# 8 U.S.C. § 1156: Unused immigrant visas

> Federal · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1156

## Section

- **Citation:** 8 U.S.C. § 1156
- **Heading:** Unused immigrant visas
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** April 17, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 8—ALIENS AND NATIONALITY > CHAPTER 12—IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY > SUBCHAPTER II—IMMIGRATION > Part I—Selection System

## Text

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.

( 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 .)

## Nearby sections

- [8 U.S.C. § 1151 Worldwide level of immigration](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1151.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1151a Repealed. Pub. L. 94–571, § 7(g) , Oct. 20, 1976 , 90 Stat. 2706](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1151a.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1152 Numerical limitations on individual foreign states](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1152.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1153 Allocation of immigrant visas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1153.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1153a Transparency](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1153a.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1154 Procedure for granting immigrant status](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1154.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1155 Revocation of approval of petitions; effective date](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1155.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1156 Unused immigrant visas](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1156.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1157 Annual admission of refugees and admission of emergency situation refugees](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1157.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1158 Asylum](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1158.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1159 Adjustment of status of refugees](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1159.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1160 Special agricultural workers](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1160.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1161 Repealed. Pub. L. 103–416, title II, § 219(ee)(1) , Oct. 25, 1994 , 108 Stat. 4319](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1161.md)
- [8 U.S.C. § 1181 Admission of immigrants into the United States](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1181.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/usc_t8_s1156. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.