What Is Visa Identification Number

If a form asks for your visa identification number, it usually wants the number printed on your U.S. visa foil inside your passport. Look for the number shown on the visa itself, not the number on your passport’s identity page or another immigration document.

The visa number is assigned when the visa is issued. It identifies that particular visa and is printed directly on the visa page.

What does a visa identification number mean?

A visa identification number is the unique number connected to an individual U.S. visa. You may also see it called a visa number or visa ID number.

For most travelers, the visa is a printed visa foil attached to a page inside the passport. The number belongs to that visa. It does not identify the passport as a whole.

You may need it when completing:

• A travel or immigration form
• A school or exchange program form
• A government application
• A form asking about a previous or current U.S. visa

If the form asks for a visa number, start with the U.S. visa page in your passport. Don’t begin with your passport information page, because that contains a different number.

Spotting the number on the visa page

Open your passport to the page with the U.S. visa. On most visa designs, the visa number appears in red. It is usually near the bottom right of the visa.

A quick way to find it:

1. Locate the page containing the U.S. visa foil.
2. Look near the lower-right area of the visa.
3. Find the number printed in red.
4. Enter that number exactly as the form requests.

The layout can vary. Not every visa will look exactly the same, so don’t rely only on position. Check the whole visa if you don’t see the number right away.

The number is part of the visa image itself. It is not normally found on a separate page, and it is not the same as the passport number printed elsewhere in your passport.

A simple visual example

A visa number may look like a group of digits such as:

12345678

That is only a made-up example to show the format. Use the red number printed on your own visa. Never copy a number from an example online or from someone else’s document.

The meaning of the red digits

The red number is generally the visa number people mean when they ask, “What is the visa identification number?”

It is often printed as a string of eight numbers. For example, an actual visa might show eight numeric characters in red near the lower-right corner. The exact appearance can depend on the visa design.

The red number is different from the other text and numbers on the page, which may include:

• Your name
• Your date of birth
• Your nationality
• The visa category
• The visa issue date
• The visa expiration date
• Entries allowed
• A control number or other reference
• Program or school details on some visas

If a form simply says visa number, the red number on the visa foil is usually the one to check first.

Keep the visa number separate from passport number

Your passport number identifies your passport. Your visa number identifies the U.S. visa placed inside that passport.

They are separate identifiers, even though you may need both on the same form.

The passport number is usually printed on the passport’s personal information page. That page includes details such as your name, photo, nationality, and passport dates. The visa number is printed on the separate U.S. visa foil.

So, if a form asks for:

• Passport number: use the number on the passport information page.
• Visa number: use the number printed on the U.S. visa.
• Both: enter each number in its matching field.

A visa can expire while the passport that contains it has a different expiration date. That is another reason to keep the two numbers straight. They belong to different documents.

Other identifiers you may see nearby

A U.S. visa or related immigration paperwork can show several numbers. Their labels matter. Don’t choose a number just because it is close to the visa number or has a similar length.

Control number

A control number is a separate reference that may appear on or near the visa information. It should not automatically be used as the visa number.

If the form asks specifically for the control number, follow that wording. If it asks for the visa number, look for the visa number printed on the visa foil instead.

The available document information does not establish one universal layout or format for every control number. That is why the label on the form and the label on the document are more useful than guessing based on the number of digits.

SEVIS ID

A SEVIS ID is connected with student and exchange visitor records. You may see it on paperwork for a school, exchange program, or other approved program.

It is not the same as the visa number.

If a form asks for a SEVIS ID, enter the SEVIS number shown on the relevant school or program document. If it asks for the visa number, return to the U.S. visa foil and find the red visa number.

A-Number

An A-Number, also called an alien registration number, begins with the letter A followed by 8 or 9 numbers.

For example, its structure includes the letter A first. That makes it different from the visa number, which is typically made up of eight numeric characters.

If a form asks for an A-Number, don’t enter the red visa number. Use the A-Number shown on the immigration document that provides it.

DOS Case ID

A DOS Case ID is another separate reference. It consists of three letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers.

That format helps distinguish it from a typical visa number. A DOS Case ID is not the same as the number printed in red on the visa foil.

When a form asks for a DOS Case ID, enter the case identifier in the requested format. When it asks for a visa number, use the number on the visa itself.

Checking a B1/B2 visa and other documents

A B1/B2 visa is a common place where people ask, “Where is the visa number on my B1/B2 card?” In many cases, the document you are looking at is a U.S. visa foil inside your passport rather than a separate plastic card.

Find the passport page with the B1/B2 visa. Then look toward the lower-right part of the visa for the number printed in red. That is generally the visa number the form is asking for.

Don’t use:

• The passport number from your passport information page
• The visa category, such as B1/B2
• The visa issue or expiration date
• A control number
• A case number
• An A-Number
• A SEVIS ID from another document

The same basic check applies to other U.S. visa categories. A student or exchange visitor visa may show school or program information, including a SEVIS ID. A work, visitor, or other visa may show different details. The visa number is still the number assigned to that visa and printed on the visa foil.

Because visa designs are not guaranteed to be identical, use the printed labels and the form’s instructions as your guide.

Typical length of the number

A U.S. visa number typically contains eight numeric characters. In plain terms, that often means eight digits with no letters.

Still, don’t assume every document will match one exact pattern. Visa layouts can vary, and a form may have its own instructions about spaces, punctuation, or other characters.

Before entering the number, check:

• Whether the form asks for digits only
• Whether it wants the number without spaces
• Whether it asks for a different identifier
• Whether the number should come from the current visa or a past visa

If the form has an example, follow that example for spacing and formatting. The example may show how the form wants the information entered, but it does not replace the number on your own visa.

If the number is missing or hard to read

Start by checking the visa page under good light. A phone camera may help you enlarge the printed number, but compare the image with the original before submitting anything. Red digits can be easy to confuse when the print is small or blurred.

Pay close attention to characters that look alike, such as:

• 0 and 8
• 1 and 7
• 3 and 8
• 5 and 6

Don’t guess if one digit is unclear. A wrong visa number can cause a mismatch with the rest of your application.

If you cannot read the number, or if your visa layout does not seem to match the form’s instructions, check the official instructions for that specific form. The form may be asking for a different identifier, such as a passport number, SEVIS ID, A-Number, or DOS Case ID.

Before submitting, compare the number one more time with the form’s exact wording. If you still cannot tell which identifier belongs in the field, seek official guidance rather than entering the closest-looking number.