8 USC § 1156 - Unused immigrant visas

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t8/s1156"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "8 USC § 1156 - Unused immigrant visas"
title_number: 8
title_name: "ALIENS AND NATIONALITY"
section_number: "1156"
section_name: "Unused immigrant visas"
chapter_number: 12
chapter_name: "IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "IMMIGRATION"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "Selection System"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 1, § 206, 66 Stat. 181; Pub. L. 89–236, § 6, Oct. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 916; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(d)(4)(D), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–618.)"
---


# § 1156. Unused immigrant visas

If an immigrant having an immigrant visa is denied admission to the United States and removed, or does not apply for admission before the expiration of the validity of his visa, or if an alien having an immigrant visa issued to him as a preference immigrant is found not to be a preference immigrant, an immigrant visa or a preference immigrant visa, as the case may be, may be issued in lieu thereof to another qualified alien.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 1, § 206, 66 Stat. 181; Pub. L. 89–236, § 6, Oct. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 916; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title III, § 308(d)(4)(D), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–618.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996— substituted “denied admission to the United States and removed” for “excluded from admission to the United States and deported”.

1965— substituted provisions allowing immigrant visas or preference immigrant visas to be issued to another qualified alien in lieu of immigrants excluded or deported, immigrants failing to apply for admission, or immigrants found not to be preference immigrants, for provisions relating to revocation of approval of petitions which, with minor amendments, were transferred to .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by  effective, with certain transitional provisions, on the first day of the first month beginning more than 180 days after , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1965 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .