F1 Visa 221g Administrative Processing Time: 30 Days for Second Masters Degree

How long can you afford to wait in 221(g)?

As per this experience, F1 Visa Administrative Processing times is just 30 days. And there are several articles linked at end of the article about 221(g) and most of them got the Visa in less than 60 days and there are exceptions as well.

F1 Visa Interview Experience

Me: Good Morning, how are you doing?
VO (lady): Good morning.I am good. Give your passport and application form.

VO: Which University (typing in his computer)
Me: Told xxx University.

VO: Why did you apply for systems engineering. When your background is pharmacy?
Me: It’s pharmaceutical systems engineering. Its a inter disciplinary subject. My I-20 states just systems engineering)

VO: Where did you complete your UG (typing in her computer)
Me: Bangalore

VO: When did you complete your UG
Me: Completed UG last year.

VO: What were you doing from then? (I think she was expecting that I will hide my masters)
Me: I worked for some time and joined a Masters degree.

VO: Ohh you have already completed your masters? so can you tell me, why exactly you wanna do another masters
Me: I have done la ot of research and I have published 5 research papers in international journals. (I forwarded the print outs of my publications. She had a glance at the publications). I have also been invited to give a presentation on the same research at a conference held in the USA ( I already have B1/B2 visa). So I met a lot of people and professors. They have educated me on this topic.

VO: Can you tell me more?
Me: I want to make my research into an workable model where it can be produced in a small and medium scales. At this point, we are facing problems pertaining to scale up and in this university, I will work on helping small and medium scale production and I told more about the professor and his funding sources and I want to learn the concepts which can make me a core professional.

VO: I got what you are trying to tell. (I think she didn’t understand a word, what I spoke about my research) but can you tell me in a single sentence.
Me: It’s mainly for knowledge transfer and to make my research into a workable model.

VO : I’m approving your visa, but your case needs more administrative processing. Please go to counter no 31 and mail all the requested info to this mail id.
Me: She handed me a pink slip with email id written on it

At counter no 31:

VO: Give me your passport and i20
Me: Hear it is (along with it..I gave her all my publications…)

VO: Do you have a updated resume?

Me: No mam

VO: Ok. Hear is the list of the questions you need to answer through email and gave me the pink 221g sheet.
Me: Ok.

VO: You have a B1/B2. So you have an option of keeping any one category. Either B1 with one year validity or B2 with what ever the validity printed on the visa.
Me: I will keep my B2 visa.

VO: Mail the required information and the documentation to the mail id given in the 221g form
Me: Ok, mam thank you.

Got my visa on 27th. Exactly after 1 month after my interview. I got my F1 visa for 2 years.

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18 Comments

  1. During my interview the vo gave me a white slip and asked me to provide a new I-20 stating a new resumption date because as at when I went for the interview the school has resumed.
    Does that mean the visa will be approved after the documents are provided. Also on my DS160 dash board it was stated there that my passport is with the U.S. Embassy/ consulate of which it was not taken from me, that is I still have my passport with me but it’s stated on the dashboard that my passport is with them.

    Does this mean it will be granted ? Pls I need more explanation to this

    Thanks

  2. got 221g @ Chennai may 3rd
    a blue slip was given ticked need more administration processing, and passport was taken no other documents were asked.
    VO told i dono how long it takes check status online
    I was not told i will receive any email also, should i email the consulate?

    1. Hi Arjun..any update on ur status.. even I got 221 g for my F1 visa today and VO kept my passport, no additional documents were asked.

  3. I had my F1 visa interview in NEW DELHI on Dec 5 . The VO told me that my case is under process after asking me few questions . She then asked me to move to another counter.
    The Indian lady there took my passport and gave me a white paper asking for more details to be submitted to the embassy via Email. I emailed them the entire set of documents on DEC 6th. I still have not heard anything from their side. What should I do now?

    1. I m in the same situation..
      My visa interview was on 19th December, 2017. I mailed the documents on 21st December. And visa status is still under processing!!

      Did u get your visa now?

    2. I’m in your same situation. How did you solve the problem?
      If you can ask me you’ll really help me

  4. Hello,
    I attended the visa interview for F1 on Nov 22 and iam being temporarily refused by 221g because of the lack of CV. My question is ‘ Is there any time limit for sending the CV?
    Because I had sent it today i.e Nov 27..I am somewhat afraid.. could you please help me out.

    1. Hi

      I have a similar situation, I researched about it and found out that you can send it in the next few days, so if you submitted the same, you should be safe. I did the same day as well. Where did you go for the interview?

  5. The visa officer said ,they need to do work further on my case ,so they will contact me if needed…without handing over any kind of slip…what does this mean?…PLEASE EXPLAIN…..

    1. Well, 221g is a given to a student during visa interview if the visa officer thinks an additional processing is required in your case. You get a slip mentioning your case. For 221g you get a pink slip. You need to submit some additional documents to get your visa. This is generally done for background check. One should not worry for this administrative processing. However for some cases 221g results in visa rejection too.

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