Name check?!?!?!

[Littleturtle]

I know this doesn't help even if I keep calling the DOS. They have not provided any useful information corncerning our case. " Sorry the second name check is incompleted, therefore we can not give you further information regarding your case. " Anybody has any ideas? It seems like alot of your name checks come out pretty quickly.

[ndjarrett]

Call your Senator...call your Representative...get them to call on your behalf and find out what's taking so long. Sometimes (as in my case) they can even get it pushed thru faster if it has been sitting there too long (6 months).

[david_dawei]

I know this doesn't help even if I keep calling the DOS. They have not provided any useful information corncerning our case. " Sorry the second name check is incompleted, therefore we can not give you further information regarding your case. " Anybody has any ideas? It seems like alot of your name checks come out pretty quickly.

what's your timeline?

[Cody]

Your timeline is an important factor. The namecheck process usually takes one month after your P3 is submitted. If it's been more than a month, it may be a good idea to contact your congressman. In addition, you may want to contact DOS officials like Maura Harty, director of immigration services, as she has recently replied to letters from some of our members.

[Zingaro]

Your timeline would help.

 

My SO and I have been stuck in name check limbo for over six months now. I've emailed GZ, telephoned GZ, telephoned CIS, telephoned DOS several times.

 

What I've learned is that once the name check process is in the works, DOS consistently says they can't do anything to speed it up. Telephoning DOS isn't useless - you can find out quickly if the name check is complete if you check on a regular basis.

 

My SO and I are now at the stage where assistance from Senators/congressman is about all that's going to pry our name check loose.

 

I don't know what state you're in. In California, both our senators have staff assistants assigned specifically to immigration matters. Go to your senator's website. Senators typically require that you fill out a form to submit with requests for assistance. You can download the form, if required, from their website.

 

If you write to your senator, keep the letter direct and succinct and as calm as possible. Attach a sheet with your GUZ number, your name, your fiancee's name and birthdate in both Pinyin and Chinese characters (if you can do that.) Also include a timeline starting with the date you submitted your I-129f, first NOA, the date it was approved, sent to GZ, etc. And attach the senator's form if required.

 

By the way, DOS has told me that the name check takes a minimum of two months. Judging by the average timelines here at CFL, the average is closer to four months.

[Littleturtle]

My P-3 entered GZ in Feb 15th, but the one of the general consular officers told me that the interview would most likely be set in September or after because of the namecheck delay. This just ruins in every single one of our plans as we expect to have our interview in July or August lastest.

[david_dawei]

My P-3 entered GZ in Feb 15th, but the one of the general consular officers told me that the interview would most likely be set in September or after because of the namecheck delay. This just ruins in every single one of our plans as we expect to have our interview in July or August lastest.

This name check delay is clearly the monkey wrench in this process since it is like a black hole. Nobody is happy with the process.. but we do have to remember that the entire timeline is an estimate based on each steps progress and driven by GUZ after it gets to them.

 

And it's hard to know what effect the move will have in terms of adding to this delay (as also the holidays added some delay), but the move will also possibly be getting more interviews done each day (which could help speed things up).

[Zingaro]

My P-3 entered GZ in Feb 15th, but the one of the general consular officers told me that the interview would most likely be set in September or after because of the namecheck delay. This just ruins in every single one of our plans as we expect to have our interview in July or August lastest.

With a P3 received at GZ on Feb 15th, you're not yet delayed beyond the "average" time from P3 to P4 - which seems to be 3-4 months for most CFLers. The P4 interview appointment letter usually schedules the interview for 1-2 months after the date of the letter - so you could still have your interview in July or August.

 

That's assuming there's no name check delay. Mercifully, that seems to happen to a small percentage of applicants.

 

BUT, as David Zixuan pointed out, the consulate is moving the immigrant visa section and some other offices to a new building sometime in June. Nobody can predict if that will delay things or by how much time.

[Zingaro]

An additonal note - if you'll look at the Timeline thread, " Interview/P3 List for 3rd Week of May 2005, Interview Dates and P4 Projections", you'll see where you stand on the timeline (your name is on it!) and you can also look at the timelines of other CFLers.

 

It's helpful to see where you stand in the general flow of things.

[david_dawei]

An additonal note - if you'll look at the Timeline thread, " Interview/P3 List for 3rd Week of May 2005, Interview Dates and P4 Projections", you'll see where you stand on the timeline (your name is on it!) and you can also look at the timelines of other CFLers.

 

It's helpful to see where you stand in the general flow of things.

One has to remember that many answers from DOS or GUZ are a CYA answer.. Our own CFL predictions are the best indicator for guesstimates. And often takes into consideration the trends at 001 to use a bigger sampling population. I cannot imagine that anyone is trying to get a better scientific 'guess' than nooneufo's timelines..

