USCIS Status: “Case Was Forwarded to the National Visa Center”
Your case has been sent to the National Visa Center for further processing, which may involve additional steps or documentation requests
What does this status mean?
The 'Case Was Forwarded to the National Visa Center' status means that USCIS has completed their initial review and has forwarded your case to the National Visa Center for further processing, possibly outside the U.S., and you should expect additional steps or documentation requests from the NVC, which may include providing more information or attending an interview
What should you do next?
- 1Log into my.uscis.gov and check your case status using your receipt number
- 2Contact the National Visa Center directly for specific instructions on next steps, which can be found on the Department of State’s National Visa Center Contact Information webpage
- 3Wait for further instructions from the NVC, which may take several weeks or months
Typical timeline
The timeline for next actions may vary and can be lengthy, depending on the type of application and the workload of the National Visa Center
Frequently asked questions
what does case forwarded to national visa center mean uscis
It means that USCIS has completed their initial review and has forwarded your case to the National Visa Center for further processing, which may involve additional steps or documentation requests, and you can check the status of your case online or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 for more information
how long does it take for the national visa center to process my case
The processing time at the National Visa Center can vary depending on the type of application and the workload of the center, but you can check the status of your case online or contact the NVC directly for more information
what happens after my case is forwarded to the national visa center
After your case is forwarded to the National Visa Center, you may be required to provide additional documentation or attend an interview, and you can check the status of your case online or contact the NVC directly for more information
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Set up free alert →Last updated: 2026-06-27