The NVC takes care of initial document intake for your case. It wants to make sure you've got the documentary proof the U. After you've submitted the DS and received confirmation, you electronically submit scanned copies of all the required supporting documents to the NVC unless you received specific alternative mailing instructions.
The State Department's immigrant visa processing website is helpful in explaining what documents you should send , how to obtain them, and exactly how to upload the documents through CEAC. Among other things, you will need to submit an affidavit of support with financial evidence , to indicate that the U. You will also need to submit copies of civil documents for each applicant. All foreign-language documents must be translated. There are also specific requirements particular to the consulate where you will be interviewing, so review those as well.
Each consulate has a checklist containing country specific instructions. The NVC should send all the scanned documents it has, including the affidavit of support, to the consulate, but you will need to bring the originals to the interview.
It frequently takes the NVC at least two months to review your documents. If your case seems to be stuck or is taking way too long, or you just don't know what to do next, you should contact the NVC by its online request form, called Ask NVC.
It often takes up to eight weeks to receive a response. In recent years, it has proven nearly impossible to reach the NVC by phone. If this situation changes, or if you have remarkable persistence, you can try calling the NVC at on weekdays from a.
Calling in the early morning or late night increases your chances of getting through. After the NVC is satisfied that you have submitted the necessary documentation and paid all your fees, it will schedule an interview date and transfer your visa file to the appropriate U. Before your interview, you will need to attend a medical examination with an authorized physician. Each consulate has specific instructions on how to obtain your medical exam.
The consulate might also require you to register for courier service to receive your approved visa. All this information is contained in the country-specific checklists. Each consulate will also have specific rules about what time to arrive and who is permitted to accompany you to the interview. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site.
The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. If you do not bring your originals, you will delay the processing of your case. Please do not submit any original documents to the NVC. Unless specifically directed to do so, please do not mail any documents to NVC, either original or photocopy.
My children were going to follow to join me. Can they accompany me instead? Yes, you may change your children's status from follow-to-join to accompanying by directly contacting the U. Can I include my children if they were not originally part of the case? If the visa for which you are applying allows derivative children, your unmarried children under the age of 21 may be added as derivative applicants after your interview has been scheduled.
At the interview the added applicant s will be required to pay the same fees, and submit the same forms and supporting documents as the original applicant s. My child will turn 21 years old soon. Will that affect their visa? If you plan to immigrate to the United States with your children, or to have your children join you in the United States later, you must prove that your children are:.
If your child will soon turn 21, your child could become ineligible to immigrate with you. If your child cannot immigrate with you because of their age, then a separate petition must be filed for your child and there may be a significant delay before your child becomes eligible for a visa. If visas are available in your visa category before your child's birthday, the NVC may be able to expedite your case so that you and your child can immigrate together.
Unfortunately, if visas are not available before the child's birthday, the NVC cannot expedite the case. There is also a law called the Child Status Protection Act CSPA , which applies to a narrow range of cases and may allow the principal applicant's son or daughter to remain eligible under this petition. At the time of the parent's visa interview, the consular officer will determine whether or not CSPA is applicable in your particular situation.
Yes, although the type of immigrant visa that you can receive will change. If the family member in the United States who petitioned for you has become a U. Embassy where your interview is scheduled.
Effect on spouses and minor children: If you filed a petition for your spouse or minor children under age 21 and unmarried while you were an LPR, the visa category was family second preference F2A. When you become a U.
This benefits your immigrating family member s because there are no limits on the number of visas that can be issued each year in the IR categories. Effect on adult children: If you filed a petition for your unmarried adult children age 21 or older when you were an LPR, NVC will change the visa category from family second preference F2B to family first preference F1.
This may be beneficial because sometimes the wait time for an F2B visa is shorter than the wait time for an F1 visa. When you naturalize and become a U. Applicants keep the priority date of their F2B petition when it converts to the F1 visa category.
Applicants who want to opt-out of conversion to the F1 category must submit a request using these guidelines:. How much time do I have to immigrate after my visa is issued? If you are currently communicating with the National Visa Center, then should have received a notice in the mail telling you your I was approved.
Once the NVC receives the approved I petition, the NVC will create a case for your family member and mail or email you instructions on how to proceed. It normally takes 4 — 6 weeks to receive this notice from the NVC. When you receive the notice from the NVC, you will be asked to log in into their system known as CEAC using a case number and invoice number. The system will then ask you to complete an immigrant visa application for your family member, on a Form DS For more information on what to send the NVC, read here.
It depends. The NVC asks that the documents be uploaded onto their system or sent by regular mail depending on when the case was filed.
Newer cases will upload color scanned copies of the documents and older cases will be asked to mail their documents to the NVC. International students on F1 visas often ask if they can work legally. F-1 students can learn more here about whether they can work and where.
The Trump Administration has made it harder for immigrants to prove they financially qualify for a green card. Find out more about how to show you are not a public charge. After you finish your immigrant visa interview at the U. You've filed your application for an immigrant visa, and you are awaiting a visainterview at the U. Here are some answers to common questions.
If you are trying to get an immigrant visa through a U. Delays can be frustrating for immigrants and lawyers. Find out more about handling NVC case delays. To get your immigrant visa and ultimately your green card through a U. Learn more about what you need to send to keep things moving along. Working with the National Visa Center to apply for an immigrant visa can take several months, and you'll often be left wondering about your NVC case status.
Learn more on checking your NVC case status. But how do you know if the National Visa Center even has your case? Find out more here. Depending on the consulate, you may have to register online before your immigrant visa interview. On this page we will explain exactly how to do it. Most applicants for immigrant visas will need to submit a police certificate, otherwise known as a "police clearance letter.
A medical exam is required for all green card applicants, including applicants for immigrant visas. There are no exceptions to this rule and, while most applicants have no issues, there are some helpful things to remember that make the process smoother and less stressful. Getting an immigrant visa to enter the United States as a lawful permanent resident involves several steps, and doing it yourself is no easy task.
Learn more about how your immigrant visa case will be processed. Delays in visa processing are frustrating. Find out the most common reasons your visa case may get delayed, and what to do about it. Exact matches only.
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