AOS interview successful, but waiting for FBI name check

[LondonGooner 0]

I didn't see this topic when I posted on the forum (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84555&st=0&p=1142854entry1142854) but I am stuck in the name check process too. What really aggravates me is that I worked in information sensitive areas with the police and Ministry of Defence in the UK before coming to the US. I therefore feel as though I have proven myself to be trustworthy and have a clean record .

I am just so sick of waiting. We rather foolishly didn't file for the I-131 or I-765 thinking that we would get my AOS within the 180 days our Congressman's office told us!

[WifeOHunkyJohn 2]

I didn't see this topic when I posted on the forum (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84555&st=0&p=1142854entry1142854) but I am stuck in the name check process too. What really aggravates me is that I worked in information sensitive areas with the police and Ministry of Defence in the UK before coming to the US. I therefore feel as though I have proven myself to be trustworthy and have a clean record .

I am just so sick of waiting. We rather foolishly didn't file for the I-131 or I-765 thinking that we would get my AOS within the 180 days our Congressman's office told us!

So did I - I have even signed the Official Secrets Act twice, but my name check still took 9 months and 22 days.

Hang in there, that's all I can say, and know that you are not alone.

Annie

[Elmira 1]

Background checks can take as little as 30 days to 2 years. There's no way of finding out where in the process you are and hwo much longer it will take.

The reason that it takes a long time is depending on your cuontry of citizenship and birth, if the country does not "cooperate" with the US, the FBI and CIA have a difficult time conducting a name check (see if you're on any terrorist lists, wanted by any country, etc.).

Interesrting how long it takes for citizens of Kazakhstan (former Soviet country) Kazakhstan is a member of International coatition..

Does any one know know how to ckeck if your country co-operates with FBI and CIA?

[Elmira 1]

I didn't see this topic when I posted on the forum (http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=84555&st=0&p=1142854entry1142854) but I am stuck in the name check process too. What really aggravates me is that I worked in information sensitive areas with the police and Ministry of Defence in the UK before coming to the US. I therefore feel as though I have proven myself to be trustworthy and have a clean record .

I am just so sick of waiting. We rather foolishly didn't file for the I-131 or I-765 thinking that we would get my AOS within the 180 days our Congressman's office told us!

hey! I work for UK MOD as well but at the British Embassy here in Kazakhstan (I am PA to UK Defence Attcahe, and I work as a local staff as I am citizen of Kazakhstan).. I hope name check will not take long time for me

At least I hope i will get EAD on time as I really want to work and not to seat on shoulders of my Fiance and job will help me to settle down ion U.S.

Did you get your EAD?

[Donna A 4]

really it should count as time toward citizenship.

[LondonGooner 0]

really it should count as time toward citizenship.

Is that true? Does it really count as time towards citizenship or are is it just one of the those suggestions we all have on how to improve the immigration process for us poor saps who go through the process the right way?

We just wasted four hours, half-a-tank of gas and a day off work for my wife to drive over to Louisville and find out what the heck they are doing with our case. It seems we have hit a brick wall and can move no further until this stupid name check process is completed. We had my wife's Congressperson from Tennessee enquire with USCIS, our new Senator from Kentucky, since we live here now, enquire, and we have filed a petition with the USCIS Ombudsmen but it just seems we can't get beyond this name check. I am 29 years old, gave up a perfectly good police career in the UK, left my family behind, lost all my independence and earning power to come here and sit for 8 months while immigration treat me like an invisible entity! Sorry I am venting but I am majorily POed right now. I mean seriously how long does it freaking take to run someone's name through a database to see if they are a criminal and/or a threat to national security. For crying out loud in the Police in the UK we could run a name through the Police National Computer and have someone's record relayed to us in less than five minutes if need be. Otherwise we could take them in and make enquiries with other agencies, like Immigration, and have a result within a couple of hours. Eight freaking months and I know some of you have been waiting far longer which really does not fill me with any sense of confidence...

Sorry. Rant over.

I feel better now

[Mags 112]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think I read somewhere that the FBI check is done manually as there is not yet a computer system in place for it. I think it is literally a group of agents, cross checking names manually.

As I've said before, I may be wrong, so someone please correct me if that is so...

Edited August 24, 2007 by Mags

[WifeOHunkyJohn 2]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think I read somewhere that the FBI check is done manually as there is not yet a computer system in place for it. I think it is literally a group of agents, cross checking names manually.

