Immigrant Visa Application and Document Processing

The National Visa Center (NVC) performs fee collection, document review, and schedules interviews for immigrant visa cases for U.S. Embassies and Consulates General, except the Consulate General in Guangzhou, China, which schedules its own interviews.

Each intending immigrant must now complete and submit an Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration, accompanied by civil documents, to the National Visa Center (NVC).

At the appropriate point in the visa application process, the NVC contacts the principal applicant or applicant's agent with instructions for completing and submitting the formal visa application. All applicants must follow the steps listed below.

1. Read the instructions for Children who are about to turn 21 years of age if the applicant or a child of the applicant is approaching 21 years of age.
2. Obtain the applicant's required civil documents. This process may be lengthy and could be subject to specific in-country local requirements. To review specific requirements by country click Reciprocity by Country. Submit the applicant's original civil documents to the NVC.
3. Complete and submit Application for Immigrant Visa - Select applicable form as explained below:
   1. DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa Application and Registration, Part I and Part II.  Download, complete and submit form DS-230. Click Form DS-230 to download and complete the paper form.
      Note: If you previously completed an online DS-260 on CEAC, you should NOT submit a DS-230. When sending completed forms to the NVC do not include instruction pages or any other sheets which do not carry information you entered while completing the form.
      
   2. DS-260 Online Immigrant Visa Application (NEW: Limited Use). Only after National Visa Center notification, for visa applicants required to apply at selected U.S. Embassies and Consulates. Review Online Forms, DS-260 to learn more.
4. Review any additional requirements given in the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General-specific information.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Pay close attention to the police certificate requirements. Specific police certificate request forms are required in some places to request and obtain the applicable Police Certificate(s).