The National Visa Center (NVC) is part of the United States Department of State. The NVC holds United States immigrant visa petitions that have been approved by the USCIS until an immigrant visa number becomes available. When an immigrant visa number becomes available for the approved visa applicant, the NVC will arrange for the visa applicant to attend the visa interview at a consulate abroad.
In most cases, the original USCIS petition is filed by a person or entity other than the beneficiary of the visa. The beneficiary of the visa is the person who is able to apply for a visa based on an approved petition.
When the NVC becomes involved in the process, communication will be made with the beneficiary going forward, although the petitioner will get a notification at the beginning of the process. If you have questions regarding the immigrant visa process and the National Visa Center’s role, a National Visa Center Lawyer NYC can help.
Every immigration petition does not necessarily go through the National Visa Center. The petitions that do go through the NVC include the following:
Form I-130 Petitions
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is a petition used by U.S. citizens and permanent residents in order to petition for immigrant status on behalf of their immediate relatives. There are different processing and wait times depending on which subcategory the visa applicant falls into. A National Visa Center Lawyer NYC can help you understand more about which subcategory your application falls into and how that may impact the waiting time.
Form I-140 Petitions
Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, is used primarily by U.S. businesses but can also be used by the immigrant beneficiary himself or herself in some cases. This petition is used to apply for immigrant worker status for the beneficiary in one of three categories—EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3.
These categories are numerically capped, and additional waiting times also depend on the applicant’s home country. For some countries, the priority date may be current, and the NVC will begin processing the visa immediately, while there may be longer wait periods for those coming from other countries.
Other Immigrant Visa Petitions That Go Through the National Visa Center
In addition to Form-130 and Form I-140 petitions, there are a number of other types of petitions that are processed through the National Visa Center. These include Forms I-1600, I-600A, I-800, and I-800A. Additionally, Form I-360, Form I-526, and Form I-129F petitions go through the NVC. Provisional unlawful presence waivers are also processed through the NVC.
Since there are several types of petitions that are processed through the NVC, which all involve different forms and may require different steps to be taken, a National Visa Center Lawyer NYC can be very helpful in guiding you through this process.
If your priority date meets the current cut-off date, or it is expected to become current soon, the NVC will collect your visa application along with any supporting documentation and invoice you for your visa application fees. The National Visa Center will hold your visa petition until it can schedule an interview with you and a consular officer at either a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
If your priority date does not meet the recent cut-off date, the National Visa Center will notify you that it will be holding your petition until your priority date meets the latest cut-off date or if it is expected to become current soon. The NVC will contact you to start processing the visa once your priority date gets closer to the cut-off date.
You can find updates to the cut-off dates in the Visa Bulletin maintained by the Department of State. Hiring a National Visa Center Lawyer NYC at the beginning of this process can be beneficial to you since your lawyer can help you navigate the entire process.
The next stage in the process is attending the interview that the NVC will set up for you. Once the interview has been scheduled, the NVC will notify you, your petitioner, and your attorney by sending out an email with the interview date and time. Prior to the interview, you will need to prepare by taking some additional steps.
Before you attend the interview, you will need to schedule and attend a medical appointment with an authorized and embassy-approved doctor called a Panel Physician. You will attend this medical appointment in the country in which you will be interviewed.
If you are required to obtain any vaccinations, you must receive them before the date of your scheduled visa interview. When the exam has concluded, the Panel Physician will send the results directly to the embassy or may give you a sealed envelope instead. If you receive a sealed envelope, you should refrain from opening it and instead bring it to the visa interview and provide it to the consular officer.
The next step is to follow any other pre-interview instructions you are given and register for courier service. Finally, there will be certain documents that you will be expected to bring to the interview. Make sure that you have all required documents well in advance of the interview so that you do not have any last-minute issues obtaining them.
There is no requirement that you hire a National Visa Center Lawyer NYC to handle this matter. However, since this can be a lengthy process that involves multiple steps, it is always a good idea to speak with a National Visa Center Lawyer NYC prior to beginning this process. An experienced National Visa Center Lawyer NYC can help you navigate each step in the process and provide you with advice along the way.
The National Visa Center lawyers at Feiner and Lavy, P.C. have many years of experience successfully helping their clients through a wide variety of immigration-related matters. If you have questions about your visa application and the National Visa Center, we are here to help. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys to move forward with this process.
**This is general information and is NOT intended to provide legal advice.
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