What is a visa stamp

A visa stamp is an inked impression or mark placed on a foreign national’s passport by an immigration officer when they enter or exit a country.

In some territories, visa stamps are also affixed to boarding cards, landing cards, travel letters, and other travel or immigration documents.

Immigration and border control officials place a visa stamp on your passport as official permission for you to proceed into or leave a region.

What is the function of a visa stamp?

A visa stamp permits you to enter and remain in a country for a specific period of time.

A US visa stamp indicates your eligibility to enter the country under an immigration category like EB, H-1B, or J-1 visa. In the UK, a stamp grants you "leave to enter" the country.

Japan visa stamps are multi-functional. In addition to granting you entry into the country, they contain a QR code that transmits information about your entry to immigration officials.

A visa stamp may also mark your departure from a country. Most countries with both entry and exit stamps differentiate them by ink color and style to quickly identify your movement.

Is a visa stamp different from a visa?

It depends on the country and visa category.

In the United States, a nonimmigrant visa is the stamp a consular officer places on your passport at a port of entry. The stamp, also called an entry visa, is, for all intents and purposes, your visa.

Meanwhile, an immigrant visa, like the Green Card, is a separate physical ID. The card is your primary immigration document (visa), and you do not need a stamp on your passport to enter or leave the US.

Some countries also issue electronically transmitted visas. In Australia, you do not need a stamp on your passport to enter or leave the country as long as you have an e-visa. In this sense, the stamp (if provided) is not a visa.

Which countries provide visa stamps to foreign nationals?

Most countries issue both entry and exit stamps to foreign nationals. Several countries only issue a stamp when you enter the country, including:

• Canada
• New Zealand
• El Salvador
• Ireland
• The US
• The UK

Singapore, Mexico, the UAE, Cuba, Macau SAR, Israel, Hong Kong SAR, Australia, and Argentina do not stamp your passport at any time (entry or exit). Some of these countries issue landing strips instead.

Australia allows you to get a stamp from a supervisor upon request. Upon entering Singapore and Argentina, you will receive an email with the digital receipt and conditions for your entry.

Antarctica also does not have a visa stamp. However, you can request a souvenir stamp at some research stations.

What does a visa stamp say about your immigration status?

Not much. Immigration status is a legal condition of admission into a country granted by a consular officer or “the type of permission you have to be in a country.” Common immigration statuses include:

• Citizen
• Student or exchange visitor
• Refugee
• Tourist
• Specialty worker

A visa stamp allows you to enter a country under a specific immigration status. However, it has no bearing on the validity of your status. If your visa stamp expires but your immigration status is still valid, you can remain in the country legally.

In this way, a visa stamp serves no specific purpose once inside a host country. It does not denote your immigration status or prove your eligibility to work in the country.

Does a visa stamp impact global hiring?

Yes. Despite its limited impact on immigration status, a visa stamp is crucial to companies that hire foreign talent. Foreign workers can only enter a host country with a valid visa stamp.

Even if you file all the proper immigration and work documents with the consulate, you may have trouble in the host country without a valid visa stamp.

Deel Immigration and hiring tools can help you easily hire and onboard employees from 150+ jurisdictions. See how Floship hired its global dream team in two days with Deel.

"Unrestricted talent search across borders allows us to hire and onboard in as little as two days, a process that used to take weeks or even months." —Carmen Fan, Head of Marketing at Floship

Do all foreign workers require a visa stamp?

No. Some countries exempt certain foreign workers from requiring a visa stamp. For instance, citizens of the EU or EFTA do not need visa stamps to enter an EU or EFTA country, North Macedonia, or Albania.

Canadian citizens, Bermudian citizens, and successful US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) applicants may also enter the US without a visa stamp as long as they have all other required documentation. This exemption may also apply to citizens of the contiguous islands.

Because immigration laws vary by country, it is not always immediately apparent whether you need a visa stamp to enter and work in a given region. Use Deel’s free visa assessment to check your visa options.

