After the H1B Visa interview at the US embassy in Delhi, India, the Visa officer took my passport and told me Congratulations, your visa is approved and I will get the passport in 2-3 days.
My CEAC status online shows Refused even when no form 221g was issued by the visa officer.
CEAC may show this status:
Administrative Processing or
Refused.
Why Is Visa Approved Administrative Processing?
This is a pretty common question in this situation.Don’t worry.
Admin processing is the normal status and could mean multiple things with or without form 221(g) including:
End Client Verification Is required
Identity, Security Check Required
Past Visa Maintenance Needs to be Verified
H1B Amendment Status is Pending
Day 1 CPT was Used in the past
DS-5535 National Security Check Required – As name matches high profile target
You work in Biotechnology, the Chemical field, or restricted Technologies.
Form 221g Processing Time
CEAC – Visa Approved but Status is Administrative Processing status is common these days after visa interview in the US embassy.
If your visa was approved and no form 221(g) was issued, then you can expect your stamped passport within 5-10 working days.
No need to worry.
Form 221g processing takes 7-20 days if no documents are requested and the passport is kept by the visa officer.
It is possible that the US embassy has not issued form 221(g) but the status will still show as admin processing on the CEAC website.But, they can still send your application back to USCIS in the USA for US work location verification.
In this case, your application status will show as Administrative Processing even though the visa officer told you VISA APPROVED.
White Form 221g – Real Life Case
This real-life case happened at the US embassy in New Delhi for an H1-B visa interview. This person worked for a direct US employer full time.
This H1B visa stamping was done just after H1B transfer approval using premium processing.
Visa Officer (VO): How are you doing today? A: I am doing fine. What about you?
VO: What class of visa have you applied for? A: H1B
VO: Which company are you going to work for? A: ABC Company.
VO: What is the education of your wife? A: B.A.
VO: Is B.A. equal to Bachelor of Arts A: Yes
VO: Where have you lived in the US and where are you going to live now? A: Tampa, FL, and Westford. -I was interrupted by my kid here. So, I could not answer completely. A new question immediately followed.
VO: Westford? Where? In Massachusetts? A: Yes, Massachusetts.
VO: Is there any client or you are going to work directly for this company? A: There is no client. The work is directly for ABC company.
VO: Please move to the next window and my colleague will help you. A: Okay.
——————————————————————– They move to the next window and then were informed that they are putting the case for administrative processing. They now ask the following questions:
Q: When did you change your address in the last 15 years? Is it in 2006? A: I thought they are asking specifically about India as I was in India in 2006. I answered Yes, and gave my Indian address before and after 2006.
Q: Do you have any brothers/sisters? A: Yes, I have.
Q: What is the name of your sister? A: XYZ Sharma.
Q: What is the name of your brother? A: I don’t have any brothers.
Q: When do you intend to travel? A: 11th Oct.
They hand over the white form 221g but keep passports with them.
Problem (as analyzed by the person himself and attorney)
In this case, this person forgot to tell one of his addresses that he lived in the USA to a VO officer. VO did not tell this to the person but instead, just issued a form 221(g) with no documents to submit.
No Documents Requested
Form 221g may be issued even if there are no extra documents required from you. Usually, the document list is printed by default and the visa officer will cross it down.
How Attorney Handled
The attorney and person went through the full transcript of the interview (as written above) and concluded that:
VO probably had doubts about the person’s identity.
Since the visa applicant forgot to mention all his US addresses clearly, VO sent the documents back to the US for verification.
The Attorney in the USA then sent an email to the USCIS premium service email directly with clarification on the address that the person forgot to tell the Visa Officer.
This is the real email that was sent. I must say that attorney was really smart in this case and took a fast decision and really helped the candidate.
The US Embassy was satisfied and they cleared the ‘Administrative processing’ within a week. The person had his H1B visa approved in 7 straight days including weekends.
A smart attorney can really take you far!
H1B Form 221g in Canada or Mexico
If the visa officer is not satisfied with your answers or you are working in an EVC (Employer Vendor Client model) with an H1B visa, the chances are high for a request for more documents.
You will have to stay back in Mexico or Canada if your case gets into Admin processing. It may take 7-14 days to get your passport with stamped US visa.
You should not book your travel tickets with fixed dates if you do get a form-221g as there are no fixed timelines.
