Guide · NVC and sponsorship
How an Approved Petition Moves Through the NVC and CEAC
After petition approval, the National Visa Center (NVC) collects fees, applications, and documents through CEAC, the online visa portal. NVC reviews the submission and schedules an interview using dates offered by the embassy or consulate.
For: Couples whose approved immigrant petition is at NVC or awaiting transfer there.
Written from official U.S. government sources. Last reviewed September 2026. Sources and limits.
At a glance
- NVC creates the case after USCIS transfers the approved petition. Use the Welcome Letter's case number and invoice ID.
- Follow CEAC's payment and submission order. Submit DS-260, sponsorship paperwork, and civil documents.
- Read review messages. Uploading documents is not the same as submitting them.
- NVC schedules with the embassy or consulate's available dates, then sends the case there.
How NVC processing starts
Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources
USCIS transfers the approved petition to NVC. NVC creates the case and sends a Welcome Letter with the identifiers and instructions for CEAC. You cannot create that NVC record yourself.
- The process starts with the Department of State's petition approval step.
- NVC describes case creation and CEAC access on its NVC processing page.
- Submission and review are covered in the NVC document submission instructions.
- The online application is covered in the DS-260 instructions.
- The Department of State lists its inquiry channel on the Ask NVC page.
See after I-130 approval for the transfer between offices.
The sequence, in order
Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources
Case creation at the NVC
- What sets it in motion
- USCIS approves the petition and transfers the case
- Who acts
- USCIS, then the NVC
Portal access
- What sets it in motion
- The NVC issues a case number and invoice identifier
- Who acts
- The couple, using CEAC
Fees
- What sets it in motion
- The instructions the NVC sends
- Who acts
- Whoever the instructions name
DS-260 application
- What sets it in motion
- The application fee being recorded as paid
- Who acts
- The applicant
Financial and civil documents
- What sets it in motion
- The relevant fee and the document instructions
- Who acts
- Both partners, in their own roles
Review of the submission
- What sets it in motion
- The required fees, application, and supporting documents are submitted
- Who acts
- The NVC reviewers
Scheduling and transfer to the embassy or consulate
- What sets it in motion
- The embassy or consulate offers dates; NVC schedules an appointment and sends the case to the embassy or consulate
- Who acts
- The embassy or consulate, then the NVC
Each step and what sets it in motion
| Step | What sets it in motion | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Case creation at the NVC | USCIS approves the petition and transfers the case | USCIS, then the NVC |
| Portal access | The NVC issues a case number and invoice identifier | The couple, using CEAC |
| Fees | The instructions the NVC sends | Whoever the instructions name |
| DS-260 application | The application fee being recorded as paid | The applicant |
| Financial and civil documents | The relevant fee and the document instructions | Both partners, in their own roles |
| Review of the submission | The required fees, application, and supporting documents are submitted | The NVC reviewers |
| Scheduling and transfer to the embassy or consulate | The embassy or consulate offers dates; NVC schedules an appointment and sends the case to the embassy or consulate | The embassy or consulate, then the NVC |
Partners have different responsibilities within this sequence. Use the NVC checklist for documents and the affidavit of support guide for sponsor roles.
CEAC and the DS-260
Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources
Submit DS-260 in CEAC and print its confirmation page for the interview. NVC still needs the required fees, forms, and supporting documents before review. Check the applicant's answers against their records before submission.
- Gathering the history the form asks for is covered in DS-260 preparation.
- What each fee, form, and document state on the portal records is covered in reading CEAC states.
- After NVC schedules an interview, follow the Department of State's interview preparation instructions.
What review updates mean
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
A review update describes the submission. It does not decide the visa or promise an interview date.
Correction requested
- What it records
- NVC needs a correction or more information
- What it does not mean
- A visa decision or a finding about the relationship
Nothing outstanding at review
- What it records
- No items were open in that review
- What it does not mean
- A visa decision or a finding that no later documents will be needed
Status unchanged
- What it records
- No new update appears for that item
- What it does not mean
- An explanation of the delay or a next-update date
Case sent to the embassy or consulate
- What it records
- NVC scheduled an interview and sent the case
- What it does not mean
- Visa issuance or a known interview outcome
What each outcome records, and what it does not
| Outcome | What it records | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Correction requested | NVC needs a correction or more information | A visa decision or a finding about the relationship |
| Nothing outstanding at review | No items were open in that review | A visa decision or a finding that no later documents will be needed |
| Status unchanged | No new update appears for that item | An explanation of the delay or a next-update date |
| Case sent to the embassy or consulate | NVC scheduled an interview and sent the case | Visa issuance or a known interview outcome |
See documentarily complete for the review milestone and public scheduling information.
Share the preparation work
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
The sponsor can organize financial records while the applicant gathers personal history and civil documents. Keep one shared list of submissions, corrections, and messages that need a response.
- Name an owner for each application, financial, and document task.
- Record what you submitted and when.
- Keep NVC correction messages with the related task.
- Agree who will check CEAC and how often.
- Use CEAC for the actual case status and requested documents.
