Why Is the NVC Taking So Long to Process Cases?

What Is the NVC (National Visa Center)?

The NVC processes immigration applications accepted by the U.S. immigration and citizenship services, including the one sponsored by families and employers. The National Visa Center (commonly known as NVC), is a government entity. Immigrant visa applications are first authorized by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and then sent to the National Visa Center, which functions as a middleman between the two agencies.

Documents Required by the NVC

Here are the documents required by the NVC to process the case:

1. The passport details page. This page is where an applicant will display their photo, name, and other personal details.
2. If needed, a translated version of the birth certificate.
3. If married, an individual must present their translated marriage certificate.
4. An applicant’s divorce decrees, if there are any. They will send a translated version of decrees if they are in a foreign language.
5. If the individual has ever spent time in jail or attended court somewhere, they should send the documents.
6. Certificates of police clearance for any nation resided in for more than six months after turning 16 years old. The applicant also needs to submit the petitioner’s taxes, U.S. passport, and Form I-864.

How Long Does It Take for the NVC to Process Cases?

If you want to get an idea of how long it will take the NVC to complete the application, you can visit the U.S. State Department’s website and check out NVC Timeframes.

What Happens When the Case It with NVC?

The NVC will initiate pre-processing of the visa. And will communicate to you, the beneficiary, through letter or email when a visa is available for your petition. Or when they anticipate that one will be obtainable.

Pre-processing your case will commence by requesting payment of the relevant CEAC fee. You must pay reasonable costs to apply for an immigrant visa, including the Affidavit of Support (commonly known as AOS), civil papers, and application forms.

NVC will tell you that it has received your petition and will hold it until a visa becomes available for your visa category.

Why Is the NVC Taking So Long to Process Cases?

Depending on how many cases the NVC is working on at any given moment, they process cases at varying speeds. The higher the number of visa applicants, the longer it takes for NVC to process the cases. Delays in NVC cases are undoubtedly annoying.

It would be best to consider an essential factor that the NVC has acknowledged receipt of all required papers and accompanying documentation. Applicants seeking immigrant visas do not have many alternatives for expediting their applications except for making a formal request. If you have not heard back from the NVC, please contact them right away.

Many people are still waiting for interview notices in 2021 after completing all the necessary documentation. NVC interviews for 2021 have been badly delayed due to COVID.

Expedited Request Processing at NVC

An urgent request to the National Visa Center (NVC) can accelerate an immigration process in moments of emergency or difficulty. The NVC receives applications from the USCIS. The National Visa Center receives a Notice of Approval from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

You will receive a unique case number from the NVC when they receive your application. A welcome letter containing the invoice I.D. and case number, as well as the following stages in the process, is then sent to your email address.

What Is the Best Way to Put an Expedition Request?

To expedite a review, send a scanned letter (or statements) from a physician to [email protected]. You must include the physician’s (or medical facility’s) contact details in the letter, as well as a declaration that a medical emergency of life or death has occurred. You should also mention the case and receipt number along with one of the following pieces of information in your email:

1. Name and birth date of petitioner
2. The recipient’s name and birth date
3. The invoice I.D. number is required.

There are no specific constraints attached to the NVC expedite request. Once it gets approved, the NVC will immediately submit it to the U.S. embassy. The consulate will notify the recipient of their appointment (along with instructions). Make sure you have all of the necessary paperwork on hand.

Before the case is forwarded to a U.S. consulate overseas, it is necessary to satisfy any conditions attached to the expedite request (i.e., payment of fees, paperwork, etc.).

Confirmation of the Completion of the NVC Case

You can reach NVC at 1-603-334-0700. Their customer support team is generally open for business from Monday to Friday, 7:00 am-midnight Eastern Standard Time. The operator will inform whether or not your NVC case is complete.

A few hours to a few days might elapse between sending and receiving an NVC text message. On the other hand, NVC emails can take anywhere from a day to a week to arrive. As a result, the best course of action is to contact NVC through a call for confirmation.

What Happens After the Completion of NVC Case?

Upon completion of the NVC case, the status of your case tracker will be changed to “Case Completed.”

Secondly, NVC sends a letter or an email to your petitioner, attorney, and you. Your interview details with the embassy are noted in the letter or email.

At the time of your embassy interview, be sure to carry your appointment letter. Eventually, the status of the case will change from pending to ready. In other words, the embassy or consulate has received your request and is “ready” to conduct your interview.

Wrapping Up

There are still over half a million applicants who have not been able to interview an embassy even though the coronavirus pandemic has decreased. However, the United States government still has a long way to go before these regulatory hurdles are reduced to a manageable level.

Applicants should check in with the National Visa Center at least once every 10-12 months during this period to stay up to date on the progress of their cases. It is possible to contact the National Visa Center through phone or email while you await an interview.