An F1 visa applicant from Hyderabad has raised fresh concerns about the increasing number of 221(g) administrative processing notices being issued to Indian students, even when applicants meet all stated requirements, including making their social media profiles public as per the US State Department’s directive.
The applicant, who had their interview scheduled this week at the US Consulate in Hyderabad, shared their experience online. “In my DS-160, I had clearly listed my social media accounts and made them public since the day the notice came out, about two weeks ago,” the applicant wrote before their interview. Despite taking these precautions, they later posted an update: “Had my interview, they took my passport and gave a 221(g) form.”
What is 221(g)?
A visa refusal under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) means that the consular officer did not have sufficient information at the time of your interview to determine whether you qualify for a visa. This is a temporary refusal, and the rejection can be as the application may be lacking required information or documents. In such cases, you will be informed about what is missing and how to submit the necessary materials to the embassy or consulate. The applicant will also receive a letter stating your visa was refused under Section 221(g), along with a list of the documents you need to provide. Sometimes, a consular officer needs to conduct further review of your application, even if all your documents are complete. This process is known as administrative processing. If this applies to your case, you will be notified in writing, and the embassy or consulate will contact you once the process is complete.
Netizens react..
The Internet quickly reacted to this post. A user noted, “I had my interview in Ankara, Turkey on July 1 for F1 visa renewal. I got 221g paper for administrative processing, like everyone else. They asked me if I had an upcoming trip, and if I said yes, they were going to return my passport, but I said no, and they kept it. I asked how long the process takes, but they said they don’t know since this is a new process. As of today (July 8), a week has passed, and my status is still refused, thus no change. Anyone who had an application in Turkey, can you please share your experience?.”
Another stated, “I had my interview in Ankara, Turkey on July 1 for F1 visa renewal. I got 221g paper for administrative processing, like everyone else. They asked me if I had an upcoming trip, and if I said yes, they were going to return my passport, but I said no, and they kept it. I asked how long the process takes, but they said they don’t know since this is a new process. As of today (July 8), a week has passed, and my status is still refused, thus no change. Anyone who had an application in Turkey, can you please share your experience?.”
“Had my interview on the 30th in Chennai. Seemed like it went well, the VO took my passport too. No response yet. It’s been a whole week with 3 days eaten away by the long weekend,” noted a netizen.