How to Request a Transfer of Your NVC Case to a Different U.S. Embassy or Consulate

If you are in the process of applying for an immigrant U.S. visa and would like to have your case transferred from one consulate to another, you can contact the National Visa Center (NVC) and request that your case be transferred.

Generally, cases can be transferred to U.S. Consulate or Embassy in one of three locations:

• To a location in your country of citizenship
• To a location in your country of residence (extensive proof of residency must be submitted.)
• To a location in country of your last residence if you are currently residing in the United States

If your case is pending with the National Visa Center (NVC), the NVC will generally ask for the following information when answering a request to transfer your case:

• NVC Case ID
• NVC Invoice ID
• Principal Beneficiary Name and date of birth
• Principal Beneficiary’s proof of lawful entry and/or proof of lawful residence at the current location
• Petitioner’s Name and date of birth
• DS260 information
• Address in the current country of residence
• Proof of current residence such as a lease confirming the applicant’s address in a new location

You may submit your request to change the location of your immigrant visa interview to the National Visa Center if you wish to process at the requested U.S. Embassy or Consulate General. At the time of this writing, such requests are submitted via the NVC public inquiry form: https://nvc.state.gov/inquiry.

The NVC will then review your request and determine whether it can be approved. If your request is approved, the NVC will transfer your case to the new consulate and notify you of the transfer. This notification includes a new NVC case ID indicative of the location change.

Before you submit your transfer request to the NVC, it is worth checking if your new preferred location is still accepting appointments and completing visa processing, since some U.S. consulate locations may have different availability or processing schedules, or be temporarily closed due to COVID-19 or other reasons.

Note that the way these requests are submitted can change without warning, and has changed in the past. It is also important to note that the decision to transfer your case is at the discretion of the NVC and they may or may not approve the request.

What if NVC will not transfer my case?

If you are unable to provide sufficient proof, as described above, and still wish to gain approval to processing of your immigrant visa at a different U.S. Embassy or Consulate General, you must direct your request to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General where you wish the case to be processed.

The desired U.S. Embassy or Consulate General website often includes contact information for immigrant visa-related inquiries. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate General in question may have similar requirements for transfer to their location, and will often direct you back to the NVC, stating that you must first obtain approval from the NVC to transfer the case to their location.

Have detailed questions about your specific case or need assistance transferring your case to another location? Schedule your consultation with us here.

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Remember that each case is different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Read the full disclaimer here.