By: Jennifer Fabian-Verzosa, Esq.

If you have recently tried to contact a U.S. Embassy about your pending immigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa case, you may have encountered the Visa Navigator. You may have tried to email an embassy, and then been redirected to the Visa Navigator. Whether you love or hate it, it is important to be familiar with the Visa Navigator as it is a tool that most U.S. embassies and consulates nowadays utilize and may require you to use first when contacting them about your case.

• For example, the U.S. Consulate Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) has an Immigrant Visa Navigator.

The Visa Navigator employed by the consular posts is intended to be a streamlined method of interacting with a consulate, and obtaining general information and case assistance. It was designed to address the high volume of emails and queries regularly received by consular posts. A Visa Navigator functions similar to that of a website chat box that may eventually get you to the department you are looking for, if you go through the prompts and answer the case-specific questions. Sometimes at the end of the process, you will be provided with a specific email to send specified information or additional case documents. Other times, you will just be provided with general information at the end if your query involved a frequent question or concern applicable to most visa applicants.

If your case involves a nonimmigrant visa, such as a tourist visa, you will use the Nonimmigrant Visa Navigator. If your case involves an immigrant visa (permanent immigration), such as a spouse immigrant visa, child immigrant visa, including a K-1 fiance(e) visa, you will use the embassy's Immigrant Visa Navigator.

Not all U.S. embassies and consulates currently use a Visa Navigator, or use it exclusively. There are some consulates that can still be emailed directly, or contacted through their online form. However, most embassies currently employ a Visa Navigator, and you can expect the use of such platform to continue to rise in the future. If an embassy does use a Visa Navigator, it will be controlled by the embassy, and the content provided will be unique to such embassy. It can be a good source of general information, especially when you are getting anxious about your case and want to know whether and when you can contact the U.S. embassy to inquire about your case status.

Even if your query is time-sensitive, the Visa Navigator can still be a good starting place. However, if you are not satisfied by the information provided at the end, or if after going through the prompts you are not provided with a specific email/link to send your rush query, then you should immediately reach out to the embassy via one of the other alternate methods: by phone, email, or their online form. Keep in mind that it may still take anywhere between a few business days to weeks for an embassy to respond, as they get plenty of inquiries worldwide and they respond in the order received.

The Visa Navigator can be a useful tool for you to obtain information and assistance with regards to your nonimmigrant or immigrant visa case, even if it is not live assistance. The U.S. Department of State is increasingly utilizing remote technologies to facilitate communications with applicants worldwide, and address the high volume of queries involving a variety of concerns, including those by aggrieved applicants experiencing delays in the processing of their overseas cases. It is expected that processing times overseas will worsen with the incoming presidential administration. In this climate, the Visa Navigator is a platform that you can anticipate will be increasingly used and is here to stay, at least for quite some time. If you need help with your case, it is important to utilize and familiarize yourself with all available tools and methods of communication with a consulate, even if they are  remote tools.  Remote technologies such as the Visa Navigator can be the first step in directing you to the help you need for your case.

If your case is experiencing a lengthy delay, or if you need further assistance communicating with a consulate overseas, contact an immigration attorney for advice and assistance.

Our FRIENDLY IMMIGRATION LAW OFFICE has years of experience communicating with embassies and consulate overseas, and would be happy to assist you. We also provide REMOTE LEGAL SERVICES, and can assist you and your loved ones wherever you are in the world. Email or Call us today for help: (619) 431-2407.

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** Jennifer Fabian-Verzosa, Esq . is the founding attorney of the Law Office of Jennifer Fabian-Verzosa , an immigration law practice that provides local and remote immigration assistance to clients throughout the U.S. and worldwide.**

DISCLAIMER : This blog provides general information and is not intended to be legal advice. Use of the information does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Any cases mentioned do not guarantee or predict outcomes in future cases. Some of this information may now be outdated. Please consult an attorney before acting on any material. Please do not submit any time-sensitive or confidential information in the comments below. Any information you send may be publicly-visible and is not protected from disclosure. Jennifer Fabian-Verzosa is the attorney responsible for the content and material on this blog. She is licensed in D.C. and HI, and exclusively practices immigration law in federal jurisdictions.

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