NVC Tracker for Vietnamese: How to track documents from USCIS to NVC, CEAC and interview schedule

NVC Tracker for Vietnamese: How to track documents from USCIS to NVC, CEAC and interview schedule

After USCIS Approved, many families think that the application just needs to wait for the interview schedule.

In fact, for consular processing documents, there is a very important stage which is the National Visa Center, abbreviated as NVC.

NVC receives petitions from USCIS, creates visa documents, sends Welcome Letters and guides applicants on the next steps. After receiving information from NVC, users can use CEAC to manage records.

So, if waiting for NVC, the question shouldn't just be:

“USCIS Approved yet?”

Which should be:

“Have the documents arrived at NVC yet?”

“Has NVC created a Case Number yet?”

“Have you received the Welcome Letter yet?”

“What is CEAC asking for?”

“Is the file Documentarily Complete?”

“When will the interview be scheduled?”

WHERE DOES NVC START PROCESSING?

After USCIS approves the petition, USCIS transfers the file to the Department of State for NVC to continue processing appropriate cases.

NVC first creates visa documents in the system.

After creating the profile, NVC sends a Welcome Letter with important information such as Case Number and Invoice ID. These two information are used for CEAC login.

Here's why users shouldn't think that:

“USCIS Approved = profile is available on CEAC.”

Between these two stages there is also the step of transferring documents and creating cases at NVC.

AFTER USCIS APPROVED HOW LONG DOES NVC CREATE A PROFILE?

There is no fixed time period applicable to all applications.

The Department of State publishes the NVC Timeframes page and updates processing times regularly.

This page shows how long NVC is processing incoming USCIS applications and what documents were sent to NVC at which time they are being reviewed.

So instead of asking:

“NVC always takes how many days?”

should check current NVC Timeframes directly.

This is data that changes over time.

WHAT IS NVC CASE NUMBER?

NVC Case Number is the case code created by NVC after receiving and creating a case.

After receiving the Welcome Letter, users use Case Number and Invoice ID to log in to CEAC.

These two pieces of information are very important and should be kept carefully.

You should not only save the USCIS Receipt Number and then ignore the NVC Case Number.

A file transferred to NVC should be managed with important information such as:

USCIS Receipt Number

Priority Date

USCIS Approval Date

NVC Case Number

InvoiceID

CEAC Status

Document submission date

Documentarily Complete Date

Interview schedule

IS CEAC THE NVC?

Are not.

NVC is the document processing agency.

CEAC is an online system used for users to perform and track visa processing steps.

Department of State said CEAC allows users to view application status, receive notifications from NVC and manage steps such as payments, DS-260s and documents.

So:

NVC is the processing agency.

CEAC is an online system for case management.

These two concepts are closely related but not the same.

WHAT DOES NVC REQUIRE?

Depending on the type of application, the submitter may have to complete multiple steps.

Steps may include:

Payment of fees

Affidavit of Support

Financial Documents

DS-260

Civil Documents

Scan and upload documents

Submit Documents

Prepare for the interview

When the application enters NVC, users should move from the "waiting" state to the "preparing" state.

SHOULD I WAIT FOR NVC'S REQUEST TO PREPARE DOCUMENTS?

Shouldn't.

Users can proactively check necessary civil documents, financial documents and related documents.

The Department of State also provides guidance on Civil Documents and financial requirements so applicants can prepare in advance.

This is especially important for family applications with many accompanying people.

If you wait until NVC requests it before starting to look for documents, the preparation time may be prolonged.

HOW DOES NVC REVIEW DOCUMENTS?

After the user pays the fee and submits the necessary documents, NVC will review the application.

Documents may include:

Affidavit of Support

Financial Documents

DS-260

Civil Documents

If the documents do not meet the requirements, NVC may request corrections.

Users need to log in to CEAC, view notifications and proceed