Master prompt
NVC + consular processing document tracker (US — IV applicants)
Track every NVC requirement for an immigrant visa applicant: DS-260, civil documents per Reciprocity Schedule, financial documents, police certificates, and the medical at the panel physician.
USNVCConsular processingDS-260IV interviewReciprocity Schedule9 FAM
Track all NVC requirements for [PRINCIPAL_APPLICANT]'s consular processing of [VISA_CATEGORY] at [PROCESSING_POST]. NVC case [NVC_CASE_NUMBER].
§1 — NVC PROCESS OVERVIEW
After USCIS approves the underlying I-130 / I-140, the case transfers to the National Visa Center (NVC), Portsmouth NH. NVC:
• Assigns the case number
• Notifies the applicant via the CEAC online portal
• Collects fees, DS-260, civil documents, and I-864 package electronically
• Reviews for completeness → "documentarily qualified" (DQ)
• Schedules the IV interview at [PROCESSING_POST]
• Forwards the case to [PROCESSING_POST] approximately 2-4 weeks before interview
Operational source of truth: 9 FAM 504 and travel.state.gov NVC pages.
§2 — DS-260 ONLINE IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION
Required for each applicant — principal AND each derivative.
• Completed on CEAC at ceac.state.gov
• Single-shot, mostly cannot be edited after submission (corrections require NVC contact)
• Sections cover: identity, address history, marital history, family, prior US travel, work / education history, security background
• Be PRECISE on dates and addresses — discrepancies surface at the IV interview
• Cross-check with USCIS petition data — name spellings, DOB, place of birth must match
Common India-context gotchas:
• Place of birth: use the city / district / state as shown on the birth certificate; not "India" generically
• Family list: include ALL parents, siblings, children — even deceased ones
• Work / education: gaps must be explained ("homemaker", "preparing for civil services exam", etc.)
§3 — VISA APPLICATION FEE + AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT FEE
NVC bills two fees:
(a) IV Application Fee — per applicant — USD 325 (most categories) // 2026-05 — verify
(b) Affidavit of Support Fee — per case — USD 120 (family-based; not for EB) // 2026-05 — verify
Both paid online via CEAC. Receipts required for upload.
§4 — CIVIL DOCUMENTS — PER RECIPROCITY SCHEDULE
NVC requires civil documents per the issuing country's Reciprocity Schedule (travel.state.gov reciprocity pages).
For INDIA (commonly required):
A. PASSPORT
• Valid for 6 months beyond intended date of entry to US
• Biographical page upload + bring original to interview
B. BIRTH CERTIFICATE
• Issued by Municipal Corporation / Registrar of Births and Deaths
• If unavailable (very common for births before 1989): non-availability certificate from the registrar + secondary evidence:
— Matriculation / SSLC certificate
— School leaving certificate
— Hospital birth record
— Affidavit from two relatives present at the birth (notarised + apostilled)
• English translation if regional language
• MEA apostille — typically required by [PROCESSING_POST]
C. MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE (if married, or for spouse derivative)
• Issued under Hindu Marriage Act 1955 / Special Marriage Act 1954 / other personal law
• If religious-only ceremony without civil registration → register the marriage first
• MEA apostille required
D. DIVORCE / DEATH CERTIFICATES for any prior marriages of both spouses
• Court decree of divorce (final order, not interim)
• Death certificate from Municipal Corporation
• Apostille required
E. POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE (PCC) — see §6 below
F. MILITARY RECORDS (if applicable)
• Discharge papers, service certificate
• For Indian Armed Forces veterans: discharge book + Form 16-equivalent service record
G. COURT RECORDS (if any prior arrest / charge / conviction)
• Certified court dispositions for EVERY arrest / citation worldwide
• Including dismissals, expungements, juvenile records (with notation if sealed)
H. ADOPTION RECORDS (if applicable)
I. PHOTOGRAPHS
• Two recent passport-style color photos meeting Department of State specifications (2"x2", white background, taken within 6 months)
• Some posts require digital upload + print at interview
ALL FOREIGN-LANGUAGE DOCUMENTS REQUIRE CERTIFIED ENGLISH TRANSLATION (see prompt us-docs-certified-translation).
§5 — FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS (I-864 PACKAGE — FAMILY-BASED)
For family-based [VISA_CATEGORY]:
• Form I-864 from primary sponsor (the petitioner)
• Form I-864A from any household-member contributor
• Additional I-864 from any joint sponsor
• Supporting tax / income / domicile evidence (see prompt us-docs-affidavits-i864-support)
All uploaded to CEAC. Originals presented at the IV interview.
§6 — POLICE CLEARANCE CERTIFICATES — PER RESIDENCY HISTORY
Per 9 FAM 504.4-4 and the Reciprocity Schedule, PCC required from EVERY country where applicant resided for 6+ months since age 16. Build the PCC table from [RESIDENCY_HISTORY]:
For [PRINCIPAL_APPLICANT]'s residency:
• For each country listed, identify the issuing authority and process
INDIA PCC:
• Issued by Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) / Regional Passport Office (RPO)
• Apply online at passportindia.gov.in
• Fees: ₹500 (verify) // 2026-05 — verify
• In-person appointment + biometrics
• Police verification at residence by local police
• PCC VALIDITY: 6 months from issue (most US posts) — schedule timing so PCC is current at IV interview
OTHER COMMON COUNTRIES:
• UK: ACRO Criminal Records Office, online application, GBP 55+ // 2026-05 — verify
• Canada: RCMP via accredited fingerprint vendor; or local police certificate for short stays
• Australia: Australian Federal Police National Police Check
• UAE: Ministry of Interior "Good Conduct Certificate"
• USA: NOT required from US PCC perspective (FBI fingerprint background check handled separately at biometrics)
For each non-India country in [RESIDENCY_HISTORY]: identify the issuing authority, application route, fee, validity, and translation/authentication requirements.
