Your US visa number—frequently called the visa foil number—is located in the lower right-hand corner of the physical visa sticker inside your passport. It is printed entirely in red ink, making it stand out from the rest of the text on the document. For most modern nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, this unique identifier consists of eight characters, usually all digits or occasionally starting with a single red letter followed by seven numbers.
Finding the correct code on a U.S. visa stamp can be confusing because the document contains several distinct numbers, including your passport number, a control number, and a machine-readable zone. Entering the wrong number on immigration paperwork, DS-160 applications, or USCIS forms can trigger processing delays or application rejections. This guide breaks down exactly where to look, how to distinguish it from other numbers on the page, and what to do if your visa format differs.
Locating Your US Visa Number
Open your passport to the page containing the full-page adhesive visa foil (the official sticker placed by a U.S. embassy or consulate). Scan the bottom portion of the sticker.
In the bottom right corner, you will spot a string of characters printed in a distinct red color. That is your visa number. It does not have a formal text label next to it like "Visa Number:"; it simply sits in that corner as a standalone red sequence.
If your visa was issued several years ago, or if it came from a specific consular post with older printing equipment, the placement might shift slightly toward the middle-right area of the foil. However, the red ink rule remains consistent across nearly all issued foil stamps. If you see a number printed in black near the top or bottom, ignore it for this specific field.
How to Avoid Confusing It With Other Passport Numbers
A standard U.S. visa foil packs a lot of data onto a single sticker, resulting in several adjacent numbers. People frequently mix up the visa number with three other common identifiers:
- Passport Number: Located on the left side of the visa foil or on your passport's main data page. This identifies your physical passport booklet, not your visa. It is usually printed in black ink and matches the alphanumeric code punched or printed on your passport's photo page.
- Control Number: Usually printed in black ink near the top right of the visa foil or alongside issuance details. This is an internal tracking number used by the Department of State for application processing, not the official visa identifier.
- Machine-Readable Zone (MRZ): The dense two-line block of text running along the very bottom of the foil, filled with arrows, letters, and numbers. While some border scanners read data from here, you should never type this long string into a form field asking for your "visa number".
What Does a US Visa Number Mean?
The visa number serves as a unique tracking code for that specific adhesive sticker. It links your physical travel document directly to the digital records maintained by the U.S. government.
Unlike your passport number, which stays the same when you renew your booklet through your country's government, your visa number changes every time you apply for and receive a brand-new U.S. visa stamp. If you hold multiple expired U.S. visas in older passports, each stamp has its own unique red number, but you must always use the number from your current, valid visa for active applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the US visa number the same as an A-Number?
No. An Alien Registration Number (A-number) is a unique seven-, eight-, or nine-digit number assigned to non-citizens by the Department of Homeland Security. It stays with you across various immigration petitions, green cards, and employment authorization documents, whereas a visa number only identifies a single visa stamp.
What should I do if my visa has no red number?
Rarely, specialized diplomatic or official visas, or specific foil formats, may feature variations in ink color or layout. If you cannot locate a red number in the lower right corner, check the surrounding text near the issuance data or consult the specific guidelines provided on your Department of State paperwork.
Does a digital or electronic visa have a visa number?
If you entered the United States under a program that uses electronic travel authorization rather than a physical foil sticker pasted in a passport—such as ESTA for the Visa Waiver Program—you do not have a visa foil number. Forms asking for a visa number in those contexts typically require you to leave the field blank or provide your passport details instead.
Can I find my visa number online?
The U.S. government does not feature a simple online lookup tool to retrieve your past visa foil numbers for privacy and security reasons. The safest approach is to take a clear photograph or digital scan of your passport visa page the moment you receive it so you have the number handy for future travel forms.
