National Visa Center (NVC): What It Does and How the Process Works

What is the National Visa Center? 

The National Visa Centre (NVC) plays an important role in the process of immigrating to the U.S. It forms part of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and processes visa applications as well as verifies documents and forwards interviews to be conducted by the consulate. 

To start the process of immigration, a petition must be filed by either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (LPR) with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The citizen/lawful resident filing the petition can either be the employer or the relative of the immigrant who is being sponsored. 

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) comes within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The sponsor has to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, or Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Worker with the USCIS. 

What Is NVC Processing? 

When the petition is approved by the USCIS it will send you a Notice of Approval or Notice of Action in the Form- I-797. Based on the type of petition, it may be issued under the categories A-F of the form. After the petition is accepted by the USCIS, the petition is forwarded to the NVC, and the process is started. 

The NVC is in charge of handling Consular Proceedings. If you apply for a green card from outside the U.S. that is from your home country, your petition will be sent to the NVC for processing. However, if you are already living in the U.S. you can directly apply to the USCIS, without returning to the home country by applying for Adjustment of Status.

What are the Stages of NVC Process? 

1. Creation of a case and sending of a welcome letter to the sponsor and the immigrant. 
2. Submission of required forms, supporting documents (including but not limited to Civil Documents, Financial Documents), and payment of fees. 
3. Review and processing of the documents. 
4. Undergoing medical examination by an embassy-approved/authorized physician and getting vaccinated. 
5. Scheduling of an immigrant visa interview at the Embassy/Consulate nearest to the immigrant. 

After receiving the welcome letter from the NVC you have to log in to the  Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) portal, pay the fee, and upload the forms and supporting documents. The documents submitted must either be in English or the official language of the country from which immigration is being filed. Also, all documents not in English must include a certified translation in English, and all forms must be filed in English.  

There are various technicalities in filing forms and documents which are submitted to the NVC. Documents that are not in the file type jpg., jpeg, or .pdf will not be accepted; and if the documents are in a zipped file or bigger than 4 megabytes (mb) will be rejected. 

NVC and USCIS Processing time

Processing time differs according to the form that is pending, the fees paid, and the center through which processing is being done. As a general query, you may check your case processing time by going to the website of the USCIS. 

If you are an immediate relative of the sponsor who is a U.S. Citizen, the wait time would be less, while it may be more in the case of an employment-based visa. To check the processing timeframe of the NVC and the case review time, refer to the release by the State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is updated weekly.

The schedule of appointment by the NVC may take up to three months after acceptance of all requested documentation, however, the timeframe may be changed as it is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.  

Priority Date and Monthly Bulletin:

The state department releases a Visa Bulletin monthly, which lists priority dates. If the priority date becomes current based on the cut-off date or is about to be current, you may move forward in the application process to apply for a green card. However, the cut-off dates vary based on the category of visa you applied for and the country through which you applied. 

In case the priority date does not meet the cut-off date, then you may have to wait for a longer period of time.

How to Contact The NVC?

If you have a doubt or require assistance there are various ways to contact the NVC

1. Filing the Public Enquiry Form– You can open the NVC Navigator and ask questions related to CEAC, fees, documentation requirements, welcome letters, etc. However, this should be done if the query has not been answered by the FAQs available on the website
2. Email or telephonic communication: You may also send an email to NVCInquiry@state.gov, if the inquiry is not answered by the NVC Navigator. The phone number of the NVC as per public records of the U.S. embassy is: (603) 334-0700.
3. Visiting the Office: The sponsor may in exceptional cases also visit the office of the NVC located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S. You may also contact your nearest embassy or consulate, in case you have not received a response and a significant time period has elapsed.

What Forms Do I Have To Fill? 

The main form you have to fill out is Form DS-260 which includes filling NVC case number, and beneficiary id. number, fee receipts, filing out past addresses, and an address in the U.S. where you would be receiving your green card. 

