rikko

1 hour ago, PG0305 said:

Thank you for your response! What should be included in the request email? I was thinking I would include:
Applicant name, passport number, case number and then a quick sentence explaining that I would like to transfer my case.

s there anything else?

You really have to sell that you have to transfer. If you just ask it's almost guaranteed they will say no. Jerusalem did not accept my case transfer until our situation became kind of dire and on the 3rd attempt to transfer.

Provide a short statement about the impossibility of getting to Warsaw legally for you, or without committing fraud. Provide proof you need the transfer.

13 hours ago, PG0305 said:

Can anyone offer any guidance on other countries to apply to? Worst case scenario, we can try to get the case transferred to another country (hopefully it won't have to be Israel with the fighting going on there).

Israel accepts Russian cases regularly, and are back to normal processing as of January 2024. 

Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan sometimes accepts transfers, but they are less likely to.

Serbia/Armenia not very likely iirc

Another thing I wish I knew is to bring research, work, and educational materials if you are at risk of 221g. 

The US Embassy in Jerusalem suggests this (Israelis, despite being an ally of the US, are also subject to extra 221g review.

https://il.usembassy.gov/visas/administrative-processing/

Quote

Visa applications for individuals who work or study in scientific and technical fields may be subject to additional processing.

Applicants who present detailed information at the time of their interview help U.S. government officials process their cases more expeditiously and efficiently.  We suggest applicants prepare the following detailed information (in English) for the interview:

1. Applicant: Name and passport number 
2. Work Experience: Detailed description of current and past work; Resume/Curriculum Vitae: A detailed resume/CV that includes:
   -Present and previous work, including dates.
   -Educational background, including institution, dates, fields of study, degree, research topic and funding  sources.
   -List of publications including titles, topics, and dates.
   – Research expertise, military service, computer training or other specialized training.
3. Educational/Research Background: Name of institution(s), dates of attendance, field(s) of study, degree(s) obtained, and research topics;
4. Publication List (as applicable): Titles, topics, dates of publication, and brief abstracts or summaries;
5. Travel: Countries visited in the past 5 years – list the year and country.
6. Trip itinerary: Date(s), location, and purpose of the visit and any relevant addresses, and contact information (as applicable) of companies, conferences, and/or institutions.

I also wish I was alerted to the fact that Russians are subject to extra 221g:
https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdfs/Immigrants/Administrative-Processing-FAQ.pdf

Quote

Although TAL may be applied to applicants from any country, students and scholars from the DOS state sponsors of terrorism list (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) and the five nonproliferation export control countries (China, India, Israel, Pakistan and Russia) are the groups most impacted by TAL-related issues and delays.

Hello, we were also asked for our passports and put into AP but it's been 8 months. While others here say it's a good sign they ask for your passports after the interview, it didn't seem to be the case in our situation. 

1 hour ago, Niasa said:

Congratulations to all who got their mom a visa!  It’s wonderful!

We are just starting the process for my mom, didn’t submit 130 yet. 
 

I have a question- did you

indicate Moscow as an embassy that going to issue a visa or put KZ right away? I’m wondering maybe I should contact KZ now and ask if I can put KZ in my 130 petition?

I don't think there's a functioning embassy/consulate in Russia right now, most cases are assigned to Warsaw and a few family visas to Kazakhstan. I think contacting Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/your country of choice can't hurt, but there is no guarantee they will accept your case. Good luck!

Hi, I wanted to start a thread where people can share things they wish they knew about 221g. 

Some things I've heard/learned:
1. Writ of Mandamus is no longer advised as of now, because the judge is throwing out cases, even in cases of 16 months of 221g.

2. If I had known my case would be at risk of a 8+ month 221g, I would've done CR-1 so I could legally be married to my spouse, and his company/work could also get me a way to stay with him legally. K-1 was not the right choice for me. I don't even think it is faster than CR-1 anymore. I believe CR-1 cases are also more likely to be accepted for transfers, which are in high demand for Russians. (It's hard for them to get to Warsaw, their default embassy).

Some things I would like to know:
1. Is the Ombudsman an entity that I could contact regarding 221g? I haven't seen anything about it so far.
2. There was a thread here saying their 221g case expired. Should I be proactively emailing the embassy to prevent expiration? Is it possible my case just expires anyways?
3. Does the visa, when approved, need to be picked up in person, or can I mail it? 
4. When the visa is approved, can I have it sent to another embassy to be picked up?

16 hours ago, K1visak2 said:

It’s very frustrating .are you also in Jerusalem ? Everything is expensive here and not sure how long our AP will take .we are thinking to return to Russia and wait till they ask for the passports .even though not sure then how to send them her passport from Russia after AP process .

Our case is in Jerusalem, we are in Armenia now. I heard if they didn't ask for your passports it's likely your AP may take awhile. Once AP is done, I believe you go back to the embassy to pick them up. 

