221g request and refused status

[Mpere 11]

So I am a chinese National, I and my USC husband have lived and worked in the UK for 4 years. We filed our I-130 through DCF London before lockdown in the UK. Got approved on 9th June, got my LND number on 19th August, IR -1 interview on 3rd of September. However my personal CV was requested during the interview which I already sent. Since then my visa status has been stuck with “ refused” for almost two weeks. I sent email once to ask for an update, if they have received my document etc, However all I got was a generic rely( not to make any travel plans, every case varies some can take weeks or even months). Has anyone here had the similar situation as mine? I’m getting more and more worried as my visa status hasn’t changed for almost two weeks. 

[Boiler 45,940]

AP is quite normal and 2 weeks is nothing when this happens.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

Based on all the longer AP security related cases I have known in London, it can be weeks, months, or longer.  There is no way to guess and no amount of emailing will give you an answer of what they are checking or how long it will take. 

[Mpere 11]

9 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Based on all the longer AP security related cases I have known in London, it can be weeks, months, or longer.  There is no way to guess and no amount of emailing will give you an answer of what they are checking or how long it will take. 

I guess it was a good sign that they took both my passports?  ( The old passport has my 10years B1/B2 tourism visa in it, CO said they have to cancel it once IR-1 is issued!) I remember the CO at the interview told me it will take about 2 weeks time. But it has slightly pass that timeline. I think the last update on visa status has changed twice but it stays at refused! 

[Appy 38]

42 minutes ago, Mpere said:

I guess it was a good sign that they took both my passports?  ( The old passport has my 10years B1/B2 tourism visa in it, CO said they have to cancel it once IR-1 is issued!) I remember the CO at the interview told me it will take about 2 weeks time. But it has slightly pass that timeline. I think the last update on visa status has changed twice but it stays at refused! 

That’s interesting. My b1/b2 visa was in an older passport and they did not take it at the embassy. 

[Mpere 11]

5 minutes ago, Appy said:

That’s interesting. My b1/b2 visa was in an older passport and they did not take it at the embassy. 

Did they ask you if you already have any US visas? I was asked by the first guy who took my documents in orders. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

1 hour ago, Mpere said:

I guess it was a good sign that they took both my passports?  ( The old passport has my 10years B1/B2 tourism visa in it, CO said they have to cancel it once IR-1 is issued!) I remember the CO at the interview told me it will take about 2 weeks time. But it has slightly pass that timeline. I think the last update on visa status has changed twice but it stays at refused! 

Saying refused seems like they haven’t acknowledged receiving the CV. Did they have you upload it or courier in?

[Mpere 11]

3 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Saying refused seems like they haven’t acknowledged receiving the CV. Did they have you upload it or courier in?

So the CO didn’t tell me how to send it at the interview, he only gave me a yellow 221g slip, and I panicked forgot to ask. I didn’t hear back from them with instructions of how to send the CV, therefore I sent it by the email address on the 221(g) form. I think they must have got it? Because within 1hour I sent the CV, the status got updated? I even sent another email asking for acknowledgment later, however no reply outside of an automated email. Do you suggest I should keep asking if they have received my CV? 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

2 hours ago, Mpere said:

I think they must have got it? Because within 1hour I sent the CV, the status got updated?

The status update is probably them going into your file after receiving it. Maybe they forgot to switch from refused to AP which would indicate better that they were doing additional processing now.  I know it’s hard, but constantly checking doesn’t make it go any faster and only continues to disappointment you.  Try to make a pledge in your head that you will only check status once a day like noon. You will get notification from the courier when it’s time, so it’s not like you’re going to miss out if you don’t see it change. Meanwhile give yourself a mental break because I don’t think you’re going to get any specific answers. 

[Boiler 45,940]

Refused is the common term for an application that has yet to be approved.

[Mpere 11]

14 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

The status update is probably them going into your file after receiving it. Maybe they forgot to switch from refused to AP which would indicate better that they were doing additional processing now.  I know it’s hard, but constantly checking doesn’t make it go any faster and only continues to disappointment you.  Try to make a pledge in your head that you will only check status once a day like noon. You will get notification from the courier when it’s time, so it’s not like you’re going to miss out if you don’t see it change. Meanwhile give yourself a mental break because I don’t think you’re going to get any specific answers. 

Thank you @Wuozopo 

Being apart from my husband for almost 3 months now, and being in a foreign country alone without any family Support plus the whole COVID situation just makes it harder. Hopefully the 2 weeks timeline mentioned by the CO during the interview is somewhat true, I’m slowly losing my mind while waiting for the visa  

[Mpere 11]

On 9/23/2020 at 8:52 AM, Mpere said:

Thank you @Wuozopo 

Being apart from my husband for almost 3 months now, and being in a foreign country alone without any family Support plus the whole COVID situation just makes it harder. Hopefully the 2 weeks timeline mentioned by the CO during the interview is somewhat true, I’m slowly losing my mind while waiting for the visa  m

Edited October 6, 2020 by Mpere

[Mpere 11]

On 9/22/2020 at 6:22 PM, Wuozopo said:

The status update is probably them going into your file after receiving it. Maybe they forgot to switch from refused to AP which would indicate better that they were doing additional processing now.  I know it’s hard, but constantly checking doesn’t make it go any faster and only continues to disappointment you.  Try to make a pledge in your head that you will only check status once a day like noon. You will get notification from the courier when it’s time, so it’s not like you’re going to miss out if you don’t see it change. Meanwhile give yourself a mental break because I don’t think you’re going to get any specific answers. 

So 3 weeks after I emailed my personal CV, the IV team finally acknowledged my personal CV being received and told me that the processing is ongoing last Monday. And the visa status is still at “ refused”. I’m currently off work and I had to move out my flat a month ago, I’m alone in the UK with no family no job and no idea when this will end. I am living between couches staying different friend’s house. So my question is, is it possible for me to leave the UK while the visa processing is ongoing? Obviously my passports are with them, I think I still can apply for a new passport so I can at least go stay with my parents in South Korea? 

[Boiler 45,940]

Might be quicker to get your Passport back from the Consulate?

[Mpere 11]

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Might be quicker to get your Passport back from the Consulate?

Don’t get me wrong, I still want my visa to be issued. What I was asking is will it effect the visa processing if I’m not in the UK?