Are you currently in Administrative Processing?

[EAbbas 213]

On our journey thru this immigration process ive encountered some ppl from these areas that totally get angry on the back ground checks but my husband said he would rather them do the checks and satisfy the process so that he can come here without any issues. There is nothing in his background so why would he be against any checking...

the only issue I have at this time is why they waited for almost 6 weeks to even begin and now we still pending almost 5 months later (we may be stuck in a common last name.. his first isnt common but maybe his last) ... i do think it should be done but i do think there should be a cap on the time or if they are taking so much time they should at least tell us where we are not just pending. (I think that's my new four letter word LOL)

Edited November 4, 2011 by EAbbas

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Adams was about 4months or so of AP. That part didnt bother me at all, I kinda figured it would be something like that due to his "common" name. When you have many people from the same country with the same names A.M.A son of M.A. grandson of A.M.A and down the line, AP can be lengthy on top of whatever else it is that they check coming from high fraud countries.

[Wendy<3Ahmed 12]

my husband and i didnt mind the hour long interview, we didnt mind the CO calling me 5 weeks after we submitted a crazy document after the interview (an apt lease showing who lives in the apt) and we didnt mind the questions he asked to verify our relationship. What we do mind is being told we cant technically tell you that your approved but I can say that your case is fine and nothing to worry about but we have to do name checks now that evthing is verified and in place.

Ok.. so they waited until 5 weeks later to BEGIN name checks... that we can handle .... but at almost 5 months AFTER the interview and we still know NOTHING BUT PENDING??? are you kidding me?? THey can only say there was an update in August cant tell you what it was but they say our case is fine just processing and when its complete they will call...

thats what I mind... We know name checks can take a while but at wht point is enough enough???????? They should be able to complete it within 3 months tops.

Hi can you please tell me how you found out when they started the NAME CHECKS? Did you have to ask that specific question when u called DOS. Coz all I get from them its still pending.

[EAbbas 213]

the co called me to do a phone interview about 5 weeks after his interview so i answere all his questions and im sure he wanted to be sure mine were the same which i have no doubt they were the same answers...after he was satisfied he specifically said word for word...while i cant technically say ur approved i can tell u that ur case is fine and there is nothing for u to worry about all ur docs are fine now and we dont need anything else from u or ur husband but we do have one last thing which is name checks so we will do that and then the visa can be issued when thats complete. Other than the co saying that when he called me i wouod never know anything as dos doesnt say anything but our case is @ embassy processing n they will call when completed.

[Ihavequestions 419]

AP is a necessary thing to do sometimes. Agreed, but not to every Middle Eastern man with a Muslim name. For us, based on what my congressman and senator have told me, it's not about verifying the relationship... it's about homeland security, and that is where our files are. The embassies have to wait for a security clearance from Homeland Security. Yes, that might be necessary sometimes, but it is racist when it is done to every Middle Eastern man with a Muslim name. We're not all a threat to national security, believe it or not.

The goal of this poll is to see who is experiencing it and whether we can do something about it. I can't necessarily comment on the other kinds of AP out there (validating relationships, etc.. ), as I only know what I know from my experience and speaking with others like me.

Lama

It's not just Muslims. If it were, Tammy's husband wouldn't have been in AP, but he was.

AP (or "name checks") takes such a long time because a good part of it is done manually. That's right, digging through paper at court houses, police stations, Ministry of whatever, those records have to be sorted through. With the roughage that's resulted from the Arab Spring, there's no telling what's happened to records because official buildings have experienced wide-spread ransacking and arson.

And, FYI, Muslim is a religion, not a race, so whatever slight you're feeling is misconstrued.

[lalouse 1]

Wait a second, I won't comment on the claim that most of today's terrorists are Muslims -- I can understand why you believe that

please explain the claim that "most of your kin with similar names are trying to come in with all kinds of destructive intentions."

to me this means that most other Arabs and Muslims have terrorist intentions.

so what you are saying is the majority of people applying for visas to the United States in the Arab and Muslim world are coming here for terrorist acts..

it would be good to know where you got that information..

Lama

quote name='Confused 2' timestamp='1320389230' post='4989154']

Unfortunately, in today's world it is easier to call anybody racist but heaven forbid if a country try and do additional check on countries where more than 99% of the terrorists with ill intentions for the US come from. Being an Arab for you is a problem not because the US is trying to stop you from coming in but because most of your kin with similar names are trying to come in with all kinds of destructive intentions. For once, instead of calling the people trying to stop another 9/11 from happening as 'Racists' maybe you can have the balls to tell those terrorists to 'Stop' so you can have a more normal life just like the rest of us who do have their loyalties and prayers with America.

[lalouse 1]

I'm aware that Muslim is a religion not a race, but I think that there isn't an adequate easy-to-use word for discrimination based on religion,

second of all, I think Arab is a race (personally that is how I identify) and so it is racism at its finest.

Finally, while the Arab Revolutions were very inspiring, lebanon didn't have a revolution.. neither did most of the other non-Arab Muslim countries (Iran, Pakistan)

and neither did other Arab countries like Saudi, etc.. I can understand what you are saying for countries like Egypt or Tunisia and Libya.

Lama

It's not just Muslims. If it were, Tammy's husband wouldn't have been in AP, but he was.

AP (or "name checks") takes such a long time because a good part of it is done manually. That's right, digging through paper at court houses, police stations, Ministry of whatever, those records have to be sorted through. With the roughage that's resulted from the Arab Spring, there's no telling what's happened to records because official buildings have experienced wide-spread ransacking and arson.

