What is the current NVC processing time?

USCIS states the standard timeframe between their approval to when receiving your case creation from the NVC is 45 days . You should wait at least 45 days to contact NVC after your petition has been approved by USCIS.

How long is NVC taking to schedule interviews 2023?

How long does it take to get an appointment? Although NVC strives to schedule appointments within three months of NVC's acceptance of all requested documentation, this timeframe is subject to the operating status and capacity of the consular section.

Can I speed up NVC process?

To request a review for expedite, please submit a scanned letter (or statement) to NVCExpedite@state.gov from a physician (or medical facility) . The letter must include the physician's (or medical facility's) contact information, and declare a life or death medical emergency exists.

How do I know if NVC is reviewing my case?

If everything says “Paid,” “Complete,” “In Process,” or “Submitted,” that means NVC is reviewing your case.

Why is NVC taking so long to schedule interview?

Therefore, the real holdup is the Embassy who has not opened sufficient interview slots to meet the ongoing demand for visa interview scheduling . The NVC has no choice but to hold the case until the Embassy has informed the agency that it can schedule the applicant for a visa interview.

How many cases are pending in NVC?

The immigrant visa backlog at the National Visa Center (NVC) is historically large. As we begin 2023, there are 422,954 immigrant visa applicants waiting for an interview . In other words, an immigrant visa is available; the individual has applied; and required documents have been submitted.

How far out does NVC schedule interview?

They can ONLY schedule your Visa Interview 2-6 weeks in advance , once they have made it to your file. Some Embassies/Consulates schedule interviews in 1-5 months, whereas other Embassies/Consulates can take well over a year or 2 years.

How long does it take for NVC to process DS 260?

During the busy season, you should expect to receive an answer for your DS-260 in 2 to 3 months . When considering this wait time in contrast to the family-based green card, which takes between 10 – 17 months, the DS-260 processing time only takes a fraction of the entire process.

How far out are visa interviews?

As of November 2022, the median worldwide wait time for a tourist visa (B1/B2) interview appointment is about two months , and applicants with urgent travel needs who meet certain criteria can apply for an emergency appointment, usually available within days.

How long does it take for NVC to process DS-260?

During the busy season, you should expect to receive an answer for your DS-260 in 2 to 3 months . When considering this wait time in contrast to the family-based green card, which takes between 10 – 17 months, the DS-260 processing time only takes a fraction of the entire process.

What is current priority date?

Priority date: This is the date that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received your I-130 petition . Think of this date as your place in the green card line. You can find your priority date on the I-797 form mailed by USCIS approving your I-130 petition.

What is the priority date for NVC?

The date your petition was filed is called your priority date.

How long does it take to process I 824 for NVC transfer?

Please allow at least 90 days from the date of submission of your Form I-824 before making an inquiry about the status of your application. A full review of your circ*mstances can take up to six months or longer .

Why is the NVC taking so long to process cases? (2024)

Welcome back to Immigration Lawyer Blog! In this video, attorney Jacob Sapochnick discusses a hot topic in the world of immigration, why is the National Visa Center taking such a long time to process cases? What are some predictions on the status of visa processing in the future? If you are interested in receiving more information about the National Visa Center, or if your case is stuck at the National Visa Center, this is the right video is for you.

Overview

In this video, we will discuss the National Visa Center February backlog report, which contains important statistics and data that has been provided by the Department of State to provide transparency to the public. The Coronavirus pandemic has caused an enormous backlog at Embassies worldwide, which are expected to continue for months to come. Please note that the National Visa Center backlog report changes on a regular basis, and often the information released can become easily outdated as the NVC works to move these cases through the pipeline.

In addition, this data is specific to cases that have been processed by National Visa Center and that have been determined to be “documentarily complete.” It does not reflect Immigrant Visa cases that have already been transferred to anembassy orconsulate for interview, cases that are still with USCIS for petition approval,or cases that are not considered documentarily complete.

First let’s discuss, what is the National Visa Center?

