NVC Case Status: Checking Your Case [2023]

What is my NVC case status?

Working with the National Visa Center to apply for an immigrant visa can take several months, and you’ll often be left wondering about your NVC case status. Here are some tips on checking your NVC case status. Here, you’ll learn:

  • What you need to check your NVC case status.
  • How to find your NVC case number.
  • How to check your case status online.
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Checking Your NVC Case Status

Checking the NVC status is fairly easy and straightforward. But before we get to how to do that, let’s review some basics on visa cases with the NVC.  (If you want a more thorough over of the immigrant visa process, check out this article.)

The NVC has an online system

The NVC has switched to an entirely online system called the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC for short). The CEAC system requires you to login in order to access your case. To log in, you need two things: 1) NVC Case Number; and 2) Invoice ID Number. You can find these numbers in the NVC Case Creation notification the agency emailed or mailed you.  If you didn’t receive this notification, scroll down to see what to do.

Your NVC Case Number

The NVC Case Number is a series of three letters and ten numbers. The letters are an abbreviation of the consulate where immigration will process your case and the first four numbers are the year the NVC created your case. For example, if your family member will process in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and the NVC created your case in 2022 then your case number will begin with “CDJ2022” followed by six more identifying numbers.(Ex. CDJ2022123456).

Your Invoice ID Number

The Invoice ID number begins with IVSCA following by ten digits. The first four digits are normally “0” followed by six more identifying numbers (ex. IVSCA0000123456)

How to find your NVC Case Number

There are three ways to find your NVC case number:

  1. You received an email from the NVC.    Check your email for a message from National_Visa_Center@state.gov.  The subject line in the email will read “Notice of Immigrant Visa Case Creation.”  Within that message you can find your case number.
  2. You received a letter from the NVC.  The NVC may have mailed you the information containing the case number.  Check your mail.
  3. You did not receive anything from the NVC.  If you did not receive any correspondence from the NVC, don’t worry.  We have an article to help you contact them and find out if they have your case.

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