The Immigrant Visa Process
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Step 3: Submit Visa Application Form
After you pay your fees, you and each qualified family member immigrating with you must complete the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (Form DS-260) in the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). You may wish to preview a sample DS-260 (PDF - 6.4MB) before beginning.
Submitting Form DS-260 does not formally execute a visa application. The visa application is not formally made until the visa applicant(s) is interviewed by a U.S. consular officer.
Note: You will need your NVC Case Number, Beneficiary ID Number, and Invoice ID Number from your NVC Welcome Letter, to access CEAC.
After submitting Form DS-260 online, you must print the confirmation page and bring it to your interview. You can print this from CEAC any time after you complete your DS-260 application.
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Who's Involved
U.S. Embassies and Consulates: Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, nearest your residence abroad, where you will apply and be interviewed for your U.S. visa.
National Visa Center: After petition approval, the National Visa Center (NVC) handles processing for certain kinds of documents, sending them onward to U.S. Embassies & Consulates. When and how to Contact NVC