See also: How to hire global talent without an entity

Are visa stamps crucial to retaining a global workforce?

Yes. Although workers with valid nonimmigrant status can remain in most host countries with an expired visa stamp, they cannot travel internationally.

They cannot go home, for instance, and return to the country unless they renew their stamp with the embassy or consulate in their home country.

This limited location flexibility can scare away foreign workers and employees who prefer to travel for work. It can also limit your company’s ability to maintain international assignments.

Deel can help you navigate these and other visa hurdles and hire and retain the best global talent. Our in-house immigration team handles visa applications and stamp renewals across 150+ countries.

See also: How to legally hire independent contractors worldwide

How do visa stamps affect employee relocations?

Going to or returning from an international assignment requires a valid visa stamp.

To make successful employee relocations and expand your company globally, you must regularly update your international assignees’ visa stamps.

Do remote workers need visa stamps?

In some cases, yes. Fully remote workers do not need to visit their employer’s home country to work, so they do not need nonimmigrant visas or visa stamps.

However, some hybrid remote jobs require remote employees to travel for meetings, site visits, or long-term on-site projects. These employees may need valid stamps to enter and leave the country.

See also: How to train remote employees in 2024

How do you obtain a visa stamp?

The process of obtaining a visa stamp varies by country. In most cases, the steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Complete and submit an official visa application (e.g., the US’s DS-160)
• Step 2: Schedule your visa appointment with the appropriate embassy or consulate
• Step 3: Appear for an in-person interview at the consulate with supporting documentation
• Step 4: Await approval

During your interview, the embassy or consulate will determine whether you are eligible for the visa type you have applied for. If you are, they will issue an approval notice.

You must submit this notice and other supporting documents (e.g., your employment contract) to the officers at the port of entry of the country you wish to enter.

In the US, CBP officers (Customs and Border Protection) review all your documents and determine whether to admit you into the country and for how long. They then stamp your passport.

Do family members also require a visa stamp?

Yes. All eligible family members of nonimmigrant visa holders need a visa stamp on their passports to enter the country alongside the primary applicant.

How long is a visa stamp valid?

The approval duration of each visa stamp depends on the visa type and countries involved (home and host countries). See the US visa reciprocity schedule with other countries here.

Border control officers also have a lot of discretion on how long a foreign national can remain in a country. For instance, a worker approved on a H-1B visa can technically stay in the US for three years. However, if their employment contract is valid for one year, the CBP officer may issue a one-year stamp.

This means the workers’ visa stamp will expire before their immigration status, which is why a stamp does not dictate a foreign national’s immigration status.

Do you need to renew an expired visa stamp?

If your visa is stamped while you are inside the host country, you can remain there legally as long as your immigration status is still valid.

But if you leave the country, you must apply for a new visa stamp to re-enter.

Can you renew an expired visa stamp from within the host country?

No. In most countries and regions, you must leave the territory to renew an expired visa stamp. Only the corresponding embassy or consulate in your country can issue a new visa.

What challenges might you face when renewing a visa stamp?

Renewing a visa stamp is often an independent visa application. Because of this, some challenges you may face include lengthy visa wait times and changing immigration policies.

As an employer, managing visa stamp renewals for your global team can pose a challenge because administrative processing times and procedures vary by region.

How can HR improve the visa stamp process for employees?

HR teams are best placed to streamline the visa stamp process for employees because they can:

• Check employee eligibility for different visa stamps
• Initiate the visa application process
• Gather and submit the required documentation to different embassies and consulates
• Track visa stamp expiration dates and initiate renewal processes

Can Deel streamline your visa stamp application process?

Absolutely. Deel’s global people platform helps you manage visa applications and renewals to help you find, hire, and retain a global team. We provide mobility support for international teams and HR tools to help you track and update visa stamps for all your employees.

Contact the team or book a demo today to get started.