Visa

Contacting the National Visa Center

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How to contact the National Visa Center (NVC) By Email This is the National Visa Center’s preferred method of communication. You can email the National Visa Center for your case status at NVCInquiry@state.gov **To ensure a prompt response, use your National Visa Center 13-digit case number or USCIS Receipt Number in the subject line of the email. Within the email body, ask your question and include the following information: Applicant’s name Applicant’s date of birth Petitioner’s name Petitioner’s date of birth Employer’s company or organization name (if it’s an employment-based visa) Attorney’s name, law firm, and address By Phone To call the National Visa Center, use 603-334-0700. You will be asked to enter your 13-digit case number or USCIS Receipt Number, so be sure to have it nearby. If your visa case number isn’t recognized, it’s likely that the National Visa Center hasn’t yet received your case and cannot report your case status. For more difficult inquiries, operators are available to answer your questions. Operators are available between 8 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Thursday. By Mail You can also mail questions to the National Visa Center at the following address: The National Visa Center32 Rochester Ave.Portsmouth, NH  03801-2909 The National Visa Center is NOT open to the public. You can mail, call, or contact them online. Public citizens cannot simply go to the National Visa Center. When an applicant’s priority date is close, the National Visa Center will send them a packet of forms and information. The packet is called a Packet 3. The contents of a Packet 3 vary depending on the country from which a person is applying for a U.S. visa. Receiving Packet 3 is an update to your National Visa Center case status. NVC WEBSITE NVC Contact Information (state.gov)

Guide to Form I-864A

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GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING AND SUBMITTING USCISFORM I-864A & SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS Last Updated June 13, 2023 Form I-864A: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-864a.pdf Official USCIS Instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-864ainstr.pdf FORM-I-864A-GUIDEDownload WHY DOES A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER COMPLETE FORM I-864A? A household member completes this contract if the household member’s income and/or assets will be used to demonstrate the sponsor’s ability to meet the income requirements and to maintain the sponsored immigrant at an annual income at the level specified in INA section 213A(f)(l)(E) or section 213A(f)(3). If the Intending Immigrant Is a Household Member, Must He or She Complete This Contract? If you are the intending immigrant and the sponsor is including your income on Form I-864 to meet the eligibility requirements, you need to complete this contract only if you have accompanying dependents. If you are the intending immigrant and the sponsor is including only your assets on Form I-864, you do not need to complete this contract, even if you have accompanying dependents. Filing Fee: There is no filing fee to file Form I-864A with USCIS. Where do I file? This contract MUST be filed with Form I-864. WHO COMPLETES THIS FORM? The sponsor and a household member complete and sign this form. If either the sponsor or the household member is under guardianship, the guardian of that individual’s estate (financial affairs) may sign the form. Supporting Documents Checklist The following items must be submitted with Form I-864A: For ALL sponsors: For SOME sponsors: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HOW DO I CALCULATE MY HOUSEHOLD SIZE? The Form I-864 asks for the financial sponsor’s household size. When calculating their household size, sponsors must include: A sponsor does not have to include people on other I-864s who have not yet immigrated to the United States. WHO CAN BE A FINANCIAL SPONSOR? A financial sponsor, including a petitioner, must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident (LPR). The sponsor must also have a domicile (residence) in the United States. WHAT ARE POVERTY GUIDELINES? Petitioners must meet a minimum income level, called the Federal Poverty Guidelines, in order to financially sponsor a visa applicant. The Poverty Guidelines in effect on the filing date of an Affidavit of Support are used to determine whether the income requirement is met. You can find these guidelines on USCIS’ website or below. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PETITIONER DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH INCOME? Petitioners who cannot meet this level have two choices: 1) find a “joint sponsor” who will agree to also financially support the visa applicant, or 2) use the income of a household member to meet the Poverty Guidelines. These additional financial sponsors also have to submit an Affidavit of Support, proof of their income, and proof of their legal status in the United States. Remember: Even if a petitioner finds a joint sponsor or uses the income of a household member to financially sponsor a visa applicant, that petitioner must still submit an Affidavit of Support. For more information see our Guide to Completing Form I-864A You can download the guide here

Calculating CSPA Age (NEW POLICY)

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NEW USCIS POLICY FOR CALCULATING AGE UNDER THE CHILD STATUS PROTECTION ACT (CSPA) SEE UPDATE POSTED ON THE USCIS WEBSITE, FEBRUARY 14, 2023. USCIS issued updated guidance regarding when an immigrant visa number “becomes available” for the purpose of calculating a noncitizen’s age under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA).  Prior to this, USCIS considered a child’s age “frozen” if a visa number was available under the Final Action Date Chart of the Visa Bulletin at the time the I-485 application was filed. If a visa number was not available under the Final Action Date Chart of the Visa Bulletin, they may still be eligible to file their application for adjustment of status (to obtain a green card)based on the Dates for Filing Chart of the Visa Bulletin. In that scenario, a noncitizen may file their application when the Dates for Filing Chart indicated but ultimately not be eligible because the Final Action Date Chart did not advance sufficiently Under the USCIS Policy Manual as updated, USCIS will instead use the Dates for Filing Chart for calculating a child’s age under CSPA. In other words, the child’s age will be “frozen” when the adjustment of status application is filed based on the Date of Filing Chart, even if a visa number is not yet available under the Final Action Chart. This policy change is effective immediately and applies to all pending applications. This means that some noncitizens with pending applications based on the Dates of Filing Chart, who may have already “aged out” if their priority date never became current under the Final Action Chart, may now have a CSPA age under 21. If so, they remain eligible for a derivative green card. SOURCES: USCIS Policy Manual Policy Alert (PDF, 345 KB) Child Status Protection Act

Document Checklist For I-485/I-130 USCIS Interview

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Checklist of Documents to Bring to Your USCIS Interview (I-130 or I-1485) For Marriage-Based Cases For married couples who are preparing to attend their USCIS interview after submitting their Form I-130 Visa Petition and/or Form I-485 Adjustment of Status interview, you can use this checklist to gather supporting documents to bring to your USCIS interview.