Administrative Processing?

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Looking for some support...

I've been calling DOS for the past couple of days. First day they told me it was still pending. This morning they told me still pending. I called only 5 minutes ago, got someone other than "Matt" at DOS...and she told me it was in Administrative Processing. My heart fell out of my chest. I asked her if there was any further information she could give me. She said unfortunately not.

I'm curious if to some extent all visas go through some level of administrative processing, or if this is the real deal administrative processing. I can't fathom why...

I wish I knew what it meant. Have any of you received an answer like this?

So discouraged right now...

[bobby231 3]

Hi there., i really don't understand. I thought you posted some 3 days ago that u guys were approved of your visa and that ur fiance said that everything went ok at the interview. What's up with the AP thing now, and did the guys at DOS gave u any reason why u ended up in AP?

Edited July 21, 2011 by bobby231

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Hi there., i really don't understand. I thought you posted some 3 days ago that u guys were approved of your visa and that ur fiance said that everything went ok at the interview. What's up with the AP thing now, and did the guys at DOS gave u any reason why u ended up in AP?

FI visa WAS approved. They took his passport and everything. He didn't leave with anything but the CD and the courier receipt. I'm guessing all Visa's (in DOS' eyes) go through "administrative processing" and that this isn't the real deal AP. Doesn't realdeal AP come with a 221g? We never got that...

I'm so confused!

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Guess I just gotta wait and see. If we really are in AP don't we get some sort of notification of it?

[bobby231 3]

My guess is that it is probably nothing to worry about. if your fiance was told that he been approved then i suggest you wait till he goes to pick up his visa on the day he was told to come or wait for the visa to be delivered to him, whichever is the case. i think you were a lil bit too hasty in calling the DOS now when there is no indication that there is something wrong with your visa process., and secondly i think the person u spoke to at the DOS must of made a mistake, sometimes these guys behind the phones do not always know their left from their right. Your fiance should have been given a 221g if you guys had any issue which would've required an extra AP. My advice, chill out a bit and try to relax., you lucky u guys are almost at the end of this journey. Enjoy the feeling

[DiZZyLoX 114]

you're most likely right. i won't sound the alarms just yet. i can be anxious sometimes

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Ok so to help those of you who may have had or will have this question in the future, I jusy called back and got my favorite DOS rep Sara on the phone and she totally put my mind at ease. She says that all visas go through administrative processing until the visa is issued. She said we looked fine and if havent heard anything by middle of next weel to call back. Then she said "no freaking out yet, honey". Ha! Love it.

[TheFantastics09 19]

Ok so to help those of you who may have had or will have this question in the future, I jusy called back and got my favorite DOS rep Sara on the phone and she totally put my mind at ease. She says that all visas go through administrative processing until the visa is issued. She said we looked fine and if havent heard anything by middle of next weel to call back. Then she said "no freaking out yet, honey". Ha! Love it.

That is what the rep. told me when I called last month. It is more or less a "double-check" to make sure everything is filled out correctly. Your visa should be in your hubby's hands in no time!

Edited July 21, 2011 by TheFantastics09

[DiZZyLoX 114]

That is what the rep. told me when I called last month. It is more or less a "double-check" to make sure everything is filled out correctly. Your visa should be in your hubby's hands in no time!

I wish they would come up with a new name for it!! something like "really exciting processing!" or something lol

[TheFantastics09 19]

I wish they would come up with a new name for it!! something like "really exciting processing!" or something lol

Lol, that would be awesome!

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Lol, that would be awesome!

or "Happy Times" lol could you imagine?

"Oh, honey. You're just in Happy Times!"

A party for your Visa.

[Sapphire1965 5]

Hi you got nothing to worry about my visa interview was held in London on the Wed before the royal wedding and the monday bank holiday I was approved but my visa took almost 2 weeks to get to me because of the long holiday weekend. I called DOS who said same thing it just means a double check of everything visa will be with you in a few days. Good Luck. xxxx

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Hi you got nothing to worry about my visa interview was held in London on the Wed before the royal wedding and the monday bank holiday I was approved but my visa took almost 2 weeks to get to me because of the long holiday weekend. I called DOS who said same thing it just means a double check of everything visa will be with you in a few days. Good Luck. xxxx

thank you! you guys are so sweet to help ease my anxieties! thanks!! Feeling a bit more patient now

[DiZZyLoX 114]

Visa en route! *Happy Dance* Alright now!

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I'll add my experience here to some of the comments in random order.

AP can mean administrative processing---like they are still shuffling papers or the visa printer ran out of toner or we got behind because two people went to Vegas and left us short handed. The DOS people came up with calling it AP meaning normal paperwork going on between the interview and printing the visa.

AP that we fear is usually called additional processing-- it means they are doing extra steps before they can approve. Additional steps not everybody has to go through.

221.g -- issued if there is a definite reason apparent at the interview that the visa can not be approved with the evidence presented. Maybe it's a document you didn't know to bring. Maybe your passport got washed and they told you it wasn't acceptable all faded out like that. In some countries (not UK) maybe they don't believe your relationship and give you a 221g saying why they won't approve a visa.

In London, if all paperwork is in.. medical is good... financials pass... the guy says "you're approved" because there's nothing missing in your paperwork or interview that could be reason he couldn't approve his part of the process. Then there are databases for US security that the fiance must clear. I know at Nick's interview the embassy computer's were down. The guy told us approved but they couldn't run "one last security check" until the computers got back up and he had no idea when that would be.

There's at least one database to clear and maybe two more optional ones an embassy can choose to use. (If I wasn't on the notebook computer I could find two links to give you) If you weren't born in the UK they could do more, if your middle name is Mohammed or your father is named Osama bin Laden, if your training (listed on the DS-157) includes special skills like munitions or chemistry of bomb making, if you frequently travel to certain countries... I'm making up these examples to speculate on things that could trigger additional processing. So if your name is exactly the same as anybody that US security has on a watch list (or even your parent's name), then they have to do "additional" processing to make sure you aren't the bad guy or the person associated with the bad guy. Sometimes they have to go so far as have a security file physically pulled by an official at another location. They have to send a request to another office for an officer to pull a paper file and rule out that you are not the person implicated. You can imagine the potential for hold-ups there.

Reason why in AP? How long will it take?

They are very secretive about national security so they aren't going to explain "we are secretly following a guy named John Doe who has been reported to... and your fiances Dad has that same name." Nobody ever gets told a reason they are in additional processing. They don't know how long it will take as I explained before about tracking it down things. Maybe a database clears you and maybe a paper file has to be reviewed in Timbuktu. It's all vague and tied up in homeland security secrecy. So you just wait it out. Congressmen can not help get reasons, or get you out of it.

On VJ, I've know a number of India and Pakistan born people in AP for 4-8 weeks a couple of years ago. A Brazillian and Nigerian were approved and issued visas immediately this year, so it's not so much about not being born in the UK anymore. Then there was treehugger in 2010 who didn't tick any of the normal reasons we speculate about and was in additional processing for 9 months before dropping off VJ. Don't know how that one turned out.

Congratulations Dizzy! It was just too soon to worry and the use of AP by DOS threw you off.