Passport Returned by Visa Officer in Canada/Mexico
If your passport has been returned by a US visa officer after the interview and a form 221g was issued, then the chances are very high that your case processing will take at least 6 or more weeks.
You will get an email to submit the passport again as and when the US embassy is ready to stamp your US visa.
Once you submit the passport again, you can expect to get a stamped passport back in 7-14 days.
It is important to keep a buffer of at least 3 weeks after US visa interviews these days if you are going for visa interviews, especially on H1B and L1 visas.
H4 Visa Approved, H1B still Admin Processing
It is also possible that noForm 221 (g) was issued and the Visa officer told you ‘Visa Approved‘ but your dependent’s H4 gets approved and your own H1B visa status shows as ‘Administrative Processing‘ online.
This generally happens:
If the US embassy is just verifying primary H1B’s credentials a little bit more or
has sent H1B’s application to USCIS to confirm some more information like work location.
No need to worry, you will get your H1B approved.
Remember, H4 cannot exist without H1B. If H4 has already been approved, your H1B approval is also on the way. Just a couple of more days to wait.
Reasons for Form 221g
There can any number of reasons for issuing form 221g by the US embassy and some can be really unheard of.
Recently, a person was issued form 221g and asked to submit the details of the CBP encounter at the US port of entry. This person had paid the fine for not declaring the food items that he was carrying from India.
Identity, Security Check
Identity checks are done by the US embassy to get US government security clearance on the person before the visa is issued.
You cannot expedite the security check process as the State Department (through the Embassies) takes its security obligations quite seriously.
The security clearances can take 1 to 8 weeks, and unfortunately, the government shutdown does delay these clearances.
The State Department does not have any specific time limitations to give security clearances.
Sometimes, these clearances are requested just because someone with a name similar to ABC’s name is on a watch list of individuals who committed a crime – and then the Embassy must be sure it can clearly determine that ABC is NOT that person.
FAQ
Is there a risk of Form 221g issue in Canada/Mexico?
You can get admin processing form 221g issued in Canada or Mexico too. The risk of form 221g delay is always high if your paperwork is not complete.
What is Form 221g processing time in India?
Form 221g processing time varies between 7 days to 6 months.
If form 221(g) is issued with a request to submit more documents, you can expect to wait for the form for more than 8 weeks.
If there are no documents requested, then you can expect your US visa approval in 7-30 working days.
Can I get a Passport for Travel while Form 221g Admin processing is pending?
You can request to get your passport while the US embassy is doing its internal admin processing.
Once the US embassy has cleared your case, they will send an email to submit a passport again.
If the 221(g) form indicates that additional documentation is required to process a visa application, the consulate will notify the applicant. You can typically submit the requested documents to the Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) electronically or at an appropriate location indicated on the 221(g) form.
CEAC – Visa Approved but Status is Administrative Processing status is common these days after visa interview in the US embassy. If your visa was approved and no form 221(g) was issued, then you can expect your stamped passport within 5-10 working days. No need to worry.
In most cases, 221g administrative processing will be completed within 60 days—typically around 3-4 weeks. In some instances, however, some 221g processing times can take many months or even over a year.
Apply for same visa but through another employer (applicable more to H1B applicants). Based on your current petition, an employer (same or different) can file cap-exempt petition for you. Once it is approved you can re-appear for visa interview. Again, one doesn't need to withdraw the pending 221g application.
If a visa applicant has received a 221(g) notice with a request for the submission of documents, the waiting time can vary, from a few weeks to a few months. There are some instances where visas are approved following document submission. However, in many others cases, the visas are denied.
At the conclusion of the administrative processing period, the consular officer might conclude that an applicant is now qualified for the visa for which he or she applied. The officer may also conclude that the applicant remains ineligible for a visa.
If further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved, it will be processed and mailed back within two business days. This status includes: The visa issuance process (visa has been approved but not yet printed)
If a visa application is approved during a visa interview, the average processing time is 7-10 working days. At least a further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for delivery. If you are eligible for the 'Interview Waiver Program' and submit your application by courier without attending an interview.
Refusal is a temporary hold that they put on your application, and they put you in what's called administrative processing. Administrative processing and 221(g) essentially mean that there is additional processing time that's required after the visa interview. That's the official definition.
From 221(g) refusal is a document that is issued by the US embassy if they need more information about your visa application. The form 221(g) is printed on various color papers including white, yellow, blue, and green.
