Form I-130 is an immigration application submitted by a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident to petition for an immediate or close relative to immigrate to the U.S. If you have received a notice of approval in an I-179 notice of action, the next step in your application would depend on whether your beneficiary is inside or outside the United States.
For beneficiaries inside the U.S.
If your relative is already inside the U.S., they can apply for an adjustment of status using Form I-485. They will then attend a biometrics appointment, where officials will take their fingerprints, photos and signatures. USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) will then schedule an interview for your relative. If USCIS approves your application, your relative will receive a green card, granting them permanent resident status.
For beneficiaries outside the U.S.
If your relative is outside the U.S., USCIS will send your application to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. There, the NVC will create your visa case and enter the data from your petition into the system. Once they complete this step, they will send you or your beneficiary a welcome letter containing your case number and invoice I.D. You can use this information to log on to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to check your status and manage your case.
What if you or your relative has not received a welcome letter?
If it has been some time since you received the notice of approval and you have not received any welcome letter, consider doing the following:
- Check your spam or junk mail folders.
- Verify that the contact information you submitted is correct.
- Wait for a few weeks. It takes some time for the NVC to send out the welcome letter.
- Contact the NVC directly through their website.
If you still have not received a welcome letter after these steps, consider seeking assistance from an immigration lawyer who can advise you on the next steps you can take to process your relative’s immigration application.