If you intend to stay in Israel, it will be cheaper if you stay in East Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Both are West Bank, but it'll be $40/night instead of like $200/night in Israel. 

i wish they'd just hire more people or relocate existing workers from other departments. 256 days and counting just for the last CEAC update... our lives have been so disrupted by this process...

Hi, wishing you the best, I'm also in AP, been in AP for 8 months with a Russian fiancé. You aren't alone! Check out the regional forums for MENA if you haven't. 

4 hours ago, PG0305 said:

What was the process like to get a spanish schengen? I'd realllly not like to transfer to Jerusalem with the  conflict going on.

i don't know my partner handled it (sorry), i think its the normal procedure as with other schengens.

In our situation we got 221g and it's been 9 months. They asked for a CV, we gave them the CV, then months later they asked for the CV to include his high school information. Our case has not been updated since August 20th, 2023 in the CEAC website.

I just wanna chime in that if you guys apply for a multi-entry Schengen they can give you single-entry instead, so plan accordingly. In our case we applied for a multi-entry Spanish Schengen, were given a single-entry (which messed up our timeline to get to Warsaw) and were able to transfer to Jerusalem saying we could not legally get to Warsaw. 

sorry about the situation, 221g sucks and so does the k-1 visa, it doesn't process quickly enough to justify the wait time compared to the cr-1 anymore

on the bright side, as a spouse you will have more rights to stay with your spouse while waiting for the US to take its sweet time to process our cases... 

I don't know if I can post sources but here:

https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdfs/Immigrants/Administrative-Processing-FAQ.pdf

https://sstech.us/blogs/221g-and-administrative-processing/

Lots of good stuff from universities. I guess a good amount of students get hit with 221g too...

@millefleur I was doing some reading on SAO processing of 221g and I found more things you may want to include in the pinned thread:

Things you would be doing in the US that can get you flagged:

• Graduate level studies
• Teaching
• Conducting research
• Exchange programs
• Receiving training/employment (is this not most people once they settle???)
• "Engaging in commercial transactions" (again, is this not most people???)

Technology alert list industries (suspected)

• i. Conventional Munitions;
• ii. Nuclear Technology, Physics, and Engineering;
• iii. Rocket Systems and Unmanned Air Vehicle;
• iv. Navigation, Avionics and Flight Control;
• v. Chemical, Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering;
• vi. Remote Sensing, Imaging and Reconnaissance;
• vii. Advanced Computer/Microelectronic Technology;
• viii. Materials Technology;
• ix. Information Security;
• x. Laser and Directed Energy Systems Technology;
• xi. Sensors and Sensor Technology;
• xii. Marine Technology; and
• xiii. Robotics Urban Planning 

Nationalities most effected:

• DOS state sponsors of terrorism list (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria)
• The five nonproliferation export control countries (China, India, Israel, Pakistan and Russia)

I did not know Israel was in that list, given how close ties between the US and Israel are, and how many dual nationals and marriages exist. I'll leave it up to you but it may be worth making pinned threads for other regional portals, too.

And for anyone else reading, I found this too!

 

Quote

SAOs include:

• Mantis: This SAO is triggered when the consulate suspects a visa applicant may be violating the Technology Alert List (TAL). The TAL includes critical fields of employment, such as nuclear technology, robotics, sensors, aircraft and missile systems, advanced computer technology, biotechnology, etc. Officers will listen for key words during your interview indicating you may be working in a critical area. Additionally, if you are a citizen of a country deemed a state sponsor of terrorism (Iran, Sudan, Syria and North Korea) or a country of proliferation concern, and you are seeking to engage in a commercial or academic activity in a critical field, your application will likely be flagged.
• Condor: This SAO is issued when an applicant is from a predominantly Muslim country.
• Donkey: This SAO is administered through the Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS), which is used to perform namechecks of visa and passport applicants. Checks are run through various search engines that run against government databases.
• Eagle: This SAO is triggered when an applicant is from a country deemed to be a state sponsor of terrorism.

Pretty cool huh? Feels like we are the cast of Kung Fu Panda 

11 hours ago, big_tex_69 said:

@rikko per the us embassy in poland's website https://pl.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas-fiancee-visa/case-status/?_ga=2.265004428.228747549.1710862596-153925293.1710862596

 

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.  You can check the status of your visa application on ceac.state.gov.

 

i was planning on emailing them at the end of this month to check in.

After our interview, the CO told my fiancé to expect a 2 month wait or less, then in December/January they told us to expect 9 months, then in February/March they told us its usually 4 months but can be longer. (They being Jerusalem). It's possible expected wait times changed each time they gave us a number, but their variance is huge!

Given that its been 8 months of 221g, the overall K-1 process being on its 3rd year, and apparently writ of mandamus currently useless because the judge thinks 16 months of administrative processing is reasonable, I'm just feeling kind of anxious/desperate. Here's to hoping for the best for all of our cases here on VJ! 

@big_tex_69 Did you find any info on expected timelines during your research? 

Been in AP since August 20, 2023! 8 months soon! 