It does indicate that they have you 221G form, first one is mostly a data entry in their systems which is available for us to see. Depends on the case it might take 14 business days to 3 months and in some rare scenarios it may take 6 months.
Upon completion of the case-specific administrative processing, the consular officer might conclude that an applicant is now qualified for the visa for which he or she applied. Alternatively, the officer may conclude that the applicant remains ineligible for a visa.
During administrative processing, the consular post retains the applicant's passport. If urgent travel is required, the applicant may request for the passport to be returned temporarily and resume the processing of the visa application at a later time.
Section 221(g) prohibits the issuance of a visa to anyone whose application does not comply with the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or related regulations.
INA Section 221(g) - Incomplete Application or Supporting Documentation. What does a visa denial under INA section 221(g) mean? A visa denial under section 221(g) of the INA means that the consular officer did not have all of the information required to determine if you are eligible to receive a visa.
This processing can take several weeks. Please follow any instructions provided by the consular officer at the time of your interview. If further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved, it will be processed and mailed back within two business days.
Approved – You have met all the qualifications and are approved to receive a visa. After being approved, you will receive an email during the next 5-10 business days indicating that your passport is ready to pick up at the selected location in your profile.
The US embassy can call you for a visa interview after you have dropped your documents. There is no need to take a visa interview appointment if they call you. Green form 221(g) was issued after Dropbox for Fingerprinting. The US embassy can issue a green form 221(g) and ask you to visit in person for fingerprints.
Administrative processes are the office tasks that are required to keep a company humming along. Administrative processes include human resources, marketing, and accounting. Basically, anything that entails managing the information that supports a business is an administrative process.
The system holds any notes that an officer anywhere in the world might have taken during previous visa interviews. It does not have access to other personal data about you, though. But you can also be Googled very quickly, from that same computer, before you've gathered your papers and walked to the interview window.
If your application is selected for administrative processing, you may not return to the United States until the visa is issued. All visa applicants should plan travel carefully and plan for the contingency of being delayed by administrative processing.
Security Advisory Opinion (SAO), commonly called "security clearance," "administrative clearance," or "administrative processing," is a process that the U.S. Department of State and its consulates use in deciding to grant or deny a U.S. visa.
Visa refusal means you did something wrong and that went on your permanent record, leading to visa refusal. While the visa rejection means something is missing from your application and you have to resubmit your paperwork.
Before USCIS grants the Travel Authorization/Advance Parole document, an immigrant can typically travel within the continental US while their green card application is still pending.
In order to avoid a 221(g) refusal for additional information, the applicant should be well prepared, answer questions truthfully, review the H1B petition carefully to fully understand the details of the work assignment in the United States, and bring copies of the documents to the interview that were submitted to the ...
Online: Use the case status online tool to check for updates about your immigration case. You will need your 13-character receipt number from your application or petition. By phone: If you are calling from the U.S., contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or TTY 1-800-767-1833.
To check the status of your visa, please visit the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) of the U.S. Department of State.Select the link for “Check my Visa Application Status” and follow the instructions.
Don't worry. Admin processing is the normal status and could mean multiple things with or without form 221(g) including: End Client Verification Is required. Identity, Security Check Required.
Visa processing takes approximately 21 workdays from the date on which the application is received by the Embassy. A further 2-3 workdays should be allowed for the return of your passport.
While passports are often available within one week, the exact time may vary significantly depending on the office used and the workload that the consulate is facing at that particular time. Current visa wait times are available on the U.S. Department of State website.
What happens when section 221(g) is issued? The consulate will issue a slip with a case number to the immigrant. If more documents are required, the consulate will request the paperwork that is needed. Once all of the documents are submitted, the immigrant must wait for the final decision.
Refusal under Section 221(g) means that essential information is missing from an application or that an application has been placed on administrative hold. The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if action on your case is being refused under 221(g) pending further information.
If an application was refused under section 221(g) and the consular officer specifically told the applicant to provide documents or information, the applicant should provide a complete response as soon as possible.
A visa denial under section 221(g) of the INA means that the consular officer did not have all of the information required to determine if you are eligible to receive a visa.
If you receive notice that you have been refused under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, it does not mean that the visa has been refused permanently; it means that more information is required before a final decision can be made regarding a case.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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