After you collect the financial evidence in Step 4, and supporting documents in Step 5, you must submit all of these items in ONE package to NVC. Your case may be significantly delayed if you don't submit all of your documents at the same time.
IMPORTANT: Do not send your original passport or original civil documents such as birth, and marriage certificates. Instead, submit a photocopy of these documents to NVC. However, you must bring these original documents to your visa interview. This is true no matter what method you use to submit documents to NVC.
There are three ways to submit documents to NVC. The method you use depends on where you are interviewing. Look at your NVC case number and match it to the method below to find out how to submit your documents to NVC.
Current case review time:
Please allow up to three-weeks for NVC to review your forms and documents once we receive both the petitioner’s financial documents and the applicant’s civil documents. You must also have paid all required fees and submitted your visa application online. We will not review your file until we have received all of the above items. At that time, we will let you know if there are additional items required or if visa pre-processing is complete.
Check NVC Case Status page to ensure you've taken all the steps necessary for NVC to review your case.
Method 1: Upload documents online using CEAC required
There are three ways to submit documents to NVC. The method you use depends on where you are interviewing and the letter you received from NVC. Look at your NVC case number, the letter you received from NVC, and match it to the method below to find out how to submit your documents to NVC.
If you have received a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) saying “You May Begin Online Processing” (See sample letter below), scan and electronically save your financial forms and evidence, civil documents, and translations, then upload these documents to your CEAC account online. (CEAC is the Consular Electronic Application Center where you also pay fees and complete the Form DS-260 visa application.) Instructions and more information are on our
Managing Your IV Case Online page. Please note this method is required for visa applicants who received this letter from NVC.
Sample of the letter NVC sends to applicants who are required to use online processing
Method 2: Email Processing required
If your NVC case number begins with one of the following prefixes:
Scan and save your financial forms and evidence, supporting civil documents, and translations as a PDF file. Then send them to [email protected] as attachments to an email. Please type your case number in the subject line of the email. You can attach multiple PDFs to a single email, but each PDF can be no more than 5 MB (megabytes) in size. If you have more than one case number, use a different email message for each case. For more information, review our
Document Scanning FAQs.
Method 3: Mail processing
If none of the above methods apply to your case, mail your financial forms and evidence, supporting documents, translations, and photocopies, along with the Document Cover Sheet included with your NVC Welcome Letter, to the following address:
National Visa Center
Attn: DR
31 Rochester Ave. Suite 100
Portsmouth, NH 03801-2914
Please mail all of these items together in one package. If you are sending documents for more than one case number, please mail each case number’s documents in a separate envelope.
If your Document Cover Sheet is missing, you can print a new one online. Go to ceac.state.gov and click on “Fee Payment” under the “Immigrant” category. You will be asked to enter your NVC case number and Invoice ID number. After doing so, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the “Print Document Cover Sheet” button. You can also choose to email yourself a copy of your document cover sheet for printing at a later time.
NVC cannot accept documents saved on any form of electronic media, including CDs and memory cards. If you send any electronic media to NVC, we will return it to you unopened.
Important Notice:
Immigrant visa (IV) applicants currently working with the National Visa Center (NVC) to complete their IV applications should make sure NVC has a working e-mail address for at least one party on their case. (A case party is the petitioner, beneficiary, or agent/attorney.) If you have not previously given NVC an e-mail address where you can be contacted, please call 1-603-334-0700 to provide your e-mail information. When you call, have your case number, petitioner’s full name, and the beneficiary’s full name and date of birth available. NVC will then be able to e-mail you information and instructions rather than send them via traditional mail, which means you will receive items like NVC’s responses to submitted documents and notice of your visa interview appointment more quickly.