Are you planning to immigrate to the US from Russia? Our team here at Berd & Klauss, PLLC, can help you navigate the complex immigration process and ensure that your application is prepared correctly. If you’re looking for a Russian immigration lawyer to help with your immigrant visa case, you have come to the right place. Working with a qualified immigration attorney can save you time and potentially even money so that you can focus on other important aspects of your move.
To maximize your chances of a successful application, you also need to stay informed about the current state of immigrant visa processing, and you can do this by keeping track of the latest updates from the National Visa Center (NVC) of the Department of State. They recently released an Immigrant Visa Backlog Report for August 2024, providing statistics on the number of immigrant visa cases with complete documentation currently under review by the NVC and those scheduled or waiting for interviews.
A significant increase
NVC’s August 2024 Immigrant Visa Backlog Report showed a substantial increase in the number of pending cases, which rose from 394,835 in July to 480,937 in August, representing a nearly 3.5% surge. This equates to 14,102 more cases added to the backlog within just one month.
Comparing the July and August reports, we also observed a decline in the number of immigrant visa applications deemed “documentarily complete” and ready for scheduling. This figure decreased from 488,285 in July to 464,766 in August — a reduction of 23,519 cases.
What does documentarily complete mean?
The National Visa Center (NVC) considers a case “documentarily complete” when all required documents have been submitted and all necessary fees have been paid. Once a case is deemed documentarily complete, it becomes eligible for scheduling a visa interview.
The NVC will notify you by email when your case is determined to be documentarily complete. This notification will also indicate that your case is pending scheduling with the relevant Embassy or Consulate.
How many cases are ready for interviews?
As of July 31, 2024, a total of 464,766 immigrant visa cases were considered documentarily complete and ready for interviews. However, only 55,829 of these cases were actually scheduled for interview appointments in August 2024. This left a large backlog of 408,937 eligible cases still awaiting their scheduled interviews.
Immigrant visa backlog report for July 2024
In July 2024, there were 488,285 documentarily complete cases. Of these, 53,450 were scheduled for interviews, leaving 394,835 cases pending. August 2024 saw a slight increase in scheduled interviews, with 55,829 cases being assigned appointment dates.
For context, the average number of cases pending for interview scheduling was 60,866 per month in 2019, suggesting that the overall backlog remains substantial compared to historical averages.
These monthly reports from the NVC are designed to maintain transparency and give applicants and their attorneys a clear picture of the current state of immigrant visa processing. However, it’s important to note that the numbers can fluctuate rapidly as the NVC works to reduce the backlog.
Why are there more backlogs?
The National Visa Center currently holds a large number of immigrant visa cases. As the 2024 fiscal year draws to a close, the Visa Bulletin for employment-sponsored and family-based categories has seen little progress—which means that individuals waiting for their priority dates still don’t have immigrant visa interviews scheduled, even if their cases are complete. Due to the high volume of applicants and limited availability of visa interview appointments at Consulates and Embassies, the NVC is unable to schedule interviews for these cases. This bottleneck is contributing to the growing backlog.
What can you do?
If you don’t get an interview scheduled soon, be proactive. Contact the NVC regularly to check for updates and ensure that your application remains documentarily complete.
If you’re dealing with a severe medical emergency or grave financial loss, it’s best to consult a Russian immigration lawyer for advice. We can also help if you’re facing urgent humanitarian needs or other compelling circumstances. Our team will evaluate whether or not your situation can benefit from filing an expedited request. The likelihood of success depends on your specific circumstances and the policies of the relevant Consulate.
If your case has been pending for over two years and you still don’t have an interview schedule, we may explore the possibility of filing a mandamus lawsuit in federal court to compel the Consulate to process your application.
Contact us!
You don’t have to navigate immigration matters by yourself. Schedule your consultation with a Russian immigration lawyer by calling 212-461-7152. You can also email us at info@berdklauss.com.