Fiancée Visa

Second Step - The Approved Petition

All approved petitions are forwarded by the BCIS to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC). BCIS also notifies the Embassy by cable of the petition's approval if you have requested this service at the time of filing. There is an extra charge for cable notification of petition approval. The practices of BCIS offices regarding cable notification of petition approval vary. If you have any questions about cable notification of petition approval please direct them to BCIS. 

NVC performs a namecheck that requires a reply from the FBI. This namecheck is usually completed within ten days, but some cases take substantially longer. 

NVC notifies you when they have processed the petition and they will send it via diplomatic pouch to the U.S. Embassy for further processing. It takes four to six weeks for the actual approved petition and its supporting documentation to reach the Embassy. Your petition is valid for four months, but can be extended by the Embassy if a visa cannot be issued during that period and the intention to marry still exists.