I found out Friday that our case has been put into Administrative Processing at NVC.

I know that Mike and Larissa had a very brief experience with Administrative Processing and that Turboguy and his fiance have been stuck there for months.

Are many others with Russian connections running into this? How long is it lasting for you?

another member Yasi - is also stuck at NVC level and has been for over a year. This issue is not limited to SO's from Russia. You may get a bigger response of anecdotes in the NVC forum.

Our K-1 application was at NVC from March-November 2005.

There doesn't seem to be any logical pattern to give us an idea how long we will be. I see some who are a few months, I see some that go a few years, and one who went 5 years and still is not approved.

Russia does seem to get targeted some and having been here before on a K-1 seems to trigger it.

administrative processing/review supposedly can be triggered by a variety of name variations, prior visits to U.S. by visa applicant, prior k-1s, criminal records, suggestion of scam marriage etc. I have been in administratiive review for almost 3 months(at Embassy level) My 129f was filed early Dec 06. She had 1 prior k-1 and returned to Russia well before visa was up. This is my 1st K-1 We have no skeletons in closet, but there is no rhyme or reason why they couldn't complete it by now in this day of computers. We are not listed yet for interview as of July, so will be at least who knows when. They will give you no specific reason. It is painful to be patient when you know you have a good honest loving relationship and just want to get married and have family. Good Luck!

When I called the NVC, the customer service rep told me that all cases are considered in "Administrative review" until they are approved. Your timeline shows they just received your case on May 29. If you look at the Immigration timelines of VJ members with petitions for Russian citizens, you will see that usually it takes between 2 to 5 days before they are sent to the embassy. Mine took 7 days (yes I was scared). Thus, I would not start to worry until after at least 7 days.

Ours took 3 months. Who knows what they do there at NVC, probably play solitaire all day and doing their cvontinuing education homework, they are all unqualified idiots.

Good luck, hope this goes faster for you.

Mike.

OK... This MIGHT be hope for me. I called the NVC after they had my case in their system for only one day. They told me I am in "Administrative Review" and sent to Washington DC. SO... Are ALL cases considered in A/R technically? Or has my case been flagged as soon as they received it since they told me it is going to DC?

I mean... maybe I am jumping the gun and everything is going normally and I just do not know the terminology?

Anyone know? Wil?

I was told last night by someone I spoke to at NVC that the cases are selected " randomly " for further checks. Im not sure I believe this. Maybe it is just the standard answer to pacify?

Sorry I can't clairfy, but I wanted to say that the same thing is happening with us. They said that the case was sent to D.C. but she said that this is normal...so who knows for sure. But our case just got there last monday so I am not really sure what this means...I think you may be right about all cases being in A/R untile approved...

Random checks, isnt that what they do at the airports.

I believe that all cases go to admin review for a brief time. When we went to the NVC it took 2 weeks to forward to the embassy then 3 weeks to get from DC to Moscow apparently they had someone swimming across the ocean with our packet in his mouth(acutally it all goes by military post which means it goes from DC to New Jersey and then waits for a cargo bin to be full then gets aboard a military cargo plane then takes a flight, gets lost in customs for 1 week then onto the embassy where some part timer may sort through it in a week, then onto the Officer who looks at his calendar to see when the next holiday is so he can plan a taxpayer paid trip and if he sees a couple of free days might pencil in an interview or two. ) You may laugh but that is almost exactly how my cousin who works in the international criminal court in the Haig described the process to me and she works for the pentagon. She once sent some papers to the court from her office in the funny shaped building, went on vacation, two weeks later went to her office in the Haig and the package had not arrived yet. Its crazy but its our govt.

How else would they save on postage?

Having only known a few things about the term "Administrative Review" before hearing my case was in it... I freaked out. It was like saying: You're screwed! Hehe

I hope this is normal for all cases. I will call Monday if I have time until I have an answer on this. If someone else knows for sure then please chime in.

I've been stressing all night and morning. I'm going for a bike ride and get some wind in my face. And it's not a damn bicycle! Hehe

- David

ugh, sorry dude, hopefully it only takes a week or two.

Tricycle or Big Wheel?(I cant ride mine anymore has a big flat spot on the front tire from doing braking slide outs)

OK -- so there are a few of us in Administrative Processing at NVC at this moment. Maybe part of the issue is that we are in a cohort watching things particularly closely -- so we and post about details of the process that might have gone unnoticed by others.

Let's let each other know as we clear NVC and go onto Moscow.

I'll be calling NVC tomorrow, probably very early in the morning.

OK -- so there are a few of us in Administrative Processing at NVC at this moment. Maybe part of the issue is that we are in a cohort watching things particularly closely -- so we and post about details of the process that might have gone unnoticed by others.

Let's let each other know as we clear NVC and go onto Moscow.

I'll be calling NVC tomorrow, probably very early in the morning.

I will call tomorrow also to try and get clarification of what they mean by A/R.

Also I think it is KEY that we both inquire as to whether this is normal for all cases - or if this is a special case and we have been "Flagged" by something in our file.

If I get an answer that my case is "Flagged" I will do my best to try and find out what the trigger is.

