I’ve come across mentions of “administrative processing” several times when people talk about visa delays, and I can’t figure out what it actually is. Why do people end up in it — are there specific criteria or is it random? How long does it usually take, and what can you do while you wait?
Sometimes the visa was approved, and a few days later they’d send the envelope with the passport, but inside, instead of the visa, there was a disheartening letter saying an administrative processing had been initiated. That’s what administrative processing (AP) is — formally the interview went fine, the consular officer didn’t refuse, but launched an additional check in the security databases. In my EB-1 case I can say they didn’t request any extra documents — just a letter telling me to wait, and then silence.
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There’s no open formula for the criteria, and nobody will tell you exactly why you were flagged — sometimes it’s triggered by your field of work or a technical specialty, sometimes it’s just a check against security databases. Formally this is 221g, meaning the consul didn’t refuse but put it on hold while the check is underway. Timelines vary widely: for a friend at the Moscow consulate it took about three months, while for someone else it still hasn’t been closed after a year.
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oh, I went through this myself when I did the lottery. AP (Administrative Processing) isn’t a denial — it’s a database check; the case sits under 221(g) while the consulate decides. For me in Warsaw it took about eight weeks, but I’ve seen it hang for people for up to six months — there’s no formula. The main thing is don’t freak out and don’t write to the consulate every week; nothing will speed it up — only your nerves 
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