My immigrant visa appointment has been scheduled, now what? (2024)

FAQs

What happens after NVC schedule interview? ›

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.

If your visa is approved, you will be informed how and when your passport and visa will be returned to you. Your immigrant visa will be placed on a page in your passport. Please review the printed information right away to make sure there are no errors.

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.

As of November 2022, the median worldwide wait time for a tourist visa (B1/B2) interview appointment is about two months, and applicants with urgent travel needs who meet certain criteria can apply for an emergency appointment, usually available within days.

It takes from 3 to 5 weeks for a US visa application to get processed. After the processing, the applicant can get a positive reply on their application, and the consulate will deliver the document. The delivery of the visa can take up to two other workdays.

During your naturalization interview, a USCIS officer will ask you questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver. The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking.

USCIS states the standard timeframe between their approval to when receiving your case creation from the NVC is 45 days. You should wait at least 45 days to contact NVC after your petition has been approved by USCIS.

You can check out the most recent updates on NVC processing timeframes on the State Department's website. The National Visa Center processes most cases within 2.5 months, but timelines vary by case.

You can check the status of your visa application on ceac.state.gov. If your visa has been denied, you may find useful information on Ineligibilities and Waivers on usvisas.state.gov.

Visit the official visa website of the country of visit. Find the option of tracking the visa application status. Enter the acknowledgement number or passport number and the date of birth. Following that, enter the captcha code and click 'submit'.

How long does it take for an immigration officer to make decision? ›

Although some cases may take longer, USCIS field offices and service centers try to adjudicate motions within 90 days. The AAO strives to complete its review of motions within 180 days from the time it receives a complete case file.

You can generally request expedited processing by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma after you have obtained a receipt notice. (You can access Emma by clicking on the Ask Emma icon on the top right of this page).

On average, waiting times for an appointment are around two to three weeks – under normal conditions.

As per them, in India, using the MRV Fee receipt (Visa fee receipt), you can schedule visa appointments up to 5 times. These 5 times include the initial appointment scheduling. What it means is that you can re-schedule or change the appointment for 4 times after your initial appointment.

It can take USCIS several months to process a green card petition. It can then take 1-2 months for an immigrant visa application to be transferred from USCIS to the NVC, with an additional 2-3 months for NVC to deal with its portion, although timelines can vary by case.

If you have urgent medical or humanitarian need of travel and you cannot schedule an appointment prior to your proposed date of departure then, schedule the first available appointment and click on the “Request Expedite” link.

Student Visa Processing Time 2023

The US student visa (F-1 visa) is one of the fastest visas to process. In fact, the study permit is often processed directly before your embassy interview. The interview is the last step of the application process.

At the end of your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application is approved or denied. Visa approval - When approved, you will be informed how and when your passport and visa will be returned to you.

According to Lawfully's data analysis of USCIS case status message updates, among the people who received the status message "Interview Was Scheduled," the most probable next update message is "Case Approved," (at 73%) after an average of 41 days.

DON'T joke around with the USCIS officer. In particular, avoid joking or sarcasm related to drug dealing, communicable diseases, bigamy, or smuggling people into the country. DON'T argue with your spouse or other family members in the middle of an interview.

How fast does NVC review documents? ›

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 one's documents.

In general, the decision is taken within 5 working days from the date of application .

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

This email notice does not require any actions from you or your attorney. -NVC emails this notice automatically every 60 calendar days to everyone who is currently awaiting a consulate interview. -This notice does not in any way guarantee that an interview will be scheduled within the next 60 calendar days.

Work Hours

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

NVC Processing Time – How Long Does It Take? The National Visa Center may take three to six months to review an application, from the moment it's submitted, the visa fees are paid, and supporting documents are uploaded to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) portal.

Delays are usually caused by additional security and background clearances due to your citizenship, ties to specific countries, or field of study. These additional clearance checks may take several weeks to several months to process. There is no way to circumvent or expedite this process.

Upon visa refusal, you will get a letter from the consulate stating the reason for refusal. This will help you reapply after a specific period of time by rectifying the mistake. Also, some of the consulate websites provide the visa status with the reason for rejection, if any.