And, FYI, Muslim is a religion, not a race, so whatever slight you're feeling is misconstrued.

[Ihavequestions 419]

I'm aware that Muslim is a religion not a race, but I think that there isn't an adequate easy-to-use word for discrimination based on religion,

second of all, I think Arab is a race (personally that is how I identify) and so it is racism at its finest.

Finally, while the Arab Revolutions were very inspiring, lebanon didn't have a revolution.. neither did most of the other non-Arab Muslim countries (Iran, Pakistan)

and neither did other Arab countries like Saudi, etc.. I can understand what you are saying for countries like Egypt or Tunisia and Libya.

Lama

I understand you want to make this a Pick on Arab Muslims fight, but it's not.

Everybody that wants to immigrate to the United States goes through Administrative Processing.

Everybody is checked.

Everybody. And if there's a "hit" - which means it needs a secondary investigation - whoever is doing the investigating has to read the file and examine the paperwork.

If you don't like it, feel free blame inefficiency but don't blame racism.

[lalouse 1]

Oh dear, I think you don't realize that NO, not everyone goes through administrative processing.

I personally know many couples that interviewed the SAME WEEK as Hasan and who are now happily married and living together in the United States.

I even know Lebanese Christian couples who did NOT go through AP.

and I'm very happy for them. I would NEVER wish for anyone to go through AP, but the reality is that most young Arab and Muslim men who want to marry American women will go through it.

I'm also not saying it doesn't happen in other countries. It certainly happens all over the world... but for different reasons.

That is why I put this in the MENA discussion.. not because I don't think other countries go through it, they do..

but the reason we are flagged is because of discrimination.

The interviewer told Hasan that she did not doubt our relationship and we had a great file, and then she basically told him that we're going to go into AP and why...

My congressman and senator have explained to me that certain countries are treated like terrorist countries, unfortunately. Even they believe its discrimination. I wouldn't feel it was if I hadn't talked to numerous people about it. Thankfully, my congressman and senator are two very strong liberal individuals who believe in justice and immigration reform as well.

So, yes, there are plenty of countries and people going through AP for non-racist or discriminatory reasons.

But there are too many Arabs/Iranians/Pakistanis/etc.. going through it only because of discrimination and racism.

The belief that we are all terrorists is at the root of Islamophobia, discrimination and racism.. and at the root of AP in Middle Eastern countries.

Lama

I understand you want to make this a Pick on Arab Muslims fight, but it's not.

Everybody that wants to immigrate to the United States goes through Administrative Processing.

Everybody is checked.

Everybody. And if there's a "hit" - which means it needs a secondary investigation - whoever is doing the investigating has to read the file and examine the paperwork.

If you don't like it, feel free blame inefficiency but don't blame racism.

[Ihavequestions 419]

Oh dear, I think you don't realize that NO, not everyone goes through administrative processing.

I personally know many couples that interviewed the SAME WEEK as Hasan and who are now happily married and living together in the United States.

I even know Lebanese Christian couples who did NOT go through AP.

and I'm very happy for them. I would NEVER wish for anyone to go through AP, but the reality is that most young Arab and Muslim men who want to marry American women will go through it.

I'm also not saying it doesn't happen in other countries. It certainly happens all over the world... but for different reasons.

That is why I put this in the MENA discussion.. not because I don't think other countries go through it, they do..

but the reason we are flagged is because of discrimination.

The interviewer told Hasan that she did not doubt our relationship and we had a great file, and then she basically told him that we're going to go into AP and why...

My congressman and senator have explained to me that certain countries are treated like terrorist countries, unfortunately. Even they believe its discrimination. I wouldn't feel it was if I hadn't talked to numerous people about it. Thankfully, my congressman and senator are two very strong liberal individuals who believe in justice and immigration reform as well.

So, yes, there are plenty of countries and people going through AP for non-racist or discriminatory reasons.

But there are too many Arabs/Iranians/Pakistanis/etc.. going through it only because of discrimination and racism.

The belief that we are all terrorists is at the root of Islamophobia, discrimination and racism.. and at the root of AP in Middle Eastern countries.

Lama

[Tarvos 0]

Greetings, all.

I've been stuck in AP over a Student Visa I'm trying to obtain from the US Embassy in Cairo for 4 months now.

I'm starting to lose hope here. I have absolutely no intention of abusing my Visa in any way or form and I've shown more than ample evidence showing my ability to fully finance my education there, with no intention of getting any job there to do so.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Tarvos

[Om&Abo Malik 12]

Greetings, all.

I've been stuck in AP over a Student Visa I'm trying to obtain from the US Embassy in Cairo for 4 months now.

I'm starting to lose hope here. I have absolutely no intention of abusing my Visa in any way or form and I've shown more than ample evidence showing my ability to fully finance my education there, with no intention of getting any job there to do so.

Wow, sorry to hear this, that is an awful long AP have you contacted them about why it's taking so long?

[Tarvos 0]

Several times, to no avail. They never really give out any clear information regarding why it's taking so long. I tried phoning them, to no avail; it's always the same result.

How long did yours take?

[HateAP 0]

Hi all,

So any happy updates from anyone? Emailed embassy few days ago and still AP.

[EAbbas 213]

no were still pending too 5 months tomorrow 4 months after the co said he will begin name checks