Submitting your documents (2023)

FAQs

How long does it take after submitting documents to NVC? ›

The National Visa Center processes most cases within 2.5 months, but timelines vary by case.

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.

What documents do I have to upload? All visa applicants must submit documents showing their eligibility for a visa class, and identifying information. That includes a birth certificate, marriage and divorce certificates, and police certificates.

Once you submit your fees, forms, and supporting documents to NVC, we will review your case to ensure you provided all the documentation required to schedule the immigrant visa interview. Interviews are based on the availability of appointments offered at the Embassy/Consulate.

The application time for T Nonimmigrant Status Form I-914 was 18 months in 2021 and 15.2 months in early 2022. These numbers are the median processing times, which means they fall right in the middle of the amount of time it took to process the forms.

USCIS will review the petition (this could take 2-3 months) and either issue NOIR (Notice of Intent to Revoke) or NOID (Notice of Intent to Deny). The petitioner will be given certain days (30-60 days, actual days given is mentioned in the NOIR/NOID) to respond.

A visa refusal under section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) means the applicant did not establish eligibility for a visa to the satisfaction of the consular officer, as is required under U.S. law, specifically section 291 of the INA.

Some refused visa applications may be refused under section 221(g) because further administrative processing is required. The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if your case is being refused under 221(g) due to required administrative processing.

If the Embassy does not have any available slots, the case will remain warehoused at the NVC until slots become available. Depending on the volume of cases waiting for interview availability, this could take a long period of time.

Why is NVC not scheduling my interview? ›

In many situations, a person's priority date may be current, but they have not yet submitted all the forms or paid the required fees so their case will not be scheduled for interview. Therefore, make sure you receive confirmation from NVC that your case is documentarily qualified in order to be queued up for interview.

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.

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.

If NVC finds an error on a required document, they will reject the document and tell you what needs to be corrected. They will post their feedback to the right of the document, in the Response Note column. They will also send you a message in your CEAC account detailing what the error is and how to fix it.

At the end of your immigrant visa interview, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application is approved or denied. Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant's interview by a consular officer.

Usually 1-5 weeks. But if you provide all the documents beforehand, it is possible that no case officer will be assigned for you, and you'll receive direct grant after DIBP performs background checks.

To request a review for expedite, please 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.

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.

NVC schedules interviews on a monthly basis. We receive each embassy's list of available appointment dates and times, and we fill them in the order that cases became documentarily qualified, as long as there is an available visa number.

No. When a visa application is sent for administrative processing, the visa eligibility has not been determined. After the case comes back from administrative review, and if no problems are identified, the application is likely to be approved.

How do I know if my 221g is approved? ›

If your visa was approved and no form 221(g) was issued, then you can expect your stamped passport within 5-10 working days. No need to worry. Form 221g processing takes 7-20 days if no documents are requested and the passport is kept by the visa officer.

If you did not receive notice stating your application was placed in administrative processing, confirm with the consulate post handling your visa application that your case has been placed in administrative processing. To confirm your case, you may visit or email the consulate.

In order to avoid a 221(g) refusal for additional information, the applicant should be well prepared, answer questions truthfully, review the H1B petition carefully to fully understand the details of the work assignment in the United States, and bring copies of the documents to the interview that were submitted to the ...

In fact, it is quite common to receive a 221 (g) visa refusal by a consular officer, which is essentially a Request for Evidence (RFE). Other 221(g) notices are for administrative processing and do not require additional documents from the visa applicant.

Administrative processing takes place after the visa interview, and refers to visa applications that undergo additional review or security clearances outside of “normal” visa processing times.

To check the status of your visa, please visit the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) of the U.S. Department of State. Select the link for “Check my Visa Application Status” and follow the instructions.

Therefore, if someone plans to enter the US while their new visa application is held for administrative processing, the traveler can apply for admission into the US only if they possess a valid nonimmigrant visa. If a traveler utilizes a previously issued visa, then they must comply with the terms of that visa.

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

If everything says “Paid,” “Complete,” “In Process,” or “Submitted,” that means NVC is reviewing your case. How do I read the status chart on my CEAC summary page?