US National Visa Application Center: what it is for and how it works

The National Visa Center (NVC) is a part of the U.S. Department of State that performs visa pre-processing tasks on behalf of U.S. embassies. Located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, NVC handles much of the bulk processing of immigrant visas (green cards) to relieve the burden on each embassy. The center also processes some types of non-immigrant visas, writes CitizenPath.

Photo: Shutterstock

If you are filing a family petition such as Form I-130 for a relative or Form I-129F for a bride / groom, there are some nuances you need to know about the National Visa Application Center.

Once the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approves the visa application, its staff must refer the case to the US Department of State for consular review. The consular process covers the activities of obtaining a visa abroad. Typical examples of visa petitions include these forms:

• I-129F - Petition for Foreign Fiancé/Groom;
• I-130 - Petition for Alien Relative;
• I-140 - Petition for Foreign Worker.

Other forms, such as I-360, I-526, I-600 and I-800, can also be submitted to the National Visa Application Center.

When USCIS approves the petition, you will be sent a Notice of Approval (I-797). At the same time, USCIS will submit documents to NVC (it may take a month or more for the center to receive your case from USCIS). Once received, NVC will provide your case with a unique number and send you a letter informing you that it has received your petition and what to do next.

However, the approval of the petition does not necessarily mean that NVC will begin processing the green card. The recipient must first have a valid immigration visa.

Checking status

To find out how long it currently takes for the National Visa Application Center to process cases like yours, see their time frame page at this link.

It is important to note that the page shows only the total processing time for all cases. To have reasonable expectations, it is important to understand how your case will be handled.

As a rule, petitions for immediate family members (spouse / spouse of an American citizen, his parents and unmarried children under the age of 21) do not stay long at NVC. There is no annual limit on the number of immigrant visas issued to immediate family members.

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On the other hand, preferred family-based categories and employment categories generally wait longer. Congress has set a limit on the number of immigrant visas issued in these categories each year. Consequently, more visas are usually requested than are available each year. The case may take several months or even several years until the immigrant visa becomes valid.

When USCIS receives a visa application for these categories, its staff will indicate a “priority date” on the receipt notification. For example, after filing Form I-130, USCIS responds with Form I-797C, Notice of Action, also known as Notice of Receipt. It contains this very date.

When your priority date matches the most recent date in the State Department's monthly bulletin, it will become "current." As the date approaches, NVC will start following steps.

What's next

If your priority date is about to go live, the National Visa Application Center will ask:

• pay the visa application fee;
• Prepare a visa application (DS-260) and supporting documentation such as an Affidavit of Support, Form I-864;
• keep your visa petition pending an appointment with a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Contact Information

You can contact NVC by phone or email. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to midnight (Eastern Standard Time).

Phone: (603) 334-0700

Email: public request form.

It's important to set yourself up for anticipation. NVC's response time to email inquiries is usually 1-3 weeks. Submit your carefully crafted request with all the information you need. A public request form is also an appropriate way to inform NVC of a change of address that affects the applicant or beneficiary. Telephone customer service is only available to immigrant visa applicants. During the COVID-19 outbreak, NVC temporarily suspended support for non-immigrants.

NVC does not change status

The National Visa Application Center only deals with matters related to consular clearance. USCIS handles all status changes for individuals located in the United States. If you chose to change status on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, USCIS will not refer your case to NVC. Instead, they will send it to the local USCIS office in the United States, which was listed on the I-130 petition.

What if you chose consular processing on your I-130 and then changed your mind? You have the right to change your status in such cases:

• you have lawfully entered and are present in the United States;
• you have an approved visa petition;
• the visa petition is valid.

Once you file Form I-485 for Status Adjustment, USCIS will withdraw the case from the National Visa Application Center. If you receive a welcome letter from NVC asking about your intentions, this is an opportunity to indicate that you have decided to file Form I-485 in the United States. You don't need to pay any NVC fees.

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Updating the petition after obtaining US citizenship

Petitions for immediate family members of US citizens have a higher priority category. Therefore, you may want to "renew" your petition if you have recently become a US citizen. Whether you have filed a petition for your spouse and / or children when you were a lawful permanent resident and are now a US citizen, the type of immigrant visa your family members can get will change.

To make this change, you must submit proof of citizenship to the National Visa Application Center so that they can review your family member's visa category. Scan and save one of these documents as a PDF or JPG file:

• a copy of the bio data page of your US passport;
• a copy of your naturalization certificate.

Send proof of citizenship to NVC as an app via public inquiry form.

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