Many family-based, employment-based, and investment-related immigration cases involve consular processing. Depending on the case, the process may include USCIS, the National Visa Center, fees and civil documents, financial evidence, a medical examination, and an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
An approved petition is often an important step, but an immigrant-visa applicant must still complete the applicable process and establish eligibility. An embassy or consulate makes its own determination under the law.