I understand this question has been asked many times. But I still couldn’t figure it out for myself — is administrative processing effectively a refusal or not? I received a 221(g) with a note about administrative processing. For those who went through this — what happened next?
Detailed analysis of the topic: Administrative processing 221(g): timelines, statuses, what to do
Formally not a denial — a temporary suspension until the review is completed.
Thanks — how long did this check take you? I’m afraid it’ll stretch out over six months and they still won’t give any concrete details.
No one can say anything about the timelines here, alas. I’ve heard that for some people the 19th month of the review was underway and approval still eventually arrived — approvals come in batches, not individually. Hang in there)
Formally it’s not a refusal; in fact it’s a lottery as to the timeline — anywhere from a month to a year and a half.
221(g) is not a substantive refusal — a refusal is recorded as INA 214(b), and in that case the visa isn’t issued at all. With 221(g) the case is still active; additional processing is underway. If it’s already been more than six months, a congressional inquiry can actually help — I’ve read about cases being unblocked 3–4 weeks after a congressman’s response.
I also had an appeal (АП) in Warsaw — I waited 11 months without a single update; it felt like the case was just sitting in a drawer. A congressional inquiry really works — I heard from an acquaintance that after a congressman’s request the unblocking came five weeks later. If it’s already been pending for more than half a year, it’s definitely not an unnecessary step.
I went through 13 months of administrative processing (AP) for EB-1A — long and nerve-wracking, but the approval came. It feels like the case just sits there and nobody’s looking — that’s how it is for almost everyone. Hang in there; approvals are coming.