An F1 student visa applicant who attended the visa interview at the Mumbai Consulate on August 1 was informed by the visa officer that her visa was likely to be approved only to be handed a 221(g) slip, hinting at a possible additional administrative processing.
“The officer said, ‘I intend to issue your visa, but as you are aware, there is a new process.’ He then ticked the 221(g) box on the slip and handed it to me,” the applicant told [Publication], on condition of anonymity. “He kept my passport and mentioned it may take up to two weeks.”
Her experience was not a unique one. Even after verbal assurances that their visas would be granted, a number of other candidates interviewed that day claimed to have received similar slips. Under Section 221(g) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, the consular official in each instance kept the applicant’s passport but flagged the case for additional processing.
What is section 221(g)?
The 221(g) form is typically issued when additional documentation, background checks, or administrative verification is required. While the consular officer’s words offer some reassurance, the issuance of this slip places the application in a state of procedural uncertainty.
‘Stuck in same situation since 30th June’
Netizens raised their concerns on this post. A user said, “Stuck in same situation since 30th June. Another added, “my visa got approved in 1 day, keep checking your CEAC portal. If the status says approved that means the screening process has already begun and u will receive either an issuance or a refusal accordingly. As far as I know the embassy does the screening process according to program start date, so if your program starts very soon you might get your visa in a few days.”
“I did my interview on 25th july. Status changed from refused to approved after a week. Then to issued after 3 days. Got an email today. So 10 days? As long as your social media is clean you are good,” claimed a user. “I had the same thing, but my visa got approved after a month,” said another netizen.
(This story is based on a post shared by a Reddit User. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims and cannot vouch for their accuracy.)