The National Visa Center call center will be closed from 10:00pm on December 16 until 7:00am on December 18 due to a winter storm. Please refer to https://nvc.state.gov for your answers to frequently asked questions or submit an inquiry via our online form at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry.
On June 1, 2020, National Visa Center will no longer accept or respond to inquiries through mail. National Visa Center has modernized the way we pre-process visa applications. This has allowed NVC to streamline services to case parties and to U.S. Embassies and Consulates. Elimination of paper correspondence is the next step in this modernization. This change will further help us streamline and provide better services for all involved. Thank you for your understanding.
Any unsolicited mail post-marked June 1, 2020 or later will not receive a response and will be destroyed. You will need to submit all your inquires through the Public Inquiry Form at https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry.
You should only send mail to National Visa Center if explicitly instructed to through an email, telephone call, or letter from National Visa Center. In most cases, this request for documentation will be for a case that is not processing electronically. If necessary for your case, NVC will provide you with a mailing address. Never send original documents to the National Visa Center.
Due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, NVC is currently working with reduced staff. During this time, we ask that you only contact us with urgent medical or humanitarian inquiries, or necessary case updates that are still pending.
(Please note 3:30 PM-4:00 PM will see extended wait times in our call center).
During this period of reduced staffing, we will not be able to answer general questions such as case status. These answers can be better found using our self-service tools. Please log into https://ceac.state.gov for your most current case status and for a list of any documents you are required to submit.
The latest updates for U.S. Embassies and Consulates, including operating status of the Consular Section, can be found at https://usembassy.gov. NVC cannot predict when Consular Sections will resume routine services, or when your case will be scheduled for an interview.
NVC cannot provide any additional details on the 22-APR-20 Presidential Proclamation suspending entry of some immigrants. If you call or email on this topic, you will be directed to review the announcement and exceptions which are available at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/Proclamation-Suspending-Entry-of-Immigrants-Who-Present-Risk-to-the-US-labor-market.html
Please visit https://nvc.state.gov for answers to your frequently asked questions, and steps for visa processing.
If you don’t find the answer you are looking for in the FAQs, you can contact us in a few different ways:
Email (immigrant visa inquiries only): Public Inquiry Form
(Note: the NVC is unable to respond to nonimmigrant visa inquiries by email or fax. Please see our Contact Us page for contact information). We ask that you make a subsequent inquiry only if you do not receive a response to your email within our published timeframe. Duplicate inquiries slow our ability to respond to you in a timely manner.
Phone (for immigrant visa inquiries only): (603) 334-0700
Customer Service Representatives are available from 7:00 AM to 12:00 midnight Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Due to high call volumes, wait times may exceed 30 minutes. Many of your questions can be answered in the FAQ’s section of this website. You can see the current status of your case or make updates by logging into the Consular Electronic Application Center at https://ceac.state.gov.
Phone (for nonimmigrant visa inquiries only): (603) 334-0888
Customer Service Representatives are available from 7:00 AM to 12:00 midnight Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Please note only English-speaking representatives are available on this line. Due to high call volumes, wait times may exceed 30 minutes.
Submitting Forms or Documents to the NVC: If you need to submit a form or document to us, please visit our Submit Documents to the NVC page.
Note: Visa records are confidential under Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), so information can only be provided to visa applicants. There are some exceptions, such as providing information to U.S. sponsors, attorneys representing visa applicants, members of Congress, or other persons acting on behalf of the applicants.
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 203(g) provides that the Secretary of State shall terminate the registration (petition) of any alien who fails to apply for an immigrant visa within one year of notice of visa availability. The petition may be reinstated if, within two years of notice of visa availability, the alien establishes that the failure to apply was for reasons beyond the alien’s control. Therefore if you do not respond to notices from the NVC within one year you risk termination of your petition under this section of law and would lose the benefits of that petition, such as your priority date.