The National Visa Center (NVC) is a government agency that is responsible for the pre-processing of all immigrant visa petitions approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) including family sponsored and employment-based immigrant petitions of foreign nationals residing overseas. The National Visa Center serves as an intermediary between USCIS, where the immigrant visa petition was first approved, and the U.S. Consulate, where the foreign national will eventually undergo their immigrant visa interview.

Once the immigrant visa petition has been approved by USCIS, the application is then forwarded to the National Visa Center located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it will be pre-processed and retained until the immigrant visa application is ready to be adjudicated at the foreign national’s closest U.S. Consulate or Embassy. It takes approximately 30-60 days for an immigrant visa application to be transferred from USCIS to the National Visa Center. The National Visa Center recommends that an applicant wait at least 90 days from the date of the immigrant petition’s approval before calling to confirm the receipt of an application. Remember that an immigrant visa will not be scheduled for an interview, until the applicant’s priority date becomes current on the Visa Bulletin. Certain categories of immigrants are not subject to numerical limitations, while many others are.

See Also

Processing Times & Return of Passport

Of those applicants, only 27,454 immigrant visa applicants with documentarily complete cases were scheduled for interview appointments in February 2022.

With this in mind, that leaves approximately 436,666 immigrant visa applicants that are still waiting for the scheduling of a visa interview, after February 2022, despite being ready for interview scheduling. This is due to the lack of visa appointments available at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas, and the overwhelming demand for those appointments.

Of the 236 Embassies and Consulates currently open, 25% have not been operating at normal capacity. These posts have only been accommodating expedite and emergency requests, causing substantial backlogs for immigrant visa cases.

Number of IV applicants whose cases are documentarily complete at NVC and ready for interview as of January 31	464,120
Number of documentarily complete IV applicants scheduled for February 2022 interview appointments	27,454
Number of eligible IV applicants still pending the scheduling of an interview after February 2022 appointment scheduling was completed	436,666

Furthermore, 27% of Embassies have not been scheduling any interview appointments for non-immigrant visa applicants, with the exception of qualifying emergency requests.

At the moment current visa processing is 20% lower when compared to processing estimates from 2019 before the pandemic started.

According to recent estimates, it will take the National Visa Center about a year and a half to reduce these backlogs.

How long will it take the National Visa Center to send your case to the Embassy for an appointment?

The National Visa Center relies upon data received from Embassies abroad to determine when the NVC can transfer a case overseas for interview. Such data is transmitted to the NVC every 30-60 days. The NVC can only make such a transfer when it has been notified by the particular Embassy that there is an available visa interview appointment slot for the applicant. If the Embassy does not have any available slots, the case will remain warehoused at the NVC until slots become available.

Depending on the volume of cases waiting for interview availability, this could take a long period of time. For example, if your case is being processed at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, one of the busiest Consulates in the world, you can expect to wait over a year and a half for a visa interview appointment to become available.

Considering these lengthy waiting periods, it is worth considering whether you are eligible for expedited visa processing. Those who believe they are eligible for expedited processing should contact an experienced immigration attorney to discuss this option.

The bottom line

While Embassies have been opening more and more interview slots as the Coronavirus pandemic has eased, nearly half a million people are still waiting for slots to become available. Much work still needs to be done by the U.S. government to reduce these backlogs. During this uncertain time, it is very important for applicants to keep in regular contact with the National Visa Center to remain informed on the status of their cases at least once a year. The National Visa Center can be contacted by phone or email to ensure that your case remains open while you wait for an interview.

Questions? If you would like to schedule a consultation, please text 619-483-4549 or call 619-819-9204.

Helpful Links

JOIN OUR NEW FACEBOOK GROUP

Need more immigration updates? We have created a new facebook group to address the impact of the new executive order and other changing developments related to COVID-19. Follow us there.

For other COVID 19 related immigration updates please visit our Immigration and COVID-19 Resource Centerhere.

Why is the NVC taking so long to process cases? (2024)

FAQs

What is the current NVC processing time? ›

What is current priority date? ›