How many times did you and your SO meet before an interview date? Curious how meeting in person can affect the AP process.

well there wasnt an option for, we didnt have AP....but me and my husband spent one month together...than three months later, i went to live in jordan, and was there for nine months straight until he could come home with me...we got the visa the day after his interview...flew out 2 days later

I didn't really know how to answer either. We had AP of about 2 weeks, and we didn't visit each other as we were living in the same place.

I don't know how well you can compare Egypt and Morocco (or other MENA countries for that matter) since it seems that AP serves different purposes at the two consulates.

I don't think the number of visits really affects AP/AR wait times. This is an example of why....I went twice before the interview and our AP was 4 mos. Dee also visited twice and their AP was about 6 weeks. Same consulate, same CO.

I visited twice before his interview and our AP was just under seven weeks. I am not sure the number of visits correlates to length of AP in Cairo.

Thats what I wanted to know. Thank you. If its not the number of visits...what contributing factors do you think make it longer or shorter. Any advice?

I know AP means different things in Casa and Cairo, but isn't AP a security issue rather than an issue of validity of relationship, which the consulate has already addressed before the beneficiary enters AP? We know they do a name check, at least part of which is related to whether the pattern of consonants in the beneficiary's name is a match, and if it is, they do another level of checks. We know they look at profession, education, background, training. It would be interesting to know if the FBI even looks at the petitioner and their relationship during AP.

It's been speculated that, unlike Casa, Cairo will hold onto a case after the security checks have cleared in order to do further "processing". I don't think anyone is really sure exactly what that involves.

I knew there was the security check done. And I've heard Cairo will do further investigations...Home studies, ect. to still try to prove the case fraud. But then why are some in AP soooooooooooooooooooooooo much longer than others? Is it name hits that they have to clear up? Is it something else? In Cairo are they still trying to determine the validity? Is there anything anyone can DO to try to minimize the AP time???

Cairo also tends to have a longer AP than Casa (sorry for stating the obvious), and I've wondered how much it has to do simply with the name. A large percentage of Moroccans are not Arab, and the patterns of consonants in their names are often a bit unusual (from my limited experience).

I suppose we could compile a list of names, minus the vowels, and look for a pattern. For instance, my husband's last name would be BTHR. There are also many people of European origin who get stuck in AP for awful amounts of time, so with this sort of survey, those names would be relevant also. Sounds tedious. Anybody real mathy?

Sorry, I know that's not realistic. It's human nature to look for patterns and explanations.



Okay, I wasn't aware of that. And when someone is in AP, they aren't required to give any more information than that, so it really is the dark side of the moon until they're done.

I do know my congressmans office said that Cairo is VERY behind...they are understaffed and overloaded with AP work. I wonder if some just get put into a pile and reshuffled into the mess. I feel for those that have had long waits. I just dread it. I guess I was hoping that if we presented well in the interview, had enough evidence it would speed AP. But from is said here...its three different process...NOA2 just says we are eligible..Interview to prove we are a real couple..the AP to prove he's not a terrorist or on some sor to "list" because of his name.

Mines last name would be L Mgd. Not sure how common Abd El Magid is as a last name. Combined with his other three names....

I was one who visited 3 times in the same year, taking family with me on the last two trips. Ended up in AP longer than most who were interviewing around me. As many times as this question is asked I really do not think we can get a clear answer as to why some are longer than others. We've tried the name thing and that didn't produce any hard evidence. It's just one of the many mysteries of immigration.

I was quite surprised to see someone like dipsticks from the UK being under AP for soooooo long.

It seems like whatever logic we come up with to explain AP/AR, something happens to defy that logic. I just don't know if it will ever make sense to me. The fact that Cairo's wait is much longer makes sense to me since they have a consular warning regarding marriage. I'm not saying I agree with it, but given the fact that they have a warning in place, I don't think they would make it an easy process.

This survey was tough for me to answer, amrssnowangel...

I voted that we met only once before his interview (one LOooooooooOONG visit from November to June ) because I was guessing you were talking about how many times you had met in person. We only met once....so my vote was 1.

I also voted that we are in AP 3-4 months. (Really it has been a little over 2 months, but no option for 2-3) Which, since we are still IN AP, still isn't very definitive.


