USCIS vs NVC

Migration! I must explain the two agencies and the role of each before delving into the migration options.

The USCIS

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and National Visa Centre (NVC) are the two main agencies involved in the immigration system. U.S. Consulates or Embassies handle all non-immigrant visas.

The USCIS, determines eligibility for all visa and employment authorization applications and forwards approved applications and petitions to the NVC for further visa processing.

The NVC

The NVC (based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire) processes all approved immigrant visa petitions.

The agency uses a preference category system to classify approved petitions and assigns visa numbers based on this system. The waiting time for a visa number varies from a few months to many years, depending on the applicant’s preference category and country of origin.

The State Department's monthly visa bulletin provides priority dates (also known as qualifying dates) showing which visa categories have advanced to ‘current status.’

A 'current status' means that a visa number is available and is ready for final processing.

The NVC then contacts the petitioner or applicant requesting visa application fees and documents, which includes Form I-864 - Affidavit of Support, tax return forms and marriage certificates.

The agency, upon completing its processing, schedules all visa interviews, usually at a U.S. Embassy in the applicant’s home country or at a USCIS field office, in some cases of individuals who are already in the U.S.

The USCIS is a Homeland Security Department agency and the NVC is run by the Department of State.