§7 — MEDICAL EXAM AT PANEL PHYSICIAN
Medical exam scheduled separately by applicant once interview date is known:
• Find the panel physician via [PROCESSING_POST] website
• For US Embassy New Delhi: list at in.usembassy.gov panel physicians page
• For US Consulate Mumbai / Chennai / Hyderabad / Kolkata: respective post pages
• Schedule exam approximately 1-3 weeks before IV interview
• Bring: passport, photos, vaccination records, prior medical records, fee (₹7,000-15,000 in India typically)
• Panel physician submits results electronically OR provides sealed packet to applicant
• Validity: typically 6 months for IV admission to US
See prompt us-docs-i693-medical-checklist for full medical exam content (panel physician follows similar CDC Technical Instructions).
§8 — DOCUMENT TRACKER TABLE
Build the following tracker for [PRINCIPAL_APPLICANT] and each derivative in None:
| # | Document | Status | Issuer | Date Obtained | Apostille | Translation | NVC Upload | Interview Original |
|---|----------|--------|--------|---------------|-----------|-------------|------------|--------------------|
| 1 | Passport | [ ] | Govt of India | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 2 | Birth certificate | [ ] | Municipal Corp | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] if regional | [ ] | [ ] |
| 3 | Marriage certificate | [ ] | Registrar of Marriages | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] if regional | [ ] | [ ] |
| 4 | Divorce decree (if any) | [ ] | District Court | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] if regional | [ ] | [ ] |
| 5 | India PCC | [ ] | PSK | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | N/A (English) | [ ] | [ ] |
| 6 | [Other country] PCC | [ ] | [authority] | YYYY-MM-DD | varies | varies | [ ] | [ ] |
| 7 | Court records (if any) | [ ] | [court] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] if regional | [ ] | [ ] |
| 8 | Photos (2) | [ ] | Photo studio | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 9 | DS-260 confirmation | [ ] | CEAC | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 10 | I-864 from petitioner | [ ] | Sponsor | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 11 | I-864 supporting docs | [ ] | Sponsor | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 12 | Visa application fee | [ ] | CEAC | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 13 | AOS fee | [ ] | CEAC | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | [ ] | [ ] |
| 14 | Medical exam | [ ] | Panel physician | YYYY-MM-DD | N/A | N/A | N/A (sealed) | [ ] |
Repeat columns 1-7 for EACH derivative in None.
§9 — DOCUMENTARILY QUALIFIED (DQ) → INTERVIEW SCHEDULING
Once all documents are uploaded and reviewed by NVC, case becomes "DQ":
• NVC forwards case to [PROCESSING_POST]
• Interview scheduled per post's Visa Bulletin priority date + post capacity
• Interview notice ("P4 letter") issued via CEAC and email
§10 — INTERVIEW DAY AT [PROCESSING_POST]
Bring to the interview (originals or as instructed):
□ Passport (valid 6+ months beyond US entry)
□ Interview appointment letter (printed)
□ DS-260 confirmation
□ Original civil documents (with apostilles where applicable)
□ Translations of civil documents
□ Sealed medical exam packet (if not e-transmitted)
□ Two photos (in addition to the digital upload)
□ I-864 originals from sponsor(s)
□ Sponsor's tax transcripts + employer letter + pay stubs
□ Updated PCC if prior PCC has expired
□ Any new evidence since DS-260 submission (new marriages, new children, address change)
□ Visa fee receipt + AOS fee receipt
□ For accompanying derivatives: their full document set
NOT ALLOWED:
• Mobile phones (check at security)
• Bags / large items
• Food / beverages
§11 — POST-INTERVIEW
(a) APPROVAL → passport collected with visa stamped (usually 5-15 business days after interview)
(b) 221(g) refusal → administrative processing / additional documents requested
— Common 221(g): need additional PCC, additional financial evidence, more relationship evidence
— Respond promptly via the post's instructions
(c) DENIAL → INA §212 ground stated; consider waiver (I-601 / I-601A) or appeal where available
(d) IV stamp valid for 6 months from issue — enter US within validity to acquire LPR status at port of entry
(e) Green card mailed within 30-120 days of US entry; USCIS Immigrant Fee ($235 — verify) paid before entry triggers card production
§12 — RED FLAGS FOR [PRINCIPAL_APPLICANT]
□ Any prior US visa refusals — disclose on DS-260 and bring documentation
□ Any name variations across documents — name discrepancy affidavit needed (see prompt us-docs-affidavits-i864-support)
□ Any arrests / charges since I-130 approval — bring court records
□ Any address changes since DS-260 — notify NVC and bring updated proof
□ Any new children born since I-130 — add via Form I-824 or follow-to-join
□ Marriage between I-130 approval and IV interview (for derivatives turning 21 — CSPA implications)
□ I-864 sponsor income changed materially since I-864 filing — bring updated tax / pay evidence
End with: "DRAFT NVC + consular processing tracker — for licensed US immigration attorney or accredited representative review. Verify against current USCIS Form Instructions, the Reciprocity Schedule for each country in [RESIDENCY_HISTORY], 9 FAM 504, and [PROCESSING_POST] post-specific guidance before submission. Fees and document requirements change; re-check travel.state.gov within 7 days of NVC document upload."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt