved, you are lawfully present. You only need a new visa stamp if you leave and want to re-enter. When completing an immigration form, read closely whether it asks for the visa number from the stamp or the admission number from the I-94. Entering one where the other belongs can slow processing considerably.

If you need to look up or print your current I-94, use the CBP portal at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. You will need your passport number and entry information. The printout from that site is treated as your official record of admission and is what to hand to an employer, school, or agency asking for the I-94.⁶

When You Travel Back to the United States

Carry the passport with your valid visa stamp, your I-797 approval notice, and a copy of the approved I-129S if your employer petitioned under a blanket L.⁷ The number you present at the border is the one in your passport, on the foil.

If the Passport With Your Visa Stamp Is Lost or Stolen

Losing the passport that holds your L1B visa stamp does not end your authorized stay. You may remain in the United States for the period shown on your I-94, even without the physical visa in hand.⁸ What you lose is the ability to travel internationally and re-enter, because the number and stamp went with the passport.

File a police report and keep a copy. Then report the lost or stolen visa by emailing the consular section of the U.S. embassy or consulate that issued it. Include your full name, date of birth, place of birth, U.S. address, and whether the visa was lost or stolen. Attach a scan of the passport or visa page if you have one.⁸

Two details often catch L1B holders by surprise. Lost or stolen visas cannot be replaced inside the United States; you have to apply for a new one in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. And if you report a visa as lost and later find it, that visa is permanently canceled, and you still need to apply for a new one.⁸

Errors on the Visa Stamp Itself

If the stamp shows a misspelled name, a wrong classification, or another mistake, the fix has to come from the Department of State, not USCIS. Contact the U.S. consulate or embassy that issued the visa and expect to submit a correction request with supporting documents such as your passport bio page and the petition approval. USCIS cannot correct a Department of State product.

Honest transcription mistakes on a form are a different matter. If you notice you entered the wrong number on an application, contact USCIS or your employer’s immigration counsel promptly and correct it.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Receipt Number
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, Information for Completing USCIS Forms
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797: Types and Functions
5
Travel.State.Gov. DS-160: Frequently Asked Questions
6
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Arrival/Departure Forms: I-94 and I-94W
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
8
Travel.State.Gov. Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Arrival/Departure Records (Form I-94)