For those whose name stuck in AP

[augustapplicant 0]

Did any one call FBI to see if your fiance's, husband, or wife's finger print has been received by them. I called FBI office number at 304-625-5590 and they said they have no records of her finger print what so ever. my fiance is in AP process for more than 6 months. please advise.

[emt103c 10]

Did any one call FBI to see if your fiance's, husband, or wife's finger print has been received by them. I called FBI office number at 304-625-5590 and they said they have no records of her finger print what so ever. my fiance is in AP process for more than 6 months. please advise.

Did YOU send them to the FBI or are you calling to see if the consulate did?

If the consulate did it, the FBI is not going to tell you. . .you would only be given information if you sent in the fingerprint request personally.

Requests for the consulate go through MANY agencies, not just FBI and are sent electronically, they usually have the FBI results same day. . .

[miamiwife 0]

A lawyer friend of mine told me that the multiple agencies probably do not include the FBI, but probably the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and maybe CIA. This is just one person's theory though. I think the FBI would have its results within a couple of days though.

[ferhounh 0]

Did any one call FBI to see if your fiance's, husband, or wife's finger print has been received by them. I called FBI office number at 304-625-5590 and they said they have no records of her finger print what so ever. my fiance is in AP process for more than 6 months. please advise.

If the Consulate took the fingerprints at the time of interview, they are instantly checked with the FBI and FBI (CJIS) systems that got this request make an entry in their database. The number quoted above is for the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services - CJIS, that is only responsible for fingerprint clearance only (not name check) and WILL TELL you if anybody, including the consulate, has made the inquiry on the subject.

The name check however is done by the FBI main offices in Washinton DC and they never tell you anything.

And, yes.. I have gone through this route and yes my wife's fingerprinting was taken by the Consulate at the time of her interview and it was checked by the FBI CJIS. It was confirmed to me by FBI at the number above.

hope that clarifies...

[augustapplicant 0]

Did any one call FBI to see if your fiance's, husband, or wife's finger print has been received by them. I called FBI office number at 304-625-5590 and they said they have no records of her finger print what so ever. my fiance is in AP process for more than 6 months. please advise.

If the Consulate took the fingerprints at the time of interview, they are instantly checked with the FBI and FBI (CJIS) systems that got this request make an entry in their database. The number quoted above is for the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services - CJIS, that is only responsible for fingerprint clearance only (not name check) and WILL TELL you if anybody, including the consulate, has made the inquiry on the subject.

The name check however is done by the FBI main offices in Washinton DC and they never tell you anything.

And, yes.. I have gone through this route and yes my wife's fingerprinting was taken by the Consulate at the time of her interview and it was checked by the FBI CJIS. It was confirmed to me by FBI at the number above.

hope that clarifies...

Thank you very much for your response. So, my fiance's finger print was taken twice, one during interview and second one two weeks after (they lost the first one) and i called at the number above, they did not have any record of her finger print. Should i E-mail the embassy for this? would you please advise? thank you so much.

[fouziathegr8 0]

I just called the FBI number you said above :

for everyone else please press #2 then #5 then #3.

I have been waiting for over 7 months in administrative processing and they did not receive any fingerprints on his name also what is the A #?

She was asking for a A#?

ok well she looked it up by his name and date of birth!

i cant believe this I have been waiting this long and they did not do anything !

[fouziathegr8 0]

I just got off the phone with DOS.

I told them that FBI did nto receive any fingerprints or anything...

I have been waiting for 2 + years after my marriage and also 7+ months in AP... she was so rude...

all she said was u r going to have to wait.

what am i waiting for if they havent even sent the fingerprints!

[ferhounh 0]

I just got off the phone with DOS.

I told them that FBI did nto receive any fingerprints or anything...

I have been waiting for 2 + years after my marriage and also 7+ months in AP... she was so rude...

all she said was u r going to have to wait.

what am i waiting for if they havent even sent the fingerprints!

ok, folks - it seems out of logic that the fingerprints should not be run by FBI, CJIS. THIS IS THE VERY FIRST STEP in ANY VISA process (whether Immigrant or Non-Immigrant). At times fingerprints are lost, unreadable, etc., It is the responsibility of the post (embassy/consulate) to request the candidate to come and give fingerprints again so that they can follow up and clear at least the first step. Next step is for the consulate to request additional clearances from DOS directly from Washington and that includes a full name check and other agency involvement (aka administrative blackhole as we know it).

