Blue Slip at Guangzhou - "Additional Processing Needed"

[Phaul 0]

Don't worry about it. When I was in colombia I had the chance to see one of those meetings the embassy do with a vice consul who answers all the questions they are submitted to answer and they talked a lot about the k1 visa. They said, that as long as the uscis approves it here in the USA, there's no reason to deny it during the interview as all the checks were done already at that point and that basically the only reason for denial is having overstayed or being married or not a true relationship.

They talked also about the AP and they said sometimes your name matches one of those names that require especial treatment and need additional screening or to check any prior event further which is probably your case. I believe that you will end up with an approved k1 visa, it's just a matter of time. My best friend had asked for his J1 visa last year and got the same AP letter. Six weeks later he got a call from the embassy saying he just needs to go to the embassy with his passport in order to have his visa issued.

Remember that AP doesn't mean denial. If they wanted to deny the petition because of that incident at POE they would have done it already. Maybe they are just clearing all the situation up and do the AP as they know it's not worth it a denial on a k1 when you got to this point and USCIS approved the petition here before hand. I just recommend you to be patient and wait and things will be cleared up and she eventually will get her visa issued!

I know AP are frustrating but remember you are not alone

Thank you Juan, that is quite insightful. Before reading this, the process has been a black box to me.

[MarMire 2]

same thing JUAN, THANKS!!! i'm in ap for 5 weeks for age gap , and you give me a hope!!

[Mangens 0]

Got Call-in-letter yesterday, took 35days. FYI

[Pitaya 2,577]

Got Call-in-letter yesterday, took 35days. FYI

Promising news and good luck!!!

Say hello to Uncle Darnell if you happen to see him in the park across the street from the GUZ.... lol.....

[Darnell 8,479]

I swear, I 'm gonna set up a portable table with stereo speakers and a beer keg, for a week, across from the IV unit.

To heck with waiting in the coffee bar, I'm a slinging cold beer, 2 rmb to USCitizens, 15 rmb to prc people; though couples would be free

Edited December 14, 2012 by Darnell

[Phaul 0]

Got Call-in-letter yesterday, took 35days. FYI

Thanks for sharing. Congratulations!

[Darnell 8,479]

Hey Phaul - what news from the DoS Hotline?

When calling them, DO ask :

1. is the casefile in administrative processing?

2. is the casefile in administrative review ?

usually, they not just flat out tell you, unless you ask directly.

[Phaul 0]

Is there a difference between the two?

I called last week and they said our case is under administrative processing. I asked for the date the status was last updated and the rep said, "We don't go by dates anymore. It's after the interview." I am not sure exactly what that means, but it probably doesn't matter anyway.

Hey Phaul - what news from the DoS Hotline?

When calling them, DO ask :

1. is the casefile in administrative processing?

2. is the casefile in administrative review ?

usually, they not just flat out tell you, unless you ask directly.

[Mangens 0]

Got visa on Dec 31 2012, finally completed this visa journey.

good luck to all of you~ XOXO

[Phaul 0]

We finally got an e-mail requesting Jing's passport! AP is over for us, after 133 days of waiting. It definitely felt like we'd be waiting forever, but now that's it's over I am just glad that we didn't have the 1 year + horror stories I've read about on here.

As suggested in this thread and also in others, I regularly checked/inquired on the status of our case in the following three ways:

1. E-mail the Consulate. Every two weeks, I used the web form they always request you to use: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/immigrant-visa-unit-question.html
   
2. Call DOS Visa hotline. Every week, I called 202-663-1225. Press 1, then 0; ususally I didn't have to wait to speak to huamn, the longest I ever had to wait was 10 minutes.
   
3. Check status online. Every day, I checked on https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx
   

The change in the pattern of online status updates was the first clue that something might be happening with our case. During the first 120 days or so, the "Status Updated Date" was only updated on days on which the Consulate replied to my e-mail inquiry. By around March 29th, about three weeks we got the e-mail requesting her passport, the "Status Updated Date" was being updated everyday or every other day, much more frequently than I was e-mailing the Consulate.

Then on April 12, our hopes were confirmed when I called the DOS Hotline. The person I spoke to told me a letter was sent requesting Jing's passport. And finally on April 16, she received the official e-mail from the consulate.

Now we are just waiting for Jing to receive her passport.

To all those still in AP: hang in there. I hope your day comes soon.

[Pitaya 2,577]

We finally got an e-mail requesting Jing's passport! AP is over for us, after 133 days of waiting. It definitely felt like we'd be waiting forever, but now that's it's over I am just glad that we didn't have the 1 year + horror stories I've read about on here.

As suggested in this thread and also in others, I regularly checked/inquired on the status of our case in the following three ways:

• E-mail the Consulate. Every two weeks, I used the web form they always request you to use: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/immigrant-visa-unit-question.html
• Call DOS Visa hotline. Every week, I called 202-663-1225. Press 1, then 0; ususally I didn't have to wait to speak to huamn, the longest I ever had to wait was 10 minutes.
• Check status online. Every day, I checked on https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx

The change in the pattern of online status updates was the first clue that something might be happening with our case. During the first 120 days or so, the "Status Updated Date" was only updated on days on which the Consulate replied to my e-mail inquiry. By around March 29th, about three weeks we got the e-mail requesting her passport, the "Status Updated Date" was being updated everyday or every other day, much more frequently than I was e-mailing the Consulate.

Then on April 12, our hopes were confirmed when I called the DOS Hotline. The person I spoke to told me a letter was sent requesting Jing's passport. And finally on April 16, she received the official e-mail from the consulate.

Now we are just waiting for Jing to receive her passport.

To all those still in AP: hang in there. I hope your day comes soon.

OP: This is very good news. I would like to say congratulations, but after all that both of you have been through…. I will be cautiously optimistic, i.e., I would believe it when I received the passport with the K-visa attached.

Good luck and please keep us informed.

Edited April 27, 2013 by A&B

[Phaul 0]

Good point A&B. I'd say the real congratulations is not really due until she make it into the US. But we are definitely celebrating this is good progress towards that. I'll also note that we will not book a plane ticket until she receives her passport back. The online status of our case has now changed from "Administrative Processing" to "Issued", so we're hoping that her passport will come any day now.

[Phaul 0]

Good point A&B. I'd say the real congratulations is not really due until she make it into the US. But we are definitely celebrating this is good progress towards that. I'll also note that we will not book a plane ticket until she receives her passport back. The online status of our case has now changed from "Administrative Processing" to "Issued", so we're hoping that her passport will come any day now.