Guidance for Immigrant Visa Applicants with Approved Petitions
After the USCIS has approved your petition, your case will be transferred to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing.
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Immigrant visa applicants will receive notification from the NVC which will contain further guidance. Please note, that depending upon when your petition was filed with the USCIS and upon which preference category applies to you, you may need to wait (in some cases, for quite some time) until your visa can be processed. A visa petition is only used to demonstrate a qualifying relationship between the petitioner and the beneficiary. In fact, an approved petition DOES NOT grant any benefit, other than simply creating a place in line for visa processing. Please read the latest Visa Bulletin for more information: http://travel.state.gov/.
In rare cases, when immigrant visa petitions will be adjudicated by a U.S. embassy, immigrant visa processing will also be performed locally. In these cases, petitioners and beneficiaries will receive notification from the embassy to proceed with their visa application.
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K visa applicants will receive notification from the U.S. embassy or consulate which will conduct their visa interviews.
FIRST: After your petition is approved and you have received instructions to proceed with your visa application, you must prepare and submit a packet of documents to the NVC (immigrant visa applicants) or the Embassy Riga (K visa applicants and immigrant visa applicants with locally-filed petitions).
- When preparing documents for the NVC, please follow guidance provided on the following website: ImmigrantVisas.State.Gov. Additionally, please review description of the required documents here: Instruction for immigrant visa applicants.
- Immigrant visa applicants with locally-filed petitions should proceed as described here: Instruction for immigrant visa applicants.
- K visa applicants should proceed as described here: Instruction for K visa applicants.
SECOND: After you have received information about your visa interview appointment time from the NVC or the efmbassy, you should review all enclosed materials. We recommend that you review the following guidance as well:
- Additional requirements when appearing for a visa interview at the U.S. Embassy Riga
- Medical examination requirements
THIRD: If your visa application is approved, your passport with your visa in it will be ready for pick-up on the next business day between 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
FOURTH: Beginning February 1, 2013, foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa will need to pay a USCIS immigrant fee of 165 USD after they are issued the visa. Follow this link or visit www.USCIS.gov/ImmigrantFee to learn more about the fee.
FIFTH: We recommend that you review other information posted on the USCIS website for guidance that may help you understand your responsibilities and rights in the United States: http://www.uscis.gov/.