If you have ever held a U.S. visa, you have already seen the visa stamp: the printed foil a consulate glues into one of your passport pages. It looks simple, but it carries more legal weight than most travelers realize, and the rules around it shifted in 2026.
A new $250 Visa Integrity Fee, signed into law in July 2025, now sits on top of the long-standing application fees, so that foil costs more than it used to. This guide covers the visa stamp meaning, how to read your visa stamp field by field, the difference behind visa stamp vs status, this year's fees, and what to do if yours is lost or damaged.
What is a visa stamp?
A visa stamp is the official foil a U.S. embassy or consulate prints into your passport once it approves your application. A consular post issues it only outside the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
That foil lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and ask to be admitted, but it never guarantees entry on its own. When you land, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer inspects it and decides whether to admit you. Not everyone needs one. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries travel instead on an approved ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), with no foil at all.
Visa stamp vs status: what each one controls
Three terms get tangled here, and keeping them straight protects you. Your stamp is permission to request entry. Your immigration status is your legal status once you are admitted, and it sets how long you may stay. The CBP admission record, logged electronically as your I-94, marks the moment you arrived.
That visa stamp vs status distinction is why your foil can expire while you stay perfectly legal. Your Form I-94 record, not the foil, governs your authorized stay.
For some categories it reads “D/S,” or duration of status, meaning you may stay as long as you keep your non-immigrant status. The foil is only one of your immigration documents, and it is not the one that protects your immigration status.
How to read a US visa stamp
Once you know the layout, reading the foil in your passport takes only a few seconds. Each field has a specific job:
- Type/Class: Your visa classification, such as B-1/B-2, F-1, or H-1B.
- Visa number: The visa foil number is the red, eight-character code printed at the bottom right. That bottom-right red number is the visa stamp number location that forms like the DS-160 ask you to copy.
- Control number: The visa stamp control number is the longer code near the top right. The Department of State uses it for internal tracking, so most forms never ask for it.
- Issue and expiry dates: The visa stamp expiration date is the last day you may seek entry, not a deadline for leaving.
- Entries and annotation: “M” means multiple entries. The visa stamp annotation line carries extra detail, such as a SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) ID from a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, or a petitioning employer.
Visa validity and expiration rules
Read your dates carefully, because visa stamp validity is the detail people most often misread. The validity window, which can run up to 10 years, is only the span during which you may present the foil to seek entry.
It does not control your stay. Your visa can lapse entirely while you remain lawfully present, because your I-94 record and your status, not the sticker, decide how long you can remain.
The US visa stamping process
If you apply from abroad, the visa application process follows a set path. You complete the DS-160 form, pay the application fee, and book a visa interview, where visa appointment wait times vary widely from one post to the next.
At that interview, a consular officer reviews your file and, for petition-based cases, your I-797 approval notice. Some cases enter administrative processing, and a few end in a visa denial, before any foil is printed.
Because a small mistake on a petition can surface later at the consulate, many applicants have their paperwork checked first. Lighthouse prepares employment-based petitions with attorney review on every case, so your filing is accurate before it reaches a consular officer.
Temporary I-551 stamps and MRIVs
If you immigrate through consular processing, you receive a special version of the foil. The consulate places a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in your passport, and on arrival CBP adds an admission endorsement.
Together, those two marks act as a temporary I-551: proof of permanent residence for one year from the day you are admitted, while USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) produces your physical green card.
That endorsed foil is an acceptable List A document for Form I-9 employment verification, so it proves both your identity and your work authorization on its own.
It works like a green card, with no separate employment authorization documents required. The one-year window, set by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), gives your card time to arrive in the mail.
Visa stamp fees in 2026
What you pay depends on your visa classification. As of early 2026, the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fee, billed before your interview, is tiered:
| Visa Category | MRV Application Fee |
|---|---|
| Most nonimmigrant visas (B, F, J) | $185 |
| Petition-based work visas (H, L) | $205 |
| Treaty trader and investor visas (E) | $315 |
Students also pay a separate SEVIS fee of $350 before the visa interview. The biggest change for 2026 is the $250 Visa Integrity Fee, which is charged at issuance rather than at application.
As of mid-2026, DHS has not finalized how it will be collected, so applicants are not yet billed for it. The MRV fee is non-refundable, and its payment receipt stays valid for 365 days. You can confirm the current amounts on the State Department fee schedule before you pay.
Lost, stolen, or damaged visa stamps
You cannot replace a lost or damaged foil from inside the United States. If yours is stolen, report it to local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy, then reapply abroad, because a consulate is the only place that can issue a new one.
A torn or damaged foil can raise questions at the border, so it is worth speaking with an immigration attorney before you travel on one.
How Lighthouse helps with the petition behind your visa
Your visa stamp is the last step, not the first. For employment-based categories like the O-1A, H-1B, L-1, or an EB green card, the foil only gets printed if the petition behind it holds up at USCIS and the consulate. That is where many cases stall.
Lighthouse prepares employment-based petitions in under three weeks, far faster than the months a traditional firm often takes, so your case is accurate and ready well before your interview.
Not sure which path fits your situation? Start with a free evaluation to find the right visa for you before anything reaches a consular officer.
Frequently asked questions on visa stamps
What is a visa stamp?
It is the foil a U.S. embassy or consulate prints into your passport. The foil lets you travel to a U.S. port of entry and ask a CBP officer for admission, but it does not guarantee entry or set how long you can stay.
How much is the visa stamp fee?
The MRV application fee is $185 for most nonimmigrant visa categories, $205 for many work visas, and $315 for E visas. The separate $250 Visa Integrity Fee became law in 2025 but is not yet being collected as of mid-2026.
Is visa stamping done inside the USA?
No. A limited domestic renewal pilot ran briefly in 2024 and was not renewed. As of 2026, stamping still happens only at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, never inside the country.
Do Canadian citizens need a visa stamp for the USA?
Usually not. Canadian citizens are visa-exempt for most nonimmigrant categories and enter without a foil. A few categories, such as treaty and fiancé visas, still require one.
What does “D/S” mean?
“D/S” stands for duration of status. It appears on the Form I-94 record for categories like F and J, and it means you may stay as long as you maintain your legal status rather than until a fixed date.
What types of visas can bring me to the United States?
Visas fall into two groups by immigration category. Nonimmigrant visas cover temporary stays for tourism, study, or work, while immigrant visas lead to a green card. Your visa type is printed on the foil.
How do I read my visa correctly?
Check the type, the red visa foil number at the bottom right, the issue and expiry dates, the entries, and the annotation line. Remember that the expiration date limits entry, not the length of your stay.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Visa rules and fees change frequently; confirm details with the U.S. Department of State, USCIS, or a qualified immigration attorney before acting.