Where to Find Non Immigrant Visa Number

Open the passport page with the issued U.S. visa, not the DS-160 confirmation page or an appointment document. The nonimmigrant visa number is printed on the visa foil inside the passport. It is usually a red number near the lower-right corner of that visa.

That is the number most forms mean when they ask for your U.S. visa number. It is separate from your visa classification, DS-160 Application ID, control number, and Alien Registration Number.

Where the nonimmigrant visa number appears on a U.S. visa

First, find the actual U.S. visa foil in your passport. This is the full-page visa document placed in the passport after the visa is issued. It may look like a printed page with your photo, personal details, visa dates, and other fields.

Look toward the lower-right area of the visa foil. The visa number is usually printed there in red.

A simple way to check is:

1. Open your passport to the page containing the U.S. visa.
2. Ignore the passport cover, passport number, and any DS-160 paperwork.
3. Look through the printed fields on the visa foil.
4. Find the red number near the lower-right corner.
5. Enter that number only if the form asks for the visa number or nonimmigrant visa number.

The number is usually eight digits. Follow the format requested by the form you are completing. If the form gives special instructions about spaces, letters, or the number of characters, use those instructions instead of changing the number to fit your own assumption.

The visa number is tied to the issued visa. It is not the same thing as the date the visa was issued, the visa expiration date, or the visa class printed elsewhere on the page.

How to recognize the visa number by its color and position

Color and position are the quickest visual clues.

The usual visual pattern

On the visa foil, look for:

• A red number
• Usually eight digits
• Printed near the bottom-right or lower-right part of the visa
• Located on the issued visa page inside your passport

For a simple visual example, imagine the lower-right area contains:

> Visa number: 12345678

The number above is only an illustration. Your visa will have its own number. The key clues are the field’s location, its red color, and the fact that it is printed on the visa foil itself.

Other numbers may appear on the same page. Your visa can also show information such as:

• Your name
• Passport details
• The visa class
• The visa issue and expiration dates
• The number of permitted entries
• A control number or other printed identifier

Those fields can sit close together, so don’t choose a number just because it is easy to see. Check both the label and the location.

A useful visual rule is this: if you are looking at a DS-160 confirmation page, appointment confirmation, or another separate sheet, you are looking at the wrong document for the visa number. Go back to the actual visa page in the passport.

What the nonimmigrant visa classification means

The visa classification tells you what kind of temporary U.S. visa you were issued. It is usually shown as a letter-and-number code, such as F-1.

F-1 is an example of a nonimmigrant visa classification. The classification describes the visa category. The visa number identifies the particular issued visa.

These are two different pieces of information:

• Visa classification: The category, such as F-1 or B1/B2
• Visa number: The red number printed on the visa foil

This difference matters on forms. If a form asks for your “visa type,” it may want the classification. If it asks for the “visa number,” it generally wants the number printed near the lower-right of the visa.

Don’t enter “F-1” or “B1/B2” in a field asking for the visa number. Likewise, don’t enter the red eight-digit number in a field asking for the visa classification.

The word “nonimmigrant” refers to the type of visa, not to a separate number printed in a different place. A nonimmigrant visa number is simply the identifying number on an issued nonimmigrant visa foil.

Finding the number on B1/B2 and other visa classes

If you have a B1/B2 visa, use the same visual search method. The visa number is generally in the same area as it is on other nonimmigrant visa classes: near the lower-right corner of the visa foil, usually in red.

B1/B2 is the classification. The number near the lower-right is the visa number.

The same approach applies if your visa has another nonimmigrant classification, such as F-1. Start with the visa foil, then look for the red number in the lower-right area. Don’t assume that the classification itself is the requested number.

Here is a quick comparison:

If you’re completing a form for a B1/B2 visa, the form may ask for both the visa class and the visa number. In that case, enter each item in its matching field.

Visa number vs. DS-160 application ID and control number

The DS-160 Application ID belongs to your online nonimmigrant visa application. It identifies the application you submitted through the DS-160 process. It is not the same as the number printed on the issued visa foil.

You may see the DS-160 Application ID on your application or confirmation materials. Those documents are useful when a form asks about the application, but they are not a replacement for the visa number.

The control number is also a separate identifier. People often confuse it with the visa number because both may appear in visa-related paperwork or near other printed details. Do not substitute the control number unless the form specifically asks for a control number.

A simple way to keep the three apart:

• Visa number: Usually the red number near the lower-right of the issued visa inside your passport
• DS-160 Application ID: Identifies the online application
• Control number: A separate identifier with its own label or field

A visual check before you type

Ask yourself:

1. Am I looking at the issued U.S. visa inside the passport?
2. Is the number near the lower-right area?
3. Is it usually shown in red?
4. Does the form ask for “visa number,” rather than “Application ID” or “control number”?

If the answer to the first three questions is yes, you are probably looking at the right number. Still, use the exact label on your form as the deciding guide.

Visa number vs. Alien Registration Number

An Alien Registration Number, often called an A-Number, is another immigration identifier. It should not automatically be treated as your nonimmigrant visa number.

The A-Number can appear on certain immigration documents, such as an immigrant data summary, a USCIS Immigrant Fee handout, or an immigrant visa. That does not make it the number you should enter when a form asks for the nonimmigrant visa number.

The documents are different, and so are the identifiers:

• The visa number is printed on the issued U.S. visa foil in your passport.
• The Alien Registration Number is a separate immigration number that may appear on other immigration documents.
• The DS-160 Application ID identifies your online visa application.

If a form asks for a nine-digit alien number, look for the field labeled A-Number, Alien Registration Number, or similar wording. Don’t use the red visa number just because both numbers relate to your immigration records.

If a form asks for the visa number, return to the visa foil and look for the red number near the lower-right corner.

What to do if the visa number is unclear or missing from the document

Start by checking that you have opened the correct page. The number will not be on the passport information page, a DS-160 confirmation page, or an appointment confirmation. It should be on the issued U.S. visa foil inside the passport.

If the number is hard to read:

• Look at the visa under brighter, even light.
• Check the lower-right area first.
• Compare the digits carefully. Don’t guess a character.
• Make sure you are not reading a nearby date, control number, or other field.
• Use the exact field label on the form to decide which identifier it wants.

If the visa number appears damaged, covered, or genuinely missing, don’t replace it with the DS-160 Application ID, control number, or Alien Registration Number. Those identifiers are not interchangeable.

For a form that allows an explanation, follow its instructions. If it does not explain what to do, use the contact or help method provided with that specific U.S. immigration or travel form rather than entering a guessed number.

Before you submit anything, verify the field name on the exact form you’re completing. “Visa number,” “visa classification,” “DS-160 Application ID,” “control number,” and “Alien Registration Number” refer to different pieces of information.