1. Visa Stamp vs. Immigration Status — What’s the Difference. The easiest way to understand this is by thinking about the difference, between a key and permission. Think of it like a key and permission. The key and permission idea is a way to look at this. The Visa Stamp is like a ticket. This is the sticker that the United States Embassy puts in your passport. The Visa Stamp has one job. That is to let you go to the United States border and ask if you can come in. The Visa S