Once the I-130 is approved by USCIS, your petition will get forwarded to the National Visa Center. The National Visa Center will send you a case number and invoice to be able to log into their online system. The National Visa Center processes the actual visa application, the eligibility documents, and the financial sponsorship documents. Once they have qualified the case, it will be forwarded to the U.S. Consulate for an interview. Prior to the interview, the applicant will perform a medical exam with an authorized doctor which will then be forwarded to the consulate. They appear for their interview and provide original documents for confirmation. If the consulate intends to approve the case, they will keep the applicant’s passport in order to place the visa inside and then send it by mail. Once you arrive in the United States you must pay an additional fee for the creation of the actual green card. The visa in the passport is considered proof of Lawful Permanent Residence for one year after admission to the United States.
