NVC Role in IVs For Applicants November 2016

NVC’S ROLE IN YOUR IMMIGRANT VISA JOURNEY
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL VISA CENTER?  Providing applicants with interview instructions; and
The National Visa Center (NVC) is part of the U.S.  Sending completed case files to the interviewing
Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. consular officers so they are ready for the interview.
NVC serves a clerical function in processing immigrant
visa applications. WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF NVC’S WORK?
NVC helps prepare applicants for a successful interview
NVC’s job is to prepare immigrant visa applications for
the first time they appear. This helps decrease the
consular officers to review and adjudicate. After
likelihood that a consular officer will have to ask you to
receiving an approved immigrant petition from U.S.
reschedule the interview and return with missing
Citizenship and Immigration Services, NVC works with
paperwork. NVC’s work also helps standardize the
you on your visa application package. NVC’s role is to
immigrant visa process worldwide.
ensure that the minimum paperwork required by the
consular officer is received and properly filled out. That
way, when your visa application is sent overseas to a WHERE DO I FIND INFORMATION ON
U.S. embassy, it is ready to be considered during your WHAT I HAVE TO DO WHILE MY CASE IS
interview. AT NVC?
Please visit our website at nvc.state.gov (English) or
HOW DOES NVC WORK WITH EMBASSIES?
nvc.state.gov/espanol (Spanish) for information about
Consular officers who interview immigrant visa submitting your immigrant visa application package to
applicants are required by law to review specific NVC. There are six steps you have to complete before
documents. A large part of NVC’s work is making sure NVC can review your case and schedule your interview
applicants have gathered these documents and filled appointment:
out the required forms before their visa interview. Why
is that important? Because if a consular officer doesn’t  Choose an agent (the person to whom NVC will
see these documents during the interview, the officer send instructions and feedback).
won’t be able to make a decision on your application –
 Pay your processing fees online.
meaning a delay in your reunion with family in the U.S.
 Complete the online Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa
NVC’s work includes: Application.
 Collecting two immigrant visa processing fees;  Have your petitioner complete a Form I-864 Affidavit
of Support and collect supporting financial
 Reviewing forms and documents submitted to NVC
documents.
in support of the visa application;
 Collect your supporting civil documents, such as
 Scheduling visa interviews at embassies and
birth, marriage and police certificates.
consulates overseas once applicants have
submitted the requested documents;  Submit all of these forms and documents to NVC.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY When you receive an appointment letter from NVC, it
FORMS AND DOCUMENTS TO NVC? will provide the date and time of your visa interview at a
U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. It will also direct
After NVC receives all of the requested paperwork, it you to our website at nvc.state.gov/interview (English)
will administratively review them. NVC’s work is clerical or nvc.state.gov/ interview/espanol (Spanish) for
in nature and is meant to ensure you have the important interview instructions. Prior to your visa
documents consular officers need to see. interview, you will need to:
 Schedule and complete a medical examination

We review all documents simultaneously to avoid
with an embassy-approved doctor.
sending a “false checklist” that would ask an applicant
to send a document that has already been mailed.  Register with a courier service (not always required).
That’s why it’s important to send all documents to NVC
in one package. This review takes place only after we HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH NVC?
have received fees, the DS-260, and both civil and
financial documents. You can call NVC’s Customer Assistance Center at
1-603-334-0700. Customer service representatives are
If something is missing, NVC will send a letter to your available Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to
agent asking for the missing information. Once you midnight (Eastern Time).
have submitted everything that is requested, NVC
sends a letter saying you are “documentarily qualified.” You can also contact us online using our public inquiry
That means you are in line for the next available form at nvc.state.gov/ask. You’ll receive a response via
interview appointment. e-mail. Whenever you contact us, please be ready to
provide your case number, the name of the petitioner,
and the name and date of birth of the visa applicant.
WHEN WILL I GET AN INTERVIEW?
There will likely be several weeks between becoming DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS?
“documentarily qualified” and receiving a visa interview
appointment. NVC schedules interviews on a monthly  Do not send original civil documents to NVC.
basis. We receive each embassy’s list of available Submit photocopies of items such as birth or
appointment dates and times, and we fill them in the marriage certificates, passports, or naturalization
order that cases became documentarily qualified, as certificates. Bring the originals to the visa interview.
long as there is an available visa number. (There is a  Submit all pages of the Affidavit of Support form,
maximum number of visas the U.S. can approve each even if they are blank.
year in some visa categories, so there may be a delay
between completing your application and being eligible  Submit all documents to NVC in one package
for an interview if you are in one of these categories.) using the NVC-provided document cover sheet that
contains a barcode. Sending multiple packages
Since we work only one month at a time, we cannot delays NVC’s ability to review your documents.
predict when a case will be scheduled. We suggest  Bring original documents to your visa interview.
waiting at least 90 days from notice that your case is
documentarily qualified before calling. Updated November 2016

NVC Role in IVs For Applicants November 2016

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NVC’S ROLE IN YOUR IMMIGRANT VISA JOURNEY

 Schedule and complete a medical examination

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