Administrative Processing

[Life is Life 1]

When a Spouse Visa Application is put under administrative processing on the day of the Spouse Visa interview (at the end of the interview), because the US Embassy requests additional documents, how long does it take for them to give you an answer about the visa after you submit your passport and the requested documents? My wife submitted her passport and the additional requested documents on Friday, August 30th. How much longer can we expect to be under administrative processing before they come to a decision? Thanks!

[payxibka 10,045]

2 minutes ago, Travel is life said:

When a Spouse Visa Application is put under administrative processing on the day of the Spouse Visa interview (at the end of the interview), because the US Embassy requests additional documents, how long does it take for them to give you an answer about the visa after you submit your passport and the requested documents? My wife submitted her passport and the additional requested documents on Friday, August 30th. How much longer can we expect to be under administrative processing before they come to a decision? Thanks!

Depends on how busy they are.   Could be 2 to 4 weeks 

[Crazy Cat 41,853]

There is no answer to that question......administrative processing is required for all cases......could be days, weeks, or months.......

[Life is Life 1]

6 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Depends on how busy they are.   Could be 2 to 4 weeks 

Yes, hopefully 2

[Life is Life 1]

6 minutes ago, missileman said:

There is no answer to that question......administrative processing is required for all cases......could be days, weeks, or months.......

Administrative processing is only required for cases when they need to request additional documents. They can also approve or deny a case on the day of the interview...

[geowrian 22,337]

What country? Some consulates process documents faster than others.

 

2 minutes ago, Travel is life said:

Administrative processing is only required for cases when they need to request additional documents. They can also approve or deny a case on the day of the interview...

No, not "only". AP covers many, many, many reasons other than needing more documents. In fact, every case goes through some form of AP.

They can recommend for approval....nothing is final until AP completes (which may include additional background checks and review or verification of documents) and the visa is issued.

Edited September 11, 2019 by geowrian

[Crazy Cat 41,853]

4 minutes ago, Travel is life said:

Administrative processing is only required for cases when they need to request additional documents. They can also approve or deny a case on the day of the interview...

All cases go through some type of administrative processing......sometimes, it takes only a matter of hours.....but extended administrative processing could even take a year or more......but final approval is not official until the status changes to "issued".

[Life is Life 1]

10 minutes ago, missileman said:

All cases go through some type of administrative processing......sometimes, it takes only a matter of hours.....but extended administrative processing could even take a year or more......but final approval is not official until the status changes to "issued".

I thought some cases were approved or denied on the day of the interview. I didn’t know that everyone got stuck in the black hole of administrative processing. Anyway, in my case, we needed additional documents. If my wife was asked to submit the additional documents AND her passport, should that be a good sign that it won’t take too long?

[Life is Life 1]

17 minutes ago, geowrian said:

What country? Some consulates process documents faster than others.

 

No, not "only". AP covers many, many, many reasons other than needing more documents. In fact, every case goes through some form of AP.

They can recommend for approval....nothing is final until AP completes (which may include additional background checks and review or verification of documents) and the visa is issued.

I understand now that Administrative Processing can cover many different reasons, but I thought that some visa cases were approved or denied on the same day. I didn’t know that everyone got stuck in the black hole of administrative processing (not everyone does). Anyway, in my case, we needed additional documents. My wife recently submitted her additional documents WITH her passport. Should that be a good sign that it shouldn’t take too long? Thanks...

[payxibka 10,045]

1 minute ago, Travel is life said:

I thought some cases were approved or denied on the day of the interview. I didn’t know that everyone got stuck in the black hole of administrative processing. Anyway, in my case, we needed additional documents. If my wife was asked to submit the additional documents AND her passport, should that be a good sign that it won’t take too long?

Some people's version of the "black hole" consists of primarily general file maintenance getting it ready for issuance while others require extensive review 

[Boiler 45,513]

Which Consulate?

[geowrian 22,337]

4 minutes ago, Travel is life said:

I thought some cases were approved or denied on the day of the interview. I didn’t know that everyone got stuck in the black hole of administrative processing. Anyway, in my case, we needed additional documents. If my wife was asked to submit the additional documents AND her passport, should that be a good sign that it won’t take too long?

Taking the passport is often a sign that they don't expect a long wait for AP to complete. It does not guarantee anything, but I would say it's a positive sign that you're in the days to weeks range.

 

Edit: Unless, of course, there is extended AP due to background checks. Then they need the passport initially to cross reference. In those cases, taking the passport is not a sign of a speedy AP. This is much more common in certain countries than others.

Edited September 11, 2019 by geowrian

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

5 minutes ago, Travel is life said:

I thought some cases were approved or denied on the day of the interview

You're correct. Technically speaking, all visas decision has to be issued or denied. So technically speaking, you were denied. That denial can be overcome when additional evidence is submitted and reviewed. This is all again, very technical. 

 

https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050411.html#M504_11

 

9 FAM 504.11-2  (U) REFUSAL POLICY

9 FAM 504.11-2(A)  (U) Visa Issued or Refused if Application Properly Completed and Executed

(CT:VISA-1;   11-18-2015)

a. (U) There are no exceptions to the rule that once a visa application has been properly completed and executed before a consular officer, a visa must be either issued or refused.  (See 9 FAM 504.9-2.)  For statistical and comparison purposes, all posts should follow the identical refusal procedures and report refusals the same way in their required reports of visas issued and refused.  (See 9 FAM 504.3-2.)  Accordingly, any alien to whom a visa is not issued by the end of the working day on which the application is made, or by the end of the next working day if it is normal post procedure to issue visas to some or all applicants the following day, must be found ineligible under one or more provisions of INA 212(a), 212(e), or 221(g). (INA 221(g) is not to be used when a provision of INA 212(a) is applicable.)  This requirement to find an applicant ineligible when a visa is not issued applies even when:

(1)  (U) A case is medically deferred;

(2)  (U) The post requests an advisory opinion from the Department;

(3)  (U) The post decides to make additional local inquiries or conduct a full investigation; or

(4)  (U) The only deficiency is a clearance from another post. 

b. (U) There is no such thing as an informal refusal or a pending case once a formal application has been made.

[Life is Life 1]

11 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Which Consulate?

That’s good to know. We only needed to submit a couple additional documents, along with the passport (no background checks, at least not according to the 221g).

[payxibka 10,045]

1 minute ago, Travel is life said:

That’s good to know. We only needed to submit a couple additional documents, along with the passport (no background checks, at least not according to the 221g).

Nobody gets a 221g for a background check as that is not something submitted by the applicant