National Visa Center Processing
Once the I-130 Petition is approved by USCIS, the case will be forwarded to the National Visa Center.
For most U.S. Embassies and Consulates General, the National Visa Center (NVC) provides document collection and review, and schedules the cases for interview. The Department of State refers to these embassies and consulates as Appointment Posts.
For immigrant visa cases assigned to an Appointment Post, the NVC will collect the fees, affidavit of support, civil documents, and police certificates, as required. When a case is complete, it will be scheduled an appointment for an interview with a consular officer.
For all Appointment Posts (except, the Consulate General in Guangzhou, China) the NVC will send an appointment letter to all interested parties (applicant, petitioner, and agent/attorney of record, if applicable) notifying them of the date, time, and location of the interview; and forward the petition to the appropriate embassy/consulate.
The Consulate General in Guangzhou, China will send appointment letters for cases assigned to it.
Step 1: NVC Fee Bill:
You will first receive a visa feel bill letter from the NVC with instructions on paying your visa fee bill online.
Once your visa fee bill is paid, you may begin the next step of gathering and submitting the Applicant Documents (see below).
Step 2: Affidavit of Support
The Affidavit of Support is legally required for the petitioning sponsor for many family-based and some employment based immigrants to show the intending immigrant will have adequate means of support, when planning to immigrate to the U.S. The purpose of the process is to prove that the intending immigrant has adequate means of financial support and is unlikely to become a public charge. A “petitioning sponsor” is a person who has filed an immigrant petition, which has been approved by USCIS.
After the petitioner (sponsor) has paid the Affidavit of Support processing fee, the petitioner (sponsor) is contacted by the NVC. You are ready for the next step in the immigration process, which is to download the necessary forms, complete them, and then submit them for the purpose of sponsoring the intending immigrant.
The I-864 Affidavit of Support is a contract between a sponsor and the U.S. Government. The legal basis for the I-864 Affidavit of Support is Section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
After receiving notification from the NVC to download the Affidavit of Support Instructions, take the following actions:
Warning: Do not take any action described below without authorization from the NVC. Taking action without the NVC’s authorization could result in a delay in processing.
Notification from the NVC
IF the petitioner has received notification from the NVC, please read the Affidavit of Support Instructions and download the appropriate form(s).
The following links are provided for individuals who have already read the Affidavit of Support Instructions and need additional forms:
I-864W – Intending Immigrant’s Affidavit of Support Exemption
I-864EZ – Affidavit of Support
I-864 – Affidavit of Support
I-864A – Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
I-864P – 2016 Poverty Guidelines
Important Note: Form I-134 is not acceptable, and cannot be used in place of the appropriate I-864 form(s) listed above.
Warning: Do not take any action described above without authorization from the NVC. Taking action without the NVC’s authorization could result in a delay in processing.
Step 3: Applicant Document Processing:
After receiving notification from the NVC to begin Applicant Document Processing, all applicants MUST:
Review the Children who are about to turn 21 years of age instructions IF the applicant or a child of the applicant is about to turn 21 years of age,
Complete the Application For Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Forms DS-230 Part I and Part II .
Obtain and submit the applicant’s civil documents.
Obtain and submit photographs that meet the Department of State’s immigration requirements.
Review the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General-specific information.
Mail the DS-230 and the applicant’s civil documents, and the applicant’s photographs to the NVC.
Documents The Applicant Must Submit to NVC after the NVC fee is paid.
Original Document Requirements
The applicant and each family member who will accompany the applicant to the United States will need to submit original documents or certified copies of the documents listed in this section from an appropriate authority (the issuing entity).Photocopy Requirements
In addition to sending the original documents or certified copies of the documents to the NVC, the applicant and each accompanying family member must submit a photocopy of the original documents or certified copies of the documents.Requirements
All documents not in English, or in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made, must be accompanied by certified translations. The translation must include a statement signed by the translator that states that the:
- Translation is accurate, and
- Translator is competent to translate.
Required Documents
Original documents, photocopies, and translations of the following documents must be submitted to the National Visa Center for the applicant and each family member who will accompany the applicant to the United States:
- Birth Certificate
- Court and Prison Records
- Deportation Documentation
- Marriage Certificate
- Marriage Termination Documentation
- Military Records
- Petitioner Documents
- Photocopy of Valid Passport Biographic Data Page
- Police Certificate(s)
- Custody Documentation
- How do I file the I-130 Petition with USCIS?
- What if I cannot find or obtain my Birth Certificate?
- What if I cannot find or obtain my Marriage Certificate?
- What documents do I need to show for divorce or termination of marriage?
- How do I find the requirements for the passport style pictures?
- How do I get the police certificates?
- How much money do I need to have or earn to qualify?
- How do I hire you to be my attorney?
If you have a question about the CR-1 Spouse Visa process, please use the form below. We will respond as quickly as possible.
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