I don't know if anyone has seen this site before, but I just ran across it yesterday or the day before and I learned a lot from it. link

It is a compilation of the questions and answers from a previous thread started by a former NSC worker. He explains that some of the cases get picked at random. You don't necessarily get worked in the order you filed. And, he explained that some cases get left & just sit around for a while. He also said that the Service Center workers who approve petitions (and such) have a quota to meet. It doesn't really apply to my situation of DCF, but it is a sneak peek at the system from the inside. I am not sure how much of his information applies to people waiting in AP either, but he does give us some insight as to how backlogged the WHOLE system is. I enjoyed reading it.

If you guys have seen it before, sorry for the repeat.

I had only been to Morocco once by the time Ahmed was interviewed. However I went again while we were in AP/AR. Perhaps they heard I was coming and got scared. 3 days after I bought my (non-refundable) ticket, his visa was issued.



I have also heard this. The most recent explanation I heard was for the NSEERS.




I am so mathy, it might make some folks ill. I went through 4th level calc in college. I reveled in differential equations. I can find the area under a curve, but I cant find my keys in the couch. That being said, I dont think any of us will ever find a rhyme or reason to how quickly these things get processed. Its like all the tracking threads. We had one for the IMBRA supplements way back when, we have them for people filing before the fee hike, filing in certain months, etc. Its comforting to know there are others just like you stuck in the black hole. But we never seem to be able to pin down the whole grand scheme and get some tiny clue as to what's going to happen next. Cases that seem almost identical will go in totally opposite directions, and vice versa. For awhile there, Maggie and I were within a week or 2 of each other on everything right after NOA2, even though she and Omar filed 5 months after Ahmed and I.

I visited 4 times before and for Hicham's interview. He was in AP for one week in Casa.

I didn't vote because the questions didn't really apply to me. We lived together in France for one year and I visited six times in the year following that (when I was living in the US). Then we went to Algeria and filed DCF. I was there when we dropped off the papers (because I was required to be) and there was no interview. The visa was approved and visa was ready a couple days later.

We're not on AP just trying to get to his interview.
Lived together for a total of 6 months. Visted my fiance 5 times.

I thought NSEERS didn't apply to immigrants...only nonimmigrants?

Right, only to non-immigrants, bt Idir got a RFE for NSEERS when he applied for the EAD and AP...they never asked about it for te AOS. Our NOA1 that we were filing for AOS was sent in as evidence for the RFE, but the green card arrived before we found out if what Idir sent back would have satisfied them.

Usually NSEERS is taken care of at the POE and most k-1 and k-3 never have to worry about it.

OK that's what I thought. So it has nothing to do with Cairo's hold up.

sorry posts crazy computer connection

Right. No way it can impact Cairo. the law requires non-immigrants to register in the US once they have entered in to the US. Since everyone going through Cairo is waiting to come here, NSEERS would not apply until reaching the POE and then only non-immigrants.

Just from observing what you guys are going through in cairo, it seems to me that the biggst factors impacting the wait are

1) They process soooooo many applications (Egyptian, and other countries in the area which do not have US consulate)
2) whereas Casa tends to just reject applications that do nto meet the standard of prrof as they define it, Cario seems to choose to not reject and spend more time in AP to verfiy the legitimacy of the application.
3) They lack the resources to carry oout these proceedures in a timely manner.

I know you all are so frustrated with the slowness at Cario, but be careful for what you wish. They could speed up the process by outright rejecting some applications like Morocco.

This makes a whole lotta sense.

Well, I do believe Cairo is backed up, but that doesn't explain why some get a visa in 2 weeks while others wait 10 months. But let me ask...If we are approved AT the interview...does that mean we are APPROVED pending the AP? Do they ever expidite for any reason? Say if USCIS expidited your NOA2 due to medical reasons. I haven't even gotten my NOA2 yet and we filed in JUNE. Then to think of 3, 5, 7 months of AP just is horrifying. I agree, I wouldn't want them to just start denying petitions...but there has to be a better way. Why aren't they hiring staff to take care of these backlogs? Poor managment if you ask me. Im just getting frustrated waiting for my noa2 let alone the thought of long AP. I really do feel badly for those who have had to wait with no explaination. But I am baffled how some go through so easily...and some wait for sooooooooooo long. Something has to make them want to take a harder look. What is it?