So, for those who are not able to get confirmation from FBI, CJIS - you should immediately contact your congressman/congresswoman and have them write a letter to the post and explain the situation. You would be just wasting time as your case might just be sitting at the post gathering dust as they have not even cleared your very first stage.

It is unfortunate, but these things seem to happen. The applicant/petitioner should not have to do this but seriously the posts seem to be handling way more visa applicants than they can.

[ferhounh 0]

I just called the FBI number you said above :

for everyone else please press #2 then #5 then #3.

I have been waiting for over 7 months in administrative processing and they did not receive any fingerprints on his name also what is the A #?

She was asking for a A#?

ok well she looked it up by his name and date of birth!

i cant believe this I have been waiting this long and they did not do anything !

The A # is a Alien Number allocated to Green Card holders. FBI, CJIS asks this as they assume the fingerprints were requested for citizenship related application. In case of visa requests, obviously A# does not exist yet in most cases, so just give them the last name, first name and DOB.

[augustapplicant 0]

I just got off the phone with DOS.

I told them that FBI did nto receive any fingerprints or anything...

I have been waiting for 2 + years after my marriage and also 7+ months in AP... she was so rude...

all she said was u r going to have to wait.

what am i waiting for if they havent even sent the fingerprints!

ok, folks - it seems out of logic that the fingerprints should not be run by FBI, CJIS. THIS IS THE VERY FIRST STEP in ANY VISA process (whether Immigrant or Non-Immigrant). At times fingerprints are lost, unreadable, etc., It is the responsibility of the post (embassy/consulate) to request the candidate to come and give fingerprints again so that they can follow up and clear at least the first step. Next step is for the consulate to request additional clearances from DOS directly from Washington and that includes a full name check and other agency involvement (aka administrative blackhole as we know it).

So, for those who are not able to get confirmation from FBI, CJIS - you should immediately contact your congressman/congresswoman and have them write a letter to the post and explain the situation. You would be just wasting time as your case might just be sitting at the post gathering dust as they have not even cleared your very first stage.

It is unfortunate, but these things seem to happen. The applicant/petitioner should not have to do this but seriously the posts seem to be handling way more visa applicants than they can.

Thank you so much for your information, i am calling my senator to send them a letter, not sure if the embassy does anything about it.

[ferhounh 0]

I just got off the phone with DOS.

I told them that FBI did nto receive any fingerprints or anything...

I have been waiting for 2 + years after my marriage and also 7+ months in AP... she was so rude...

all she said was u r going to have to wait.

what am i waiting for if they havent even sent the fingerprints!

ok, folks - it seems out of logic that the fingerprints should not be run by FBI, CJIS. THIS IS THE VERY FIRST STEP in ANY VISA process (whether Immigrant or Non-Immigrant). At times fingerprints are lost, unreadable, etc., It is the responsibility of the post (embassy/consulate) to request the candidate to come and give fingerprints again so that they can follow up and clear at least the first step. Next step is for the consulate to request additional clearances from DOS directly from Washington and that includes a full name check and other agency involvement (aka administrative blackhole as we know it).

So, for those who are not able to get confirmation from FBI, CJIS - you should immediately contact your congressman/congresswoman and have them write a letter to the post and explain the situation. You would be just wasting time as your case might just be sitting at the post gathering dust as they have not even cleared your very first stage.

It is unfortunate, but these things seem to happen. The applicant/petitioner should not have to do this but seriously the posts seem to be handling way more visa applicants than they can.

Thank you so much for your information, i am calling my senator to send them a letter, not sure if the embassy does anything about it.

you're welcome... FWIW, you should also reach out to the congressman/woman for your district in addition to the senators. In my research I found out that the Bureau of Consular Affairs under Department of State, [which deals with all Visa issues and USCIS, NVC, and has administrative control over all embassys and consulates worldwide] is required to respond to staffers from congressional offices for inquiries initiated on behalf of their constituents. This same requirement does not seem to be the case with senators offices. So I guess it is likely that you will get a quick response from the embassy/consulate if the inquiry is initiated from a congressional office rather than a senator's office.

best...

