There are a number of steps to the spousal visa process:

  1. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Filing - Petition is mailed to USCIS.
  2. Notice of Action 1 (NOA1) - Petition is received by USCIS.
  3. Notice of Action 2 (NOA2) - Petition is approved or denied by USCIS.
  4. National Visa Center (NVC) Phase - USCIS forwards case to NVC and collects fees and documents.
  5. NVC to Embassy - NVC forwards your case to the U.S. Embassy in the nation of origin.
  6. Embassy Letter - Embassy contacts you with further instructions.
  7. Medical Exam - Foreign spouse schedules and completes required medical exam.
  8. Embassy Interview - Foreign spouse is interviewed by the consular officer at the U.S. Embassy.
  9. Visa Issued - The visa is pasted in the passport and the passport is returned to the foreign spouse.
  10. Immigrant Fee - Immigrant fee is paid online.
  11. Travel to U.S. - Foreign spouse has 6 months to enter the U.S.
  12. Green Card Issued - Green card is mailed to home address within 2 to 4 weeks after arriving in the U.S.