H4 Visa to undergo administrative processing (221g)? HELP!!

[aal3 0]

My family and I had our H1B visa interviews a few weeks ago at the US Consulate in Istanbul. We were told that our visas are approved the day of the interview but we received an email from the consulate a week later saying that my 16 year old son (H4) is going to undergo further processing. They also told us to come pick up our passports. When we picked up our passports we were handed a yellow 221g slip for my son.

Today is the 4 weeks mark. Should I be getting worried??

I'm very confused as to what this is. Is it a denial? The VO said the rest of my family's visa are approved but they cannot be issued until my son's visa finishes processing. Is it just a matter of time until they approve him or is he refused? What does the YELLOW slip mean?

Last question, why did the VO said we were approved and a week later my son got handed the 221g? Is this bad?

Please help!!

[teeak 224]

It's not a denial. Once they finish with the administrative processing (AP) for your son, they will issue the visas to you. Now, how long the AP will take is something that's hard to figure out. Some people are in AP for a few weeks and some months.

The reason why they gave you the yellow slip, or denial is because after the interview the embassy is required to render a decision. It is either an approval or denial. Now, since they need to do AP for your son, they're not able to issue the visas right away even though they told you you're approved so they gave you the 221g, temporary denial slip.

Once AP is finished and everything is clear for your son's background, your family should be issued thevisas.

Edited September 10, 2015 by teeak

[KierenHby 899]

AP can be days.. weeks..months, or even years in rare cases. If your 16-yr old son is just a typical teenager with nothing criminal in his background, you should hear back sooner than later.

[aal3 0]

AP can be days.. weeks..months, or even years in rare cases. If your 16-yr old son is just a typical teenager with nothing criminal in his background, you should hear back sooner than later.

It's not a denial. Once they finish with the administrative processing (AP) for your son, they will issue the visas to you. Now, how long the AP will take is something that's hard to figure out. Some people are in AP for a few weeks and some months.

The reason why they gave you the yellow slip, or denial is because after the interview the embassy is required to render a decision. It is either an approval or denial. Now, since they need to do AP for your son, they're not able to issue the visas right away even though they told you you're approved so they gave you the 221g, temporary denial slip.

Once AP is finished and everything is clear for your son's background, your family should be issued thevisas.

I can't think of anything that would trigger a background verification on my son. He was in the United States with me from 2009 to April, 2015 and he attended Elementary, Middle, and High school in the U.S. We already had an H1 and H4 Visas for me and my family but they were issued from inside the U.S, therefore when we visited our home country, we had to apply for a visa stamp to get back in. He even has a US driver license and has never been ticketed or arrested. 3.8 GPA. I can't think of anything even close to trigger a background check.

Are there any other reasons that my son is in processing?

[KierenHby 899]

Young males of ME\Muslim nationalities tend to be on AP.

[canadian_wife 1,829]

How did he attend school while in the US? Was he on a visa? If yes, what type?

This may be the cause of your AP

Good luck

[aal3 0]

How did he attend school while in the US? Was he on a visa? If yes, what type?

This may be the cause of your AP

Good luck

From 2009 to 2014 he was on a J2 Visa accompanying me while I was studying at The University of Ohio.

As soon as I graduated, I was offered a Lecturer position at The University of Ohio. I obtained a waiver of the 2-year home residency requirement for our J visa and I switched my visa to H1B, my spouse and my younger child (currently in processing) to H4.

His older brother, graduated high school at the same time I graduated, changed his visa from a J2 to an F-1 (This visa also went through administrative processing, but we didn't mind since we were already in the U.S, the only document they requested was a waiver of the 2 year requirement) because he was about to start studying at The University of Ohio.

When we returned to our home country for the summer, his older brother stayed in the U.S to focus on his studies.

Did this help clarify my situation?

[aal3 0]

When I said my younger child (Currently processing) I meant that he is the one that is undergoing processing right now, but he had an H4 visa while he was in the U.S

[Boiler 46,260]

You are confusing the terminology, you did a change of status, you never had a visa, you are applying for one now.

However his being in AP should not impact you getting yours.

[aal3 0]

You are confusing the terminology, you did a change of status, you never had a visa, you are applying for one now.

However his being in AP should not impact you getting yours.

I meant to say a change of status, not visa. Sorry about that.

The consulate said me and my family's visas cannot be issued until my son has finished processing. If we would like our visas to be issued without him, we must create another application and another interview that does not include him.

[Boiler 46,260]

Sounds like they are making the rules up as they go along.

H4 requires an approved H1 but otherwise they are independent applications.

[aal3 0]

UPDATE:

His status on CEAC still shows as administrative processing BUT it has been updated on September 18, 2015. The Consulate's website still shows as pending. For those who are labeled as "send passport" on the consulate website, their status was updated on September 10. Hopefully this means that I will be asked to send his passport within the next week?

They have a holiday from 13:00 Wednesday August 23 to August 27.

[Boiler 46,260]

No certainty, does not seem to work like that.