Getting a visa or green card through a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the United States, instead of applying from inside the country, is called consular processing.

A common example is a family member or worker whose immigrant visa petition has been approved but who must complete the final steps in their home country. That usually means filing forms with the National Visa Center, attending a medical exam, going to an interview at a U.S. consulate, and then entering the United States with the visa. For temporary travel, it can also mean applying abroad for a nonimmigrant visa. The alternative inside the U.S. is adjustment of status.

It matters because the choice between consular processing and adjustment of status can change the risks, cost, and timing of a case. Leaving the country may trigger problems like unlawful presence bars, prior removal issues, or long delays if extra security checks are required. For someone dealing with an injury, that can affect medical care, work, and the ability to stay involved in a legal claim.

In Vermont, an injury case does not pause just because someone is abroad for immigration processing. Vermont generally gives injured people 3 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under 12 V.S.A. § 512. So if consular processing pulls someone out of the country, the deadline for an injury claim may still keep running.