Processing usually takes 15 business days from receipt by the Embassy of a complete application and may take longer during peak times and in exceptional circ*mstances.

Immigration attorneys can help speed up your immigration case in a few different ways. The most obvious is by using their knowledge and experience to make the process go more smoothly and easily.

How long does immigrant interview take? ›

A typical citizenship interview lasts about 20 minutes, but the exact timeframe varies by applicant.

For expedited interview request, you should first login to your profiles on www.ustraveldocs.com/th and schedule the earliest available appointment shown on the calendar, even if it is for a date after your travel need.

Many factors may affect how long it takes USCIS to complete an application, petition or request, such as the number of applications, petitions, or requests we receive, workload and staffing allocations, the time a benefit requestor takes responding to a request for more information, as well as policy and operational ...

In emergencies or hardship, a petitioner can speed up an immigration case with a National Visa Center (NVC) expedite request. USCIS sends overseas petitions to the NVC. Normally, USCIS notifies you with a Notice of Approval that the petition is approved and sent to the National Visa Center.

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.

If you are found eligible to receive a visa on the day of the interview you should allow approximately 10-15 working days for your application to be processed.

For nonimmigrant visa applicants in India, it is advised that they make a booking three months in advance of their intended travel date.

Of course. You can reschedule your appointment (for a future date only) and up to a maximum of two times. If you are late or have missed your appointment on the scheduled day, the system will not allow you to reschedule or cancel, and you will be required to book a new appointment after 24 hours.

You must submit your DS-160 application online prior to making an appointment for an interview at the Embassy or Consulate.

Can I use new DS-160 after scheduling appointment? ›

Can I reuse the DS-160? Yes, you can use information from a previously submitted DS-160 to populate some fields on a new form.

You can expect to be at the Embassy or Consulate for approximately two to three hours. The interview with a consular officer is typically the last step in a two-step process. Prior to the interview staff will collect, data-enter and review your application. A set of your fingerprints will be electronically scanned.

Although it's true that the State Department does not provide a way to go back and change an already submitted DS-160, you can go online to submit a new, corrected DS-160, print the new confirmation page, and bring that to your interview at the consulate or embassy.

It is recommended that the application be completed at least 48 hours prior to the appointment, and that applicants make sure to indicate the correct Embassy or Consulate where the appointment will be held.

You can reschedule your appointment (for a future date only) and up to a maximum of two times.

How long is the DS-160 valid? Generally a DS-160 form is valid as long as the information provided is accurate and up to date. However, the confirmation number used to schedule an interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate is only valid for one year.

If done correctly, the NVC Case Review time is typically between 1 and 4 months.

You cannot reschedule your visa interview appointment date earlier than your initial interview appointment date. If you do so, you will not be interviewed.

The Form DS-160 must be completed and submitted online before your interview at the Embassy or Consulate. The barcode number on the Form DS-160 confirmation page is required in order to book your interview.

Here are a few tips on what to wear for a visa interview. Choose formal clothing — Professional attire is the way to go with almost any interview, and the same applies to F-1 student visa interviews. Certain formal clothing options such as dress shirts, ties, suits, pantsuits, and jackets are always appropriate.

What not to say in a visa interview? ›

It is very important to answer honestly. Tell about the reasons you have visited the US before, i.e. tourism, training, medical reasons, etc. Even if you have stayed beyond your visa validity, been deported or detained during your previous stay in the US, you must tell.

There is an option to create a family application if you need to fill out more than one DS-160 for family members. After you complete one application in its entirety, follow along to the 'Thank You' page, and there will be an option to select 'create a family application.

Once you complete the form, you need to submit the form online. You will get confirmation after you submit the form, save and print the confirmation of US Visa application (DS-160) as you will need it for booking a US visa appointment and also you need to carry the same for a visa interview.

The Super Priority Visa service is the fastest way to secure a visa decision. This service will give eligible customers a decision by the end of the next working day after their appointment at the visa application centre.