Cable clearance sent from DOS to Consulate - What next?

Where in the world is my clearance!!

I think the Dept. of State is living in misinformation age!!

1. I have a fax from Dept of State that says "we are please to inform you that the Islamabad Embassy has been given permission to go proceed with Mr. Ahmed's visa application."

2. The DOS inquiry has mixed feelings about it. Sometimes they say its pending, sometimes they say the information has been sent back to the embassy.

3. Called up Islamand Embassy yesterday. They say the status is pending and they have not received anything from Dept. of State. Eventhough its been over 12 days since Dept. Of State says it has been sent.

4. Sent a fax to FBI and DOS. Just got a call from DOS, after two weeks. The chap, very polite and courteous, tells me my application is still pending and the information they see is the information that embassy has.

so more wait.....

just out of curiosity, for the people who came back for revalidation, what was the compelling reason to make this trip? Now that I look back, this was a one big mistake!!!
 
Its been almost a week since I faxed DOS but no word from them yet. I even gave them a US # to call back. We are all in a shitty situation .. aahhh wat to do :s.
 
Hi Ali and Baber,

I know it is very stressful situation but inshalla every 1 will be back soon. I met few H-1 applicants recently and they all have got visa stamped in 4-4.5 months and atleast in their cases they all agreed that status was told to be pending even a day or 2 before getting call to collect passports. I think considering the confidential nature of this check it will be extremely difficult to find out exact status and plus given electronic mode of cummunication clearance status can change within hours .

salman
 
My wife is going through 221 (g) processing. I understand that it's about a fingerprint check through the NCIC. I have been calling the DOS hotline for a while, and different people gave answers with varying degree of vagueness. So a couple of weeks ago I called the FBI CJIS division. (The phone number is on their website.) They told me that the fingerprints were processed and returned on March 18 to the DOS. So I called the DOS again, who said that they don't know anything about the fingerprint situation. After I explained the story to the visa specialist (you have to select option 1, then 0 after listening to a long message, and then waiting a bit), she said that the National Visa Center in NH handles fingerprints and that's where the FBI sent the prints. They were kind enough to give me the number as well. It's useless calling the National Visa Center because they never pick up the phone. However, if you email, then their response is very prompt. On Wednesday night I got an email from the NVC saying that they had received the prints on March 18, and forwarded them to the Embassy in Islamabad on March 21. The embassy folks are saying that they have not received anything. I am wondering what's going on.
 
Ali,

My was something similar, depending on the person who answers the phone
in DOS, you get different responses (from pending to "sent cable") and
consulate will not give any info until they are satisfied with the clearance results. For me it was from Mar 4 (when dos said the cable was sent, but the status was "pending" ) to Mar 28( when the consulate at chennai sent me the email).. Even on the day when I got the mail, I called, and they told me to wait for the call!!! (I had not checked my mail at that point).. so.. I know
you are very frusturated, but I am sure you are pretty close to completion..

take care
Anis
 
Does anyone here have any experience with Fingerprint check. How long does it take between the NVC sending the fingerprint results and the consulate processing the visa? Thanks.
 
MNINJ,

If it is only fingerprint check, then the whole process takes about 4 to 6 weeks. Once the fingerprint results are returned to the consulate, it should take about a week or so..

In my case, I had both fingerprint and namecheck requested and it took 3.5 months.
anis
 
Anis:

I am informed by the NVC that they forwarded the fingerprint information to the Embassy on March 21. Three weeks have passed. I am not sure how they send it, but if they send it electronically, then the Embassy is taking a very long time.
 
Hello Folks,

Just found this thread and it has provided lots of valuable information.

I am wating for the visa for over 7 months now. This is a case of F1 to H1.

I was interviewed at Islamabad Consulate on 25th Sep 2004, but the visa officer told me that my case needed additional processing and the final approval will come from Washington DC and could take 2-8 weeks.

After 6 weeks I got the call from the Consulate that I have to go back there, for full fingerpriting which would cost me 85$. I did that on 20th Nov 2004 and haven't been contacted since then.

I have called the consulate several times, but they aren't of too much help. All they tell is the application is still under process and that I should wait. I would be contacted once the processing was completed. The reason of the delay that they give is that my name / dob combination is very common thats why its taking so long.

I have found the numbers to call FBI and DOS from this thread. Planning to call them today.

Any help / suggestions regarding my case would be really appreciated.

Ali
 
Ok, I called the FBI Fingerprinting and DOS today.

According to FBI my prints were processed and sent to National Visa Center on 29th Nov.

Couldn't get any helpful info from DOS... was told the same thing as the consulate that it is still in process. The person I talked to did not seem too reluctant to tell me any more even though I tried.

Would sending them a fax result in more helpful response?

Thanks in advance.

Ali
 
shit .. 7 months ..well i faxed DOS almost 2 weeks ago and still no word ..pata nahin wats happening ..

Babar
 
Ali:
Send an inquiry to the National Visa Center at nvcinquiry@state.gov . They will tell you what is going on with your finger prints. Also FAX the FBI Name Check Program to ask if there's a pending name check in your name. My guess is that since your name is so common, the name check is taking a long time. Keep sending them FAXes.
 
Called up the American embassy today. A pakistani guy answered the phone. I asked him the status and he tells me its pending. I told him I got status from DOS that they have sent the clearance to Pakistan embassy and if he can confirm if they have received anything from DOS, and he goes we can't do that and then goes all nasty on the phone. Says don't tell us you have called DOS. Its none of your business to do that, and blah blah blah. Just a few days back I got a reply back from a FAX I sent to DOS. The guy was very curteous. Every single person I've spoken to at DOS has always been very polite and curteous. Since I've been calling any number I could get my hands on and this is the first time I've had an experience with someone who had no sense of being curteous, and it turns out to be a Pakistani.

Ali
 
Hey ali,
dont judge them too hard :) .. In chennai consulate I had the exact same answer.. the lady who answered went ballistic when I told that I had contacted DOS and they had told me that the clearance was sent.. She was shouting at me that I was "not supposed to contact anyone, but wait for their call"!!! I was so annoyed.. but had to apologize to her for no fault of mine.. guess they have some sort of global policy on answering standard queries :mad:

Anis
 
I am convinced that the major part of the backlog is due to these Pakistanis/Indians working at the embassies. That's why they get upset when you tell them that you went over their heads and figured out that they are sitting on something.

This is very interesting.
 
What's surprising is not just that this guy was rude, in his wannabe accent, he thareatened me that he will put something on my application and delay it. He must be one a sad git!!!
 
Second clearance

I've heard the Islamabad embassy in some casses is sending out second clearance request to Dept of State. The second clearance request involves checks with the exit ports and local authorities where the person lives.

This could explain the long wait after the first clearance.
 
second clearance

Hey Ali,
How would you find out if your application has been sent for 2nd clearance?

Babar
 
I was told something similar about multiple clearances in my case.

When I called the Islamabad Consulate to inquire if my security clearance had arrived, I was told that it did a couple of times but there were other names with it, so they had to ask for clearance again.

This might be a reason for such a long delay that I am experiencing.
 
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