Introduction
As a petitioner, you may want to choose to transfer your immigration case to another US embassy or consulate. There can be many reasons you want to make such a decision, such as pending case backlogs at a specific embassy, or maybe you believe that some other embassy would decide on your matter more expeditiously.
In any case, you should be aware of the pros and cons of transferring your case. Sometimes it is beneficial not to transfer your case to another embassy because of the process involved and the time taken for the whole process. This article will explain to you how you can transfer a US immigration case to another embassy and whether it is right for you or not.
What is the procedure of transfer a US immigration case to another embassy?
Before deciding to transfer your immigrant visa case to another embassy, the foremost thing is to know the procedure. Sethi and Mazaheri law firm always take steps to inform immigrants of the existing immigration procedure in the real world. We don’t want you to make any rash decisions that could hurt your visa application. The US Department of State (DOS) lays the following steps you have to follow to get your immigration case transferred. According to DOS, the procedure to transfer your Immigrant Visa case to a different embassy or consulate is :
If your case is at a US embassy or consulate
Suppose a US embassy or consulate handles your visa petition, and you want to transfer it to another embassy. In that case, you should contact the embassy to which you want to transfer your immigrant visa case in writing to request your case transfer. You must mention a justification for requesting such a transfer as the United States immigration authorities will not transfer the case just because you want to. You have to provide a reason why you are making such a request.
If you are not a resident of the country where your case is pending, you have to specify that in your request. Upon receiving your transfer request, the embassy where you want to transfer your case will make a formal request to the embassy where your case is pending to forward your immigrant visa case to them for processing.
In which embassy should I make my visa case transfer request?
We have often been asked this question. Applicants get confused about whether to make a request for a visa case transfer to the embassy that is presently handling your case or to the embassy where you want to transfer your immigrant visa case. The simple answer is to make a transfer request to the embassy where you want to transfer your visa case, and the embassy will itself make a formal transfer request to the embassy which is handling your case for the transfer. If everything goes right, your case will be transferred successfully.
If your petition is being processed at the National Visa Center (NVC)
Suppose your immigrant visa petition is being processed at the National Visa Center, and you want to transfer your case to another immigrant visa processing post. In that case, you should write to the NVC requesting them to transfer your case. In the written request, you should mention the address in the requested country and the proof of eligibility (citizenship/legal residency in the requested country or other documentation). NVC may ask you for additional information if they require it in approving the transfer. Transferring your case might not result in immediate processing as cases are processed in order based on the date the case became documentarily qualified.
Requesting to transfer a K Visa
Suppose you’re seeking a K Visa transfer. In that case, the receiving Embassy or Consulate has the discretion to accept or reject a K visa application from an applicant outside the consular district. You should contact the US embassy in writing requesting a transfer of your K Visa and mention the reasons for such a request. A new visa fee will be needed if you paid the MRV fees at the initial post, and the transfer request to a different post is later granted.
Should I consider requesting a transfer of my immigrant visa case?
This might be the toughest question you could ask yourself. Should you consider transferring your immigrant visa case? We believe that in normal circumstances, it’s better to stay the course. Transfer requests may not get well sometimes and can increase your waiting period for your visa case. However, in this corona time, if you feel that the embassy handling your visa case is backlogged and may take time to process your case, you could consider requesting a transfer. All in all, it is up to you to weigh the pros and cons of both ends and choose an embassy that could give a decision on your case in less time.
Conclusion
You should be familiar with the process involved in transfer requests by now. Suppose you have trouble in your visa process at embassies or consulates. In that case, you can take the help of our immigration experts. Drop a message to us explaining your case, and our experienced immigration attorneys will reach out to you to help with your case.
by Prozco®