What Do U.S. Visas Start With and What Do They Mean?
Discover how U.S. visas are categorized by their initial letters and other markings. Understand what these identifiers signify for your visit.
A U.S. visa serves as official permission for a foreign national to seek entry into the United States for a specific purpose. It is a document placed in a traveler’s passport, indicating that the individual is eligible to apply for admission at a U.S. port of entry. The starting letters or prefixes on these visas provide a quick way to understand their primary function and the type of stay they permit.
Nonimmigrant Visa Categories
Nonimmigrant visas are issued for temporary stays in the U.S. The letter “B” denotes visitors, with B-1 for business activities like consulting with associates or attending conferences, and B-2 for tourism, vacations, or medical treatment. Often, these are issued as a combined B-1/B-2 visa. Students pursuing academic programs receive an “F” visa, F-1 for academic studies, while vocational students are issued an “M” visa.
Exchange visitors are granted a “J” visa. These can include scholars, trainees, or au-pairs. For temporary workers, the “H” visa category is H-1B for specialty occupations requiring a higher education degree, or H-2A/H-2B for agricultural and non-agricultural seasonal work, respectively.
The “L” visa is for intra-company transferees. This category includes L-1A for managers and executives, and L-1B for those with specialized knowledge. Individuals with extraordinary ability in fields like arts, sciences, education, business, or athletics are eligible for an “O” visa, while athletes, artists, and entertainers receive a “P” visa. The “E” visa category is for treaty traders (E-1) and treaty investors (E-2) from countries that have specific treaties with the U.S.
Immigrant Visa Categories
Immigrant visas are for individuals who plan to live permanently in the United States, leading to permanent residency (Green Card). These categories use specific letter prefixes to denote their purpose. “IR” signifies Immediate Relative visas for close family members of U.S. citizens, such as spouses (IR1/CR1), unmarried children under 21 (IR2), and parents. This category is not subject to annual numerical limits.
The “F” prefix refers to Family-Sponsored Preference categories. These are for other family members of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, including unmarried adult children (F1), spouses and children of permanent residents (F2), married children (F3), and siblings (F4). These categories are subject to annual quotas, meaning there can be waiting periods based on demand.
Employment-Based Preference visas are identified by “EB” and are for individuals whose skills or qualifications are in demand in the U.S. These range from EB-1 for priority workers with extraordinary ability or outstanding professors, to EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees, EB-3 for skilled workers, and EB-5 for immigrant investors. The “DV” visa stands for the Diversity Visa program, also known as the Green Card Lottery. This annual program makes a limited number of visas available to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S., selected through a lottery system.
Understanding Visa Numbers and Other Markings
Beyond the initial category letter, a U.S. visa stamp, or “visa foil,” contains other important markings and numbers. The full visa number is an eight-digit red number found on the bottom right of the visa document. This unique identifier helps the U.S. government track the visa and the holder’s immigration activity.
The visa stamp includes a “Type/Class” field, which combines the category letter with a number, such as B1/B2 or F-1. A “control number” is present, used by the Department of State for administrative purposes. This number is distinct from the visa number and has no direct significance for the visa holder.
Other details on the visa include the issue date and expiration date, indicating when the visa was granted and the last day it can be used to seek entry into the U.S. The “Entries” field specifies how many times the holder is permitted to enter the U.S. within the visa’s validity, with “M” signifying multiple entries. An “Annotation” section may include notes or conditions related to the visa, such as an exchange program name for a J-1 visa or an employer’s name for certain work visas.