Let’s dive into the steps that are involved in a spouse visa case. There’s a lot of steps that could be involved with a lot of nuances. Immigration law is complicated but we can break spouse visas down into three main steps.

1. Petition

The petition is also referred to as an I-130 application. This is where you show immigration with evidence of photos, letters of support, and other things that you have a real relationship with your spouse. That your relationship is based on love and not just to receive an immigration benefit.

2. National Visa Center

Once you file that petition and it’s been approved, step two is the National Visa Center or NVC phase of the case. This is where you submit all of your civil documents, birth certificates, and marriage license. There’s a long list of documents to submit along with the financial documents of the petitioner, the United States citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Once all of those documents have been collected, the National Visa Center will let you know they’ve received your documents and when an interview is available, they’ll notify you.

3. Interview

Step three is the interview phase of the case and the interview will occur abroad, typically in the country of origin of the immigrant. At this interview, you’ll be completing a medical exam before a fingerprint appointment.  At the interview, they will ask you questions about your immigration history and your relationship.

There’s a lot of nuances and depending on your case type, there may be other steps. But in general, those are the three main steps.

If you’d like to see this all written out and have a refresher, we have a free downloadable chart on our website, Immigration for Couples, where you can download all of this information.

See More: Complimentary Resource Center

We also have a free webinar that goes into more detail about options available to couples who are engaged, are married, and need to navigate the immigration process.