how long can the consulate hold on to your passport?

[ecce 20]

They say it's a good sign if, after your interview, they tell you the visa was approved and hold on to your passport. However, we've obviously been put in some administrative black hole, even after being assured that we are approved, in writing, on more than one occasion.

How long can they hold on to the passport? It's been a month. My guess (and my congressman's office's guess) is that they are probably doing another random background check.

I want to stay hopeful that we aren't going to stay in this black hole for many more months. Can they really hang on to his passport for a year? Would they every give it back to us??? What's the deal?

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

If you need your passport for travel or identification then you can request its return. Of course that would delay your Visa issuance further as they'd then have to request you return it to them before they can print and apply it to your passport.

[ecce 20]

If you need your passport for travel or identification then you can request its return. Of course that would delay your Visa issuance further as they'd then have to request you return it to them before they can print and apply it to your passport.

Harumph. I thought maybe it was a good sign they were holding on to it, but apparently they can do whatever they want.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Harumph. I thought maybe it was a good sign they were holding on to it, but apparently they can do whatever they want.

You're right it is a good sign. Why would they keep if if they didn't intend on issuing you the Visa?

[Mikey26 0]

same problem with my wife..she went to an interview on 8/11/11 and was told that she was approved and that her passport would be mailed with in a month. its now coming up to a month and there is no word..upon emailing them we were told that her case is being processed and that there is no prediction on when it would be ready.

any advise on the hold up?

thanks

mike

[ecce 20]

I'm sorry you're going through this. You WILL get your visa eventually, but that consulate is really unreliable.

Someone close to me worked at the State Department for decades and they said this: ask your congressman for help. The Jerusalem consulate is supposedly PARTICULARLY sensitive to congressional complaints. (It has something to do with diplomatic reasons (i.e., because Jerusalem is a disputed capital), so it is the ONLY CONSULATE IN THE WORLD that reports directly to a higher up place than all other consulates.)

Anyway, if you can, let all your congressmen know. It didn't help me, but I hope it works for you.

same problem with my wife..she went to an interview on 8/11/11 and was told that she was approved and that her passport would be mailed with in a month. its now coming up to a month and there is no word..upon emailing them we were told that her case is being processed and that there is no prediction on when it would be ready.

any advise on the hold up?

thanks

mike

[Mikey26 0]

here is the latest response we got from the Jerusalem Consulate

Dear Madam,

Your visa was approved and is currently pending issuance. Unfortunately, we cannot speed up the process. If you believe that this case is an emergency kindly provide an explanation and supporting documentation.

Sound Familiar?