Wait Time for 221G at US Embassy (Manila) [merged threads]

[CFS 14]

Hello,

 

Has anyone here been issued a 221G at the US Embassy in Manila? I'm particularly interested in those who started to go through this process in 2022.

 

Long story short - my spouse's visa interview on Dec. 12, 2022 went well but they asked for the following through the 221G letter:

 

1) The *original* NBI clearance (we brought in a copy by accident)

2) An upload of my 2021 tax returns to CEAC (we brought in the physical copy but the ones that were approved during the DS-260 process were those for 2020 and thus they asked us to upload the 2021 tax returns to CEAC)

 

We uploaded/submitted this on the day itself via LBC and they arrived (confirmed with the Embassy) on Dec. 14, 2022. 

 

I'm hoping that a case like this won't take too long to process (especially since his NBI clearance and medical exam results both expire by the first week of March 2023)  - however, have read a lot of 221g horror stories online and would love perspective from someone who's gone through this recently.

 

Please let me know - thanks!

Edited January 10, 2023 by CFS

[top_secret 2,458]

I know someone recently who got a 221G for NBI with an AKA and it took about 4 weeks to get the visa.   If the 221G was issued Dec 12 and you responded immediately, it is probably not unreasonable to hope for something soon.   Although there were holidays in between, of course different people experiences can inexplicably vary wildly and nothing is ever guaranteed until it happens. 

[CFS 14]

Thank you, top_secret! Yes, this time frame seems consistent with everything I've seen online. 

 

I have an "interesting" update - we just got notified by LBC that my spouse's passport is being returned. However, the visa status on the CEAC website (as of one day ago - we just got the notification today) still shows as "Refused" and we still haven't received any approval notification from the US Embassy. I wonder if this means they're issuing a new 221(g) (for who knows what reason this time) or if their systems are just lagging. 

 

I've attached the e-mail from the LBC for reference. 

 

If anyone has insights (i.e. does this likely mean a 221G, should the embassy have sent an e-mail/updated the status if it was a "Yes", etc.), please let me know. Seems like we'll know in 2 days' time but I appreciate any thoughts in advance. Thanks!!

 

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by CFS

[top_secret 2,458]

6 hours ago, CFS said:

we just got notified by LBC that my spouse's passport is being returned. However, the visa status on the CEAC website (as of one day ago - we just got the notification today) still shows as "Refused" and we still haven't received any approval notification from the US Embassy. I wonder if this means they're issuing a new 221(g) (for who knows what reason this time) or if their systems are just lagging. 

 

Is that to say the notice came a whole day after the last time you checked CEAC status??  If that's the case, rechecking CEAC status would be the first thing.  As far as approval notification from the US Embassy I think ours only came 2 or 3 days after they already sent the visa and some have never received any notice from the Embassy.  Lack of e-mail notification from the Embassy is meaningless. If you are checking CEAC in real time and it still says refused and the passport is tracking with LBC, maybe they do want something more (??)  Just have to wait and see on that one.  CEAC status should be the most reliable indicator of when it's approved.

[CFS 14]

Thank you! top_secret (or anyone else) - have you ever heard of a visa being issued/delivered if the CEAC status still says "Refused"?

 

I'm going to call the embassy tonight and ask - just wondering. I really can't imagine what else they can require (unless they need additional documentation they didn't ask for in the 221G in the first time)...

 

Thank you!

[CFS 14]

Update - they are requesting an e-DS5535 (i.e. extreme vetting). I'm thinking: 

 

1. It is a clerical thing since his passport clearly shows additional stamps (including trips to the United States through a B1/B2 visa that happened *after* we submitted the DS-260 back in May 2021) and they just want to make sure they have that information on file

2. Our application looks "suspicious" or "unusual" due to the amount of travel that we do (we travel quite often to different countries to leisure) or because he was in the U.S. visiting me through the B1/B2 (legally) for months at a time

 

Whatever the case is, just have to push through. Unfortunately, in the DS-55335, they ask for passport information for any previous passports the applicant may have held and my spouse lost his previous passport and has no record of it.

 

Has anyone gone through something similar before? If so, where did you obtain the previous passport information from?

 

Thanks!

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by CFS

[Chancy 6,242]

*** Moved from Embassy/Consulate Discussion to the Philippine regional forum, for country-specific input ***

 

*** Removed related thread.  Please post your related questions/updates in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

 

25 minutes ago, CFS said:

Hello,

 

We just got issued a Form DS-5535 from the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines (this is the second 221G follow-up for our application). For background context - please see this link. 

