US Visa WatchWhat Is the Nonimmigrant Visa Number
If a U.S. immigration or travel form asks for your nonimmigrant visa number, it usually wants the red number printed near the lower-right corner of your U.S. visa foil inside your passport.
The visa foil is the visa page or stamp placed in your passport. Several numbers may appear on that page, so it’s easy to enter the wrong one. Use the red number as your first and strongest clue.
What the Nonimmigrant Visa Number Means
The nonimmigrant visa number is the identifier printed on your U.S. visa. It is commonly described as an eight-digit number.
You’ll find it on the visa foil inside your passport, not usually on the passport’s main information page. The visa may also show other numbers, letters, dates, and machine-readable text. Those fields serve different purposes.
A quick way to identify the right field:
> Visa number = red number near the lower-right corner of the U.S. visa foil
For example, a visa might include a red number that looks like this:
```text
12345678
```
That example is only a visual guide. Your number will be different.
The key points are its color, position, and placement on the visa foil:
- It is usually printed in red.
- It is near the lower-right corner.
- It is commonly shown as eight digits.
- It belongs to the visa page inside your passport.
Where to Look on the U.S. Visa Page
Open your passport to the page with the U.S. visa. Don’t start with the passport photo page. You’re looking for the page that contains the visa design, your photograph, visa type, name, dates, and other printed details.
Scan the visa from top to bottom. You may see:
- Your name
- Your photograph
- Visa category information
- Dates
- Passport or personal details
- A control number
- A machine-readable section
- The red visa number
The red number is the field most forms mean when they ask for the visa number, visa foil number, or nonimmigrant visa number.
The exact design can vary slightly between visas. Ink may also look less bright because of scanning, age, lighting, or print quality. If the page has several number strings, don’t choose the longest one automatically. Find the number printed in red near the lower-right area first.
How to Recognize the Red Number Near the Bottom
The number you need is often easy to spot once you know what to ignore.
Look toward the lower-right part of the visa foil. The number is printed in red, which helps separate it from nearby black text and other fields. It may appear by itself rather than inside the long lines of letters and symbols at the bottom.
Here’s a simple labeled layout:
```text
-------------------------------------------------
| U.S. VISA FOIL |
| |
| Photo Name and visa details |
| |
| Other printed information |
| |
| RED VISA NUMBER |
| 12345678 |
| |
| Machine-readable visa text |
-------------------------------------------------
```
This is not an exact copy of a visa design. It simply shows the main visual idea: the visa number is the red number near the lower-right corner, while the machine-readable text is a separate area.
If a form gives you a box labeled “nonimmigrant visa number,” enter the red number from this location unless the form gives different instructions.
Visa Number Compared With Other Numbers
A U.S. visa can contain several identifiers. The best way to avoid a mistake is to compare the fields directly rather than treating every number as interchangeable.
Visa number
This is the red number near the lower-right corner of the visa foil. It is commonly described as an eight-digit number.
This is generally the number meant by a form asking for your nonimmigrant visa number.
Control number
The control number is a different number printed on the visa. It is not the same as the red visa number.
This is the source of many form-filling mistakes. A form may ask for a visa number, while the visa page also shows a control number. Don’t enter the control number just because it is easier to read or appears first.
A useful rule is:
- Red number near the lower right: visa number
- Other field labeled or identified as control number: control number
If you’re asking, “What is the control number in a U.S. visa?” the short answer is that it is a separate printed identifier. It should not replace the red visa number when the form specifically asks for the visa number.
Machine-readable visa line
Near the bottom of the visa, you may see lines made from letters, numbers, and special symbols. This is the machine-readable visa line.
It is designed to be read by scanning systems. It is not the same as the red visa number.
This section can contain your name in international name formatting. That means the name may look different from normal writing, such as using separators or placing the surname and given names in a particular order.
Don’t copy the entire machine-readable line into a visa-number field. It is a separate part of the visa.
A-number
An A-number starts with the letter A and then has seven to nine digits.
For example:
```text
A123456789
```
That is not the same format as the red visa number. If a form asks for an A-number, use the field that begins with A. If it asks for the nonimmigrant visa number, look for the red number instead.
Finding the Number on a B1/B2 Visa
A B1/B2 visa is still identified by the number printed on the U.S. visa foil. Look in the same place: the red number near the lower-right corner.
The words “B1/B2” describe the visa category shown on the visa. They don’t create a separate location for the number.
Some people search for the “visa number on a B1/B2 card.” The supplied visa details point to the visa foil or stamp inside the passport. So, if you have a B1/B2 visa in your passport, use the red number on that foil.
A form asking for your B1/B2 visa number is not asking you to enter:
- The letters “B1/B2”
- The control number
- The number in the machine-readable line
- An A-number
- Your passport number
Check the label on the form, then match it to the correct printed field.
What to Do if the Number Is Hard to Read
Red printing can be difficult to read in a dark photo, a low-quality scan, or an old passport. Start by looking at the original visa page in good light. A clean, straight photo may also make the characters easier to separate.
Pay special attention to the difference between a zero and the letter O. People often search for “U.S. visa control number 0 or O” because visa characters can be confusing. Don’t decide based only on what the character seems to look like. First confirm that you’re reading the red visa-number field, not the control number or machine-readable line.
If one character remains unclear:
- Compare it with other printed characters on the same visa.
- Check the number against a clear scan or photo of the visa.
- Don’t add spaces, hyphens, or extra letters unless the form specifically asks for them.
- Get clarification before submitting a form if the unclear character could change the number.
Common Mistakes When Entering the Visa Number
Most errors happen because several fields look similar. Before submitting, check these points:
- Using the control number: The control number and visa number are different.
- Copying the machine-readable line: That long text at the bottom is not the visa number.
- Entering the A-number: An A-number begins with “A” and has seven to nine digits.
- Using the passport number: The passport number belongs to the passport, not the visa.
- Typing the visa category: “B1/B2,” for example, is not the visa number.
- Adding spaces or punctuation: Enter the number in the format the form requests.
- Guessing a blurry character: Stop and verify it, especially if you’re unsure whether it is 0 or O.
- Reading from a photocopy: If possible, check the original visa foil in your passport.
Before you enter the number, look once more at the visa itself. Recheck the red number in the lower-right corner of the visa foil and make sure it matches the field the form is asking for.