As of November 12, 2014, the National Visa Center (NVC) no longer requires applicants to submit original documents with their immigrant visa cases. Instead, the NVC now accepts photocopies of all original documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and police certificates. Applicants are now required to bring the original documents to their scheduled interview at a U.S. embassy or designated consulate.

This update to NVC case processing is likely to reduce processing times and improve the overall application process for immigrant visa petitioners.