- David

PS I just got back from my bike ride from yesterday today at 2:00 in the afternoon! Awesome riding. I went up to Americade in Lake George, NY and hung out with 30,000 other riders last night. It was a nice escape from the worries of the visa process.

I am leaning towards the ' flagged ' aspect, myself. Why on earth would it just be a random selection? To me, it does not add up. They must know and are not telling us the real truth here.

A woman at NVC told me this morning that we're still in Administrative Processing.

When I asked if there was anything special about our case that flagged this, she said "no, it is due to the aftermath of 9/11 and there is no timeframe for completion of these security checks."

She also asked me to call back as often as I wanted.

What kind of crap answer is that? Im calling them now....watch me get the same response.

Ok, I just got off the phone with those lames. I was given the same 911 answer, and this time my questions were basically ignored. All I was told is its going to take a bit longer to be sent to the Embassy ( duh, no kidding! ) and she could not even tell me if it is already at DC or still at NVC ! Waste of phone call, IMO.

I called also. I kind of interrogated the lady a little and she seemed knowledgeable and ameanable to my questions.

Me: I was told on Friday my case was in Administrative Review.

NVC operator: Your case is in Administrative Processing.

Me: You are using the term Administrative Processing but I was told on Friday I am in Administrative Review. What is the difference?

NVC Operator: There is NO difference. It depends on which operator tells you this. They are the same thing, security checks.

Me: Wait a second. On Friday I was told my file was flagged and was sent to Washington DC for Administrative Review.

NVC Operator: I don't see the word flag in that conversation.

Me: I am using the term flag. I assumed from that conversation that somehow my case was special and had been sent to Washington DC. This is what he told me on Friday.

NVC Operator: No. Your case is HERE. We sent a cable to Washington DC for security checks. This is standard for ALL cases due to post 9/11 procedures.

Me: So when cleared by Washington they send a cable back and everything will be OK?

NVC Operator: Yes. Your case is being processed normally. Nothing special.

Me: Thank you so much for the information.


SO... There you go. I waited and panicked all weekend for no reason. BUT... there are still some people stuck in A/R at NVC level. So there is still a remote chance for a file to get stuck at this point.

From my research this weekend and the phone call this morning, I would say A/R is not only common - but that 100% of all petitions go through this.

Thank you, David !
You got a heck of a lot farther than I did. Your info helps take the edge off things, and I appreciate you posting your experience.

I am not implying that anyone I ever talked to there knew anything but I think the actual file never leaves NVC. When your file is sent there for A/R they really just send or fax copies to DOJ and the real file stays at NVC. They do use the terminology that your file was sent to Washington even though it is not true.

I think from the time the file arrives until it is forwared to the Embassy it is considered to be in Administrative processing even though it has not been flagged. You guys may be ok but only time will tell. I think they use that term to mean it is being "processed" Good Luck

Thanks to David and Turboguy! I hope that we haven't been "flagged" I am trying to call now, and clarify, no luck getting through yet. Turboguy, you've been waiting SO long already! I hope you get out soon! Good luck everyone.

Thanks a lot, David!

So, if all cases are considered to be in AP while they are at NVC, then since all K1 and K3 cases go through NVC, perhaps we can conclude that most cases are in AP for a short period of time.

Perhaps the statistics for the USCIS website that Turboguy has quoted (one third get out in 3 months, another third in a year, and a final third linger for over a year) is appropriate for cases that get stuck in AP/AR at USCIS, but not at State. (Does that analysis seem sound, folks?)

Lets hope so. And hope that Turboguy and his fiance get their case released to Moscow really soon!

Actually the exact wording of the information on the USCIS website was that 68 % of the cases in A/R had been there for 3 months or more and that 35% had been there one year or more. At a glance it could be taken that 2/3rds of the A/R's take 3 months but in reality ones that were there for a few weeks rarely show up. I am tired and ready for bed but if you think about the wording it does not really say what it sounds like it is saying.

I am still in administrative review at embassy level since March 20th. coming up on 3 months. Very lilttle information forth coming from state dept or embassy in Moscow, other than what everyone else here has mentioned. My 129f application was Dec 06. I will post followup if any thing happens. I hope the 3 month minimum will happen for us. Good luck to all. The wait is painful. -jj (hang in there Turboguy)

I have no choice but to hang in. Hanging seems to be a very correct word for what you do in A/R. You are definately left hanging.

It does get frustrating when you see others who are now with or married to thier gal and you are sitting around hoping for something to break so you can get your life back on track.

Less than 12 days until I leave to spend the summer with my gal in the Caribbean. I am trying to make the best of the time in A/R and to find as much time to be together as possible but I would much rather have saved the $ 8,000 this summer together will cost me and if it was not for the A/R, it would be totally unnecessary.

Jordoc, I hope you get your approval soon. The Embassy level is usually a little quicker.

I just talked in detail with my lawyer about extended Administrative Review at the NVC level. My attorney is Holmes and Lolly and they do hundreds of K-1's.

First... They told me just like NVC told me - ALL cases go through SOME admistrative review. They told me it is usually very quick.

