What is the difference between a visa and immigration status?
A visa is a document or stamp in your passport issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad that permits you to arrive at a port of entry to the U.S.. It is your permission to arrive only. Immigration status indicates the specific category of regulations that will apply to you during your stay in the U.S.. Visas are issued by American embassies and consulates abroad; immigration status is conferred in the U.S. by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
