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Tracking U.S.
Consular Immigrant-Visa
Interviews
Consular interview timing can feel confusing because it sits at the meeting point of three moving parts: (1) the State Department’s worldwide visa allocation; (2) the National Visa Center’s (NVC) document review and queuing; and (3) each embassy/consulate’s capacity. There isn’t a single dashboard that tells you “your interview will be on X date.” But there are public data sources and signals you can use to build a realistic picture of interview throughput and momentum.
The Three Pillars Of Visibility
01
The Visa Bulletin (macro supply)
The Department of State’s monthly Visa Bulletin sets the pace by announcing which priority dates are “current” (Final Action Dates) and which case categories may start submitting paperwork (Dates for Filing). For family- and employment-based categories, this is the macro constraint: no interview can be scheduled unless a visa number is available under the Final Action chart for the applicant’s category and chargeability area. Read this first each month; it explains any wide shifts you’ll later see in scheduling. Travel.gov
02
Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances (realized output)
While the Bulletin forecasts availability, the State Department also publishes Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances by Post and Category. These PDFs show how many immigrant visas each consular post actually issued in a month, broken down by visa category. They’re not interviews per se, but issuance counts are the best proxy for completed interviews and local throughput trends. Track your post over several months to see whether output is rising, stable, or slowing. Manifest Law
03
NVC timeframes & DQ status (the middle mile)
The National Visa Center pre-processes immigrant cases, issuing “documentarily qualified” (DQ) notices when a file is complete. NVC periodically publishes timeframes for case creation, document review, and inquiry responses, and directs applicants to its timeframes page for status on processing stages. This doesn’t reveal interview dates, but it helps you measure queue health between USCIS approval and consular scheduling. Travel.gov
What You Can Infer From The Data
Post-level capacity trends
If the Monthly Issuances report shows a post issuing, say, 1,200 immigrant visas last month when it averaged ~700 earlier in the year, capacity likely expanded (additional staffing or Saturday interview days). Expect faster scheduling for that post’s high-volume categories until the surge subsides. Conversely, a sharp drop suggests local constraints (holidays, renovations, staffing gaps) and potential slippage in interview cadence. Manifest Law
Category-specific movement
When the Visa Bulletin advances a family or employment category, look two to three reports later for corresponding issuance increases in posts with heavy demand from that category. A mismatch—favorable Bulletin movement but flat issuances—often means posts are still digging out from earlier queues or reallocating interview capacity to other priorities. Travel.gov+1
DQ-to-interview lag
NVC does not publish a global “average days from DQ to interview,” and the lag varies widely by post. However, many consulate FAQs note that interviews are scheduled in DQ order subject to visa availability and local capacity. For example, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa explains that NVC fills appointment slots provided by the embassy as cases become documentarily qualified—language echoed across multiple posts. Track post-specific guidance like this to calibrate expectations. U.S. Visas
Practical tracking workflow (monthly)
01
Record the Visa Bulletin
cut-offs for your category/country (Final Action and Dates for Filing). Note any forward or backward movement and the Department’s hints about demand. Travel.gov
02
Pull the latest Monthly Issuances PDF
and log your post’s total immigrant issuances and, if relevant, the column corresponding to your category (e.g., IR/CR, F-categories, EB). Compare with the last 3–6 months. Manifest Law
03
Check NVC communications
to confirm whether timeframes or processes have shifted; NVC repeatedly directs applicants to its timeframes page instead of case-specific estimates. Travel.gov
04
Review your post’s local updates
(consulate website, appointment FAQs). Many posts state explicitly that NVC schedules in DQ order as capacity allows; some also announce one-off “surge” weeks. U.S. Visas
Common Misreads—and How to Avoid Them
“The Visa Bulletin moved up, so my interview is imminent.”
Not necessarily. Visa availability is necessary but not sufficient; posts must still have capacity to schedule your DQ case. Use Monthly Issuances to validate whether your post’s throughput is rising in tandem with Bulletin movement. Travel.gov+1
“My friend at another consulate got scheduled faster; mine must be lost.”
Interview pacing is post-specific. Two equally ready cases can move at different speeds because one post opened extra slots while another faced a construction closure. Post-level issuance totals often explain these discrepancies. Manifest Law
“NVC can give me my interview date if I email them.”
NVC schedules interviews only when a post releases slots and a visa number is available; it otherwise points applicants to its public timeframes and cautions against repeat inquiries while a case sits within published windows. Travel.gov
Reasonable Benchmarks (how to set expectations)
For immediate relatives (no annual cap): once DQ, the chief determinant is post capacity. If your post’s monthly issuances for IR/CR are trending upward, expect shorter DQ-to-interview lags. If they’re flat or falling, lags lengthen.
For numerically capped family/employment categories: you need both a current priority date and post capacity. Start by confirming the Final Action Date is current for your category; then look for issuance gains at your post within your category cluster. Travel.gov+1
Country-of-residence quirks: Some posts explicitly note that they schedule based on residence and local caseload, not where the petition was filed. Local FAQs are authoritative on whether they accept third-country processing and how that affects queueing. U.S. Visas
Building A Personal Tracking Sheet
Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns:
- Month (e.g., “Jan 2026”)
- Visa Bulletin (your category): Final Action cut-off; Dates for Filing cut-off. Travel.gov
- Your status: I-130/I-140 approval date, DQ date, medical done?
- Post metrics: total IV issuances at your post; your category’s column total if published. Manifest Law
- Notes: post announcements (e.g., “added Saturday interviews”), NVC timeframe messages. Travel.gov
Over 3–6 months, patterns emerge: you’ll see whether your post is expanding output, whether your category is moving, and whether your position in the DQ queue is likely to convert to an appointment soon.
Limitations To Keep In Mind
- Issuance ≠ interview count. Some interviews result in administrative processing or refusals; others issue later. Issuance counts are still the best publicly available proxy for throughput. Manifest Law
- Lagging data. Monthly Issuances are published after month-end; they’re not real-time. Use them directionally, not as week-by-week trackers. Manifest Law
- Post variability. Consulates differ in what they disclose. When in doubt, defer to your post’s published guidance about DQ order, capacity, and residency rules. U.S. Visas
You won’t find a single “interview ETA” tool—but by pairing the Visa Bulletin (availability), the Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances (realized output), and NVC timeframes (mid-pipeline health), you can replace guesswork with evidence. Keep a lightweight log, watch your post’s issuance trendline, and read your consulate’s FAQ language closely. That disciplined approach won’t make the line shorter, but it will sharpen your expectations and help you act quickly when your turn comes. U.S. Visas+3Travel.gov+3Manifest Law+3
Sources
- U.S. Department of State — Visa Bulletin (Final Action & Dates for Filing charts; monthly availability). Travel.gov
- U.S. Department of State — Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances by Post and Category (post-level issuance counts; throughput proxy). Manifest Law
- National Visa Center — Correspondence Update directing applicants to NVC timeframes (processing-stage visibility). Travel.gov
- U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Canada — Immigrant Visa interview scheduling FAQ (illustrative statement that NVC fills embassy-provided slots as cases become DQ). U.S. Visas
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