Clearing FBI after Biometrics?

[Gulskjegg 0]

When my wife had her I-751 biometrics, we were told 15 minutes later that my wife cleared the FBI check. She just had her N-400 biometrics and when we got home the next day I called the local USCIS office in Helena, MT and asked to verify that my wife had cleared the FBI check. The IO called and she said the FBI checks take "a couple of days". I informed her that my wife cleared FBI within 15 minutes last time, and that surprised the IO. Then I was told we will get a letter in a week or two stating my wife cleared the FBI.

Has anyone gotten a letter about clearing the FBI? Also, has anyone had any problems clearing FBI? I hope we dont have any problems at this stage, because I would imagine the FBI being even more difficult to deal with then USCIS.

Thanks in advance!

[raymaga 25]

No, I did not receive a letter about my fingerprints.

I just got the interview notice giving the date and place for my interview.

[Gulskjegg 0]

Hmm, interesting. Makes you wonder if the USCIS screens all new recruits for pathological liar traits, or at least trains them to be one.

[NickD 202]

If this is of any interest, read it, I understand this is done on N-400 applicants, but already was done for I-485 applicants as well. Apparently the hang up's come depending on the nationality of your name or how common your name is, like Smith or Jones. All I know, if I want to buy a gun, takes about five minutes.

"FBI Name Check Process

It may be helpful to the Committee to follow along with Attachment B, a

flow chart of the FBI visa name check work process. Consular officers

worldwide determine whether a visa request falls into one of the special

visa categories requiring additional scrutiny. Two of these categories

are Visa Condor, relevant to certain individuals who are from designated

countries and who satisfy additional criteria which may make them worthy

of additional scrutiny, and Visa Mantis, relevant to certain individuals

who will have access during their visit to American special

technologies. The consular officer will submit their name check requests

by cable, simultaneously to both the FBI and State Department

headquarters.

In the next step of the process, the FBI communications center forwards

the batches of names to be checked electronically to the name check

program. The name is electronically checked against the FBI Universal

Indices (UNI). The searches seek all instances of the individual's name

and close date of birth, whether a main file name or reference. By way

of explanation, a main file name is that of an individual who is,

himself, the subject of an FBI investigation, whereas a reference is

someone whose name appears in an FBI investigation. References may be

associates, witnesses, conspirators, or a myriad of other reasons may

exist to explain why an FBI Agent believed it important to index a

particular name in an investigation for later recovery. The names are

searched in a multitude of combinations, switching the order of first,

last, middle names, as well as combinations with just the first and

last, first and middle, and so on. It also searches different phonetic

spelling variations of the names, especially important considering that

many names in our indices have been transliterated from a language other

than English.

If there is a match with a name in a FBI record, it is designated as a

"Hit", meaning that the system has stopped on a possible match with the

name being checked, but now a human being must review the file or

indices entry to further refine the names "Hit" on. If the search comes

up with a name and birth date match, it is designated an "Ident." An

"Ident" is usually easier to resolve.

Resolution Rate

Approximately 85% of name checks are electronically returned as having

"No Record" within 72 hours. A "No Record" indicates that the FBI's

Central Records System contains no identifiable information regarding to

this individual. By agreement with State, partially due to our concern

about the time factors in approving most visa requests, a No Record

equates to a No Objection to the issuance of a visa. The substantive

investigative divisions in the FBI, (i.e., Counterterrorism Division

(CTD), Counterintelligence Division (CD), Criminal Investigative

Division (CID) and the Cyber Division (CyD)) do not review visa requests

where there is no record of the individual. Duplicate submissions (i.e.,

identically spelled names with identical dates of birth submitted within

the last 120 days) are not checked and the duplicate findings are

returned to State.

Because a name and birth date are not sufficient to positively correlate

the file with an individual, additional review is required. A secondary

manual name search usually identifies an additional 10% of the requests

as having a "No Record", for a 95% overall "No Record" response rate.

