Visa Number during Interview -- is this different from the A# on I-140/I-485?

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poongunranar

Registered Users (C)
When folks attend local office interviews, many did not receive their Visa Numbers and were given delayed decisions after the interview was over. So, at the time of approval, is this VISA NUMBER going to be different than the Alien # or the A#? Or is the VISA NUMBER same as the A# in I-140 and I-485, although after making sure that the priority date is ok (current) for the stamping to occur?
 
IndoKiddo

Thanks for your responses, but am afraid that your earlier response negates what I think I read from the link you had posited. As per your earlier response, A# is different from the Visa Number allocated during interview/approval/stamping. However, as per the link, it says that as part of your application filing process, State Dept. allocates a VISA NUMBER even if the alien is within the country. This is what I always thought an A# was. In other words, when an A# is obtained for an alien, I thought the hurdle of obtaining a VISA NUMBER from State Department was already over!!!!

If so, I was confused as to what they mean when they say, "as VISA NUMBER cannot be obtained at this point I will go ahead and approve yours, but cannot stamp yours"!!! That is the missing-link I am trying to understand.

Thanks.
 
poongunranar said:
Thanks for your responses, but am afraid that your earlier response negates what I think I read from the link you had posited. As per your earlier response, A# is different from the Visa Number allocated during interview/approval/stamping. However, as per the link, it says that as part of your application filing process, State Dept. allocates a VISA NUMBER even if the alien is within the country. This is what I always thought an A# was. In other words, when an A# is obtained for an alien, I thought the hurdle of obtaining a VISA NUMBER from State Department was already over!!!!

If so, I was confused as to what they mean when they say, "as VISA NUMBER cannot be obtained at this point I will go ahead and approve yours, but cannot stamp yours"!!! That is the missing-link I am trying to understand.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

My understanding is similar to yours. Visa # is something that one must have before filing i-485, whereas A# is given by the CIS for a processing purpose.
 
I am confused too. My friend had an EAD (it has A#). But when he went for interview because of DUI, he had the same experience . NO Visa numbers available. ! May be they have different visa number for LPR status ???

poongunranar said:
Thanks for your responses, but am afraid that your earlier response negates what I think I read from the link you had posited. As per your earlier response, A# is different from the Visa Number allocated during interview/approval/stamping. However, as per the link, it says that as part of your application filing process, State Dept. allocates a VISA NUMBER even if the alien is within the country. This is what I always thought an A# was. In other words, when an A# is obtained for an alien, I thought the hurdle of obtaining a VISA NUMBER from State Department was already over!!!!

If so, I was confused as to what they mean when they say, "as VISA NUMBER cannot be obtained at this point I will go ahead and approve yours, but cannot stamp yours"!!! That is the missing-link I am trying to understand.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
This is what I think

Visa number is the long 15 or so digits number which is given per visa application (H1, L1, B1 etc.)

Alient # is one constant number throughout (just like SSN#)

Your thoughts?????
 
I thought there are different types of visa numbers, and there are NONIMMIGRANT visa number vs. IMMIGRANT visa number. And we are now talking about IMMIGRANT visa number, right?
 
We are talking about IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBER

The only logical explanation to this would be that the A# and the purported VISA NUMBER during interview are entirely different.

Meaning, if your A# is 99 999 999, then during your interview, you may get a VISA NUMBER which is something like, 99999 99999 99999, as somebody says it is a 15-digit number?

In that case, that would make sense as to what we are hearing from others. If not, the mystery continues. That is to say, if the A# and the VISA NUMBER are going to be the same, then there is no reason why they would say, "we don't have the visa number available for you right now and so cannot stamp it," because without A#, the guy could not have been called for an interview. Right? Am thinking out loud here. Well, that doesn't explain another problem wherein as per the SOP of INS manual, cases are to be transferred to the local office for interview if A#s cannot be generated in the system!!!

Phew!!! I am lost :)
 
Can any one use freedom of information act to find this ? Or will AILA or some other organization similar to it will have clue ?

I myself do not care that much ;)



poongunranar said:
The only logical explanation to this would be that the A# and the purported VISA NUMBER during interview are entirely different.

Meaning, if your A# is 99 999 999, then during your interview, you may get a VISA NUMBER which is something like, 99999 99999 99999, as somebody says it is a 15-digit number?

In that case, that would make sense as to what we are hearing from others. If not, the mystery continues. That is to say, if the A# and the VISA NUMBER are going to be the same, then there is no reason why they would say, "we don't have the visa number available for you right now and so cannot stamp it," because without A#, the guy could not have been called for an interview. Right? Am thinking out loud here. Well, that doesn't explain another problem wherein as per the SOP of INS manual, cases are to be transferred to the local office for interview if A#s cannot be generated in the system!!!

Phew!!! I am lost :)
Click to expand...
 
poongunranar,

A# and Visa# are two different numbers used for different purposes. I got my A# in 1998 when I applied for my OPT (in F1 status). That number never changed. So, having an A# does not mean that you have a Visa# allocated. A# is basically your file number that is used to uniquely identify you for immigration purposes.
 
dinnu

That puts to rest my question regarding those numbers. Guess what? I failed to keep track of that A# since my OPT days and so INS committed clerical errors in my A#, that it is a one big mess. But, things started to get stabilized after a slew of EADs and APs were applied. So now, they will have a new Visa number allocated after my interview. That makes things pretty clear. Thanks.
 
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