IV Petitions and Notifications from USCIS Now Routed Through NVC
UNCLASSIFIED STATE 00170938
VZCZCXRO1474
RR RUEHAG RUEHAO RUEHAP RUEHAT RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHBL RUEHBZ RUEHCD RUEHCHI RUEHCI RUEHCN RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDT RUEHDU RUEHED RUEHEL RUEHFK RUEHFL RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGH RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHM RUEHHO RUEHHT RUEHIHL RUEHIK RUEHJO RUEHJS RUEHKN RUEHKR RUEHKSO RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHMC RUEHMJ RUEHMR RUEHMRE RUEHNAG RUEHNG RUEHNH RUEHNL RUEHNP RUEHNZ RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPD RUEHPOD RUEHPT RUEHPW RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHRS RUEHTM RUEHVC RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHC #0938/01 3622249ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 282229Z DEC 07B
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS COLLECTIVE
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 170938
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS, CMGT
SUBJECT: IMMIGRANT VISA PETITIONS AND PETITION RELATED NOTIFICATIONS FROM USCIS NOW ROUTED ONLY THROUGH NVC
1. Summary. Effective immediately, posts should receive all official communications related to domestically-filed immigrant visa (IV) cases that are processing at overseas posts through the National Visa Center (NVC). In July 2007, CA and CIS agreed to designate NVC as the central clearinghouse for all official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) IV-related communications to posts. Posts should no longer receive IV petition-related notifications, petitions or cables, directly from USCIS. NVC provides central pre-processing and a central point of contact for IV case tracking for all concerned parties: USCIS, petitioners, beneficiaries, as well as overseas posts. End summary.
2. Immigrant visa issuing posts should no longer be receiving notices such as Immigrant Orphan Advance Processing notifications (Visas 37), immigrant visa petition approvals (Visas 38 and 39), follow-to-join notifications (Visas 67 or I-824s) or refugee/asylee notifications (Visas 92/93) directly from USCIS. Instead, USCIS is sending these notifications to NVC via email or regular mail. NVC in turn forwards the notifications to post by DHL. NVC has procedures in place to sort, prioritize and expedite urgent cases. In addition, where applicable, NVC creates a case using the data from USCIS.
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Adoption Cases
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3. Adoption specific procedures:
--Routine adoption petitions are mailed to NVC and are processed and sent on to overseas posts by DHL within three to five days. Posts should wait to receive complete case files before processing adoption cases to completion.
--Truly urgent adoption cases are sent to NVC by email from USCIS. NVC sends them to post by email within 24 hours of receipt. The case file is sent to post the next day via DHL. The electronic record is also sent to post at that time. (Note: Consulate General Guangzhou is piloting electronic transmission of adoption petitions and is not currently receiving paper adoption files from NVC. End note.)
--USCIS will continue to send I-600A approval notices to prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) and the approved I- 600A petition to NVC. PAPs will not be able to file their I-600 petition at post until post has received the complete file from NVC. PAPs will find guidance posted on the Department's website, travel.state.gov, instructing them to first inquire domestically on whether their file has been sent to post by calling or emailing the NVC at 603-334-0700 or nvcinquiry@state.gov; or the Visa Office at 202-663-1225 or USVisa@state.gov.
--If post does receive an approval notice directly from USCIS, for a case involving the adoption of a minor child, post still must wait to receive the file from NVC before moving ahead with case processing.
--Hague Convention adoption procedures are currently being developed and will be sent to posts via telegram in the early part of 2008. Convention adoptions will require post action prior to filing of petitions to confirm the orphan status of the child.
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Follow-to-Join Cases
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4. After January 1, 2008, NVC will process all domestically-filed follow-to-join cases through the document review process which involves the collection of IV fees and forms. For posts where NVC does not yet schedule interviews, NVC will forward the file to post as a regular IV case once the required fees and forms have been received. For posts for which NVC performs scheduling, NVC will collect the applicant's IV fees, forms, and civil documents, send the appointment packet, and schedule the immigrant visa interview.
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Direct Mailings or Cables
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5. While USCIS makes the complete transition to sending
STATE 00170938 002 OF 002
all notices through NVC, posts that receive notices directly from USCIS should refer the case to NVC and await advice as to next steps. Questions for NVC should be sent to XXXXXX@XXX.XXX. Post should not start processing the case until they receive the petition or guidance from NVC.
6. Posts may direct questions to XXXX XXXXXXXX at XXXXXXXXXX@XXXXX.XXX and adoption-specific questions to XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX at XXXXXXXX@XXXXX.XXX, in the Visa Office's Post Liaison Division (CA/VO/F/P).
RICEBT
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