What comes next
Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
Once NVC schedules the interview, it sends the case to the embassy or consulate. Follow that office's medical, document, and appointment instructions; find local information under embassies.
Common questions
How long does National Visa Center processing take?
What creates our National Visa Center case?
Does submitting the DS-260 finish our part?
Why has nothing on the portal changed for weeks?
Who should pay the fees and submit the documents?
Related guides
- NVC and sponsorshipWhat Happens After an I-130 ApprovalUnderstand which office holds the case after petition approval and what each one does
- NVC and sponsorshipGetting Ready for the DS-260Prepare the history and records the immigrant visa application asks the beneficiary to supply
- NVC and sponsorshipNVC Document Checklist for CouplesPrepare the civil and financial documents the National Visa Center asks for
- NVC and sponsorshipReading the Consular Portal Without Reading Into ItInterpret the fee, form, and document states shown in the consular portal
- NVC and sponsorshipThe Affidavit of Support, in OutlineUnderstand the sponsorship roles and obligations the affidavit of support creates
- Civil documents and documentary qualificationDocumentarily Qualified, and the Wait That FollowsInterpret a documentarily qualified record and understand the wait for interview scheduling
How Togetherward helps
SuggestionTrack submissions, correction requests, and shared tasks in Togetherward. It does not read CEAC, check government case status, or predict a review date.
- Look at the sample case — Opens Joe and Kat’s fictional sample workspace.
- See the other guides — Opens the guide library index.
- Apply for the private beta — Opens the beta page, where you can read what the beta covers and apply.
Jump straight to the checklist
These open without signing in.
- The NVC civil-document checklist
The general document set the National Visa Center reviews.
- What to gather before starting the DS-260
The details the form asks for, collected in advance.
- See how a recorded interview checklist looks
The fictional sample case shows appointment preparation items recorded by both partners. No sign-in.
General process information, not legal advice or a case-specific estimate. Follow State and your embassy or consulate's current instructions. Ask an immigration attorney about your facts.
Sources and limits
Last reviewed and verification status
- Last reviewed
- Last recorded source review: . We aim to re-read it every 120 days.
- Review recorded.
- Verification status of the sources behind this page
- 6 of 6 sources are recorded as checked. Nothing is awaiting verification.
Verified (6)
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Submit a Petition — checked .
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Begin NVC processing — checked .
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Complete Online Visa Application (DS-260) — checked .
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Upload and submit scanned documents — checked .
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Public Inquiry Form (Ask NVC) — checked .
- VerifiedDepartment of State — Prepare for the interview — checked .
About this guide and its review
Guide scope
- NVC and sponsorship
- CR-1 / IR-1 (Form I-130)
- F2A (spouse of a permanent resident)
- Who this is for
- Couples whose approved immigrant petition is at NVC or awaiting transfer there.
- Stage it covers
- After USCIS approval, before the consular interview.
- What it helps you do
- Follow the processing order and identify the next person or office that must act.
- What this page cannot tell you
- How long a step will take or when CEAC will update.
- Whether documents are sufficient or a visa will be issued.
- Your embassy or consulate's local instructions or appointment availability.
How we put this page together
Togetherward analysisBased on State's linked petition, NVC, document-submission, DS-260, inquiry, and interview pages. Published process steps are separate from Togetherward's suggestions for organizing shared work.
What we did not include
- Individual wait estimates or local embassy or consulate scheduling practices.
- Current fee amounts and form editions.
- Instructions for individual DS-260 answers.
Review record
- Author
- The Togetherward editorial team. The people who build Togetherward. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice.
- Review
- Reviewed by Togetherward Team
- Scope of review
Read the full review scope
Review scope: On 2026-09-28, the source review checked the petition-to-NVC sequence, CEAC status and message guidance, DS-260 submission, NVC document review, and the NVC/post interview-scheduling handoff against the six listed Department of State pages. This review does not assess legal accuracy or apply law to an individual's facts or a particular case. It does not estimate an individual case's timing. Speak with a qualified immigration attorney for case-specific guidance; no attorney or separate human review is claimed.
- Dates
- Last reviewed · Published .
- Review status: Review recorded.
- How this guide was prepared
- How we review guides.
- What the labels in this guide mean
- Official factStated by a U.S. government publisher on the source page we cite.
- Togetherward analysisOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
- SuggestionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and not a requirement.
- Limitations
- This is an explanation of a published government process, not legal advice, and not a prediction about your case.
- Figures that move — processing ranges, Visa Bulletin dates, fees, form editions, interview availability — are described rather than reproduced here, so you read the current number at the source.
- USCIS, the National Visa Center, the embassy, or the consular officer may ask for something this page does not mention.
- This page describes the published processing sequence. It gives no estimate of an individual case's wait or appointment date.
- Commercial independence
- Commercial independence: nobody pays to appear on this page. There are no sponsors, no advertising, no referral fees, no affiliate links, and no paid placement of any attorney, agency, or service. Togetherward makes money from couples who use the product, and a commercial relationship cannot change what this page says, when it was last reviewed, whether it is flagged as out of date, or whether it stays in search results.
- Corrections
- Report a correction using the form below, support@togetherward.app or use the support page.