alpha & beta consulates
hi all,
lots of changes in cons. processing, so i subsume NVC has a role in consular processing cases of the follow to join cases.
read the following
dharmarao
IMMIGRATION ALERT
If you have any questions about this announcement, please contact Nancy
Sharp at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, P.C. (212-891-7510)
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April 9, 2002
Department of State Designates New "Alpha" Posts for Immigrant Visa
Processing
On April 5, 2002, the State Department announced that, effective May 1,
2002, several consular posts located in Asia, Australia, the Near East
and South America will be added to the list of "alpha" posts for
consular processing of immigrant visas. Alpha posts are those for which
the State Department's National Visa Center (NVC) undertakes
prescreening of immigrant visa applications. With this latest
announcement, the State Department continues the trend towards greater
involvement of the NVC in immigrant visa processing generally.
Background
In the past, processing of immigrant visa applications was undertaken
by the consular posts directly, with consulate staff reviewing
applications and supporting documentation, collecting fees, and
scheduling and conducting applicant interviews. With the establishment
of the National Visa Center in 1994, the State Department began to
transfer administrative functions pertaining to immigrant visa
applications to the NVC, thus relieving consulates of some of the
burdens of visa processing. In September 2000, the State Department
designated ten consular posts - called "alpha" posts - to participate
in a pilot program that assigned immigrant visa fee processing and
application prescreening to the NVC. Since that time, the State
Department has repeatedly expanded the list of consulates adhering to
alpha procedures. To date, some 40 consulates are designated as alpha
posts and participate in some form of prescreening by the NVC. The
remaining consulates are designated as "beta" consular posts, for which
the NVC has minimal participation in immigrant visa processing.
Currently, there are two levels of alpha prescreening, depending upon
the consular post at which the applicant will undergo processing. At
standard alpha posts, the NVC distributes the basic immigrant visa
application forms in the Instruction Package for Immigrant Visa
Applicants (formerly known as "Packet III"). The Center collects and
reviews the completed immigrant visa application form (Form DS-230) and
the affidavit of support (Form I-864) for completeness, and also
collects and processes the relevant application fees. Once the NVC has
determined that the forms are complete and the fees have been paid, the
applicant's case is forwarded to the consular post, where it is
reviewed in depth. The consular post is responsible for scheduling an
immigrant visa interview and sending the applicant the remaining
application materials, contained in the Appointment Package for
Immigrant Visa Applicants (formerly known as "Packet IV"). The
applicant brings his or her original supporting documentation - such as
birth certificates, marriage certificates, and the like - to the
interview. This procedure is currently in place in Bogota, Colombia;
Chennai, India; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; Georgetown, Guyana; Guangzhou,
China; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Manila, Philippines; Mumbai, India;
New Delhi, India; Port au Prince, Haiti; and Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic.
For the remaining alpha posts, the NVC performs a larger role in the
review of immigrant visa cases. After the NVC has forwarded the
Instruction Package, the applicant or attorney completes all forms and
collects supporting documentation. The fees, forms and original
documents are sent to the NVC, which reviews the submission to make
sure that the correct documents have been provided. If the NVC
determines that the applicant is "documentarily qualified" - i.e., the
applicant possesses all of the required supporting documentation - the
NVC obtains a visa allocation number, schedules an immigrant visa
appointment, and mails the Appointment Package. The NVC then forwards
the applicant's file to the consular post. The applicant appears for
the interview, where his or her original documentation is returned.
This procedure is in place at the following alpha posts: Abidjan, Cote
d'Ivoire; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Algiers, Algeria;
Antananarivo, Madagascar; Cairo, Eqypt; Casablanca, Morocco; Cotonou,
Benin; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti, Djibouti;
Freetown, Sierra Leone; Harare, Zimbabwe; Johannesburg, South Africa;
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Libreville,
Gabon; Lilongwe, Malawi; Lome, Togo; Lusaka, Zambia; Monrovia, Liberia;
Montreal, Canada; Nairobi, Kenya; Niamey, Niger; Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso; Praia, Cape Verde Islands; Tirana, Albania; Tunis, Tunisia; and
Yaounde, Cameroon.
At "beta" posts (comprising all consulates other than alpha posts), the
NVC simply sends the Instruction Package to the applicant or agent,
instructing him or her to forward the completed forms directly to the
consular post for processing. The consulate takes responsibility for
all ensuing phases of the application process, including document
review, interview scheduling and fee collection.
The New Alpha Posts
Effective May 1, 2002, the following consulates have been designated as
alpha posts: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Ankara, Turkey; Amman,
Jordan; Asmara, Eritrea; Auckland, New Zealand; Caracas, Venezuela;
Colombo, Sri Lanka; Damascus, Syria; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Doha, Qatar;
Hong Kong; Islamabad, Pakistan; Jakarta, Indonesia; Jerusalem;
Kathmandu, Nepal; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kuwait, Kuwait; Manama,
Bahrain; Montevideo, Uruguay; Muscat, Oman; Naha, Japan; Nicosia,
Cyprus; Perth, Australia; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Rangoon,
Burma; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Sanaa, Yemen; Seoul, Korea; Singapore,
Singapore; Suva, Fiji; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Tel Aviv,
Israel; Tokyo, Japan; Valletta, Malta; and Vientiane, Laos.
It has not yet been determined whether these posts will follow the
standard alpha procedures or will subscribe to the NVC's enhanced
screening and appointment services.
If you have any questions regarding this alert, please do not hesitate
to contact Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, P.C.
We will provide any additional information on implementation of these
measures as soon as it is available. In the meantime, if you have any
questions about the provisions discussed above, please do not hesitate
to contact Nancy Sharp at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy.
