Case Status Update: Consular Processing Wait Times
The scheduling of Consular Processing requires collaborating between NVC and U.S. Consulates or Embassies world-wide. The Immigrant Visa (IV) Scheduling Status Tool gives you an idea of when you might expect to receive your immigrant visa interview. The tool’s results show when the National Visa Center (NVC) is scheduling interviews at a specific U.S. embassy or consulate. Interviews are scheduled based on the date your case became “documentarily complete,” which means that NVC has received all required fees and documents. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate provides the NVC with a list of available appointment dates and times. NVC schedules interviews on a first-in, first-out basis once a date becomes available and then forwards your case to the respective U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Cases are placed in a queue and wait times can vary significantly depending on the workload and capacity of each consulate or embassy.
Interviews can only be scheduled if a visa is available. For preference visa cases, visa availability may be found in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
If you have an I-601A waiver application pending, your interview date is dependent upon your I-601A completing adjudication by USCIS.
Once the waiver is approved, your case must still be processed by the National Visa Center (NVC) and placed in the interview scheduling queue after USCIS has notified the NVC of the waiver approval.
Each country schedules interviews on their own timeline, according to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s availability. While some countries are very fast (e.g. one month), other countries can have waits as long as two years. These timeframes are estimates and may vary based on consular capacity, local conditions, and case volume. Apart from Mexico, we are seeing many interviews scheduled around the six-month mark.
WHILE YOU WAIT:
UPDATE FINANCIAL INFORMATION Please provide our office with updated 2025 tax information for all sponsors. Generally, we need Federal Tax Returns or Tax Return
Transcripts and all W-2/1099/K1 forms to update the Affidavit of Support. Get your Tax Return Transcript here: Get Transcript
LOCATE YOUR ORIGINAL, VALID VITAL DOCUMENTS: Make sure you have the original and updated version of all birth certificates for applicant, petitioner, and applicant’s children, marriage certificates, marriage termination documents, police certificates, court records, passports and any other vital document specific to your case. If you can’t locate the original, now is the time to obtain a certified copy of an original document! This is important, as consulates generally require originals for review.
UPDATE CONTACT INFORMATION: Please notify Soberalski Immigration Law of any change in contact information, including address (and move date), phone, or email.
RESEARCH TRAVEL AND LODGING OPTIONS: Everyone has their own unique travel preferences for lodging, flights, and in-country travel. Please use this “waiting time” to think about what works best for you and your family. We suggest that clients research available lodging options through legitimate sites such as “Travelocity” or “TripAdvisor” where you can read reviews from others who have stayed there. Many Facebook groups exist for individuals waiting for an interview and offer good perspectives on lodging/transportation options. Additionally, once your interview is scheduled, your Soberalski team can provide personalized suggestions based on our own clients’ experiences.
Our Case Manager for Consular Processing in Mexico is Aixa Lazo.
Our Case Manager for Consular Processing elsewhere is Kyle Kane.