Family immigration · Immigrant visas abroad
Consular Processing and NVC Help for Immigrant Visas
Your I-130 is approved. Now the National Visa Center needs fees, a DS-260, civil documents and an Affidavit of Support before the embassy will schedule an interview. We handle the NVC stage, prepare your relative for the interview, and list every State Department and USCIS fee up front. Consultations in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.
How consular processing works
Consular processing is the route to a green card for a relative who will receive an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Three agencies touch the case in order: USCIS approves the petition, the State Department's National Visa Center (NVC) collects documents and fees, and a consular officer at the embassy decides the visa.
- Petition approved. USCIS approves the I-130 (or other immigrant petition) and sends it to the NVC.
- NVC welcome letter. The NVC creates a case and issues a case number and invoice ID for the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).
- Fees. The applicant pays the immigrant visa application fee, and the petitioner pays the Affidavit of Support fee, online.
- DS-260. The applicant completes the online immigrant visa application.
- Documents. The applicant uploads civil documents; the sponsor uploads the I-864 and financial evidence.
- Documentarily qualified. NVC reviews the uploads. Once complete, the case waits for an interview slot.
- Medical exam and interview. The applicant sees an embassy-approved panel physician and attends the interview.
- Visa and entry. If approved, the visa is placed in the passport. After paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee, the applicant travels and is admitted as a permanent resident.
Consular processing vs. adjustment of status
| Consular processing | Adjustment of status | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the applicant is | Abroad, or leaving the U.S. to interview | Inside the United States |
| Who decides | Consular officer, State Department | USCIS officer |
| Main application | DS-260 through NVC | Form I-485 |
| Work and travel while pending | Lives abroad until the visa is issued | Can request a work permit and advance parole |
| Unlawful presence | Departure can trigger the 3- or 10-year bar; a waiver may be needed first | Often not a problem for immediate relatives who entered lawfully |
| Review if refused | Very limited court review of a visa refusal | Motions, refiling and, in some cases, federal court review |
If the relative is already in the U.S. and eligible to adjust, the marriage green card package is usually simpler. If they are here but not eligible, consular processing with a provisional I-601A waiver may be the only path.
What our NVC and consular service covers
If the I-130 has not been filed yet, we can handle it first under our I-130 service.
NVC account setup and fees
We link the case in CEAC, choose the agent and financial sponsor contacts, and tell you exactly which invoices to pay and when.
DS-260
We prepare the online application with the applicant, checking addresses, employment, prior U.S. travel, prior visa refusals and every security question. A wrong answer on the DS-260 can become a misrepresentation issue at the interview.
Civil documents and translations
We build the document list from the State Department's country reciprocity schedule: birth certificate, marriage and divorce records, police certificates from every country of residence as required, court and prison records, military records and a valid passport. Each foreign-language document needs a certified translation.
Affidavit of Support (I-864)
We prepare the petitioner's I-864, with tax transcripts or returns, proof of income and proof of U.S. domicile, and a joint sponsor's I-864 if the petitioner's income is below 125% of the poverty guidelines.
Current State Department and USCIS fees
| Item | Fee | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant visa application (per applicant) | $325 | State Department, through CEAC |
| Affidavit of Support review (per case) | $120 | State Department, through CEAC |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (after the visa is issued) | $235 | USCIS, online, before travel |
| I-130, if not yet filed (online / paper) | $625 / $675 (paper) / $625 (online) | USCIS |
| Medical exam | Set by the panel physician | Panel physician |
Government fees as of Oct. 24, 2026, from USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26. Confirm before filing.
Government fees change; confirm on the USCIS fee schedule and the State Department's visa fee page before filing.
Fees are paid per applicant for the visa application and per case for the Affidavit of Support review. Some posts charge for visa delivery or courier services, and police certificates and translations carry local costs.
NVC timeframes
The NVC publishes, and refreshes weekly, the dates it is working on for creating new cases, reviewing submitted documents and answering inquiries. We do not repeat those dates here because they go stale within days. Check the live NVC timeframes page, and the I-130 time on the USCIS processing times page. Interview scheduling after the case is documentarily qualified depends on each embassy's capacity.
For preference relatives, nothing is scheduled until the priority date is current in the Visa Bulletin.
Preparing for the embassy interview and medical exam
When the interview is scheduled, the applicant books the medical exam with a panel physician approved by that embassy and completes the required vaccinations. Results go to the embassy directly or in a sealed envelope, depending on the post. We hold a preparation session covering:
- Original civil documents and copies to bring, and the interview appointment letter
- How the officer tests a marriage or family relationship, and common questions
- How to answer questions about prior U.S. visits, overstays, prior refusals and criminal history truthfully and consistently with the DS-260
- Updated sponsor evidence if the I-864 is more than a year old
Administrative processing and refusals
A consular officer can approve the visa, refuse it, or refuse it temporarily under INA 221(g) while asking for more documents or running additional checks, often called administrative processing. A 221(g) refusal is not final: once the missing item is supplied or the review ends, the case can be approved. Officers can also refuse under a ground of inadmissibility, such as unlawful presence, misrepresentation, a criminal ground or the public charge ground. Some can be waived with Form I-601; a prior removal may need Form I-212.
