How do I check National Visa Center (NVC) processing times? (2024)

FAQs

How do I check National Visa Center (NVC) processing times? ›

https://ceac.state.gov, use the Public Inquiry Form at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry. to check our processing dates. Do not submit a follow-up inquiry while your case is within those timeframes.

https://ceac.state.gov, use the Public Inquiry Form at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry. to check our processing dates. Do not submit a follow-up inquiry while your case is within those timeframes.

If you received a Welcome Letter from NVC: please visit the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), https://ceac.state.gov/iv, to check the status of cases processing electronically as well as documents needed.

If everything says “Paid,” “Complete,” “In Process,” or “Submitted,” that means NVC is reviewing your case.

The NVC takes approximately 45 days to create your visa case and enter your petition data into their system. After this, you will receive a “Welcome Letter” containing your Case Number and Invoice ID. The NVC typically reviews submissions between 1 to 4 months.

How long does it take to get an appointment? Although NVC strives to schedule appointments within three months of NVC's acceptance of all requested documentation, this timeframe is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.

Generally, the process of getting a welcome letter takes between 30 and 60 days. But people have seen delays of up to six months. There are a couple of reasons for the delay in getting a welcome letter from NVC.

How Long Does Form DS-260 Take To Process? The NVC processes most cases within three months, but this timeline can vary by case. Check the current processing time to see how long you will have to wait for your case to be created and reviewed.

The immigrant visa backlog at the National Visa Center (NVC) is historically large. As we begin 2023, there are 422,954 immigrant visa applicants waiting for an interview.

Why is NVC not scheduling my interview? ›

Therefore, the real holdup is the Embassy who has not opened sufficient interview slots to meet the ongoing demand for visa interview scheduling. The NVC has no choice but to hold the case until the Embassy has informed the agency that it can schedule the applicant for a visa interview.

Your priority date is generally the date when your relative or employer properly filed the immigrant visa petition on your behalf with USCIS.

*At NVC: the visa application is currently processed at the National Visa Center (NVC).

National Visa Center (NVC): For NVC case-specific inquiries, you may call 603- 334-0700 or email NVCInquiry@state.gov. Please note that a limited number of refugee follow-to-join cases are processed overseas with the assistance of a Department of State-funded Resettlement Support Center (RSC).

The case officer may take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or even years to decide on your application after receiving your s56 response.

They can ONLY schedule your Visa Interview 2-6 weeks in advance, once they have made it to your file. Some Embassies/Consulates schedule interviews in 1-5 months, whereas other Embassies/Consulates can take well over a year or 2 years.

To request a review for expedite, submit a scanned letter (or statement) to NVCExpedite@state.gov from a physician (or medical facility). The letter must include the physician's (or medical facility's) contact information and declare a life or death medical emergency exists.

Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate that is handling your case if your case is taking too long. After the National Visa Center transfers your case to the embassy or consulate that will make the ultimate decision about your visa, that embassy or consulate will be your go-to for information about your case.

After the National Visa Center (NVC) schedules your visa interview appointment, they will send you, your petitioner, and your agent/attorney (if applicable) an email noting the appointment date and time.

Once your case becomes qualified for an interview, NVC will work with us to schedule an interview appointment for you. You can learn more about the interview process on usvisas.state.gov.

How long does it take to get interview after DS 260? ›

After submitting all the appropriate documents, it normally can take a few months to have your visa interview scheduled. Keep an eye out for a notice from the National Visa Center for your assigned interview date and time.

NVC response times for email inquiries generally take 1 to 3 weeks. It may take them some time to answer your questions. Carefully submit your inquiry with all necessary information. The public inquiry form is also the appropriate way to inform the NVC of an address change that affects the petitioner or beneficiary.

After USCIS approves your petition, they will transfer your case to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) for pre-processing. The first step in this processing is the creation of your case in our system. Once this is complete, we will send you a Welcome Letter by e-mail or physical mail.

You and your petitioner (the U.S. employer or relative who is sponsoring you) will receive a welcome letter or email from the National Visa Center (NVC) when your Priority Date becomes current in the application filing chart, or is likely to become current within the next year.

After you submit your DS-260, the NVC will send out a notice (again via mail or email) confirming receipt of your DS-260, usually on the same day. You will then need to submit your supporting documents to the NVC as well.

After you complete your DS-260(s), you and each family member immigrating with you MUST collect the civil documents required to support your visa application. Your civil documents MUST be issued by the official issuing authority in your country.

As a reminder, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India are accommodating a limited number of regular visa appointments across all visa classes. Appointments can be made through our website at http://ustraveldocs.com/in , and appointment slots are added regularly.

You can legally travel, but must use great care. If you simply get up and go without getting official permission (called "advance parole," described below), the law says you will have given up (or abandoned, in USCIS terminology) your adjustment of status application.

How does the National Visa Center fit into the U.S. immigration process? After U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves your immigrant visa petition, USCIS forwards your petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH for immigrant visa pre-processing at the correct time.

If a visa is not available, unfortunately there is nothing that NVC can do to expedite the petition. Immigrant visa processing is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended, which controls availability of visas.

Who to call about visa questions? ›

(1-800-847-2911)

NVC only works Mondays to Fridays. They do NOT work on Saturdays, Sundays, or US National Holidays.

s56 Request - Partner Visa

An official RFI request in regard to a partner visa may require a straightforward response, perhaps an AFP Police Certificate. In this case you are probably competent enough to respond. In other cases the Delegate may request further evidence in regard to the your relationship.

Chief James Bale, Whittier Police Department (California), discusses the seven items comprising the discretionary decision process: problem identification, fact finding, degrees of freedom determination, alternatives selection, making the decision, implementing the decision, and process evaluation.

there's no stipulated time it takes, once the status changes to further assessment.

After fulfilling all required documentation for the National Visa Center (NVC), and once your case attains documentary qualification, you'll be slated for an interview at your designated US Consulate or Embassy.

ADJUDICATE. To make a decision or determination, usually related to a legal issue or dispute. When an immigration case has been “adjudicated,” it means that an officer has made a decision to either approve or deny the requested immigration benefit.

An NVC backlog is the result of many new cases, and not enough being processed. Each time U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves a case, such as Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), this increases the backlog.

If this is your status, then the final processing of your visa is being completed and you are going to receive your visa. It takes about 10 business days to receive the visa after an "issued" status.

How long is the visa processing time? ›

To determine which center is processing your application, follow two steps: identify the center based on your application type and identify the center based on your originating state. You can find this information on the USCIS website or by calling their phone number.

To request a review for expedite, submit a scanned letter (or statement) to NVCExpedite@state.gov from a physician (or medical facility). The letter must include the physician's (or medical facility's) contact information and declare a life or death medical emergency exists.

There are a couple of reasons for the delay in getting a welcome letter from NVC. Sometimes the delay is because of some mistakes you made previously or because of USCIS, or sometimes, the delay is on the NVC side. Many applicants think that there's nothing they can do except just wait, while this is not correct.

After you submit your DS-260, the NVC will send out a notice (again via mail or email) confirming receipt of your DS-260, usually on the same day. You will then need to submit your supporting documents to the NVC as well.

NVC response times for email inquiries generally take 1 to 3 weeks. It may take them some time to answer your questions. Carefully submit your inquiry with all necessary information. The public inquiry form is also the appropriate way to inform the NVC of an address change that affects the petitioner or beneficiary.

After USCIS sends your petition to the NVC, the NVC creates a case in its system and assigns you a case number. After this is complete, the NVC sends you a Welcome Letter by email or mail. This notice will include your case number, a beneficiary ID number, and an invoice number.