This is usually accomplished within a week of the request. The remaining

5% are identified as possibly being the subject of an FBI record. The

FBI record must now be retrieved and reviewed. If the records were

electronically uploaded into the FBI Automated Case Support (ACS)

electronic recordkeeping system, it can be viewed quickly. If not, the

relevant information must be retrieved from the existing paper record.

Review of this information will determine whether the information is

identified with the subject of the request. If not, the request is

closed as a "No Record."

The information in the file is reviewed for possible derogatory

information. Less than 1% of the requests are identified with an

individual with possible derogatory information. These requests are

forwarded to the appropriate FBI investigative division for further

analysis. If the investigative division determines there is no objection

to the visa request, the request is returned to the name check

dissemination desk for forwarding to the State Department. If there is

an FBI objection to the visa request, the investigative division will

prepare a written Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) and forward it to the

State Department. In reviewing these visa requests, the FBI has

identified individuals attempting to enter the United States who are of

serious concern to the FBI.

Processing Times

As in the name checks processes for 70 other agencies, the name check

system accurately monitors the status of visa requests in the name check

process. The system's metrics are a dynamic tool, allowing the FBI to

identify when to add additional personnel to process visas. The metrics

also provide an accurate tool to determine whether the name check

process is causing delays for visa requests.

The FBI's goal is to have all requests completed within 120 days.

Attachment C illustrates the current status of Visa Condor names checks,

and Attachment D illustrates the same for Visa Mantis name checks. This

status was taken on July 3, 2003. For example, for Visas Condor, the FBI

received 7384 requests during the month of June 2003. The FBI resolved

all but 649 of these requests, for a 92% resolution rate. In the month

of May 2003, the FBI received 5,059 Visa Condor requests and has

resolved all but 105 of these requests for a 98%resolution rate (See

Attachment C). For Visas Mantis, the FBI received 2589 requests in the

month of June 2003 and resolved 2226, or 86% of them (See Attachment D).

Visas Mantis are particularly difficult to resolve due to the

predominance of requests from China and the commonality of Asian names.

A common question we receive is, How long does it take to complete a

visa request name check? As shown on these graphs, 86 to 92% are

completed in 30 days. For both types of visa requests, 98-99% of the

requests are resolved in 120 days.

Most name check requests that are over 30 days old are the result of the

time required to retrieve and review field office record information.

Some delay occurs at substantive analysts' desks, but this is to be

expected. These analysts are assigned to the investigative divisions and

are primarily assigned to the analysis of intelligence reports from

around the world in order to support on-going investigations, or to

support the flow of intelligence to policy makers. These are the best

professionals, however, to review information in our records and to then

make an informed decision on whether a requester of a visa represents a

threat to our homeland, or is interested in illegally acquiring our

targeted technology. Nevertheless, as I stated earlier, the FBI's

resolves 99% of all types of visa requests within 120 days.

These numbers provide you accurate information to assess whether, both

in time and in numbers, the FBI name check process for visa requests

unduly disrupts the legitimate commerce of this nation."

[Gulskjegg 0]

Well, there is nothing we can do but wait at this point. I suspect there will be a snag with FBI, but I tend to expect the worst from USCIS.

[NickD 202]

Well, there is nothing we can do but wait at this point. I suspect there will be a snag with FBI, but I tend to expect the worst from USCIS.

Wife did her N-400 biometrics April 7, 2008, a notice for interview came in June 3, 2008, wasn't much of a wait for us, a little over three weeks. That is warp 10 speed for the USCIS, LOL.

Warp 10 speed is C, the speed of light to the 10th power, or C^10, ha my calculator doesn't go that high.

(3 X 10^8)^10 = 3 followed by 80 zeros meters per second, that's fast.

[Gulskjegg 0]

Well, I am glad yours is moving along well, but I have a weird feeling were going to get hung up on the FBI. I cant help but wonder how many others here are stalled on FBI.

You and I share Nebraska as a service center, but your St. Paul local center has a claimed processing time of 8.6 months, and my Helena, MT local office has a 5 month processing time. So, I should be able to use your timeframe and assume that we will have a interview letter within a month.

When we get it, I plan to request an early interview and swear in. Cant hurt to ask.