Courts generally will not second-guess a consular officer's decision on the merits, a rule called consular nonreviewability. Long, unexplained delays are a different issue. See 221(g) delays, administrative processing delays, and what review of a consular refusal is possible.
After the visa: the USCIS Immigrant Fee and entry
The immigrant visa is usually valid for up to six months from issuance, and the applicant must enter before it expires. Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online after the visa is issued and before travel; USCIS will not produce the green card until it is paid. K visa holders and certain other categories are exempt. On entry, the visa stamp serves as temporary proof of residence for one year while the card is mailed.
A spouse married less than two years at entry is admitted as a conditional resident and must later file Form I-751.
Relatives inside the U.S. with unlawful presence (I-601A)
A relative who has been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than 180 days, then leaves, can face a 3-year bar; more than one year triggers a 10-year bar. Leaving to attend the embassy interview is what triggers it. Eligible immediate relatives and some others can apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before departing, showing extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent. Never schedule a departure without checking this first.
If NVC or the embassy is slow
DC Federal Litigation PLLC brings federal lawsuits when the State Department fails to act within a reasonable time. Read about immigrant visa delays and NVC stage delays. To see what the State Department holds on your relative, see State Department FOIA for visa records and the A-File explained.
Who handles your case
Immigration filings are prepared and signed by a licensed U.S. immigration attorney who works with DC Federal Litigation PLLC. Consultations are available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. If an agency delays or denies your case and federal court is the right next step, DC Federal Litigation PLLC handles the litigation.
If a delay calls for federal court, DC Federal Litigation PLLC handles that litigation from Washington, DC. Consultations are available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic, which helps families working with posts in Latin America, West and North Africa and the Middle East.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between consular processing and adjustment of status?
Both end with a green card. Consular processing happens through the NVC and a U.S. embassy abroad, with a DS-260 and an interview by a consular officer. Adjustment of status happens inside the U.S. with Form I-485 and a USCIS interview, and allows a work permit and travel document while pending. Where the applicant lives and their immigration history usually decide which route is available.
How long does consular processing take?
It has several stages, each with its own clock: USCIS approval of the petition, NVC case creation and document review, and the embassy's interview backlog. The NVC posts the dates it is currently working on and refreshes them weekly on its timeframes page. Preference cases also wait for the Visa Bulletin. We give you live links rather than a single estimate.
What fees do we pay to NVC?
Two State Department fees are paid through CEAC: the immigrant visa application fee ($325 per applicant) and the Affidavit of Support review fee ($120 per case). After the visa is issued, the USCIS Immigrant Fee ($235) is paid to USCIS before travel. The medical exam is paid to the panel physician. Confirm current amounts on the State Department and USCIS fee pages.
What happens at the consular interview?
The applicant is fingerprinted, swears to the DS-260, and answers questions about the relationship, background and plans. The officer reviews original documents and the medical results. Most decisions are given at the window: approval, a 221(g) request for more information or processing, or a refusal citing a specific ground. If approved, the embassy keeps the passport to print the visa.
What is administrative processing, and how long does it take?
It is a temporary refusal under INA 221(g) while the embassy checks something further, such as a security review or a missing document. There is no fixed length, and the State Department does not publish one. Respond quickly to any document request. When a case stays in administrative processing for a long time with no response, a federal mandamus action can sometimes be considered.
What if the consular officer finds me inadmissible?
The refusal letter cites the legal ground. Some grounds can be waived, often with Form I-601 by showing extreme hardship to a qualifying U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative. Others, such as certain fraud or security findings, have no waiver or very narrow ones. Courts give consular decisions very limited review, so the strategy usually involves a waiver, new evidence, or a request for reconsideration.
Can I choose between consular processing and adjustment?
Sometimes. A relative living abroad must use consular processing. A relative inside the U.S. who is eligible to adjust can usually choose. Adjustment allows work and travel permits while pending; consular processing can be faster at some embassies and avoids a U.S. interview. Applicants with unlawful presence should not leave the U.S. without advice, because departure can trigger a bar.
What is the USCIS Immigrant Fee, and when do I pay it?
It is a USCIS fee ($235) that pays for producing the green card after you enter on an immigrant visa. Pay it online after the visa is issued and before you travel. USCIS will not mail the green card until it is paid. K-1 and K-2 visa holders and certain other categories are exempt.
What if my relative overstayed a prior U.S. visa?
Overstays matter. More than 180 days of unlawful presence followed by departure triggers a 3-year bar; more than one year triggers a 10-year bar. If your relative is still in the U.S., an I-601A provisional waiver filed before departure may be possible. If they already left, an I-601 waiver at the consular stage may be needed. Tell us about any overstay at intake.
Get your NVC case ready for the interview
Send us the I-130 approval notice or NVC welcome letter. We check what is missing, map the documents your embassy requires, and send a written engagement letter before we start.