What is CEAC? How to read the status of your US immigration application and know what you need to do next

What is CEAC? How to read the status of your US immigration application and know what you need to do next

If US immigration applications have moved from USCIS to NVC, CEAC will become one of the most important systems to monitor.

However, many people log into CEAC but only see a few statuses such as Paid, Submitted, Complete or In Process without knowing exactly what those statuses mean.

CEAC is more than just a place to check records.

This is also where the applicant takes many important steps in the immigrant visa processing process.

WHAT IS CEAC?

CEAC stands for Consular Electronic Application Center.

This is the Department of State's online system for processing many types of visa applications.

For electronically processed immigrant visa applications, CEAC allows users to perform and manage steps such as paying fees, completing the DS-260, and submitting required documents.

After NVC creates a profile, users use NVC Case Number and Invoice ID Number to log in.

CEAC IS NOT USCIS

This is something that needs to be distinguished from the beginning.

USCIS and Department of State are two different processing systems.

USCIS processes petitions and many immigration procedures under USCIS jurisdiction.

After the petition is approved and the application is transferred to the Department of State, NVC will perform the pre-processing phase of the visa application.

CEAC is the electronic system used in that process.

Therefore, once your application has transferred to NVC, simply checking USCIS every day will not give you all the information you need.

WHAT DOES CEAC LOGIN NEED?

Normally, for immigrant visa applications processed through NVC, users need to:

NVC Case Number.

Invoice ID Number.

These two information are provided by NVC in the Welcome Letter.

You should save the Welcome Letter carefully because the information in it will be used throughout the application process.

Do not post Case Number or Invoice ID publicly on social networks.

Especially, you should not send Welcome Letter photos to unnecessary people if the photos contain profile access information.

WHAT IS AVAILABLE AFTER SIGNING IN TO CEAC?

The profile's CEAC page can display a variety of information.

One of the important areas is the profile summary.

The CEAC can indicate whether the case is currently with NVC or has been transferred to a consular office.

In addition, the status table also shows the status of each visa applicant and related financial sponsors.

This is the reason why you should not just look at one status line and conclude your profile.

It is necessary to read the entire information sheet.

WHAT DOES START NOW MEAN?

If an item displays “Start Now,” it usually means that step has not yet been started and the user needs to proceed.

Examples may involve:

Fees.

DS-260.

Affidavit of Support.

Civil Documents.

Other steps depend on the profile.

If you see "Start Now", do not ignore it.

Check that section and determine what step CEAC is requesting.

WHAT DOES INCOMPLETE MEAN?

“Incomplete” indicates that part of the information or record is not complete.

For example, the DS-260 may be in an unfinished state.

Part of the document may also be incomplete.

When you see Incomplete, you need to open that section to determine the cause instead of just looking at the overall status.

WHAT DOES NOT SUBMITTED MEAN?

“Not Submitted” is a status that requires special attention.

This means that the information or documents have not been submitted to NVC for review under the CEAC process.

Do not confuse the fact that a file has been selected on your computer with the fact that the application has been submitted.

A document may have been uploaded but the submission step has not yet been completed.

THIS IS A MISTAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE

One might say:

“I have already submitted the paperwork.”

But when checking CEAC, one part is still "Not Submitted".

In this case, you need to recheck the operation in CEAC.

Department of State instructs that when it is necessary to edit documents, users must make additions or corrections to the documents and then resubmit the documents for NVC review.

Therefore, the checklist should distinguish:

Not prepared.

Prepared.

Uploaded.

Submitted.

Under review by NVC.

Accepted.

WHAT DOES PAID MEAN?

“Paid” usually refers to the status of the fee having been paid and recorded in