confused about the term "administrative processing"

[ecce 20]

Having read way to many visa journey posts, I am naturally terrified about being put into "administrative processing," where people apparently float for months or years. But I'm a little confused about the term. Isn't the whole visa process a series of administrative processes? When people are using it to refer to that scary place, do they just mean they are in abnormally long AP? Is it ever normal to be in administrative processing?

We are 17 days post-interview and the consulate said to my fiance yesterday that they are printing the visa now, it's in administrative processing, and it might still be a few days before he gets it. (But they've been saying " a few day" every time we talk to them.) I just wonder if he means normal administrative processing, or whether we're in some special pile and we need to be on guard. We were told everything was good with our case at the interview.

[bobbyA 20]

Having read way to many visa journey posts, I am naturally terrified about being put into "administrative processing," where people apparently float for months or years. But I'm a little confused about the term. Isn't the whole visa process a series of administrative processes? When people are using it to refer to that scary place, do they just mean they are in abnormally long AP? Is it ever normal to be in administrative processing?

We are 17 days post-interview and the consulate said to my fiance yesterday that they are printing the visa now, it's in administrative processing, and it might still be a few days before he gets it. (But they've been saying " a few day" every time we talk to them.) I just wonder if he means normal administrative processing, or whether we're in some special pile and we need to be on guard. We were told everything was good with our case at the interview.

FWIW, I was in "additional processing" for 9 days at NVC after they received my case. Not sure what that meant, but I'm guessing its a term that covers everything they're doing that they either can't tell us or can't explain clearly.

I know how you feel. I've had several scary moments at VSC, NVC, and DOS.

Hope you'll hear something soon!!

[Andy and Pui 16]

As far as I know anybody can be put in AP after the interview, somebody correct me if I am wrong. If you are interviewing in a MENA country it is almost a given you will be put in AP after the interview. I just looked at wikipedia and it is listing Israel as a MENA country, I did not know it was. I am not sure which countries the US lists as MENA countries. Does the beneficiary have a common first and last name? Good luck and I hope this goes quick for you both.

[ecce 20]

As far as I know anybody can be put in AP after the interview, somebody correct me if I am wrong. If you are interviewing in a MENA country it is almost a given you will be put in AP after the interview. I just looked at wikipedia and it is listing Israel as a MENA country, I did not know it was. I am not sure which countries the US lists as MENA countries. Does the beneficiary have a common first and last name? Good luck and I hope this goes quick for you both.

Looking at Israeli timelines, it does seem that it often takes people a few weeks to get their visas after the interview - dunno whether this is due to MENA status or not - my impression is that Israel is not considered a MENA country by visa standards, and that this consulate is just very slow with handling things in general. His name is very standard Israeli. Our interview was extraordinarily straightforward, and the interviewer said at the end we should get the visa within 7 to 10 days.

I think I'm not really getting my question across. Maybe it doesn't matter. But I was just wondering whether the words "administrative processing" always mean that we have been singled out, or put in a different pile than normal. Or whether we are just undergoing the exact same process as everyone else after the interview and that process happens to be take a few weeks on average. Obviously, I prefer the latter; I was just wondering if, because the officer used the words "administrative processing" it rules out the possibility that we're still in the "normal" pile.

[Andy and Pui 16]

I understand what you mean about your question. I do not have an answer to it. Hopefully your timeline will follow the rest of the Israeli timelines and you will have the visa in a few weeks. Good luck.