221g vs. no 221g

[SuperSaiyanVisa 21]

Hey all, i asked about my case earlier but now after reading a bit more about Administrative Processing I'm left with some new questions. Interviewer never mentioned the words "administrative processing" or give my fiancee a 221g form, they give gave her the passport back after the interview and told her "because you are getting married in Maryland then living in Louisiana we need to check with the lawyer if that is ok, We will contact you to tell you when to bring your passport"

Then when i checked online status is says Administrative Processing. So my questions are:

1) A.P. with or without 221G, whats the difference?

2) A.P. with keeping passport vs returned passport whats the difference?

3) Do the words "administrative processing" get mentioned during interview?

4) They kept all other documents except the DS160 confirmation page

Edited November 25, 2015 by SuperSaiyanVisa

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

this does not make any sense

it does not matter what state you get married in

or where you live in the US as long as you give immigration the correct mailing address where you will live

[SuperSaiyanVisa 21]

this does not make any sense

it does not matter what state you get married in

or where you live in the US as long as you give immigration the correct mailing address where you will live

I agree. The little wrinkle i forgot to mention in this post that i mentioned in my previous post, is the she is 17. In Maryland a written father's consent is enough vs. in Louisiana we need the father to be present in court. I did check the Louisiana marriage laws, it said as long as that marriage wad legal in the state where it was preformed we shall recognize it (with the exception of same sex marriages). So legally i believe we are clear, just trying to sort this A.P. #######

[Ash.1101 1,755]

there's two 221gs. There's denial on 221g which means no, and refusal with further consideration 221g.

Refusal with Further consideration almost ALWAYS is because you didn't have some paperwork that they need before they can give a "yes" or a "no" to the case, there's also the refusal with further consideration after research has been done, which is what yours does sound like, but in this case they haven't handed out the 221g.

Your case is on AP because they have to make sure you aren't skirting any state laws or doing anything illegal because you're going to get married in Maryland instead of Louisanna because your fiance is only 17 and would have to have the father be physically present to marry in the state you reside in.

If they require further documents from you, they will let you know, but now you're at the mercy of them doing their own research and understanding state and marriage laws.


Did they ask on their own about where the marriage would be? Just curious on how they got to know why you're getting married in another state. There may be a lot more than maybe you don't know that was said on the consulates end, and I can almost gaurentee you that a CO over there isn't going to know marriage laws for all the states, and if they felt that there was something confusing going on, they could have decided that there needed to be more research done on both you and your fiance ALONG with the whole marriage thing before an approval.


Did they keep your fiances passport? Did they give your fiance ANYTHING at all? Have you inquired about the case to find out details from the consulate?


As for sorting out AP, if you weren't requested any documentation and you know 100% that you weren't flat out denied, all you can do is inquire about your case and wait.

1) A.P. with or without 221G, whats the difference?

2) A.P. with keeping passport vs returned passport whats the difference?

3) Do the words "administrative processing" get mentioned during interview?

4) They kept all other documents except the DS160 confirmation page

1.) AP with 221g usually means the person was asked to give the consulate further proof. AP without usually means the consulate needs more time to figure the case out, or there was something that caught their eye they need to check up on.
2.) AP with keeping the passport is generally considered a good thing, it just means there may have been something minor and most likely the CO expects it to clear quick. AP with returned passport depends on what the AP was for. If it was with a 221g asking for more documents, then it could simply be given back so the person has it. My fiance was given back his passport with the 221g asking for more documents simply because he had a year to turn them in. If it was without 221g, it could be that they are going to do more research on their end and they don't know when it'll be done, so better to give back the passport.
3.) They do if they know you'll be on it.
4.) Could be right, but I dunno. They already know all of that info anyways.


With that said, mind you Admin Processing is a very vague term and umbrellas SO MANY different definitions.

Admin Proces covers anywhere from 221gs to the visa actually being printed to the people looking over your paperwork, to there being issues with the case. Almost EVERY case will see those words on CEAC, either for good reasons or bad. Unless you inquire or were told why it says AP you won't know, but in your case, it's most likely for them to clear everything they were told.

Edited November 25, 2015 by Ash.1101

[Jawaree 717]

Have to wait on AP & hope its not long, obviously they are doing some checking

that's not a denial, however no one can say how long AP will last here

[Ash.1101 1,755]

Have to wait on AP & hope its not long, obviously they are doing some checking

that's not a denial, however no one can say how long AP will last here

Yep. There are people who have been on AP for CR visa's in the Canadian forums for a good five months now.

Even on K1 when asked to send more documents it says to expect 6-8 weeks before contacting them about the case after the documents have been sent.

In your case though, they're doing their own research, so.. it'll be done when they're done and who knows when that'll be. I wouldn't really expect it too quick though.