As of November 12, 2014, the National Visa Center (NVC) will cease accepting original civil documents in support of immigrant visa applications.  Rather, most applicants will now be required to submit photocopies of supporting documents (i.e. birth, marriage, divorce, and/or death records) to NVC via mail. In turn, NVC will include the photocopies as part of the file for the the designated Consular post.

Once the interview is scheduled, applicants are tasked with bringing the original documents to their interviews for inspection.  This change in processing will not apply to Affidavit of Support forms.  Petitioners will be required to submit this particular form to directly to the NVC for intial evaluation. By adopting this policy, NVC anticipates a reduction in wait times and delays, and improvement in the visa processing experience.