But they look at education, employment, ect???? My SO has a communications Engineering degree but currently hasn't been able to find work in Egypt.
we really thought this process wouldn't take so long so we decided for him to stop looking till he got here...but..now we are wondering about that. But he didn't have to do military time, doesn't have a high risk education factor, never traveled out of Egypt, and has no work history to raise a red flag over. So should his background check go faster? (As far as the name check/background check) Not sure how "common" his name is though. Seems all names are common but the order in which they use them differs. with a last name like Abd El Magid is that likely to be very common???

I don't know about the name being common but my husband doesn't have a high risk education factor, never traveled out of Egypt and has no work history to raise a red flag over and it's going on almost three months now.

As far as I know though, the name check takes place in Washington at the DOS level and supposedly we've been done with them for a good month or so now.

Did your congressman actually respond to you? When I contacted Sen. Kennedy I was told they're 6 weeks behind on even checking their mail. Then I contacted Congressman John Tierney's office and haven't heard back from them. I'm starting to think contacting anyone in the US gov't is futile if you live in the boston area.

Interestingly enough, they told Ramy he was approved at the interview, but when I called DOS they said he was in AR and "nothing is approved till he has that visa in his hand ma'am"

(ok, whatever.)

I'll still say I think the time we were together affected how long we waited for the visa. Maybe even the fact that we didn't meet on the internet.

I dont know if this will put things into perspective with names, but my son cant get on an airplane without getting pulled aside for a secondary security check from the department of Homeland secuirty before beign issued the boarding pass EVERY time he flys. His name is a match for someone.

I think the difference in time after the interview is based on several factors- security checks being one- some just require more time. Using arabic letters, the translation of a name can take many forms- eg Muhammed, Mohammmed, Mohammad, Mohamed
all of the variations would need to be verified.

anotehr fctor in time might be any special conslate rules that they set for themselves. If there is a case that may been some special handling for X, it goes into one pile, for Y it goes into another. X may take less time to coplete than Y. etc

I do think in general success at the interview menas you are getting the visa, unless they uncover soething in the AP process that would allow them to deny it. I dont think I have ever heard of that happeneing in any consulate.

That reminds me of the skit from the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour where the guy says, "Hi, my name is Ahmed Ahmed, and I can't fly."

I spent time with my husband twice and then went with him for the interview. We were also told the day of the interview he was approved and it would take 6 weeks to process his visa. Yeah....WHATEVER!!!! There are also many that don't meet online and the AP still lasts forever. I do know that christian men have MUCH shorter AP than a muslim man. I really don't think anyone can or will ever know how long AP will last. Egypt is a very busy place and unless things have changed since Feb 2006....VERY unorganized. I felt like I was in a rat race the day I was there! And there were soooooo many people there from surrounding countries that were there for interviews too.

My husband was interviewed and got his visa the next day (his interview didn't happen until like 3pm). I had been there 4 times - the first time when we met, a second time when we were engaged, a third time and stayed for 6 weeks and the 4th time was for his interview - this was in 1 year time. My son also came for the 6 week stint (he was a little over a year). I really believe that this added to our fast approval.

Well...sounds like we may be in for the LONG haul . But we STILL are waiting for our NOA2 which is making this even harder. We filed in mid-June and right now the projection looks like we may wait close to the 6th month mark. And thats for Vermont. Its sad how the american USC family unit is being put behind foreigners. I understand the EAD issue with the I485. But the secondary priority is for those wanting citizenship. What happened to family first????

Well, was grasping at straws to figure out how to make AP go faster or make the consulate think maybe we didn't NEED AP. Have MY mom and HIS mom both attend interview as critical EVIDENCE?? heheeheh...well...it was a thought....

Kinda hope that's true considering the fact that my SO and I were together for quite awhile before moving to our respective countries and didn't meet online.

But again, we don't know yet - interview next month... will let you know in December

What are what they call high risk education factors? My fiancee is an attorney, is this considered a factor?

