Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I am so upset. I had my interview on June 9 and was told that I'd been approved and that my passport with the visa in would be sent in 7-10 days.

I called the US visa line and they have just told me that I have a 221 G and that my application has been suspended.

What could have happened?

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

i found this hope it helps

http://www.immihelp.com/visas/221grefusal/

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Sounds like it could be a couple of things:

1. The ConOff ended up needing more information, in which case they'll contact you to provide it; or

2. You got put in Admin Processing, in which case you just have to wait it out. There is no way of knowing how long clearance will take.

Are you by any chance of Middle Eastern heritage, or do you have a Muslim name? Sometimes a "hit" occurs on your name (meaning your name matches that of someone on a watch list), and they must manually go in and verify that it's not you.

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

White British male here. He took my passport and said I'd been approved. :-(

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Sorry to hear it's happened. Most likely he figured it would be approved (and thus spoke too soon), and ended up needing something else. What that something else could be, is anyone's guess at this point.

Did they say they'd be contacting you for more information?

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I've had not contact from them at all for the past couple of weeks, not since the interview. I'm in pieces right now.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I know, I'm so sorry. :( All I can do is say I hope it's nothing major, that's it's just some document missing, and easy for you to provide. I hope you hear something soon. You can try emailing them, or calling them again, perhaps.

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Hi, thanks for the information. Does anyone know how long it will be before I hear from the Embassy?

Thanks.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

this is terrible news, but when you spoke to them on the phone, did you not ask why this happened? and what you should do next? I can't believe they would say to people there approved, let them pay the courier fee, waiting for their visa, when something like this can still happen.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I know, thats what I don't get. All the embassy hotline gave me was a code and an email address for the embassy. I was told to use the code to ask why the process had been suspended. I thought I'd have been told sooner why it had been suspended and what I needed to do.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

There is a lesson here. Don't give up your apartment lease, quit your job, buy tickets just because a consular officer said you'd been approved. Wait until you have the visa in your hand.
http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...milies/sad.gif

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Well, have you e-mailed the US Consulate with the code you were given?

It is standard to pay the courier fee because your passport has to be returned to you.

Remember you called the information line and you did not speak with anyone from the US Consulate so perhaps the information you were given is incorrect. I wonder if that line even has access to your file and can tell if your visa paperwork has been suspended.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

The hotline was able to tell me that the visa process had been suspended on June 10, the day after my interview. So, for 13 days, they have known that my visa processing was suspended but have not reached out to me. Does this imply that it is an internal issue otherwise, why would they not have contacted me sooner?

I emailed the consulate immediately with the code. I have a senator's office and a congressman's office on making inquiries.

I guess am just blown away that no one has contacted me to say why it has been suspended if they'd known for two weeks.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

eeek yeah that sucks. I thought if they told you face to face you'd been approved it was all done and dusted. Normally it seems the people who get 221g's get them there at the same time, and they are told they have not yet been approved.

Did you get any clues in the interview? or did it all go fine?

Fingers crossed you get your VISA soon

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

No clues at all, He just said, congratulations, have a great life together and took my passport.

sorry for all the venting. I'm just broken hearted that this has happened.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I would be too :( But it will all get sorted soon hopefully :)

Can you change the date on your flight, and stay with relatives until you go?

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Sometimes the ConOff has to go get the case signed off by a supervisor. Perhaps the supervisor noticed something that the ConOff didn't. Or, as I say, it could be a surprise name hit coming through after the interview...I believe they still run one final check.

I'm glad you posted about "don't make final plans until you have the visa in-hand". We keep saying that same thing here, but people still go ahead and make final arrangements. It's rare that something happens like this, but it CAN happen.

Hang in there...

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Thanks. Yes, can stay with relatives. It's the not knowing why it has been suspended that is so awful. Feel completely helpless.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Of course, it would happen to me.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Call the Dept of State (202) 663-1225, press 1, then 0 to speak to a person. (or have the US person call) There is no extra charge for this call, unlike calling the embassy line.

Give them your LND number and inquire about your case. See if they describe your status in the same words. Then start asking your questions. They have access to anything London has entered about the case on the computer. If it's "additional processing" (security checks), they can't tell you how long it will take or the specifics of what triggered it. If it's something else (something missing), perhaps they can tell you. Worth a try to see if you can get further information.

Let us know what you find out.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Thanks Moxie, it is indeed worth a try. I'll do this asap and will share what happened.

The crux of what makes me so unhappy is that I was told that it had been approved and that I would receive the visa. Had they given me the 221g there and then I wouldn't have ended leases etc...

We are contacting my wife's congressman in the hope that they might be able to expedite processing given that the reversal on the approval has now caused a significant financial hardship for us.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I was looking over some other peoples posts, who had 221g, some of the further processing seemed to be over financial part, sponsorship etc.

Is there anything you can think of? Is your wife here or in the US? maybe if she is here it could be they need further evidence of finance and domicile part. Also your older threads show you had been issued other visas when you worked in the US, maybe something there is missing from your file, hopefully they just need some further paperwork if you have no criminal background etc, hopefully it will straightforward.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

My wife called the DOS and they only confirmed to her that it was was 221g. Having done some more research on this, it seems 221g is a catchall term for processing that can range from slightly longer to substantially longer. I just have to hope that I am in the slightly longer category. I hope so.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I meant "shorter category".

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

So they wont give you any info as to exactly what is being reviewed? That annoying. But hopefully like you said, it will only be a short delay :)

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I hope so britishspouse. I'd trawled all the forums and can find no case like mine. white british male, born in UK, lived in US for many years, told i'd been approved, not given a 221g form, and now in Administrative processing. If you come across any examples like mine, please send me the link, I''m very keen to see how long others had to wait.

Thanks all.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Ill have a look around, but i suppose like they say it varies case to case :(

Fingers crossed its all done soon!

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Reading this thread made me feel physically sick! I hope it works out for you mate. Fingers crossed eh? :(

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

thanks man.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I read some other peoples post's, maybe its something to do with that you lived in the US previously, and their missing a police report from when you lived there, it could have raised questions. but also on the embassy website it says they should have issued you with something on the day of your interview.

http://london.usembassy.gov/administ...rocessing.html

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

A police report is not required from the USA, even though he lived there at one point.

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Yeah, we asked about the batch number and they told us that they usually only apply to non-immigrant visas. I'm liking your theory on the police check in the US. I did live there for 5 years but I assumed that would have been covered in the earlier USCIS and NVC rounds. Right?

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Rene, is that because they'd have done it in the earlier rounds USCIS and NVC etc...?

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

I lived there a little while too, 4 years.. eek. hope this isint a cause of AP :( I know you dont need a police report from there though. And listed it on all the forms, but was never asked for a copy of my old VISA or anything, perhaps it could be regarding the time you spent there then? who knows.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

It's because USCIS and/or DOS does their own security check/investigations. You don't need to supply them with anything from the USA, they do it automatically.

Rene

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

is this you jamie? http://www.visajourney.com/forums/to...t-have-a-221g/

Looks like a similar situation, and there is a reply with some maybe useful links?

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

thanks, that is me

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

ahh gotcha :P

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

Well, 3 weeks and one day since I was "approved" for my visa and I am still nervously, anxiously, and not very patiently waiting.

Re: Got a 221 G!!! Help!
 

awwh sorry :( have you heard anything??