221g- Additional Administrative Processing for H1 Visa Renewal

[seema1375]

I came to India last week and went to Hyderabad consulate on 25th June to renew my expired H1 Visa stamping.I have just completed my 3 years of H1 Visa stay in and even though I produced all the documents including latest i-797 , latest paystub including Jun 15th payroll,along with i-129 , Original LCA etc .... The consular officer after verifying my documents , said "Good you have all the documents in place but your case will require additional administrative processing and then handed over a blue 221g slip." I kept asking her why are you delaying my visa renewal case,all she said was because of US laws and asked me to wait for an update on my case through email/check online my 221g status through Hyd consulate website after atleast 2 weeks and then just handover my passport to nearby VFS for stamping.

This is ridiculous to say the least, I have all the documents in place and still my case is delayed by them...Iam not sure why...and I was supposed to fly back to US on July 10th ...and now my job in US is in jeopardy as Iam stuck here till I get status update from Hyd consulate..

My question is , can I go to any other consulate in India and get my Visa renewed or is there any way I can expediate my application processing with Hyd consulate itself .... what does additional administrative processing mean? Please share your valuable inputs..

[amitk80]

No, you can't go to any other consulate.
Administrative Processing (AP) means that the US wants to scrutinize your case more including your personal details in US or your employer's details or both.
There is no fixed time frame in which they have to revert.
But the average time frame is 3 to 4 weeks.

[OMM]

I came to India last week and went to Hyderabad consulate on 25th June to renew my expired H1 Visa stamping.I have just completed my 3 years of H1 Visa stay in and even though I produced all the documents including latest i-797 , latest paystub including Jun 15th payroll,along with i-129 , Original LCA etc .... The consular officer after verifying my documents , said "Good you have all the documents in place but your case will require additional administrative processing and then handed over a blue 221g slip." I kept asking her why are you delaying my visa renewal case,all she said was because of US laws and asked me to wait for an update on my case through email/check online my 221g status through Hyd consulate website after atleast 2 weeks and then just handover my passport to nearby VFS for stamping.

This is ridiculous to say the least, I have all the documents in place and still my case is delayed by them...Iam not sure why...and I was supposed to fly back to US on July 10th ...and now my job in US is in jeopardy as Iam stuck here till I get status update from Hyd consulate..

My question is , can I go to any other consulate in India and get my Visa renewed or is there any way I can expediate my application processing with Hyd consulate itself .... what does additional administrative processing mean? Please share your valuable inputs..

-- Time frame mostly 90days for Admin process , but that's the hidden process by consulate / embassy, so, in this case you have to wait for response by embassy or consulate, nobody can't do anything in it, sometimes it's take morethan the time frame, sometimes Admin process takes 6months too. wait and watch...
--- Omm

[mesaleem]

My new employer applied my H1B petition with consular processing at Hyd consulate. My visa from old employer is valid till Oct 2009. Once i get approval from new employer, can i go out of US and come back with out stamping using my old employer's valid visa and new employer's approved petition?

-- Time frame mostly 90days for Admin process , but that's the hidden process by consulate / embassy, so, in this case you have to wait for response by embassy or consulate, nobody can't do anything in it, sometimes it's take morethan the time frame, sometimes Admin process takes 6months too. wait and watch...
--- Omm

[OMM]

My new employer applied my H1B petition with consular processing at Hyd consulate. My visa from old employer is valid till Oct 2009. Once i get approval from new employer, can i go out of US and come back with out stamping using my old employer's valid visa and new employer's approved petition?

--- first if you not submitted your original I797 at HYD consulate, you can cancel your visa process, you can come back with Old Employer valid visa, I797 of Old employer, collect new petition from new employer, go to mexico or canada or bahamas with Valid visa stamp (not expired) , you can extend you visa, if after entering into USA if you like to work with new employer and you dont want to go anywhere outside the USA then you can stay without visa, I797 is valid for stay to USA, visa stamp is needed to go outside the USA. I hope you understand...
-- Omm

[mesaleem]

Thanks for your reply OMM,
I'm still in USA waiting for my new company's approval petition to take with me to India for stamping.

1)The new company mentioned CP at Hyd when filing my I129 form. Do USCIS still send I797 with a new I94 Card?
2)If they send I797 without new I94 card and mentions Hyd CP, does it means i've to go only Hyd Consulate to get stamping?
3)Even if 2) can i still go out of country to Mexico/Canada/India and come back without stamping using my valid Visa from previous company and I797 approved petition from new employer, thereby getting a new I94 Card at POE?

Please answer the above queries?

--- first if you not submitted your original I797 at HYD consulate, you can cancel your visa process, you can come back with Old Employer valid visa, I797 of Old employer, collect new petition from new employer, go to mexico or canada or bahamas with Valid visa stamp (not expired) , you can extend you visa, if after entering into USA if you like to work with new employer and you dont want to go anywhere outside the USA then you can stay without visa, I797 is valid for stay to USA, visa stamp is needed to go outside the USA. I hope you understand...
-- Omm

[achyut9]

221 G Blue form at HYD consulate

Hi,

looks like we are on same page but a little change.please see below.
I have been issued 221G blue form at HYd consulate. VO asked me to show my paystubs and client letter, which i did. I have been working in US since one year.
VO issued me 221G blue form and asked me not to submit any more docs and they will get back to me in one to two weeks.
VO kept my passport,DS 156/157, HDFC receipt and 797.
Anyone in the same boat?

Since VO said one to two weeks is this true?

Any thoughts.
Thanks in adavance.

[kewldee]

White 221 g with ridiculously silly questions.

