AOS interview successful, but waiting for FBI name check

[Basab 1]

They will not stop you from committing a crime, but if you do, you will be denied adjustment and be deported.

Looks like going to jail in the US is a better option than returning back to home country ....

Oh and by the way, it is an international check, so if you have a record with a 'friendly' nation, you will be denied and deported.

Good luck on your process

thats exactly what my point was..Is it not better to not let someone enter US who has a criminal background in his home country than to let him enter and figure out later he has a criminal background and then deport him......Sounds like a bad a idea

Anyways thanks to all vj members....Just venting out here

[Empress of Groovy 373]

What's really scary is that it takes the FBI this long to ascertain that the John Smith who is seeking permanent residency isn't the same John Smith who is suspected of blowing up a building. I know a lot goes on behind the scenes, but that it takes years to determine these things doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the system!

[John & Annie 0]

What's really scary is that it takes the FBI this long to ascertain that the John Smith who is seeking permanent residency isn't the same John Smith who is suspected of blowing up a building. I know a lot goes on behind the scenes, but that it takes years to determine these things doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the system!

Yes it is, this check should be done prior to the person entering the country

[LaL 418]

What's really scary is that it takes the FBI this long to ascertain that the John Smith who is seeking permanent residency isn't the same John Smith who is suspected of blowing up a building. I know a lot goes on behind the scenes, but that it takes years to determine these things doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the system!

Yes it is, this check should be done prior to the person entering the country

I will state my case again - in our case we were and it burns me to the core. 8 months for security clearance cleared July 2005, then to start again November 2005 for AOS.

but hey ~ he's arab. check, recheck and check again.

has anyone else seen the news that WOM's are not being dismissed at the rate they were earlier this year?

[Basab 1]

They will not stop you from committing a crime, but if you do, you will be denied adjustment and be deported.

I wish I were as smart as you are to realize that.

Good luck on your process

Thanks for your well wishes

[John & Annie 0]

What's really scary is that it takes the FBI this long to ascertain that the John Smith who is seeking permanent residency isn't the same John Smith who is suspected of blowing up a building. I know a lot goes on behind the scenes, but that it takes years to determine these things doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the system!

Yes it is, this check should be done prior to the person entering the country

I will state my case again - in our case we were and it burns me to the core. 8 months for security clearance cleared July 2005, then to start again November 2005 for AOS.

but hey ~ he's arab. check, recheck and check again.

has anyone else seen the news that WOM's are not being dismissed at the rate they were earlier this year?

I managed to get a hold of a very nice lady at USCIS via my Congressman's office and she was telling me a bout a case that was pending for three years because the petitioner was one of the students in Tiananmen Square and the Chinese Government put an Interpol hit on him as a terrorist. She felt so bad for him, and was trying to work through the system to get his case done.

My point it, you never know what the home country is saying or what they have done and how that can foul up things here.

[Basab 1]

All applicants going through the AOS process have their names submitted for an FBI Name Check - it has nothing to do with being randomly selected or being victimized or picked on or whatever. It is a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking an immigrant benefit, and a Green Card is considered a benefit.

First of all thanks for the info. Fair enough. But the thing is does fbi "follow" this rule? I know they are supposed to do it for all candidates but do they do it? The reason I was saying this is because in India finding someones record is like finding a needle in a hay stack....More than a billion people with very little cooperation. Actually depends on which part of india as well. In such a situation when I see plenty of other Indians getting thru without this name check ####### it makes me wonder if this fbi is indeed doing their job or not.

But anyways I wish all of us luck here and hope your patience will be rewarded

[annett&seb 0]

Well, not sure if that is good news or if it will even help any of us, but we can always hope

From yahoo.com

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez planned to announce broad immigration changes at a news conference Friday.

Some of the initiatives are similar to proposals contained in recent immigration legislation, although they are not nearly as sweeping as the bill that failed to pass the Senate. Other measures are already under way.

An outline of the announcement, obtained by The Associated Press from a congressional aide, said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports.

See yahoo for the entire article, but we can always hope that it will help!!

[Donna A 4]

Well, not sure if that is good news or if it will even help any of us, but we can always hope

From yahoo.com

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez planned to announce broad immigration changes at a news conference Friday.

Some of the initiatives are similar to proposals contained in recent immigration legislation, although they are not nearly as sweeping as the bill that failed to pass the Senate. Other measures are already under way.

An outline of the announcement, obtained by The Associated Press from a congressional aide, said the administration plans to expand the list of international gangs whose members are automatically denied admission to the U.S., reduce processing times for immigrant background checks and install by the end of the year an exit system so the departure of foreigners from the country can be recorded at airports and seaports.

See yahoo for the entire article, but we can always hope that it will help!!

i read the same article in the usa today. im keeping my fingers crossed.

[John & Annie 0]

All applicants going through the AOS process have their names submitted for an FBI Name Check - it has nothing to do with being randomly selected or being victimized or picked on or whatever. It is a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking an immigrant benefit, and a Green Card is considered a benefit.

