CEAC Status Guide
Select the status shown in the Consular Electronic Application Center to understand what it may mean, which stage your immigrant visa case is in, and what you should usually check next.
What Does Your CEAC Status Mean?
Select the exact status displayed in CEAC to see a plain-language explanation and the usual next step.
🔍 Understand Your Status
Get a plain-language explanation of common immigrant visa case statuses.
📍 See the Case Stage
Learn whether the case is generally at NVC, moving to the embassy, ready for interview, or in post-interview processing.
✅ Review the Next Step
See what official message, letter, document request, or government instruction you should check next.
CEAC Statuses Explained
✅ At NVC
✅ In Transit
✅ Ready
✅ Refused
✅ Issued
✅ Expired
✅ No Status
✅ Administrative Processing
Before the Interview
Statuses such as At NVC, In Transit, and Ready can show where the case is between NVC processing and the U.S. embassy or consulate.
After the Interview
Statuses such as Refused and Issued reflect post-interview processing or a consular decision. A Refused status may include a case refused under section 221(g) while documents or administrative processing remain outstanding. The Department of State changed many CEAC displays from “Administrative Processing” to “Refused” in March 2020 without changing the actual case circumstances.
📋 NVC Document Checklist
Prepare your National Visa Center documents.
📝 DS-260 Interactive Guide
Learn each section of the immigrant visa application.
⏳ Priority Date Tracker
Track the age of your immigrant petition.
📊 Visa Bulletin Calculator
View historical Visa Bulletin movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “At NVC” mean?
It generally means the case is still being handled by the National Visa Center. NVC may be creating, reviewing, holding, or preparing the case for interview scheduling. CEAC messages and NVC correspondence provide the specific instructions for the case.
What does “In Transit” mean?
It generally means NVC has sent the case to the U.S. embassy or consulate that will handle the immigrant visa interview.
Does “Ready” mean my visa was approved?
No. Ready generally means the embassy or consulate has received the case and is prepared for the next consular step. It does not itself mean the visa has been approved.
Does “Refused” always mean the case is permanently denied?
No. A case refused under section 221(g) may still be waiting for requested documents or additional administrative processing. The written refusal notice and embassy instructions explain what happens next.
What does “Issued” mean?
Issued generally means the visa has been approved and issued. Wait until you physically receive the passport containing the visa before making irreversible travel arrangements.
Why does CEAC show “No Status”?
This may happen when the case has not yet appeared in the tracker, the entered information does not match, the case is being transferred, or the system has not updated. For recently approved petitions, compare the timing with NVC’s current case-creation timeframe.
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