EXPLAINER · EVERY RULE QUOTED FROM AN OFFICIAL SOURCE · CHECKED OCTOBER 23, 2026
Immigrant visa timeline after I-130 approval
Each step from the approved petition to the visa interview abroad (NVC case creation, fees and DS-260, document review, documentarily complete, interview), with the State Department's own current timeframes and the interview scheduling month at every U.S. embassy and consulate.
Step 1: the approved petition goes to the NVC
A case reaches the National Visa Center (NVC) only after USCIS approves the petition.[1]
USCIS sends the approved petition to the NVC, which creates the visa case and enters the petition's data.[2]
The NVC's timeframes page shows which USCIS transfer date it is working on, as a date rather than a number of days.[3]
Step 2: Welcome Letter, fees and DS-260
After creating the case, the NVC sends a Welcome Letter with the Case Number and Invoice ID used to log in to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC).[4]
All fees and all required documents come before the NVC reviews anything: the Affidavit of Support, financial documents, the DS-260 and civil documents.[5]
For preference categories, the NVC holds the petition until a visa number is available.[6]
Step 3: NVC document review
The NVC's second timeframe is the submission date of the documents it is now reviewing.[7]
The NVC asks people to use its inquiry form only once the published timeframe has passed.[8]
Step 4: documentarily complete (DQ)
When the NVC has all fees and documents, it marks the case documentarily complete and emails the date.[9]
In CEAC, a status of "Paid" with a document status of "Complete" means the NVC has finished reviewing the case.[10]
Step 5: from DQ to the interview
Interviews are scheduled based on the documentarily complete date, and only when a visa is available.[11][12]
The State Department's IV Scheduling Status Tool shows, for each embassy or consulate, the documentarily complete month NVC is scheduling most interviews for, and it is updated monthly.[13][14]
The State Department says to compare your own documentarily complete month with the month shown for your post.[15]
It also says the date is not a prediction for any one case.[16]
If no visa is available because of the annual limits, the NVC cannot schedule the interview.[17]
This page explains general rules in plain English. It is not legal advice and does not tell you what applies to your case.
Each numbered source below is the official page the sentence comes from; read it before relying on anything here.
“Your immigrant petition must be approved by USCIS before your case can proceed to the National Visa Center.”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“Once USCIS sends your I-797 approval notice, they will send your approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. At NVC, we will create your visa case and enter the data from your petition into the system.”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“we are working on cases that were received from USCIS on”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“After creating your case, we will send you instructions for processing, as well as a Welcome Letter that includes your Case Number and Invoice ID. You will use these numbers to log into our Consular Electronic Application Center”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“Before the National Visa Center reviews your case, you must pay all fees and submit all required documents, such as: Petitioner’s Affidavit of Support; Supporting financial documents; Applicant’s DS-260, and Applicant’s civil documents.”
“The petition will remain there until an immigrant visa number is available for you.”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“we are reviewing documents submitted to us on”
U.S. Department of State, NVC Timeframes. Last checked October 23, 2026.
“Please refer to this page to see if you should have received a response from NVC. If you should have received a response per the timeframes below, please contact us using our public inquiry form”
“The tool shows the documentarily complete month and year for which NVC is scheduling most interviews in your classification at the selected U.S. embassy or consulate.”
“You can compare the month and year in which your case became documentarily complete with the month and year shown in the IV Tool to see when the National Visa Center (NVC) is scheduling interviews at the selected U.S. embassy or consulate.”