Further forms to fill include Form-DS-261 (listing name, email address, and details of attorney/agent to enable the consulate to communicate with you) and Form I-864 (Application for Affidavit of Support) which is filed by the Sponsor. 

All forms that are filed have to be uploaded to the portal of the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). All forms are submitted to and reviewed by the NVC. 

In case the NVC, upon review of the forms, finds that the Affidavit of Support form is not complete, it will send a notification to CEAC and may ask you to correct and resubmit the form. When the corrected version of the form is submitted and accepted, the NVC transfers it to the relevant U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  

What Fees I Have To Pay? 

1. Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee- The fee charged by the State Department for processing the application varies based on the category of visa you applied for. Consult a professional or refer to State Department Guidelines. However, in the case of a family preference petition, it is $325 and in the case of employment-based preference petition, it is $345. 
2. Affidavit of Support Fee- It is usually not charged, however, the state department may charge $120 for processing the documents if filed within the U.S. There may also be an additional $85 for biometric services. 
3. Immigrant Fee to the USCIS- Paid after you receive your immigrant visa but before you travel to the U.S. $235 is charged if you are immigrating to the U.S. as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

After submitting the fees online, the NVC usually takes 10 calendar days to process before making form DS-260 available. The fees may be paid by either you or your sponsor, whoever has access to a U.S. bank/routing number. 

Documents Required To Be Carried To The Interview Process:

1. Appointment Letter – The Interview Appointment Letter received by you from the NVC.
2. Passport – An unexpired passport valid for six months beyond the intended date of entry into the U.S.
3. Photographs – two identical color photograph(s) which must meet the general Photograph Requirements.
4. Form-DS-260 Confirmation Page- Must be carried in a printed format.
5. Supporting Documents – Original or certified copies of all civil documents such as military records, birth certificates, etc. that you uploaded into the CEAC.

Expert Tips And Tricks To Avoid Delays And Further Application Process:

1. Complete all necessary forms and ensure that no mandatory field is left unmarked. Forms must be filled in English. You should also try to avoid grammatical mistakes.
2. Submit clear and legible copies of supporting financial and civil documents. If a document that you submit is not in proper format or language, then it may be rejected leading to the filing of fresh documents. If documents are not re-submitted in time it may lead to rejection of application. 
3.  Ensure that you pay all fees on time. An immigration interview for a green card is only scheduled if the fee has been paid. 
4. Ensure that you are updated with changes in the policies of USCIS and the Bureau of Consular Affairs, and regularly check the progress of your application on the CEAC portal. 

How Can We Assist?

FileRight.com helps in navigating the technicalities of the immigration process by assisting prospective immigrants applying to immigrate to the U.S. and providing a simplified process. FileRight.com offers affordable packages to complete the process and offers a money-back guarantee in case the petition is rejected by NVC. Before deciding to apply or pay any fees, take a short quiz on the website to determine your eligibility to immigrate to the U.S. 

FAQs

1. I failed to apply for an immigrant visa after receiving notice of visa availability, can I still apply?

Yes, you can apply within one year of notice of visa availability. If you fail to apply within one year, you may within two years reinstate your application, if you can provide proof that you could not apply due to reasons outside your control.

2. What is the Priority Date and Cut-off date?

The Priority date is the date you file your immigration visa application. The Priority Date is assigned by the USCIS when they approve the petition and send the approval notice. When your priority date meets the most recent cut-off date in the State Department’s monthly visa bulletin, it becomes current and an interview may be scheduled to determine eligibility for the visa.

3. I am a U.S. Citizen and sponsoring my spouse and children. Do I have to pay the Affidavit of Service fee for each case? 

In this case, you are not required to pay AOS fees separately for each case, provided that you submit your Affidavit of Support for each case to the NVC at the same time.

4. Do I have to fill all the fields of Form DS-260 even if they do not apply to me? 

Most of the fields on the DS-260 are mandatory and failure to fill in the required information would lead to rejection of the application, however, you can leave the fields marked optional ‘Blank’ or fill in the option “Does not Apply”.