Consular processing is how an employment-based green card applicant who is outside the United States, or who chooses not to adjust status inside it, becomes a permanent resident. After USCIS approves the I-140, the State Department's National Visa Center (NVC) "must send the beneficiary the NVC Welcome Letter" explaining what to do next (9 FAM 504.1-2). You then file the online immigrant visa application, Form DS-260, pay the fees, send documents, and attend an interview at a US consulate.
As of October 23, 2026, the State Department charges $345 per person for an employment-based immigrant visa application (22 CFR 22.1, item 32(b), 2025 edition), and USCIS charges a $235 Immigrant Fee to produce the green card (USCIS, Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26). Here is each step in order, including what is different for EB-1A and NIW self-petitioners.
- After an I-140 is approved for someone abroad, the case moves to the National Visa Center (NVC), which sends a Welcome Letter.
- An NVC case is documentarily complete once fees are paid, a DS-260 is filed for each traveling applicant, any required I-864 is submitted, and police certificates are provided.
- The State Department's immigrant visa fee for employment-based applicants is $345 per person; USCIS adds a $235 immigrant fee.
- An I-864 affidavit of support is needed in employment cases only when a US citizen or permanent resident relative filed the petition or owns 5 percent or more of the petitioning company.
- Every immigrant visa applicant must appear for an interview and have a medical exam by a panel physician; a child under 14 may be excused from appearing.
- Police certificates are needed from any country of nationality or current residence where you lived six months or more, and from other countries after one year.
- An immigrant visa is normally valid for up to six months, and no longer than the medical exam.
What happens after the I-140 is approved?
The approved petition goes to NVC, which registers you as an intending immigrant and sends the Welcome Letter (9 FAM 504.1-2(a)). If you are in the United States and eligible to adjust status, you can instead file Form I-485 with USCIS; our guide to what changes after I-140 approval covers that choice and the priority date that both routes depend on.
Your place in line is set by your priority date. NVC and the consulate cannot schedule an interview until a visa number is available for your category and country, which the monthly Visa Bulletin tracks (9 FAM 504.1-2(c)). For Indian and Chinese applicants, the wait for that date is usually the longest part of the process; our explainer on country of chargeability shows why.
What does NVC need before it schedules an interview?
NVC calls a case "documentarily complete" when four things are done for each traveling applicant (9 FAM 504.1-2(b)(2)):
| Step | What it is | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fees | Immigrant visa application fee, and any affidavit of support fee | Each applicant |
| 2. Form DS-260 | Online Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration | Each traveling applicant |
| 3. Form I-864 | Affidavit of Support, only where INA 212(a)(4) requires one | Sponsor, if required |
| 4. Police certificates | From each country required by 22 CFR 42.65(c) | Each applicant |
Once a case is documentarily complete, NVC generally schedules appointments in the order applicants became documentarily complete, within the capacity each consulate reports (9 FAM 504.1-2(d)).
The consulate can ask for more. Under the regulations, every applicant must furnish, if obtainable, police certificates and certified copies of any prison record, military record and birth record, plus "all other records or documents which the consular officer considers necessary" (22 CFR 42.65(b)).
Which police certificates do you need from India, China or elsewhere?
The rule turns on how long you lived in each place. A police certificate is required from your country of nationality and your current country of residence if you lived there at least six months, and from any other country where you lived at least one year (22 CFR 42.65(c)(1)). An officer may require a certificate from anywhere if there is reason to believe a police record exists there (same).
For an Indian or Chinese engineer who studied in one country and worked in another, that can mean three or more certificates. Start early, because certificates are part of becoming documentarily complete (9 FAM 504.1-2(b)(2)(d)).
Do EB-1A and NIW self-petitioners need an affidavit of support?
Usually not. In employment cases, an I-864 is required only "if a relative" of the applicant who is a US citizen or permanent resident "either filed the employment-based immigrant petition or has a significant ownership interest in the entity that filed" it (8 CFR 213a.2(a)(2)(i)(C), 2025 edition). A significant ownership interest means 5 percent or more of a for-profit petitioner (8 CFR 213a.1).
A self-petitioner filed the petition for themselves, so no relative-sponsor rule is triggered. You should still be ready to show how you will support yourself in the United States, with evidence such as a job offer, contracts or savings.
Otherwise, self-petitioners follow the same steps as employer-sponsored applicants: DS-260, fees, civil documents, police certificates, medical exam and interview. The interview checks the same eligibility USCIS approved, so be ready to discuss your work and evidence in plain terms.
What happens at the immigrant visa interview?
Everyone appears in person, with one exception. Every immigrant visa applicant must "appear personally before a consular officer," though the officer may waive the appearance of a child under 14 (22 CFR 42.62(a)). The officer decides your proper classification and your eligibility for the visa, and may require you to answer any question material to those decisions (22 CFR 42.62(b)).
At the window you pay the fee if not already paid, confirm your DS-260 under oath and give fingerprints (9 FAM 504.1-3(a)). Staff check that every DS-260 question is answered and inspect the originals of documents you uploaded as copies (9 FAM 504.1-3(c) and (d)).
