administrative processing!!!!!???

[mtlgato 2]

Ok so I had what I thought was a very easy, totally successful interview in Montreal on January 19. The official told me to expect to receive my passport back within "about a week." Since as of today it's been 2 weeks, I called DoS and talked to a visa specialist. She told me that the visa hasn't been issued yet and the case is in "administrative processing" !!!!! I'm shaking I'm so upset. She did add that "it looks like a very good case" and that she didn't think they would require any more documents. But why why why would it be in AP?

I don't understand. To me it seems like a totally easy case. This is the first and only marriage for both of us. We have no criminal charges or anything like that in either of our pasts. Neither of us has had any problems with immigration or any overstay-type issue. We have a 3-month-old US-citizen baby together. I just don't understand.

Unless it's that we had the baby after the case passed through NVC so now they have to update the file? We did give them an updated AoS with the baby added at the time of the interview.

But why why why???? I'm soooooooooooooooo upset

And of course there's no way of communicating with Montreal

C

[Al422 221]

The use of terminology here is significant. The real bad stuff that is sometimes loosely called Administrative Processing is actually Additional Administrative Processing or Administrative Review.

Regular AP is the usual BS to look on the know terrorist list, etc. That may very well be what you are in. Moscow does all that BS too, and it takes them just about 2 weeks to do it all. I don't know what the speed is in Montreal compared to Moscow, so I can't help you there.

Any Montreal interviewees who got their visa out there? How long did it take?

[Inky 1,110]

It is extremely rare that a Canadian is put into AP.

So sorry this has happened to you guys.

Have you filed a CRBA for the baby?

[decocker 7,198]

And of course there's no way of communicating with Montreal

C

jeez, after everything you guys have been through!

i feel for you. me and orphee had our interview 8/23 and didn't receive his passport/visa until 9/22. During that month (of total hell), we were told pretty much the EXACT same thing you were told by DOS.

i would say you are not under technical "AR", because they would have given you a notice (not sure the form number but it's specific). DOS says administrative review because they are still processing your case. I was in contact with my senator during our month wait, i would get your husband to get in contact with his and have them apply pressure to montreal. send emails to montreal (out of about a hundred, i did get two email responses from them) put your case number as the subject and state that you were approved on your interview date but have not received your passport/visa..and you are now outside of their own wait times (seven days, i believe)

i know it is almost impossible to do, but i would try and forget what DOS said and focus your energy on getting in touch with montreal..

good luck, keep us posted.

[Matt n Shannon 3]

Sorry to hear this.

[mtlgato 2]

The use of terminology here is significant. The real bad stuff that is sometimes loosely called Administrative Processing is actually Additional Administrative Processing or Administrative Review.

Regular AP is the usual BS to look on the know terrorist list, etc. That may very well be what you are in. Moscow does all that BS too, and it takes them just about 2 weeks to do it all. I don't know what the speed is in Montreal compared to Moscow, so I can't help you there.

Any Montreal interviewees who got their visa out there? How long did it take?

I hope you're right that there's such a thing as AP that isn't really the bad kind of AP. But haven't they had plenty of time before now to check the lists of known terrorists, etc.? I mean, really. And there is *nothing* in my background or my husband's background that could even possibly be suspicious. Nothing. Nothing. We are the most harmless people ever.

C.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I'm sure they pick cases for extra checks. Hopefully it doesnt drag on too much longer

[mtlgato 2]

It is extremely rare that a Canadian is put into AP.

So sorry this has happened to you guys.

Have you filed a CRBA for the baby?

Yes, we have a CRBA for the baby and a US passport. They asked us about the CRBA, but then didn't even ask to see it--which they should have; we had that and her passport with us!

Why why why would we be singled out? I just don't understand. I'm so crushed you just have no idea. I can't believe they would keep a 3 month old baby from her dad under these circumstances. There is NO reason. No possible reason.

We crossed all our Ts and dotted all our Is. We never had RFEs at the USCIS or NVC levels.