First of all thanks for the info. Fair enough. But the thing is does fbi "follow" this rule? I know they are supposed to do it for all candidates but do they do it? The reason I was saying this is because in India finding someones record is like finding a needle in a hay stack....More than a billion people with very little cooperation. Actually depends on which part of india as well. In such a situation when I see plenty of other Indians getting thru without this name check ####### it makes me wonder if this fbi is indeed doing their job or not.

But anyways I wish all of us luck here and hope your patience will be rewarded

There a quite a few of us that did a lot of research on the FBI Name Check and you are right it is looking for a needle in a haystack.

The FBI is in the process of digitizing all of their documents. Currently, if your name or any permutations of your name get any hits, those hits must be researched manually. The FBI has to request copies of the file to conclude that the hit is or is not you.

[rebeccajo 14]

All applicants going through the AOS process have their names submitted for an FBI Name Check - it has nothing to do with being randomly selected or being victimized or picked on or whatever. It is a mandatory requirement for anyone seeking an immigrant benefit, and a Green Card is considered a benefit.

First of all thanks for the info. Fair enough. But the thing is does fbi "follow" this rule? I know they are supposed to do it for all candidates but do they do it? The reason I was saying this is because in India finding someones record is like finding a needle in a hay stack....More than a billion people with very little cooperation. Actually depends on which part of india as well. In such a situation when I see plenty of other Indians getting thru without this name check ####### it makes me wonder if this fbi is indeed doing their job or not.

But anyways I wish all of us luck here and hope your patience will be rewarded

Yes, they do - actually 'they' being the Dept. of Homeland Security. After the Trade Center Tragedy of September 11, Homeland Security was created to 'bundle together' INS (now USCIS) and DOS creating a more cohesive system that could monitor EVERYONE coming in and out of our country. Prior to the existence of DHS, immigrant and non-immigrant petitioners and visa applicants were pulled at random for background checks prior to the issuance of benefits. DHS is mandated by Congress to check out EVERY petitioner.

The FBI (hired by DHS to perform background checks) does not check just 'you'. They check your name by mixing your given, middle and surnames. They apply Soundex matching to your surname - in our case Soundex listed five other surnames which were checked. They also check those individuals with these name mutations who have a birthdate 'range' near your actual birthdate. If all these names cannot be electronically verified to not be 'you' then a search is begun for the paper record which contains the name. The FBI stores records in 265 locations - the archived files must be located and transferred to the agent working your file.

It appears that individuals with names not of English origin are sometimes 'caught' in checks for longer time periods. It's my conjecture that Soundex matching causes more hits on those names, thus lengthening the search process. It doesn't help that DHS often applies English 'variations' to Middle Eastern names. Inquire of some of your Egyptian, Syrian, or Pakistani acquaintances as to how their name is listed on DHS paperwork. In many cases it is NOT their name in the order and length it would be in their home country. I am not familiar enough to know if this happens with Indian and Hindi names - you may wish to investigate this yourself.

And to end this little essay, I point out that my husband, a citizen of our ally in the 'war against terror' - the United Kingdom - found his identity caught in the FBI machine for 17 months.

Everybody is checked. Everybody.

Edited August 10, 2007 by rebeccajo

[John & Annie 0]

See what I mean, there is a little research right there.

Thanks RJ.

(Annie, of Scottish/Irish decent spent 9 months 22 days in name check)

[sunnyisland 0]

Thought everyone would get a "kick" out of this ................

Finally got a response letter from USCIS (this time with a service number that I never saw before) as a direct response from the Ombudsman inquiry from months ago.....

The letter started out with an incorrect first name!! Maybe one of the reasons namecheck is so messed up. Tried calling to inquire and correct and said they couldnt help due to tech problems. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! makes you wonder about the accuracy of everything else!!!!!!!!!!Told to try again another day.....

almost wish i could start over

[pikzy_dust 0]

Confused? Yes.

Excited? maybe...

Suspicious? Very!

And so coming up to a year since my successful interview pending name check, i receive a letter asking me to come in for further biometrics on september the 5th. This is in order to further my case apparently. Of course the fact that i just got biometrics for my workcard just a few months ago dosent seem to mean anything. Apparently i should stop getting these hand transplants...

Anyway, the confusion part is that today i got a email saying that on august the 17th they ordered production on my card... Is this a woo hoo jump around on the ground type moment? I think ive become numb to the whole process.

Why would they need biometrics if they are already making my card? Unless of course its an early xmas card, or a very very late birthday card....

Who knows anymore

[Basab 1]

I have been waiting 10 days since my interview pending name check and already worried. I am looking at the AOS status on the website 10 times everyday hoping to see some welcome letter or atleast some touches.....nothing since

Looking at some of you people who are waiting for more than a year I feel so sorry. Name check sucks