As I've said before, I may be wrong, so someone please correct me if that is so...

yup, you're right

source

The average time required to retrieve and review an FBI record for possible information related to a name check request is case specific—it depends on the number of files an analyst must obtain (which is dictated by the number of "hits" on a name), the location and availability of those files, and the amount of information contained in a file. If a file is stored locally, an analyst will be able to obtain the file within a matter of days. If a file is located in a field office or other FBI location, the applicable information must be requested from that location. There are over 265 different FBI locations that could house information pertinent to a name check request. If a file is electronically available, an analyst will have immediate access to that file. Additionally, once an analyst receives the file, or the pertinent information contained in a file, the analyst must review it for possible information related to the name check request.

also found

Because a name and birth date are not sufficient to positively correlate the file with an individual, additional review is required. A secondary manual name search usually identifies an additional 10% of the requests as having a "No Record", for a 95% overall "No Record" response rate. [source]

Edited August 24, 2007 by WifeOHunkyJohn

[rebeccajo 14]

really it should count as time toward citizenship.

Is that true? Does it really count as time towards citizenship or are is it just one of the those suggestions we all have on how to improve the immigration process for us poor saps who go through the process the right way?

We just wasted four hours, half-a-tank of gas and a day off work for my wife to drive over to Louisville and find out what the heck they are doing with our case. It seems we have hit a brick wall and can move no further until this stupid name check process is completed. We had my wife's Congressperson from Tennessee enquire with USCIS, our new Senator from Kentucky, since we live here now, enquire, and we have filed a petition with the USCIS Ombudsmen but it just seems we can't get beyond this name check. I am 29 years old, gave up a perfectly good police career in the UK, left my family behind, lost all my independence and earning power to come here and sit for 8 months while immigration treat me like an invisible entity! Sorry I am venting but I am majorily POed right now. I mean seriously how long does it freaking take to run someone's name through a database to see if they are a criminal and/or a threat to national security. For crying out loud in the Police in the UK we could run a name through the Police National Computer and have someone's record relayed to us in less than five minutes if need be. Otherwise we could take them in and make enquiries with other agencies, like Immigration, and have a result within a couple of hours. Eight freaking months and I know some of you have been waiting far longer which really does not fill me with any sense of confidence...

Sorry. Rant over.

I feel better now

The problem is they aren't just looking at 'you'. They are looking at anybody with an mathematically-calculated name similar to yours within a birthdate range of yours. If the computer that runs your name and all these name variations does not immediately clear you, then you go off for deeper inquiries - the worst of which is yes - done manually.

[Basab 1]

I am sure any fbi official reading this thread would be grinning at us poor folks who got stuck in name check. Boy they sure are enjoying this I can you ..........

[Donna A 4]

really it should count as time toward citizenship.

Is that true? Does it really count as time towards citizenship or are is it just one of the those suggestions we all have on how to improve the immigration process for us poor saps who go through the process the right way?

no it doesnt count but it should is what i was saying.

[annett&seb 0]

I'd like to ask if anybody had an immigration lawyer who helped to speed up process in FBI name check??

We hired a lawyer and she told us before the interview that she was very confident our case will be fine and approved and that the worst thing that can happened to us is to be stuck in the Name Check procedure!!

Sure enough that is what happened, when I called her to let her know what happened, she said that there is nothing we can do, she did say that if we are stuck in the Name Check for a long time, then we can look at a lawsuit against the governent to move things but for now we are stcuk waiting!!!

[rebeccajo 14]

To those of you who are 'new' to this thread, and in case it hasn't been mentioned recently.....

Most folks don't spend any longer than 3 to 6 months in name check. Given the faster front-end processing these days (interviews ARE granted more quickly than they used to be) most of you who are 'caught' will still spend less time processing than most people did as little as two years ago.

No consolation I know, especially when you see others whizzing by with nary an interview. But true nonetheless.

Edited August 26, 2007 by rebeccajo

[Basab 1]

Most folks don't spend any longer than 3 to 6 months in name check. Given the faster front-end processing these days (interviews ARE granted more quickly than they used to be) most of you who are 'caught' will still spend less time processing than most people did as little as two years ago.

This is indeed encouraging..Thanks rebecca I had my interview 2 months after the biometrics, which is short time for background checks to get cleared. Some people may get lucky but at this point I have nothing much to complain. Lets see what happens in the coming 3 months.

[Patrick_A 0]

37 months and 14 days since we filed for our I-485. Namecheck has been pending since 10-08-2004.

I have done every inquiry possible except for the "Writ of Mandamus" which is now useless because of the new law allowing USCIS and FBI to ignore it.

2 senators and 1 congressman all tell me the same thing, "It is out of their control"

I even wrote a letter to GWB, but never got a reply.

I am flabberghasted and sickened by our immigration policies. I know firsthand that they are complete failures. It is almost like being in a 3rd world jail without any representation. All we can do is bide our time and wait!

Also venting, but it never feels good,

Patrick A

Edited August 26, 2007 by Patrick_A