Allen E. Kaye, Of Counsel at Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, LLP, explains the steps of processing an immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate overseas in today’s edition of LIVE with PPID.
Immigrant Visa Process
- File petition;
- If the petition is approved, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing;
- The NVC will contact the petitioner for payment and documentation; and
- An appointment is scheduled, but due to COVID-19, no appointments are being scheduled at this time.
What Happens at The National Visa Center (NVC)?
The application goes to the NVC and normally they will get in touch with the petitioner, the employer, or the person who filed the petition for the relative. The NVC would ask the petitioner to pay for the filing fee and for certain documentation.
Due to COVID-19, the NVC is currently working with reduced staff. They recently announced that starting June 1st, they will no longer accept or respond to inquiries through mail. Any mailed documents post-marked June 1, 2020 or later will be destroyed. To ensure you receive a response, all inquiries to the National Visa Center must now go through their Public Inquiry Form at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry. To contact the NVC, call 603-334-0700 or visit nvc.state.gov.
Status of U.S. Consulates During COVID-19
Currently, many American Consulates are not fully functioning during this pandemic. If you have an emergency, call the U.S. Consulate to speak with the duty officer that is available 24/7. If the duty officer regards your call as an emergency, he or she will try to assist you with resolving the issue.
If you have immigration questions or need assistance contacting a U.S. Consulate overseas, please call our U.S. immigration attorneys at 800-223-2814.