Before the interview, every applicant of every age must complete a medical exam by a physician chosen from the consulate's approved panel (22 CFR 42.66). Applicants adjusting status inside the United States use Form I-693 instead; our guide to the I-693 medical exam covers that version.
If the officer needs something more, the application can be refused under INA 221(g) until the missing information is provided or further processing is complete (9 FAM 302.1-8).
What happens after the visa is issued?
You have a limited window to travel. Under INA 221(c), an immigrant visa "is normally valid for a maximum of six months," and officers must limit it to the validity of your medical exam if that ends sooner (9 FAM 504.10-2(A)).
Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before you travel. The State Department's manual says most people issued immigrant visas "must pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee to obtain a 'green card'" (9 FAM 504.10-4(D)), and the fee is $235 (USCIS, Form G-1055).
How much does employment-based consular processing cost?
These are the government fees as of October 23, 2026:
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant visa application, employment-based (per person) | $345 | 22 CFR 22.1, item 32(b) |
| Affidavit of support review, only if required and reviewed domestically | $120 | 22 CFR 22.1, item 34 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (per person, after issuance) | $235 | USCIS Form G-1055 |
| Medical exam | Set by the panel physician | 22 CFR 42.66 |
The State Department amounts come from the fee schedule in the Code of Federal Regulations (22 CFR 22.1, 2025 edition). The I-140 fees you already paid are separate.
What this means for you
Consular processing is mostly a documents exercise run against the Visa Bulletin calendar.
- Gather birth certificates, passports and marriage records for everyone traveling as soon as the I-140 is approved.
- List every country where each adult lived six months or more and start the police certificates early.
- Confirm whether anyone needs an I-864; for self-petitioners it is usually not required.
- Book the panel physician as soon as the interview date is set, and keep the medical exam's expiry in mind.
- Pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee before you fly, and plan entry within the visa's validity.
Where to start
If you are abroad and wondering whether you can self-petition at all, our free evaluation at /evaluate/ shows how your record compares with the EB-1A and NIW standards, and Frank, our AI assistant at /frank, finds real opportunities for the criteria you are missing. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 23, 2026.
- 9 FAM 504.1, Immigrant Visa Process Overview (State Department, Foreign Affairs Manual). NVC Welcome Letter; documentarily complete steps; scheduling; making an application; document checks.
- 9 FAM 504.10, Immigrant Visa Issuance (Foreign Affairs Manual). Six-month validity limited by medical exam; USCIS Immigrant Fee.
- 22 CFR 42.62, Personal appearance and interview (2025 edition). Appearance; waiver for children under 14; interview scope.
- 22 CFR 42.65, Supporting documents (2025 edition). Required documents; police certificate rules.
- 22 CFR 42.66, Medical examination (2025 edition). Medical exam for all applicants by panel physician.
- 22 CFR 22.1, Schedule of fees (2025 edition). $345 employment-based immigrant visa fee; $120 affidavit of support review.
- 9 FAM 302.1, including 302.1-8 on INA 221(g) (Foreign Affairs Manual). 221(g) refusals pending documents or processing.
- 8 CFR 213a.1 and 213a.2 (2025 edition). When an employment-based applicant needs an affidavit of support; 5 percent ownership definition.
- USCIS, Form G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition 10/16/26). $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee.
Frequently asked questions
How does NVC consular processing work for an employment-based green card?
Once USCIS approves the I-140 and you are processing abroad, the National Visa Center sends a Welcome Letter. You pay the fees, submit Form DS-260 for each person traveling, provide civil documents and police certificates, and add an I-864 if one is required. Once documentarily complete and your priority date is current, NVC schedules an interview at a consulate. After issuance you pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee and travel.
Do EB-1A or NIW self-petitioners need an I-864 affidavit of support?
Usually not. The regulation requires an I-864 in employment-based cases only when a relative who is a US citizen or permanent resident filed the petition or owns a significant ownership interest, defined as 5 percent or more, in the petitioning company. A self-petitioner is not a relative of themselves. You should still be ready to show how you will support yourself in the United States.
How much does consular processing cost in 2026?
The State Department's immigrant visa application fee for employment-based applicants is $345 per person, under the fee schedule in 22 CFR 22.1. If an affidavit of support is required and reviewed domestically, there is a $120 review fee. After the visa is issued, USCIS charges a $235 Immigrant Fee to produce the green card. The medical exam is paid separately to the panel physician.
Which police certificates do applicants from India or China need?
The regulation requires a police certificate from your country of nationality and your current country of residence if you lived there six months or more, and from any other country where you lived for at least one year. An officer can ask for others if there is reason to believe a record exists. The consulate's own instructions say how to obtain each country's certificate, so check them before you apply.
How long is an immigrant visa valid after the interview?
Under INA 221(c), an immigrant visa is normally valid for a maximum of six months. The State Department's manual tells officers to limit the visa to the validity of the medical exam, so if the exam expires sooner, the visa does too. Plan your travel so you enter the United States before the visa expires.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