 

The only question on this form that we're having issues with is this one:

 

If you have ever held another passport beyond the one used in your application, please provide the following information: Country of Issuance and Passport Number

 

While my spouse does currently have a Filipino passport, his old passport was lost many years ago and we have no idea what the Passport Number was. With the context about the Form DS-5535 (i.e. it is used for "extreme vetting") and with all the delays we've faced in this process, I am 99.99% sure that we will get another 221(g) issued if we submit without this information. 

 

Has anyone faced a similar issue? If so, how did you get the old passport number? 

 

Any help would be appreciated - thanks so much!

 

[CFS 14]

Update - we have the old passport number (we found it by some miracle). I'm curious, though, as to others' wait times recently with DS-5535 cases in Manila. Please let me know - thanks!

[Chancy 6,242]

*** Removed two more related threads.  Please post your related questions/updates in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

 

On 1/12/2023 at 9:06 AM, CFS said:

Hello,

 

Does anyone have any recent experience with DS5535 issued by the U.S. embassy in Manila? If so, I'd love to hear how it went & what your wait times looked like. 

 

Thanks!

16 hours ago, CFS said:

Has anyone ever been asked to fill out a DS5535 twice? We just got another 221G asking us to send in an electronic DS5535 for Manila with *no* explanation. This is after completing the first DS5535 online two weeks ago and sending in the passport. 

 

We filled out everything accurately in the first form (and the form itself says that missing information doesn't invalidate the submission), so I really don't know what's going on. The 221G gives *no* explanation. 

 

Any advice would be helpful - thanks!

 

-Carlos

 

[jacs 0]

On 1/28/2023 at 3:26 AM, Chancy said:

*** Removed two more related threads.  Please post your related questions/updates in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

 

 

 

On 1/12/2023 at 11:03 PM, CFS said:

Update - we have the old passport number (we found it by some miracle). I'm curious, though, as to others' wait times recently with DS-5535 cases in Manila. Please let me know - thanks!

 

[jacs 0]

Just now, jacs said:

 

What happen to your husband visa now...? Thanks

[CFS 14]

On 3/1/2023 at 11:03 AM, jacs said:

On 3/1/2023 at 11:02 AM, jacs said:

 

What happen to your husband visa now...? Thanks

Still waiting for the DS-5535 to clear (it's been 1.5 months) and the NBI clearance/medical expire in 2 days...fun times! I no longer am waiting on bated breath for this process to clear...as long as it does so someday, it will be fine. 

[Chancy 6,242]

*** Removed another related thread.  Please post your related questions/updates in this thread to keep the discussion in one place. ***

 

On 5/3/2023 at 10:07 PM, CFS said:

Hello,

 

If you guys have been following our posts, you will be familiar with how messy our IR1 case has been. To summarize:

 

• September 2022 - we found out at the medical exam that sputum test is required (2-month delay)
• December 2022 - visa interview - 221G due to incorrect version of the NBI clearance presented (i.e. a copy and NOT the original) + 2021 tax returns needed to be uploaded to the portal (even though they were brought in person)
• January 2023 - 221G asking for eDS-5535 issued
• April 2023 - DS-5535 clears but medical expires and needs to be redone; going back and forth with the Embassy to get the Health Case ID # (see other posts)
• May 2023 - medical exam repeat; another sputum test required. The earliest date for sputum tests is at the end of June 2023

 

Doing some math:

 

• The earliest the sputum culture results could come back would be in 8-10 weeks (say end of August 2023 or early September 2023)
• The medical exam results will expire by November 3, 2023 and thus the visa must be issued by then; otherwise, a repeat medical exam will be required 

 

Between late August 2023/early September 2023, there is barely enough time for the Embassy to issue the visa assuming they have everything in order. For sure, some documents have expired since they were first submitted. This is all I can think of:

 

• 2021 tax returns (they would likely want the 2022 version)
• CENOMAR (since this was issued in August 2022 and is only valid for 1 year)
• New NBI clearance (the last one expired in March 2023) 

 

If you have gone through a similar process or can think of any additional documentation that could expire, please let me know. I'd really like to avoid going through a medical exam for a 3rd time. I really find it unbelievable that there is a 2-month backlog to conduct sputum tests. 

 

Also, if anyone had to to go through a repeat medical exam & can advise regarding how long it took the Embassy to approve the visa after this, I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Chancy

[GinoNiña 182]

hello, does the NBI  clearance has an expiration date?

[top_secret 2,458]

2 hours ago, GinoNiña said:

hello, does the NBI  clearance has an expiration date?

They are usually good for one year.  There have been infrequent cases where for some reason USEM asked for one less than 6 months old but it is uncommon.