F2A NVC: After I-130 is Approved, where do the documents go and what should be done next?

Many people with F2A records often think that when USCIS sends the I-130 Approved notice, the sponsorship process is almost complete.

Actually that is not so.

If the sponsored person will apply for an immigrant visa at a US consulate abroad, after the petition is approved by USCIS, the file can be transferred to the Department of State for further processing through the National Visa Center, commonly known as NVC.

USCIS also explains that for beneficiaries located outside the United States performing consular processing, USCIS will forward the approved petition to NVC. [oai_citation:0‡USCIS](https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20240522-Family-BasedImmigrantApprovals.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

So I-130 Approved is not the end point.

That's when the profile enters a new phase.

AFTER I-130 APPROVED, WHERE DO THE RECORDS GO?

If the F2A application is subject to consular processing, the next process usually involves NVC.

NVC is responsible for pre-processing some steps of the immigrant visa application before the application is transferred to the appropriate Embassy or Consulate.

According to current Department of State guidance, after USCIS approves the petition, the file is transferred to NVC for pre-processing. NVC creates a case in the system and after completing the case creation step, it will send a Welcome Letter. [oai_citation:1‡Travel.State.Gov](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-2-begin-nvc-processing.html?vm=r