This is from the FBI most wanted list.............
No wonder it takes so long to do name checks and unfortunately my fiance's name starts with Ahmed Mohamed..........
I bet manual name checks will take forever with us.


CONSPIRACY TO KILL UNITED STATES NATIONALS, TO MURDER, TO DESTROY BUILDINGS AND PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO DESTROY NATIONAL DEFENSE UTILITIES OF THE UNITED STATES

AHMED MOHAMMED HAMED ALI


Aliases: Shuaib, Abu Islam Al-Surir, Ahmed Ahmed, Ahmed The Egyptian, Ahmed Hemed, Hamed Ali, Ahmed Shieb, Abu Islam, Ahmed Mohammed Ali, Ahmed Hamed, Ahmed Mohammed Abdurehman, Abu Khadiijah, Abu Fatima, Ahmad Al-Masri


DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth Used: Approximately 1965 Hair: Dark
Place of Birth: Egypt Eyes: Dark
Height: Approximately 5'6" to 5'8" Sex: Male
Weight: Unknown Complexion: Olive
Build: Medium Citizenship: Egyptian
Language: Arabic
Scars and Marks: None known
Remarks: Ali may have formal training in agriculture and may have worked in this field. He lived in Kenya until fleeing that country on August 2, 1998, to Karachi, Pakistan.


CAUTION

Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali was indicted in the Southern District of New York, for his alleged involvement in the bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, on August 7, 1998.


REWARD

The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali.


SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.



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| New York Field Office | Most Wanted Terrorists |
| FBI Home Page | FBI Field Offices |

Im so sorry for you both, I know its not much consolation.

This article is like 5 years old, but worth a read :

http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress03/garrity071003.htm

Where did you find that info? My SO is worried his name is common.

My SO has an unbearably common name, so I am worried too.


But I feel better after reading this (old) article. This is what I got out of it:
(keep in mind that this info is from 2003 - I have no idea how much is still accurate)


85% of all requests are returned as "No Record" within 72 hours after an automated search
("No Record" = no objection to visa issuance)
95% of all requests are returned as "No Record" after a secondary manual search
05% of all requests are identified as possibly being the subject of an FBI record

For that 5%, the FBI record must now be retrieved and reviewed. If the records were electronically uploaded into the FBI Automated Case Support (ACS) electronic recordkeeping system, it can be viewed quickly. If not, the relevant information must be retrieved from the existing paper record. Review of this information will determine whether the information is identified with the subject of the request. If not, the request is closed as a "No Record."

>1% of all requests are identified with an individual with possible derogatory information. These requests are forwarded to the appropriate FBI investigative division for further analysis.

How long it take to complete a visa request name check:
86 to 92% are completed in 30 days
98-99% of the requests are resolved in 120 days (retrieval of the paper record, if necessary, is what adds so much time)

I had that article for a few years and don't recall where I got it. I think the best thing to do is stop getting worked up over the ' what if's ' . It is good to be educated about these things, but really, dwelling on then only adds to the paranoia and headaches.

whew, sheik yabooti isn't on that list.

Mohammed and Ahmed are the two most common names among Muslim peoples -- even more common than James or John in the U.S.

Lots of folks with these first (or second or third or fourth) names have been cleared very quickly through security checks -- some within a matter of days.

It's the *entire* name that is checked out -- not just the first or second -- along with birth date, country of birth, etc. The variations in spelling Arabic names may cause additional delays. Officials may need to match data like names and birth dates of parents or other relatives in order to distinguish individuals with similar names.

And there are other factors that may complicate the security checks (and administrative reviews) -- apart from just the name itself.

Good luck to you and your fiance for a speedy completion to your processing !



-MK

I hope I have nothing to worry about since my husbands first name is Ivan and it is also common name with Latin Americans.But if they are checking the first and the last name together then I have nothing to worry about since his last name is Serbian and I think not that common.

Thanks Nagishkaw.

I am always looking for info........it's my nature.

It may take a little bit longer for clearance if you have a name similar to any of these...

Wanted list

That was funny.
Thanks for making me laugh.