[fouziathegr8 0]

Thanx a lot Ferhounh!

u were very helpful...

all i can do is be patient and just try everything....

this morning i was depressed and frustrated over my situation...

ok take care and good luck to everyone...

Thanx a lot Ferhounh!

u were very helpful...

all i can do is be patient and just try everything....

this morning i was depressed and frustrated over my situation...

ok take care and good luck to everyone...

[emt103c 10]

I don't understand why you are calling the FBI. It is not going to help you. Writing an inquiry to the FBI is not going to help you either.

There are SO MANY other checks that have to be run. You are wasting your time with any calls or inquiries to the FBI. I CANNOT make that clear enough.

It is not just your prints that are run, but your name as well and there are multiple agencies. If you are in AP, you need to sit back and calm down. Inquiries by your House/Senate liaisons need to be made to the Dept of State and/or the Consulate.

If you want to personally call someone for updates, call the DOS information/inquiry line. Calling the FBI is a waste of time.

[emt103c 10]

So, more misinformation from previous posts: The A# is generated on any application with USCIS and even CBP. An A# is assigned when the I-130 or I-129F is first received. . .a new one is generated (sometimes) when you are granted a visa/PR card. You can find it usually on the Approval notice for your I-130.

. . . . . .When my husband was in AP for 7 months, the consulate responded VERY WELL to my Senate liaison and my House Reps. They respond to both, though it is technically a courtesy. . .

In addition, if you are in AP for 7 months, they are probably doing more than just FBI fingerprint checks. AP can mean MANY different things. For my husband it meant verification of a document he sent from Pakistan. . .for others here it means relationship verification. . .for others it means name check. . .it could be many things.

An inquiry through your Congressional and/or House liaisons could yield this information if the consulate is so inclined to provide it. Calling the DOS can sometimes yield this information as well. . .that is how I found out.

Also, the office of Consular Affairs does not need to be contacted in general cases where the consulate is responding to inquiries in a timely manner. Consular Affairs is for when the consulate is not handling cases in a legal manner or a timely manner, refuses to answer inquiries, etc. There are many uses for Consular Affairs, but contacting them before doing inquiries yourself and with the help of elected officials is again, a waste of time. For example, Consular Affairs was very helpful for me when after my husband's AP was completed, and his applications all processed, the consulate refused to acknowledge approval and refused to consult with the approving USCIS office. This went on for about three months. . .

It was ultimately a congressional rep who was able to relay all information and get the consulate on the same page with USCIS and myself. . . .

[ferhounh 0]

So, more misinformation from previous posts: The A# is generated on any application with USCIS and even CBP. An A# is assigned when the I-130 or I-129F is first received. . .a new one is generated (sometimes) when you are granted a visa/PR card. You can find it usually on the Approval notice for your I-130.

. . . . . .When my husband was in AP for 7 months, the consulate responded VERY WELL to my Senate liaison and my House Reps. They respond to both, though it is technically a courtesy. . .

In addition, if you are in AP for 7 months, they are probably doing more than just FBI fingerprint checks. AP can mean MANY different things. For my husband it meant verification of a document he sent from Pakistan. . .for others here it means relationship verification. . .for others it means name check. . .it could be many things.

An inquiry through your Congressional and/or House liaisons could yield this information if the consulate is so inclined to provide it. Calling the DOS can sometimes yield this information as well. . .that is how I found out.

Also, the office of Consular Affairs does not need to be contacted in general cases where the consulate is responding to inquiries in a timely manner. Consular Affairs is for when the consulate is not handling cases in a legal manner or a timely manner, refuses to answer inquiries, etc. There are many uses for Consular Affairs, but contacting them before doing inquiries yourself and with the help of elected officials is again, a waste of time. For example, Consular Affairs was very helpful for me when after my husband's AP was completed, and his applications all processed, the consulate refused to acknowledge approval and refused to consult with the approving USCIS office. This went on for about three months. . .

It was ultimately a congressional rep who was able to relay all information and get the consulate on the same page with USCIS and myself. . . .