I've been in AP for 8 months now, but Israel went to war so their processing was limited for several months. I wish they were more transparent in their process. I heard writ of mandamus is not working as of late because the cases are being tossed by the judge, and I heard something about a Freedom of Information Act but I don't see the point of that. 

2 minutes ago, millefleur said:

This seems to be happening more and more. Dept of State might be flagging Russians for extended AP now. 

 

Since it's DoS, I doubt going through another embassy would matter. It seems like they're targeting Russia nationality and the embassy where you apply doesn't affect it.

 

Please update us here on your case. The background doesn't seem to have any other red flags, call center job history doesn't seem suspicious. I hope they will conclude her AP quickly. Was she born in a "closed city" or does she have relatives who live/work near there or for the military?

Do you think Russian applicants are heading toward the Turkey/Iran/Middle East route of "never-ending AP/DS-5535"?

Also, is the pinned post in the works? Or do you think if it's a DoS decision, they'll just find new excuses for AP?

VJ user BeauH had a government job and his fiance was also put into AP so your background may have contributed to it as well

2 hours ago, millefleur said:

When I get a chance, maybe you can help me draft something for the post @rikko?

Sure, I don't mind. I think the website itself is a good starting point and it may just be worth copy-pasting their suggestions of what applicants should bring to their interview.

You also mentioned applicants with military background or weapons experience, I have no idea what papers they should be bringing. Finding examples of military-related AP and what those applicants were asked to bring would be good to include in the sticky.

Regarding technical backgrounds, I recall a Cuban biologist on VJ being put in AP, and Chinese graduate students being put in AP - a lot of US universities actually have pages on AP for international students who get flagged. However, it's not always the beneficiary who (likely) causes the case to go into AP - BeauH was the petitioner for his Russian fiancé, had a government job, and was put in AP. It may be worth reminding applicants to look at themselves, too, not just their beneficiaries.

Beyond petitioner/beneficiary red flags for AP, and suggestions on what to bring to the interview, I don't think there's much else to add. Maybe relevant VJ threads relating to AP?

I guess telling people ahead of time to bring their birth certificate, prison records, police certificates, and divorce certificates to the interview encourages people to falsify information, too. I also guess some of us know more than the official US Embassy in Israel! 

Our immigration process discourages fraud at every point. Cost of applying, wait time for applying, harsh punishments for fraud, and a long vetting process. If "law-abiding" folks are suffering (from what, wait times?) you can't just blame it on "bad actors." There will always be bad actors. There will always be fraud. You need the process to vet out the fake applications, and if embassies have higher workloads than they can handle, you need to hire more workers or just let wait times get bad. 

There is a chance had my fiancé been told to bring his education and research papers to the interview, the officer would have been able to make a decision on the spot. Maybe she would find some other reason to send us into AP, I don't know. I think other Americans with educated fiancés should be advised to bring their research/conference/education info with them. After all, if they avoid the AP process this way, that also frees up time and resources for the embassy to process other applicants!

 

Maybe it's a security concern that Russians et al. who have degrees in sensitive areas (e.g., chemical engineering) might not have the purest motives.

Yeah... my fiancé:

• is a Russian national
• from a military base town
• has a Chemical degree
• previously worked as a chemical engineer
• is now a software developer
• one of his brothers is low-level ex-military
• the other one is low-level government

Yikes! I think we hit every red flag they have. But hey, they don't seem to doubt our relationship is bona fide!

 

@rikko found a comment about WOM, seems like it's not really any help with AP so I wouldn't bother wasting your money:

Thank you for letting me know! There was another guy who did a WOM for Warsaw and he got an approval right away, @BeauH. I definitely don't want to force a decision when they "don't have enough info" though and get a denial... but I don't know what else to do if AP ends up taking a year

 

Right but why not include this page on all embassies (especially ones that get those certain nationalities)? The staff at Jerusalem just seem more on the ball about it. I haven't seen this page on any other consulates that have Russian speaking staff, unless it's buried somewhere....could be. 

 

Maybe we should make a pinned thread here letting people know, same for other relevant regional forums. I feel bad that @rikko was not aware prior and maybe it could save others some time.

I think it's cool that Israel is looking out for their applicants, that might be why Israeli threads seem few and far between on the forum.

The consular officer doing my fiancé's interview in Jerusalem DID ask for his college papers at the interview, and he told her that it wasn't on the list of papers to bring. She said it was the only thing she needed to see to determine whether or not he would be able to support himself in the US/get a skilled job with his qualifications. My income hit the requirements for a household of 3, but because he would be "joining our household", I was expected to hit requirements for a household of 4. (This is also something I wasn't aware of when preparing for the interview and making sure I hit income requirements). We did prepare his bank statements and proof of salary but the officer was insistent on also seeing education. 

And don't feel bad! It's not well-known info, I didn't find this page until late in my AP journey, and only because I was also at Jerusalem! Had it been a different embassy, that page wouldn't have shown up in my google search results. (It also never showed up in all those "visa help" videos I binged on YouTube). I just thought I would share since it does seem to be useful advice.

We're all in it together!