Your US visa number is the eight-character code printed in red ink near the bottom-right corner of the visa sticker, or “foil,” glued inside your passport. It usually reads as one letter followed by seven digits. The federal government uses it to tie your specific visa to your file, and you’ll be asked for it on immigration forms, status change applications, and other filings with US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Where to Find It on the Visa Foil
Open your passport to the page with the US visa sticker. The number sits in the lower-right area of the foil, printed in red while everything else on the sticker is printed in black. That color contrast is the fastest way to identify it. The placement is the same across visa classes, whether you hold a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, an F-1 student visa, an H-1B work visa, or another category.
If you see a cluster of roughly eight red characters, that’s it. Name, nationality, issuing consulate, and the other fields around it are all in black.
Format
The standard format is one letter followed by seven digits, for a total of eight characters. Older foils, or those printed during certain periods, may vary slightly in length. The red ink is the constant. The number itself doesn’t encode anything about you; it isn’t derived from your birth date or nationality. It’s a serial number that points to your record in the State Department’s database.
How It Differs From the Other Numbers on the Foil
The visa foil is crowded with identifiers, and picking the wrong one is the most common filing mistake. Each number tracks something different.
- Control number. Printed near the top of the foil, this is an internal reference for the consulate or embassy that issued the visa. Immigration forms almost never ask for it. Entering the control number where a form asks for the visa number can trigger a rejection, because the two point to different data sets.
- Passport number. This identifies your passport, not your visa. It appears on the foil and on your passport’s biographical page. Forms often request the passport number and the visa number separately, so they’re not interchangeable.
- Alien Registration Number (A-Number). A seven- to nine-digit number assigned by USCIS to noncitizens with long-term immigration records, such as green card holders. On an immigrant visa, it appears as the “Registration Number” near the top-right of the foil. Nonimmigrant visas (visitor, student, work) do not contain an A-Number.
- SEVIS ID. F-1 and M-1 students have a SEVIS ID, but it lives on the Form I-20, not on the visa foil.
When a form asks for your “visa number,” it means the red one at the bottom right. When in doubt, follow the color.
When You’ll Need the Number
A handful of immigration processes call for it, and having it ready prevents delays.
USCIS Forms and Status Changes
Applications to extend your stay or change your nonimmigrant status ask for the visa number. USCIS cross-references it against State Department records to confirm your original admission was valid, so an incorrect entry can delay processing or produce a denial.
I-94 Records
The Form I-94 is your official record of admission. The electronic system pulls most of your details from your travel documents at entry, but the visa number is useful if you later need to retrieve or verify your record through the CBP website.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94/I-95 Website
EVUS Enrollment
Chinese nationals holding a 10-year B-1, B-2, or B-1/B-2 visitor visa must enroll in the Electronic Visa Update System before traveling to the United States. The enrollment ties to the passport containing the visa, and without a valid EVUS enrollment you won’t be admitted even if the visa is otherwise valid.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) Frequently Asked Questions
One Place It Isn’t Used
The State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), where applicants check case status, uses the case number and passport number, not the visa foil number. If you’re logging into CEAC, you don’t need the red number.
After the Visa Expires
A visa’s expiration date controls how long you can use it to travel to a US port of entry, but the number remains part of your permanent immigration record. You may need it later when filing with USCIS, applying for a new visa, or responding to a request for evidence about your immigration history. Don’t discard or deface old passport pages with expired visas. The number ties back to your entire entry history and any benefits you received under that classification.
If Your Visa Is Lost or Stolen
Because a visa can only be used inside the passport it was issued in, losing the passport is urgent. The State Department directs affected travelers to take these steps:3USAGov. Foreign Visitors – What to Do if Your Visa or Passport Is Lost or Stolen
- File a police report and keep a copy.
- Contact your country’s embassy to arrange a replacement passport.
- If your paper I-94 was in the lost passport, retrieve the electronic record through the CBP I-94 website or request a replacement.
- Apply for a new US visa at a US embassy or consulate. Lost visas cannot be reissued; you go through the application process again, bringing the police report and a written account of the loss.
Keeping a photocopy or clear photo of your visa page pays off here. A record of the number, issuing post, and expiration date makes replacement significantly smoother. Store copies separately from the passport itself, whether digitally or as a physical backup in different luggage.