I am sorry but emt103c, Sibtain: you need to do better research than this before categorizing posts as being misinformed.

1. A# - There is a difference between "Admission Number" and "Alien Registration, also called A#". Have you checked your 1-130 or I-129F NOAs to see if the beneficiary has been assigned a A#, I bet you will not find it. In most cases the NOA mentions A# of the Petitioner (one who is petitioning for the spouse or others), in case there is one available for the Petitioner.

Admission Number: An 11-digit number assigned to an alien when he enters the Unites States. This number is frequently found on the Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) and should not be confused with the Alien Registration Number (A-#).

We are talking about the A# here!!

I just verified with my own NOAs and yes I am right indeed. I would like to be educated by others who find it differently. emt103c, can you confirm otherwise?

2. It is possible that you had better luck with both senators and Congressional offices in your inquiries. I spoke with Field directors for both senators offices and congressional offices and it was very clear that congressional staffers have much more direct access to consular offices and they were responded to quickly. It has been verified by own experiences. No harm in approaching both senators and congressional offices however.

Now, not to give a lecture on the difference between Senate and House of Represetatives (Congressman/woman as we know 'em) but this is fundamentally related to who represents what. For those that are not aware of the differences, here's why:

The House (Congressional offices) be seen as more closely representing the will of the people than the Senate.To this end, US constitution provided that members of the House - U.S. Representatives - be elected by and represent limited groups of citizens living in small geographically defined districts within each state. Senators, on the other hand, are elected by and represent all voters of their state. When the House considers a bill for example, individual members tend to base their votes primarily on how the bill might impact the people of their local district, while Senators tend to consider how the bill would impact the nation as a whole. This is just as the Founders intended.

3. Who to contact? Bureau of Counselor Affairs aka DOS in Washington DC, or Consulates/Embassies (aka posts in technical lingo) or FBI?

Well it all depends... The Administrative Processing (AP) also alternatively referred to as Administrative Review by some posts has several stages. There are some activities that happen at the post themselves and some are handled by the DOS in Washington DC. Irrespective of the AP, every single person (including children) are being fingerprinted at the time of the interview at the posts. Even before anything happens at the interview with the consular officer, these finger prints are instantly checked with the FBI, CJIS and when this happens, there is a record created in the FBI CJIS that the request was received for a particular lastname, first named person.

So, I don't think there is anything wrong in calling the FBI CJIS phone number (that has been specifically set up for general public to verify the status of their fingerprints clearance) to get some peace of mind that the post has indeed sent in the fingerprints for check against FBI.

If, as in some cases here, the consulate has never run the basic (instant) fingerprint check against the FBI, CJIS - then there is something wrong with the post and the Petitioner ABSOLUTELY needs to follow up. Yes one could follow up directly but you are a lot better off doing it both ways. In my case the post responded to my email but not until after 4 weeks but my request from congressman was responded within 24 hours! If one wants to wait for 4 weeks or multiples there off, that's cool, but I have voted for my congressman and I would like to get some work

FBI Name check is totally another thing and this is handled by the FBI Washington Main offices and is a part of the AP that happens subsequently at the request of DOS in Washington DC.

In fact, if you call the FBI CJIS number and hear the menus carefully, the instructions clearly say what I am saying here. That the FBI CJIS does not handle Name Check and there is no way to find out about the status on that. So do me a favor, people who are misinforming other, please pick up the phone and call the FBI, CJIS number and at least hear out the menus.

Sibtain - you are wrong!! don't spread misinformation (-; It is totally ok for the petitioner to call the FBI, if you have nothing to hide what are you worried about? FBI is a service agency and they are paid for by the Tax Paying US Citizens and this is a PUBLISHED NUMBER available for the PUBLIC at LARGE!!

So, guys it is unfortunate that we have to be following with every step of the process but that is the fact of life dealing with government agencies - whether in a 3rd world country or the most developed and sophisticated of countries. Ever heard of falling through the cracks? yes, it happens here to.. although a lot of credit goes to the US agencies and systems, things fall through the cracks here to and not know what happened your best bet is to follow through and traverse the path - this is a job nobody else will do for you and your loved one.

good luck to every one!