Yeah, I came to India on a vacation last week and had my h1b extension stamping interview. Despite having all the docs, I was slapped with 221g - a white one in my case. She was really pleased with me showing her all of my 42 paychecks, LCA etc etc. The silly thing is the questions in the white doc do not match a bit to my scenario. They were all general questions - nothing specific to H1B. Looks like they randomly pick applications and place them in 221g. My job is in big jeopardy now. My client company's director accepted my vacation only when I vowed to return in Nov. I am working on four projects simultaneously - strategic ones and not any random ones. So long mister. And then there is my car. I had to beg my friends to vacate my rented room and put stuff in my car.

The consulate kept my passport, 797, visa forms and the hdfc receipt. The only hiccup they 'might' find in my background check is I blog a lot in the military domain. I Google regularly on Indian missiles, tanks, arsenals etc. I was told it will take two weeks after I turn in the questionnaire which I already did and I do not think I will hear back in 2 weeks as she said. Now I am stuck big time with no clue of what to do. The token lady at the hyd consulate who hands over the tokens, put me in the B1/B2 line. The other guy who had h1 extension was in another line. No clue if that's what screwed me up. I wont be surprised if that did because the lady looked like ex govt school teacher. I also had the h1 petition fast tracked. Maybe that sparks of doubts in their minds?????

At this point I am really fed up with h1b and green card processes and laws. You can be the best law abiding ALIEN in the US but with no clue of when u r going to get screwed. I do not think it is worth the stress. If I do not hear something final from them by dec 15th I will think about canceling my application, if I can that is. 6.5 years in US and I think people there have to deal with the same bureaucratic nonsense as in India.

I came to India last week and went to Hyderabad consulate on 25th June to renew my expired H1 Visa stamping.I have just completed my 3 years of H1 Visa stay in and even though I produced all the documents including latest i-797 , latest paystub including Jun 15th payroll,along with i-129 , Original LCA etc .... The consular officer after verifying my documents , said "Good you have all the documents in place but your case will require additional administrative processing and then handed over a blue 221g slip." I kept asking her why are you delaying my visa renewal case,all she said was because of US laws and asked me to wait for an update on my case through email/check online my 221g status through Hyd consulate website after atleast 2 weeks and then just handover my passport to nearby VFS for stamping.

This is ridiculous to say the least, I have all the documents in place and still my case is delayed by them...Iam not sure why...and I was supposed to fly back to US on July 10th ...and now my job in US is in jeopardy as Iam stuck here till I get status update from Hyd consulate..

My question is , can I go to any other consulate in India and get my Visa renewed or is there any way I can expediate my application processing with Hyd consulate itself .... what does additional administrative processing mean? Please share your valuable inputs..

[gst76]

re: White 221 g with ridiculously silly questions.

Keep us posted once you get your visa stamped. It would be good to know how much time it took for you.

[kewldee]

Keep us posted once you get your visa stamped. It would be good to know how much time it took for you.

All, i got the email saying I have been granted the visa. It took exactly 2.5 weeks from the time I sent the answers to the consulate for the 221g questionnaire. I sent the answers two days after my interview. Today i picked up my passport.
Feel free to post any questions and I will respond to them as soon as I can. I will be little busy with the ticket formalities as I have to rush back to US.

Peace

[nareshravuru]

Need information on 221g

Hi all. I think i reached the right page. Attempted L1 B today at hyd consulate. She has given me a pink 221g slip asking me to submit lot of documents. She has kept my passport. i think at hyderabad consulate, the 221g forms are being issued at a very huge count. one should think twice before setting appointment at hyd consulate, in my openion. my doubt is that in the DS156 form, i have given one address for contact person who is my tech lead. now in the questionaire, they are again asking for contact person in US. now can i give my manager's address?? please post whtever info u know abt 221g. that will be very much appreciated. and one more thing is that is there any meaining in the color of the 221g forms??? i got pink, some got white and some other got blue !!

[shervin143]

https://www.immihelp.com/usa-visas/221grefusal/

and one more thing is that is there any meaining in the color of the 221g forms??? i got pink, some got white and some other got blue !!

[satc]

Pink slip 221 g

Hi I am same page even i recieved the same pink slip yesterday at hyderabad. It would really be helpfull if someone can send the answers to the questionnaire as I see the a question on the Itenary etc i dont know what to answer this question also on the goal of my company. I am from a reputed indian services company and it will take hell lot of time for my company to reply so please someone help me on this I have to travel back to the client place.

[kkinusa]

What is everyone writing for the question: "where will you stay/work/live after your study?" question?

[raajnagarjuna]

Hello seema.. what happened to your case after this, please share your experience

I came to India last week and went to Hyderabad consulate on 25th June to renew my expired H1 Visa stamping.I have just completed my 3 years of H1 Visa stay in and even though I produced all the documents including latest i-797 , latest paystub including Jun 15th payroll,along with i-129 , Original LCA etc .... The consular officer after verifying my documents , said "Good you have all the documents in place but your case will require additional administrative processing and then handed over a blue 221g slip." I kept asking her why are you delaying my visa renewal case,all she said was because of US laws and asked me to wait for an update on my case through email/check online my 221g status through Hyd consulate website after atleast 2 weeks and then just handover my passport to nearby VFS for stamping.

This is ridiculous to say the least, I have all the documents in place and still my case is delayed by them...Iam not sure why...and I was supposed to fly back to US on July 10th ...and now my job in US is in jeopardy as Iam stuck here till I get status update from Hyd consulate..

My question is , can I go to any other consulate in India and get my Visa renewed or is there any way I can expediate my application processing with Hyd consulate itself .... what does additional administrative processing mean? Please share your valuable inputs..