We have been in AP for 8+ months now. I had visited two times before the interview. Sam's interview date was 02/05/07 and I arrived for a third visit on 02/25/07. He took confirmation papers for the upcoming visit to the interview to show to the CO.

This is not necessarily true. Our AP is now at eight months and my husband is Christian.

I think typically a high risk employment or military record is any that they feel could be a national security risk. Chemist, nuclear physisist (???), arms handler, someone maybe that flew or knows how to fly, certain engineers, anyone that could be trained for terroristic acts or commit crimes against the country with their knowledge. I seriously doubt a lawyer would fit into that.



You know Becky..I fullly thought you'd have your visa by now after ALL this time..especially after that home visit. I sort of thought that was the end of the wait for you. Is your case at DOS? Did it complete the security checks?

Did they do the home visit first THEN send for security checks??? Maybe it took a while first to get the home visit....THEN have it sent off. That would bite.

My husband's AP was 5.5 months and we are both Christian, I don't think religion has anything to do wiht it.

I dont think Religion does either. Its not asked on the petition or in the interview. My SO says its listed on the Birth Certificate..but that means nothing. A Christian is capable of converting..... I think its more to do with how the SO interviews, if the CO has ANY question concerning the relationship (especially where Cairo is concerned with their own investigations), the job, military records, name checks. Name Checks can take a long time if there is a match. I understand it can take up to 6 months to clear person from a name hit. Add Cairos slowness...and before you know it you have 4, 6, 8, 10 month waits. Not sure AP can be sped up...especially in Egypt. Not sure why it seems even slower than the rest of the Middle Eastern countries...but it is.

Aymerlu- How do you know that Christian men have shorter AP times?

Once Usama gets here, let's all chip in and buy him this t-shirt.

LMFAO! We need one, too!

The security checks were completed after the home visit and have been finished definitely since the end of August. If you would have asked me six months ago if I thought Sam would be here by now, I would have said definitely....we should be finished with AP and he is here in US and working on AOS and EAD here in US, but here we are still in AP.

Already have it! Thought it would be a hoot for him to wear it at Thanksgiving dinner when he would first meet the fam but looks like he probably won't be here by then.

That is hilarious!!! You have to get it girl!!!!

I don't believe there is any kind of "magic formula" to get through AP quicker.

Hicham and I didn't meet online. We were married for almost 2 years before we even began his application. Granted, we are filing a 601 waiver which is different than most on here. Neither of us have a criminal record, but I DID serve in the Air Force one term after I got out of high school. We had TONS of pics with my family and his because they had come over here to stay with us for 6 weeks. We also had affidavits from family and friends. We also had letters from our Congress Rep in our file.....

we were in AP for ONE YEAR AND 2 MONTHS!!!!

I did go to see Hicham once during AP and we made several inquiries, but never were told anything and nothing seemed to help.

I will tell you that when we were working with our Congress Rep (who has been absolutely worthless this last leg) and she told us that the security clearence is what would take the longest. We were told this before we ever had the first interview, prior to AP. She said that because DOS and FBI equipment is so outdated that they do not have the facilities nor the manpower to expedite these security checks. Many are doing it the old fashioned way by telephone calls and even on FOOT!

It seems our case is not the norm and I've come across very few that were in AP for as long as we were. Some of us have speculated that the fact Hicham is Palestinian may have caused this delay. He also had a previous asylum case that caused wrinkles.

IMO, going through this process IS what it IS. There isn't a magic formula and there isn't a golden seal of approval (well, unless it was from the president himself). A person's case gets sucked through the vacuum and comes out on the other side with a yes or no....and we don't know what happens in between.

And even if there was a magic formula, in most cases there's nothing we can do about it. We can't really do much to change our life circumstances in the middle of the process, only hope for the best. I thought for sure we were going to have an extended AP because Ramy had previous immigration history including an overstay as a minor ...but maybe that's what sped up security checks because they had all been done before even though they had to be done again. I don't know how long it took him and his family to originally obtain their visitor visas 10 years ago, maybe the government's been keeping an eye on them ever since...I'd love to know. I know there's an answer out there somewhere but I'm not so sure we're going to find it any time in the near future.