Consular Processing

NVC & U.S. Embassy Guide

Because your relative is outside the United States, your approved petition will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) and a U.S. Embassy. Here is exactly how the rest of your journey works.

Phase 1: The National Visa Center (NVC)

After USCIS approves your initial I-130 petition, it is sent to the NVC for pre-processing.

NVC Welcome Letter

Once the NVC creates your case, they will email you a Welcome Letter containing your Case Number and Invoice ID. You will use these to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).

Log into CEAC

Pay Fees & Submit DS-260

Pay Fees Online: You must pay the Immigrant Visa Fee and Affidavit of Support Fee directly in the CEAC portal.
Submit DS-260: The beneficiary must complete the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application online.
Sponsor Forms: The U.S. sponsor must upload the Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) and tax documents.

Upload Civil Documents

You must scan and upload all required civil documents to the CEAC portal. This includes Passports, Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, and Police Certificates (from any country the immigrant has lived in for over 6 months).

Important: Any document not in English or the official language of the country where the interview will take place MUST be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Phase 2: The U.S. Embassy

Once the NVC approves your uploaded documents, they will schedule your visa interview abroad.

Medical Exam

Before your interview, you MUST schedule and complete a medical examination. This cannot be done by your personal doctor. It must be completed by an Embassy-approved "Panel Physician."

The doctor will either send the results directly to the Embassy or give you a sealed envelope to bring to your interview. Do not open the envelope!

The Consular Interview

You will attend your interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You must bring the following:

Your official NVC Interview Appointment Letter.
An unexpired passport valid for at least 6 months.
The DS-260 confirmation page.
Two identical color photographs.
ORIGINAL or certified copies of all civil documents you uploaded to CEAC.

Visa Approval & Entry

Once the consular officer approves your visa, the Embassy will keep your passport to stamp the visa inside it, then return it to you.

1. The Visa Packet You may receive a sealed packet. Do NOT open it. You must present it to the CBP officer at the U.S. border.

2. USCIS Immigrant Fee Before traveling to the U.S., you must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online so they can print your Green Card.

3. Enter the U.S. Upon entry, you become a Permanent Resident. Your physical Green Card will be mailed to your U.S. address.