{"id":6597,"date":"2026-06-12T16:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vistalegalservices.com\/en\/?page_id=6597"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T14:45:12","slug":"consular-processing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vistalegalservices.com\/en\/consular-processing\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting a Green Card \u2013 Consular Processing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If a client seeking a green card is not eligible for adjustment of status<\/a>, generally they will have to go through consular processing. That is a long, multi-part process, but for most clients it is the only path to a green card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Family Petition and National Visa Center<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That process starts with the family petition, which is sent to the USCIS. It currently takes about a year for a petition to be approved. If and when the petition is approved then the case takes a step that deviates from the adjustment process discussed on the previous page. The USCIS hands the case off to the Department of State\u2019s National Visa Center (NVC) because the case will eventually be finalized at a foreign consulate. Once the case arrives at the National Visa Center, for most cases it is time for the provisional waiver to be filed. This is a critical stage of the process \u2013 if the waiver is denied then the case likely will not move forward. Here is a brief explanation of the role the waiver plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Provisional Waiver (I-601A)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a person has lived in the U.S. illegally for more than a year and then leaves\u00a0 \u2013 for example, to attend the consulate interview in their country of birth \u2013 they need to remain outside of the U.S. for ten years. The way to avoid that is to file a provisional waiver<\/a> (I-601A) while still in the U.S. (See the next page for a more detailed discussion of what the waiver entails). It currently takes several years to be decided, but if it is approved, then the way is cleared to finish consular processing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Immigrant Visa Interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Next, documents, forms and a lengthy application must be filed with the NVC. When everything has been submitted to the satisfaction of the NVC the applicant\u2019s case will be put in the \u201cqueue\u201d for an immigrant visa interview in their country of origin. Currently the waiting time from that moment until the interview is over a year. Once an interview has been scheduled the client will be notified. The client must leave the U.S. to attend a medical exam, fingerprinting appointment, and finally the consular interview. The interview is essentially the last day of the process – and it is the most important day. It is where things can go smoothly or things can go horribly wrong. It is our job to make sure that things go smoothly so that the case gets approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n