NVC Phone Numbers and Hours: The Complete Contact Guide

(PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA) The U.S. Department of State’s National Visa Center — U.S. Department of State in Portsmouth NH is keeping extended weekday phone hours and multiple contact channels in place as the centralized hub for immigrant visa case preparation worldwide. The NVC confirms it will continue to field routine questions on both immigrant and nonimmigrant cases pending at U.S. embassies and consulates, with agents available Monday through Friday from early morning through midnight Eastern Time. For applicants waiting on case status updates or next steps before an interview, the center remains the primary point of contact after United States 🇺🇸 immigration petitions are approved by USCIS and transferred.

The NVC’s core mission is steady: it collects fees, reviews documents, and prepares immigrant visa files before sending them to the correct embassy or consulate for interviews. Since January 2015, the center has also answered inquiries on nonimmigrant visa cases pending abroad, making it the single domestic contact point for a wide range of consular case questions. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the NVC’s extended phone schedule has not changed in 2025, and officials continue to push email and the online inquiry form to reduce phone wait times while keeping service coverage broad across time zones.

Contact options and hours

The NVC has confirmed the following channels for 2025:

• Phone: 1-603-334-0700
• Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–12:00 midnight ET (no weekends; closed on U.S. federal holidays)
• General inquiry email: [email protected] or [email protected]
• Document submission email: [email protected]
• Mailing address for documents:
  National Visa Center
  Attn: WC
  31 Rochester Avenue, Suite 200
  Portsmouth, NH 03801-2914 USA
• Online inquiry: The NVC encourages the Public Inquiry Form on the Department of State website for non-urgent or detailed case questions. For official guidance on the National Visa Center and its role, visit the State Department’s page: National Visa Center — U.S. Department of State.

Officials stress that the NVC does not take calls or emails on weekends or federal holidays. The holiday schedule is posted and updated on the State Department’s website.

Because callers dial in from many regions, the extended day—7 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time—helps families and employers in different parts of the world reach an agent without having to call late at night. Still, the center recommends email or the inquiry form for matters that are not urgent, so applicants have a written record and avoid long hold times.

What to have ready before contacting the NVC

To help NVC staff locate a file quickly, applicants should collect these details first:

• NVC Case Number or USCIS Receipt Number
• Principal applicant’s full name and date of birth
• Petitioner’s full name
• The email address tied to the case
• A short, clear description of the question

Those who need to reach the center have several options:

1. Call 1-603-334-0700 during business hours for routine case status and general questions.
2. Email [email protected] or [email protected] for written follow-up.
3. Send required civil and financial documents to [email protected] or mail to the Portsmouth NH address above.
4. Use the NVC Public Inquiry Form for detailed or non-urgent questions.

If a petition is still with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), contact USCIS first. The USCIS National Customer Service Center number is 1-800-375-5283. In some cases, USCIS will ask for proof of authorization before sharing case information.

How the NVC affects applicants and next steps

For most families and workers, the NVC’s message is simple: once USCIS approves the petition and sends it to Portsmouth NH, the center becomes your main contact for routine case preparation questions until the file is transferred to a U.S. embassy or consulate for the visa interview.

• The NVC holds approved petitions until the applicant’s category is current under the monthly Visa Bulletin.
• When the Priority Date is current, the center begins active processing, requests any missing documents, and, once complete, works with posts overseas to set interview dates.

This pre-interview stage is where preventable delays often occur. Immigration lawyers advise:

• Respond quickly to any NVC checklist.
• Send complete and legible civil documents.
• Match names and dates exactly as they appear on passports and birth records.

Even small mismatches—like a missing middle name or swapped day/month in a date of birth—can force resubmission and add weeks to processing. VisaVerge.com notes that sending documents through the correct channel—email to the document inbox or mail to the Portsmouth address—helps avoid misrouting and duplicate requests.

What the NVC can and cannot do

The center can:

• Answer routine status questions.
• Confirm receipt of documents.
• Explain what documents are still missing.

The center cannot:

• Make final visa decisions.
• Control local interview calendars at embassies or consulates.
• Provide post-specific requirements (e.g., medical exams, local police certificates, courier services).

For embassy- or consulate-specific requirements, the NVC will direct callers to the relevant post website.

Nonimmigrant case support

Since January 2015, the NVC also serves as the single domestic contact for nonimmigrant visa cases pending at U.S. posts abroad. This arrangement:

• Provides one well-staffed phone number and inboxes in Portsmouth NH instead of many different overseas numbers.
• Allows the Department of State to manage higher call volumes with longer weekday hours.

No major changes to phone hours or contact methods have been announced for 2025. Instead, the State Department is investing in digital tools and process improvements to reduce response times. The NVC continues to encourage steady use of the online inquiry system for detailed questions with case identifiers.

Practical tips to avoid delays

Applicants and sponsors can take these steps to reduce repeat requests and speed up processing:

• Use the exact names and dates on official documents in every message and form.
• Send clear scans of civil records and translations; avoid dark, cut-off, or blurry images.
• Keep emails short and specific, with the case number in the subject line.
• Share the NVC’s replies with all family members or attorneys involved.
• Check the Visa Bulletin monthly to track when the Priority Date becomes current.

Law firms and community groups report that these basics help the NVC close files faster. For people awaiting family reunification or job-based moves, even a few weeks saved at the document-review stage can be significant.

Final notes and official guidance

The NVC’s presence in Portsmouth NH is longstanding, but it touches thousands of family, employment, and special immigrant cases at any time. The center emphasizes that routine inquiries should go to the NVC, while post-specific questions should go to the embassy or consulate.

For now, officials expect the current contact setup to remain in place. If changes occur—such as shifts in hours, new document inboxes, or updated mailing procedures—the Department of State will post notices on its site. Applicants should:

• Rely on the NVC’s official channels listed above.
• Avoid third-party numbers or addresses.
• Verify information against the State Department’s official NVC page.
• Use the Public Inquiry Form for non-urgent questions requiring a clear written reply.