More secuity clearance/ name check info

[Guest Long_strider]

Here is some additional info on the name check process. It is current, dated 4/23/03.

 

I have edited relevant info for China, but the link to the entire State Department report is at the end of the document.

 

Sorry for the length.

 

State Department Annual Report on Security Clearance Requirements

for Nationals of Certain Countries (last updated 4/23/03)

 

VISAS - FOR CONSULS GENERAL AND CONSULAR SECTION CHIEFS

 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS

 

SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION.

1. EACH YEAR CA/VO PROVIDES AN UPDATED SUMMARY OF THE SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS FOR NATIONALS OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES. THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPILATION OF ALL SECURITY ADVISORY OPINION (AND IN SOME CASES ADVISORY OPINIONS OTHER THAN SECURITY) AND NAME CHECK REQUIREMENTS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT.

 

2. THE SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS GUIDANCE IS PRESENTED ALPHABETICALLY BY NATIONALITY.

 

3. HOW LONG DOES THE SAO PROCESS TAKE?

CA/VO/L/C MAKES EVERY ATTEMPT TO RESPOND TO SAOS IN A TIMELY FASHION. HOWEVER, COMPLICATED CASES CAN TAKE SOME TIME TO RESOLVE, PARTICULARLY IF THERE ARE OTHER USG AGENCY CONCERNS TO TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE AT LEAST AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT WITHIN 15 WORKING DAYS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO NOTIFY VO/L/C VIA FAX (202) 663-1153 OR 663-1154, CABLE, E-MAIL OR PHONE. INCLUDE THE DATE AND NUMBER OF YOUR ORIGINAL CABLE AND PROVIDE THE FULL NAME OF THE VISA APPLICANT. CLEARLY STATE THAT IT IS A FOLLOW UP REQUEST. POSTS ARE INVITED TO PLEASE CONTACT CA/VO/L/C (UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT CA/VO/L/A AS NOTED BELOW), SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE SPECIAL PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS. TO FACILITATE THE NAME CHECK OR SAO PROCESS, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT POSTS UTILIZE THE 'DOT.DOT' AUTOMATED CABLE FORMAT (REF AND INCLUDE THE NATIONALITY CODE, TOGETHER WITH VISTA FILE NUMBER (IF KNOWN) IN THE CABLE (NAME CHECK OR SAO) SUBJECT LINE. THE 'DOT.DOT' FORMAT IS SUMMARIZED IN PARAGRAPH EIGHT.

 

VISA ISSUING POSTS IN CHINA ARE AUTHORIZED TO UTILIZE THE VISAS EAGLE MANTIS PROCEDURE FOR NATIONALS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WHO ARE APPLYING IN CHINA. FOR NATIONALS OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA APPLYING FOR VISAS OUTSIDE OF CHINA, POSTS MUST USE THE VISAS DONKEY MANTIS PROCEDURE FOR THE INITIAL VISA APPLICATION. IF AN APPLICANT MAKES AN APPLICATION TO RENEW A VISA FOR THE SAME PROGRAM, AS NOTED ABOVE, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THE APPLICANT APPLIES, POST MAY TRANSMIT A POST-CHECK EAGLE MANTIS CABLE.

 

CHINA, PEOPLE' S REPUBLIC OF

I. GENERAL

SUBMISSION OF VISA APPLICATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

A COPY OF THE VISA APPLICATION (FORM OF-156) OF ALL NONIMMIGRANT VISA RECIPIENTS, WITH A RECENT, ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH FIRMLY AFFIXED (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE CASE OF PROFESSIONAL DIPLOMATIC COURIERS) MUST BE SENT DIRECTLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY TO THE NORTHEAST REGIONAL COMPUTER SUPPORT CENTER, 1203 NEALIS AVENUE, FORT MONMOUTH, NEW JERSEY 07703, ATTN: DEPT. IIS. THIS PROCEDURE IS IN ADDITION TO THE TELEGRAPHIC NAME CHECK AND SECURITY ADVISORY OPINION REQUIREMENTS LISTED BELOW. EXCEPTIONS TO THIS PROCEDURE ARE:

 

II. NONOFFICIAL TRAVEL

'VISAS EAGLE' NAME CHECK REQUESTS

'VISAS EAGLE' TELEGRAMS MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR THE FOLLOWING

PERSONS:

(1) K NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS;

(2) IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS; AND

(3) APPLICANTS FOR REFUGEE STATUS.

THESE CASES MAY BE BROUGHT TO CONCLUSION 10 WORKING DAYS

AFTER SUBMISSION OF THE VISAS EAGLE TELEGRAM UNLESS OTHERWISE ADVISED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

 

Source: http://www.immigrationlinks.com/news/news330.htm

[wolf]

I got an e-mail from Maura Harty last week, saying that they had a new procedure in effect. From what she said, The Consulate at GZ who no longer ask for security checks. The DOS would get the security checks before any papers were sent to GZ. Now what that means for people that have their papers at GZ first, I don't know? I guess she was trying to tell me that now the DOS is backloged again.

