After the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves your request to immigrate to the U.S., USCIS sends your petition to the National Visa Center (NVC). NVC will request the immigrant visa application fee and all documents. NVC will hold your petition and all documentation until your immigrant visa interview can be scheduled at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

If you are immigrating to be with close family (spouse, child or parent of a U.S. citizen), NVC will contact you to proceed immediately. If you are immigrating for work or other family-based relationships, the process may not start immediately. The date you filed your immigrant visa petition is called the Priority Date and you will need to check the Visa Bulletin. If the Priority Date matches or will soon match the most recent date allowed (the Cut-Off date), the NVC will request the immigrant visa application fee and all documents. NVC will hold your petition and all documentation until your immigrant visa interview can be scheduled at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  NVC will notify you if your Priority Date does not match yet the Cut-off Date. NVC will contact you once they start processing your case.

If your application date (Priority Date) matches or will soon match the Cut-off Date, the NVC will start working on your petition. NVC will notify you once your petition is ready or will soon start processing. For more information on the Cut-off Dates, please visit the Visa Bulletin, which is updated monthly.

When you filed an immigrant visa petition, USCIS assigned you a date called a Priority Date. You can verify the Priority Date on the approval notice USCIS sent you when they approved your petition.

Here is how you can contact the National Visa Center.