[Zingaro]

I telephoned the DOS today to check up on our case (name check status). As expected, DOS shows only that "name check is incomplete." Fortunately, the DOS person was a pleasant, helpful fella (most are actually pretty helpful in my experience.) I asked him for the "Name Check for Dummies" explanation of the process. Here's what he told me:

 

Typically, GZ (or any embassy/consulate) requests a name check based on application data received. NVC notifies GZ when an I-129f petition is approved. (This notice is sent to GZ by email, followed by the hard copy petition and approvals file). The name check request usually is sent at this point - right around the time GZ mails out the P3.

 

The name check request goes to DOS in D.C. DOS then sends the name check request to various US security agencies - FBI, CIA and other such entities. These security agencies perform a standard process. The process doesn't vary, but variables can occur with each individual case.

 

Normally, the US security agencies do not request data from the respective foreign government, but this can vary depending upon US relations with that government. Special mutual security agreements with a foreign government can enable direct data sharing. It's my guess that the US security agencies don't request data from the Chinese government. Normally, the entire name check process occurs internally - within the various US agencies.

 

During this P3-P4 name check, several different checks actually occur, performed by different US security agencies. When the name check is complete, GZ is notified and can then continue processing the fiancee's application - leading to the P4.

 

Once DOS requests the name check, it's out of DOS's hands, and they can do nothing to influence the process. GZ will send queries to see if the name check is still in-progress.

 

Name checks actually occur at several points in the entire visa process - at the beginning (I assume at the I-129f petition stage) at the middle (at the P3-P4 stage) and "at the end". I didn't ask what "at the end" means. I can only assume that this means at POE.

 

None of this is really new news, but I hope it helps to describe the name check process a bit.

[david_dawei]

Great info !

 

the problem, like in Zingaro's case, is that it feels to fall into an endless loop... and possibly, like a program code gone astray, some intervention by someone might become necessary to see what's wrong.

 

I don't think the answer is that we all are constantly calling our congressman, etc. We got to let the process do its thing... But some past folks have had to restore to these calls in excessive time delay circumstances and with some success.

[Zingaro]

Great info !

 

the problem, like in Zingaro's case, is that it feels to fall into an endless loop... and possibly, like a program code gone astray, some intervention by someone might become necessary to see what's wrong.   

 

I don't think the answer is that we all are constantly calling our congressman, etc.  We got to let the process do its thing...  But some past folks have had to restore to these calls in excessive time delay circumstances and with some success.

Agreed ... we shouldn't nag at our reps and senators, and we shouldn't start requesting help until it's obvious that something's gone awry.

 

From what I've seen, the name check process is considered to be delayed/excessively long once it reaches the six month mark, although some cases have dragged on much longer than that.

 

The DOS chap's comment that the name check process follows a standard format tells me this: that the process can very easily go onto "autopilot" at the security agencies without a live person really tracking down any inconsistencies, conflicting data, or whatever else might fall outside the "no brainer" category.

 

That's where intervention from representatives and senators can be helpful, I thiink/hope/wish.

[david_dawei]

Great info !

 

the problem, like in Zingaro's case, is that it feels to fall into an endless loop... and possibly, like a program code gone astray,   some intervention by someone might become necessary to see what's wrong.    

 

I don't think the answer is that we all are constantly calling our congressman, etc.  We got to let the process do its thing...  But some past folks have had to restore to these calls in excessive time delay circumstances and with some success.

Agreed ... we shouldn't nag at our reps and senators, and we shouldn't start requesting help until it's obvious that something's gone awry.

 

From what I've seen, the name check process is considered to be delayed/excessively long once it reaches the six month mark, although some cases have dragged on much longer than that.

 

The DOS chap's comment that the name check process follows a standard format tells me this: that the process can very easily go onto "autopilot" at the security agencies without a live person really tracking down any inconsistencies, conflicting data, or whatever else might fall outside the "no brainer" category.

 

That's where intervention from representatives and senators can be helpful, I thiink/hope/wish.

and not being privy to their end.. it seems that normal behavior in any work would be that someone is actually watching something they kick off... and questioning what's going on.

 

But this is the GOV... so I'll stop thinking/hoping/wishing..

[Zingaro]

I think it's that "program loop" you mentioned, D-Z. It's easy to press ENTER and send off a data request. When the requested information comes back incomplete or inconsistent, it's just as easy to press ENTER and send the same request again rather than to pull the string to see what's actually at the other end of it.

 

Hey, do you think we should pin this thread for a while? Or maybe build a small name check FAQ?