[tparrent]

Boy this opens up the possibility of another black hole. Perhaps DOS has naemchecks flowing in from two sources now - the residuals from gZ plus the new ones from the service centers. What a cluster

[Guest Long_strider]

Black Hole? Hmm I feel like I'm in an infinite loop.

 

On Saturday I received a Notice of Action for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Lincoln, Nebraska with a notice date of April 22, 2003. (Really, no fooling!) It indicates my "application is approved" and they are sending the Approval Notice to the Consulate in Guangzhou.

 

Hmmmm? I received my NOA #2 in November. GZ sent out the PK3 already....

 

Does this mean I have to go through all of this again? Like the movie Ground Hog day? I have to keep doing it until they get it right?

 

Maybe I am stuck in the Twilight Zone....

[tonado]

Black Hole?  Hmm I feel like I'm in an infinite loop.

 

On Saturday I received a Notice of Action for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Lincoln, Nebraska with a notice date of April 22, 2003. (Really, no fooling!) It indicates my "application is approved" and they are sending the Approval Notice to the Consulate in Guangzhou.

 

Hmmmm? I received my NOA #2 in November.  GZ sent out the PK3 already....

 

Does this mean I have to go through all of this again?  Like the movie Ground Hog day?  I have to keep doing it until they get it right?

 

Maybe I am stuck in the Twilight Zone....

Wow. They really screwed up. Hope you can contact them and straighten them up.

[wolf]

I've been at this 2 years, everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. I am sure it is the governments job to keep delaying everyone that wants to marry a Chinese. When you think about it? If GZ processes 40 thousand petitions each year, than there are probably 100 thousand couples that start the process and give up because of the time and expense. I go to China every 4 months to be with my family there. Two years is a big expense. I am sure with all the internet dating services, tourrist travel, business travel, and meeting girls in these ways, that the government has planned to delay as many and as long as possible to make people back out. I have traveled to many countries and China has the most beautiful women of any culture I have ever seen. Given the fact that most women in China want to leave for a better life, the government will do anything to keep this from happening. If the government wanted all these petitions could be final and our brides here in 2 months tops. 9/11 gave them the excuss they needed to delay everything. They change the rules to fit the delays.

[tonado]

I've been at this 2 years, everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. I am sure it is the governments job to keep delaying everyone that wants to marry a Chinese. When you think about it? If GZ processes 40 thousand petitions each year, than there are probably 100 thousand couples that start the process and give up because of the time and expense. I go to China every 4 months to be with my family there. Two years is a big expense. I am sure with all the internet dating services, tourrist travel, business travel, and meeting girls in these ways, that the government has planned to delay as many and as long as possible to make people back out. I have traveled to many countries and China has the most beautiful women of any culture I have ever seen. Given the fact that most women in China want to leave for a better life, the government will do anything to keep this from happening. If the government wanted all these petitions could be final and our brides here in 2 months tops. 9/11 gave them the excuss they needed to delay everything. They change the rules to fit the delays.     

I don't know if so many couples had given up because of the long delays. I do agree with you that it shouldn't take longer than 6 months to get a fiancee visa.

[jameschun321]

I was not too worried about my fiancee's name check taking more than a month but this new process is getting me worried. They keep changing everything about the name check but when we ask what is going on there is no sympathy. I hope everything does not get screwed again. I was hoping to get my fiancee here in the next couple of months but I am not confident that is going to happen.

 

JC

[wolf]

It seems that there is no set rule for anything. Some people go through a name check between their P-3 and P-4 and than get their interview. Some are getting their passport stamped that day or the next day and some go through another name check after the Consulate in GZ gives the visa the OK. Some of this second group have waited up to 6 months for their visa to be stamped. If the DOS and the Consulate would just follow one system it won't be so bad. I have tried to follow the months of each and it still doesn't make any sense. Maybe one of the older members could enlighten me about this process.

[rfsun]

Is it only me or isn't the VISA EAGLE the way they used to do the check? If no response after 10 days they can continue. We used to call it the background check. It used to occur between P3 and P4. Anyways, is that what GZ is returning to? I have already cleared the visa eagle before the rules changed and I believe it is that f$@* bird that is holding up my a*# (donkey).

[owenkrout]

It seems that there is no set rule for anything. Some people go through a name check between their P-3 and P-4 and than get their interview. Some are getting their passport stamped that day or the next day and some go through another name check after the Consulate in GZ gives the visa the OK. Some of this second group have waited up to 6 months for their visa to be stamped. If the DOS and the Consulate would just follow one system it won't be so bad. I have tried to follow the months of each and it still doesn't make any sense. Maybe one of the older members could enlighten me about this process.

I agree with you Wolf. Much of this problem is because of their contuining to change the system. To stick with one system would be much less likely to cause confusion and delays.

[ChinaRose]

I am confused by all of this. (Sorry)

 

I thought the NVC did my namecheck when they received my approved I129F from the MSC. Does the DOS do another namecheck on me?

 

Why does it go from America (MSC and NVC) and then to GZ ... and then back to America again ... and then back to GZ?

 

Can anyone help?

 

Thank you so much.

 

Rose

[notsosimple]

Senate Document

 

This article explains, although briefly, many aspects of the visa processing system.

 

Leisha

Montanan in Guangzhou