I get the impression that 221(g) is a process where the case is just put on hold until better times while other staff try to figure out something unclear. Especially for those who were flagged for education checks. Is there any statistics on waiting times for a 221(g) administrative review, or is it a black box? What’s people’s experience — how long did you end up waiting?
There aren’t any reliable statistics — it’s really like a black box. Mine was stuck for four months after Warsaw, and my friend with a PhD was dragged out for almost a year and a half; the cases looked similar on paper. You can’t predict it, especially if you get picked for extra checks because of a technical specialty.
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well, the thing is that 221(g) isn’t a process so much as a pause where the case just sits until who knows when. i’ve heard that after Ashgabat some cases were stuck for almost eight months and then got approved with no explanation, while others get their passport back in about a month. so don’t psych yourself out with other people’s stats — they don’t apply to your case anyway)
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Hang in there, an acquaintance of mine got approval from Warsaw after 11 months of silence)
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just so you know, according to State Department statistics, 75% of applications are processed within four months. so in the first six months that’s completely normal, even though it can be nerve‑wracking. the main thing now is just to keep living and not obsess over the status)
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Long story short, 40k cases in Washington have been stuck for over 4 months; the rest go through faster.
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If you take it literally, 221(g) is not a denial but a pause - the officer requested additional processing and the case is waiting for a response from Washington. Roughly speaking, out of a million 221(g) cases about 150k go into administrative processing and 40k remain pending longer than four months, regardless of visa type. Up to four months is normal according to State Department statistics; eight to ten months are still in the green zone.
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I saw a case in SF — it sat in the admin panel for 14 months, then was quietly approved.
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Actually, 14 months is already the tail of the distribution, not the rule. Up to 8–10 months is still the green zone per State Dept. statistics.
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When they checked our education, they pulled up diplomas through third-party services and wrote to former employers. The process works — it’s not a verdict. So don’t put your life on hold over these months; better take your mind off it with something nice)
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