US Visa WatchWhat Is Non Immigrant Visa Number
The nonimmigrant visa number is the unique number assigned to a temporary U.S. visa. You can find it on the visa stamp inside your passport. A form may ask for it to connect your visa to your immigration record.
The tricky part is that a U.S. visa shows several numbers. They may sit close together, but they don't all mean the same thing. The number requested by a form might be the visa number, control number, DOS Case ID, or A-Number. Reading the label matters.
What a nonimmigrant visa number is
A nonimmigrant visa is for a temporary stay in the United States. The visa lets a person request entry for a specific temporary purpose, such as tourism, study, business, or work.
The visa number identifies the visa itself. It connects the physical visa printed in your passport with the related immigration records. A government form or application may ask for this number so the agency can locate the correct visa information.
You may see the term written in two ways:
- Nonimmigrant visa number
- Non-immigrant visa number
They refer to the same general thing. The spelling with or without a hyphen doesn't change which number you need.
The visa number belongs to the visa, not necessarily to you for every immigration matter. Other documents can have their own identifying numbers. For example, an A-Number is a separate immigration identifier, and a passport has its own passport number.
What nonimmigrant visas are used for
The visa category tells you why the person is seeking temporary entry. Common examples include:
- B-1/B-2: Business visits and tourism
- F-1: Study
- H-1B: Temporary work in an approved professional role
The visa number identifies the visa printed for that category. So someone with a B-1/B-2 visa, an F-1 visa, or an H-1B visa may all have a visa number, even though the purpose of the stay is different.
The category and the number answer different questions:
- The category says what type of temporary visa you have.
- The visa number identifies the specific visa issued to you.
That distinction helps when a form asks for both. Don't enter “B-1/B-2” in a box asking for the visa number. The category is usually shown in a separate field.
Where to find the visa number on a U.S. visa stamp
Start with the actual U.S. visa stamp or sticker in your passport. Don't begin with the passport's information page or an old application receipt.
Look for the field labeled Visa Number. On many U.S. visa stamps, this number appears in red near the lower-right area of the visa. The exact design and placement can vary, so use the printed label as your guide rather than relying only on color or location.
A practical way to read the visa is to separate the information into groups:
- Find the visa category, such as B-1/B-2, F-1, or H-1B.
- Find the name and passport details.
- Look for the field marked Visa Number.
- Copy that number exactly as shown.
Pay attention to letters and numbers that can look alike. For example, a printed character may be easy to misread when you are typing it into a form. If the form rejects the number, check the visa again instead of swapping it with another number on the page.
The visa number on a passport is usually a short identifying number printed as part of the visa itself. It is different from the passport number, which appears on the passport's biographical information page.
Visa number examples: B-1/B-2, F-1, and H-1B
The visa number works the same basic way across these visa categories: it identifies the individual visa printed in the passport.
B-1/B-2 visa
A B-1/B-2 visa is used for business visits and tourism. On the visa stamp, you may see the category listed as B-1/B-2 or in a similar combined format.
To answer “where is the visa number on a B1/B2 visa,” look for the field labeled Visa Number, commonly printed in red toward the lower-right portion of the visa. Enter that number when a form specifically asks for the B-1/B-2 visa number.
Don't use the B-1/B-2 category itself as the number. Don't use the control number just because it is another prominent number on the stamp.
F-1 visa
An F-1 visa is for study. The visa stamp may also show school-related or personal information, but the visa number is still the number in the field marked Visa Number.
The F-1 category tells the reader that the visa is connected to study. It doesn't replace the visa number. If a form asks for both the visa classification and the visa number, enter each in its matching box.
H-1B visa
An H-1B visa is for temporary work. As with the other examples, the H-1B label identifies the visa category, while the visa number identifies the particular visa.
When copying the number, use the visa stamp rather than trying to work it out from an approval notice or another immigration document. Those documents may contain different case or record numbers.
How the visa number differs from the control number
A U.S. visa can show a control number as well as a visa number. That is why people often ask, “Is the nonimmigrant visa number the same as the control number?”
You shouldn't assume they are the same.
The visa number is the identifier assigned to the visa. The control number is another number printed on the visa. The fact that both appear on the same document doesn't make them interchangeable.
Use the label on the form as the deciding clue:
- If the form asks for Visa Number, enter the number from the visa-number field.
- If it asks for Control Number, look for the control-number field.
- If it asks for a different identifier, don't substitute one of these numbers without clear instructions.
This is especially useful when an online form accepts one number but not another. A failed entry may mean you copied the wrong field, not that your visa is invalid or that the document has a problem.
How the visa number differs from an immigrant visa number and A-Number
The phrase immigrant visa number can cause confusion because it sounds almost identical to nonimmigrant visa number.
An immigrant visa is connected with a person seeking permanent immigration to the United States. A nonimmigrant visa is for a temporary stay. Both types of visas can have identifying numbers, but the terms describe different visa situations.
So, if a form asks for a nonimmigrant visa number, use the number connected with your temporary visa. Don't replace it with a number from an immigrant visa document simply because the form uses the word “visa.”
An A-Number, also called an alien number in some government paperwork, is different again. It consists of the letter A followed by 8 or 9 numbers. For example:
`A012345678`
That identifier is not the same as the visa number. It may appear on immigration records or other documents, but it shouldn't be entered in a visa-number field unless the form specifically tells you to do so.
The simplest way to keep these terms apart is to ask what the number identifies:
| Number or term | What it identifies |
|---|---|
| Visa number | The specific visa printed in the passport |
| Control number | A separate number shown on the visa |
| Immigrant visa number | A number connected with an immigrant visa |
| A-Number or alien number | An immigration identifier beginning with A |
| Passport number | The passport document itself |
| DOS Case ID | A case identifier used in Department of State records |
These labels may appear in the same general immigration process, but they are not automatic substitutes for one another.
Where to find a 9-digit alien number
If a form asks for a 9-digit alien number, it is usually referring to an A-Number, not the visa number.
Look for a number that starts with the letter A and is followed by 8 or 9 digits. One example is:
`A012345678`
The A-Number may be printed on an immigration document rather than on the U.S. visa stamp. If you only have your passport visa in front of you and cannot find a number beginning with A, don't turn the visa number into an A-Number or add an A to the front of it.
A form may ask for the A-Number, visa number, and passport number in separate fields. If so, each field needs the matching identifier.
What to do when a form asks for your visa number
Before typing anything, read the full label beside the box. Small wording differences matter.
Use this quick check:
- “Visa number” or “nonimmigrant visa number”: Find the field labeled Visa Number on the visa stamp.
- “Visa classification”: Enter the category, such as B-1/B-2, F-1, or H-1B.
- “Control number”: Use the separately labeled control number.
- “DOS Case ID”: Look for the Department of State case identifier on the related case documents.
- “A-Number” or “alien number”: Use the identifier beginning with A.
- “Passport number”: Use the number on the passport information page.
Copy the number carefully and keep the same order of characters. If a form asks for a number you can't locate, or the number on your document doesn't match the form's instructions, don't guess.
Compare the exact label on the form with the exact label on your visa. If the document is unclear or the numbers don't match the requested format, check guidance from the relevant U.S. government office or ask a qualified immigration professional before submitting the application.