C

[Flames9_RN 358]

I'm sure they pick cases for extra checks. Hopefully it doesnt drag on too much longer

[mtlgato 2]

jeez, after everything you guys have been through!

i feel for you. me and orphee had our interview 8/23 and didn't receive his passport/visa until 9/22. During that month (of total hell), we were told pretty much the EXACT same thing you were told by DOS.

i would say you are not under technical "AR", because they would have given you a notice (not sure the form number but it's specific). DOS says administrative review because they are still processing your case. I was in contact with my senator during our month wait, i would get your husband to get in contact with his and have them apply pressure to montreal. send emails to montreal (out of about a hundred, i did get two email responses from them) put your case number as the subject and state that you were approved on your interview date but have not received your passport/visa..and you are now outside of their own wait times (seven days, i believe)

i know it is almost impossible to do, but i would try and forget what DOS said and focus your energy on getting in touch with montreal..

good luck, keep us posted.

Thanks. Did you ever get a notice that you were in AR?

I have indeed asked my husband to contact his congresswoman...but is a senator better? In our case the state is California, so I'm a bit worried the senator may have too much on her plate (represent too big a population with too many immigration problems).

Did you ever find out why you had that additonal delay in your case?

C

[Inky 1,110]

Its likely they are looking into the CRBA stuff if they never asked to see the papers you had on it. Doing a double check on it since the baby was born sort of in the middle of the process. Its silly why they couldn't have taken a copy of the paperwork you had and a copy of the passport bio-page for the baby etc.

[decocker 7,198]

Thanks. Did you ever get a notice that you were in AR?

I have indeed asked my husband to contact his congresswoman...but is a senator better? In our case the state is California, so I'm a bit worried the senator may have too much on her plate (represent too big a population with too many immigration problems).

Did you ever find out why you had that additonal delay in your case?

C

no, i was told repeatedly by DOS i was in AP or under administrative review, but i never was given notice of AR or AP. there has been one canadian KI couple that was placed (and notified) of being placed in AP. i can't remember their name...but i do remember that she was given a 221 (i think) slip at her interview.

eek, i'm sure california is a nightmare when it comes to immigration liaisons. i would use whoever can help you first. i'm not sure if our senator's liaison did anything to actually help our case, or if things just went their normal course, but it was the only communication i felt like i had with montreal.

the woman that interviewed us was a retiree and her last day was two days after our interview. i think that our file just got put on another employees desk and it took a while to get to it...but i've never received any type of explanation for the delay. one of the emails i got back from montreal simply stated, 'the officer is looking at your case and isn't done with it yet'..that was it.

i hope you get your passport/visa quickly.

i really do feel for you though.that month was so so so terrible, i couldn't eat or sleep - it was the NOT KNOWING ####### that drove me absolutely insane..

[Matt n Shannon 3]

Seems odd there is a recent influx in AP and delayed passport returns.

[mtlgato 2]

no, i was told repeatedly by DOS i was in AP or under administrative review, but i never was given notice of AR or AP. there has been one canadian KI couple that was placed (and notified) of being placed in AP. i can't remember their name...but i do remember that she was given a 221 (i think) slip at her interview.

eek, i'm sure california is a nightmare when it comes to immigration liaisons. i would use whoever can help you first. i'm not sure if our senator's liaison did anything to actually help our case, or if things just went their normal course, but it was the only communication i felt like i had with montreal.

the woman that interviewed us was a retiree and her last day was two days after our interview. i think that our file just got put on another employees desk and it took a while to get to it...but i've never received any type of explanation for the delay. one of the emails i got back from montreal simply stated, 'the officer is looking at your case and isn't done with it yet'..that was it.

i hope you get your passport/visa quickly.

i really do feel for you though.that month was so so so terrible, i couldn't eat or sleep - it was the NOT KNOWING ####### that drove me absolutely insane..

The woman who interviewed me was definitely not a retiree; she was young. She fits the description of the lady who interviewed lots of other folks on here (nice, youngish, blonde). She seriously didn't give me ANY indication that there would be additional delays. She gave me the welcome letter for goodness sake--and said to expect that passport back "in about a week."

I'm encouraged, at least, that you did evenutally get the visa in your case...and at least it was one month and not 6...but still, not fair!

One thing maybe worth saying is that my second wedding anniversary is in one month and a few days. So maybe I'll end up with an IR-1 in the end (in stead of CR-1)? With my luck, though, I'll get the CR-1 one day or something before the second annivesary

C

[Ontarkie 14,143]

Every time you send in any extra type of papers to Montreal they call that AP, that term is used for alot of reasons. Montreal was averaging about 6 weeks for additional paper work, but that was if you sent it in after the interview(not sure what they average now). Since you gave them the updated papers at the interview I'm sure it won't be much longer. 2 weeks seems like a lifetime, but to Montreal they probably think its nothing.