They also shed some light on who's background check they are checking. They told me that the petitioner gets complete extensive checks at the USCIS level. At NVC the beneficiary goes through security checks. I asked twice and made my question clear. They said my fiancee gets the checks at NVC and not me.

NO - I do not think that everything that every lawyer tells me is true. But it seems to jive with the research I had done over the weekend.

Most NVC A/R delays I notice are for beneficiaries that have entered and left the USA in the past, or are from an unfriendly country. I think it's possible if the security checks are done for the petitioner at the USCIS and that takes a while occasionally, that the same would hold true for the beneficiary if NO background checks are done on him/her until the NVC level.

We will see when Elena clears the NVC. She has no problems ever from what she has told me.

Thanks for posting the info David. Though I don't have a lawyer and haven't asked about it, it does make sense. My fiance has never been to the US, so maybe it's because he's Russian...Either way, I hope we all move on soon...last week I did get any e-mail from them, after writing, telling me my case number and saying it should be sent to the consulate in 2-4 weeks...Good luck to everyone!

Hmmm, I hope that's not true, my girl has been here twice on tourist visas and to be honest that doesnt make sense to me. From what I understand they run background/security checks before they will even give a tourist visa, I would think the exact opposite would be true, if they have already checked someone out a few times and they came here and did nothing wrong what else is there to look for?

Steven...

Congrats on the NOA2! I know it we were both waiting.

Now... I am not saying that all people who's fiancees have been here end up in A/R black hole.

I am saying that the people that are stuck in A/R review - many of them so it seems - have had their fiancees here on a K-1 or K-3 visa in the past, then they returned to home country - then on the next K-1 or K-3 visa is when it seems they have a higher chance of getting stuck.

I'm uncertain of the effect of a previous tourist visa but like you suggest I would guess it is not a big deal. A second K-1 or K-3 seems to be a bigger flag.

There was even one gentleman who had his fiancee here one time on a K-1, for some reason they did not marry in 90 days. They were still engaged and she came over a second time on a new K-1 - same people - and they got stuck in A/R for a few months.

Then there are cases like Turbo - his fiancee's second K-1 but with a different man. They have been in A/R for 4 months. There are MANY cases like his.

Women here in the USA who are bringing their male fiances to the USA seem to have a higher chance of getting some A/R delays also. While I don't agree with the delay - it does seem natural to me that a man entering the USA would get examined and checked a little closer than a woman.

I'm sorry....I am sitting here laughing because your post reminds me of that joke....how many embassy workers does it take to deliver a packet???? sorry, couldn't resist...lol

Yesterday I found out that we got out of A/R on Monday, and our petition was forwarded to the embassy. Any updates for anyone else stuck in A/R?

None to report....same old, same old. Sheeesh !

Not sure if you are just joking here but most if not all Visa Cases are delivered from the NVC in Portsmouth, NH to the destination Embassy via DHL, International Express as "US DIPLOMATIC PAPERS".

You can even look at the tracking info once you know when it left the NVC.

To track the shipment go to www.dhl.com

Use "Track by reference"

The reference should be one of the following:

I-730 <--- (This is the one I used a few years ago but does not seem to be working now)
EXPEDITE NIV SECTION
EXPEDITE IV SECTION
CORRESPONDENCE

Select a range of dates around the date that NVC says package shipped and select Track.

Once you have the results just look for the package that is headed for the embassy you're interested in. You should see the date and time the package was delivered to the embassy and even who signed for it. Odds are that your case is in that shipment.

I tried all 4 of those options on DHL, it worked for EXPEDITE NIV SECTION, and EXPEDITE IV SECTION, I found two packages one to Lome, Togo, and one to Bogota, Columbia, so far nothing to Moscow. I am a little confused, there are just there two packages but the Department of State said that ours was sent to the embassy on the 11th???

One would think, that by 2007, these things could be scanned as PDFs and sent electronically. They are hardly state secrets, and the US GOVT has reasonably good encryption. Would save quite a bit on postage (and time?).

Saving time and money is not part of the governments vocabulary. In fact, they don't even know what that is.

If the volume is not high then it may take a couple weeks to fill the shipment but... I suspect that they are using new reference codes that we are not aware of.

We need someone on the inside to tell us what the new reference code might be or spend many many hours trying to guess

I called this morning. We are still in AP.

NVC reports this morning that we finally cleared Administrative Processing.

It has been a stressful month. Hopefully, better times are coming.

Congratulations!!!! Great news!!!!!

Not too long now! Godspeed!

Congratulations! Hopefully it won't be long for you now. We just got our interview date after 3 plus months in administrative review at the embassy level. What a mind game it has been. ! Finally maybe we can make some plans. Good luck to all out there waiting.

Congratulations, Jordoc! I hope the process finishes swiftly for you now.

Congratulations, that is great. Maybe one of these years there will be hope for me. At least right now I am sitting in Grenada with my honey.

34 days now and nothing. Still getting the same run around, same lame answers.

Congratulations on clearing the AP. I wish you good luck with rest of the process and hope it goes fast from hereon