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National Visa Center: General Information and FAQ
Prior to 1991, when a visa petition (I-130, I-140, etc.)
was approved by the INS, it was sent to the U.S. consulate
abroad designated by the petitioner.
In October 1991, the State Department established the
Transitional Immigrant Visa Processing Center (TIVPC)
near Washington, D.C. to handle approved visa petitions
and to assist U.S. consulates abroad in processing
immigrant visa applications
Then, in 1994, the State Department replaced TIVPC with
the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The NVC is located on the site of an Air Force based which
was closed down by the Pentagon. It is operated by a private
contractor.
To the public, and to new immigration practitioners, the
operations of the NVC are somewhat of a mystery.
The following information on the operations of the NVC is
provided by Donna Kane of INS’s Vermont Service Center in
order to help demystify the process and to assist persons
who need to make inquiries regarding their cases:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The National Visa Center (NVC) processes all approved
immigrant visa petitions after they are received from
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and
retains them until the cases are ready for adjudication
by a consular officer abroad. Petitions may remain at NVC
for several weeks or for many years depending on the visa
category and country of birth of the visa applicant. When
an applicant’s case is about to become current (a visa
number is likely to be available within the year) the
petition is forwarded to the appropriate U.S. embassy
or consulate overseas. If an applicant is adjusting status
in the U.S. the case will be forwarded to the appropriate
INS office upon request by that office. NVC receives thousands
of telephone and written inquiries from applicants, congressional
offices, U.S. embassies and consulates, INS offices, and the
White House. An automated recorded message can answer many of
these inquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week (603) 334-0700.
Status of case information can only be accessed by entering your
NVC case number or INS receipt number on a touch-tone telephone.
NVC only has information on petitions it has received. If our
automated service does not recognize the INS file or receipt
numbers you entered, most likely we have not yet received your
petition.
Operators are available to respond to more difficult inquiries
from 8:00 AM to 3:45 PM (EST) Monday through Thursday. NVC also
holds a customer service feedback day so that the public can
talk to operators about the information we provide.
The telephone number and customer service dates are provided
at the end of some of the messages.
Written inquiries, changes of address and requests to upgrade
petitions due to naturalization of the petitioner should be
sent to: The National Visa Center, 32 Rochester Avenue,
Portsmouth NH 03801-2909. Please note that NVC is not open
to the public. Unfortunately, some people have traveled long
distances to inquire about their case in person, only to
discover that we are not able to meet with them.
When an applicant’s priority date is close to becoming current
NVC will mail a packet of forms and information (Packet 3) to
the beneficiary (applicant). If requested to do so we will
send this Packet 3 to the applicant’s lawyer or to the petitioner
instead of the beneficiary. The exact contents of the Packet 3
will depend on where the applicant will be interviewed for a
visa. For instance, the Packet 3 we send to people applying in
China is different from the one we send to applicants in France.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Why don’t you have my case at NVC yet?
When you complete a petition (I-130, I-140, etc.) for an immigrant
visa you send it to the Immigration and Naturalization for approval.
If the INS approves the petition they will send you a Notice of
Approval (I-797) and then they will send the petition to NVC.
Sometimes there is a delay between when you get the Notice of
Receipt and the Notice of Approval from the INS and also between
when you get the Notice of Approval and when NVC receives the
petition. After NVC receives the petition, it will send a letter
to the principal applicant (your beneficiary) regarding the status
of the case. We recommend that you wait at least three weeks after
you get your Notice of Approval before calling NVC if you have not
heard from the Center by that time. Please remember that unless
instructed to do otherwise, we notify the beneficiary (the applicant)
- NOT the petitioner – regarding the status of the case.
2. I am the beneficiary (applicant) and my case is at NVC. Now
what happens?
This depends on whether or not your case is current. If your visa
category is an immediate relative category (spouse, parent or
child of a U.S. citizen) then your case is automatically current.
If your visa category is one of the family preference or employment
categories, there are legal limits on the numbers of visas that can
be issued in each category and in most categories, the demand is
higher than those limits. In these categories, waiting lists have
been established based on your priority date, which is the date
your sponsor filed your petition with the INS. Cutoff dates
established by the Visa Office determine when your petition will
be reached for processing. Your petition can only become current
and thus ready to further processing when the cutoff date in your
visa category has advanced up to your priority date.
If your case is about to become current we will send you, the
beneficiary, a Packet 3 containing information and forms. You
should complete all the necessary forms and follow the instructions
to continue with the visa application process. Your sponsor
(petitioner) should complete the Affidavit of Support (I-864) form,
which will be sent directly to the petitioner by NVC.
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