What is this and ....

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I want to thank all of you for your input here. Surely my nerves have been quite frayed lately, with mostly good days, but certainly I've not been myself.

 

I know I need to chill out and stay focused right now on the objective. Just yesterday it felt like the bottom fell out after reading the letter. I began thinking that I would be jerked around for months only to get a denial based upon something unknown at this point.

 

My SO and I have an agreement that if by some misfortune that our Visa is denied that I will move there. I appreciate the upbeat nature from you all, my candle friends, that even though my candle dimmed a bit it's still indeed lit.

 

[ndjarrett]

It's a simple fact that shit happens sometimes to good people.

Don't some of us know that (and remember well the frustration). It's ok to freak and vent sometimes...as long as you are not in a perpetual state of pissed-off-ness.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

The Security Check is used interchangeably with Background Check. I found a link in our Links and Resources area to a PDF document created by the US Department of Justice that is an audit to the INS security system. This 90-page document is chocked full of useful information to anyone that is being delayed in the process.

 

See...

http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/INS/a0314/final.pdf

 

The link on this site is not working at the moment, but Don should have it fixed soon. Thanks for your help and insight Don....

 

Jesse

[Jeikun]

The notice you got may have used the term 'security clearance", but it is most likely the IBIS check. If you have ever had a security clearance, or been arrested for anything other than a speeding ticket, you will get a "hit". That makes your case a special exception that needs to be cleared before processing can continue. Likewise, if someone with a similar name results in a hit. Same goes for your SO.

 

153540[/snapback]

Hey Don, I think you just solved a riddle of mine!! I was 168 days in CSC (thank God I had patience) and everyone else was screaming through there like nobody's business. I am retired Navy and held Top Secret compartmented clearances (yeah, the spook stuff) in DC. Are you saying my delay could have been a result of an IBIS check? If so, then all the crummy things I said about CSC are now taken back. Now it all makes sense to me!

 

Jesse - We had a lady on VJ that underwent an extra "security check" at the service center. They told her to expect a response in 6 months. Turned out to take only 90 days in her case. Her screen name in NewOrleansBound (well maybe not so anymore...) and her name is Joanna. She might be able to explain some things to you about her case.

 

Dave

153606[/snapback]

Yet in typical government fashion, all is not applied equally. I held a TS/TK clearance, SCI and all that good stuff - wasn't even allowed to go under anesthesia without a chaparone, worked under the AIA, NSA... and my petition went through VSC in 11 days.

[wulongtea]

For us, our papers were hung up at the VSC for about 2 months. This was longer than most that i saw processed through VSC.

 

I was worried that maybe our papers were lost or just sitting on some guys desk for a while, so i contacted both senators and the congress person for my area. They all made calls to somewhere, and just said that everything was ok, it was just waiting for someone to process or approve them.

 

In the end, they were right.

 

I never sat back and relaxed the whole time. If i felt there was a chance that something was just sitting somewhere, i either contacted my senator and congress person, or in the case of Guangzhou, i emailed them once a week.

 

I don't think it hurts to keep on top of things, and in the end, i wonder if that might have helped get our visa processed quicker than i expected.

 

i will write more about exactly what we did, but these days i've been pretty busy.

[tall4anasian]

I've heard talk of security checks, but have never been able to find anything specific relating to them. It seems some unfortunates get caught by this and the entire process ends up being delayed. Some say this is random. Is it?

153480[/snapback]

I am an old timer and I am not feeling your pain. So my advice is to be patient.

 

My time @ TSC for I-129F = 144 days (albeit 2 years ago)

 

Biometrics = 08/04/04

AOS Interview = 06/05, approved, no stamp because security check not complete.

 

My advice is to develop patience. You are going to need it.

153482[/snapback]

Im a young buck, and I agree with STAT. Young or old. Its all about patients. For me, I was getting worried. Not anymore. It will happen. I just keep myself busy.

[Mick]

As Stats, Don and others have counseled, patience is the key here. All through the process there will be things going on that you don't understand and the powers that be could not care less that you need information. Back in the Black Hole days, all the rules about security checks, name checks, background checks, IBIS, Visa Condor and a partridge in a pear tree changed weekly. It was a nightmare, but then, that is how Candle came to be.

 

For what it is worth, we were 135 days for NOA2, and ours was one of the quicker ones. We filed the initial paperwork in September 2001 and didn't get the visa until March 2003. Without patience, and Candle, I don't think we would have made it.

 

Hang in there. In the end, it is worth it.

[sailorboy]

The notice you got may have used the term 'security clearance", but it is most likely the IBIS check. If you have ever had a security clearance, or been arrested for anything other than a speeding ticket, you will get a "hit". That makes your case a special exception that needs to be cleared before processing can continue. Likewise, if someone with a similar name results in a hit. Same goes for your SO.

 

153540[/snapback]

Hey Don, I think you just solved a riddle of mine!! I was 168 days in CSC (thank God I had patience) and everyone else was screaming through there like nobody's business. I am retired Navy and held Top Secret compartmented clearances (yeah, the spook stuff) in DC. Are you saying my delay could have been a result of an IBIS check? If so, then all the crummy things I said about CSC are now taken back. Now it all makes sense to me!

 

Jesse - We had a lady on VJ that underwent an extra "security check" at the service center. They told her to expect a response in 6 months. Turned out to take only 90 days in her case. Her screen name in NewOrleansBound (well maybe not so anymore...) and her name is Joanna. She might be able to explain some things to you about her case.

 

Dave

153606[/snapback]

Yet in typical government fashion, all is not applied equally. I held a TS/TK clearance, SCI and all that good stuff - wasn't even allowed to go under anesthesia without a chaparone, worked under the AIA, NSA... and my petition went through VSC in 11 days.

153755[/snapback]

OK...thanks for that input...now I'm back to bad-mouthing the CSC....scheech, just when I thought there was a reasonable excuse. You and I had similiar clearances. Damn, I just thought that could have been an reason. Thanks again.

 

Dave

[david_dawei]

I've heard talk of security checks, but have never been able to find anything specific relating to them. It seems some unfortunates get caught by this and the entire process ends up being delayed. Some say this is random. Is it?

153480[/snapback]

I am an old timer and I am not feeling your pain. So my advice is to be patient.

 

My time @ TSC for I-129F = 144 days (albeit 2 years ago)

 

Biometrics = 08/04/04

AOS Interview = 06/05, approved, no stamp because security check not complete.

 

My advice is to develop patience. You are going to need it.

153482[/snapback]

Im a young buck, and I agree with STAT. Young or old. Its all about patients. For me, I was getting worried. Not anymore. It will happen. I just keep myself busy.

153789[/snapback]

succinctly put: It will happen !

 

Jesse... I made that same pledge, to move if no visa would ultimately come. I think it's good you two get closer as needed by this 'unknown' ahead of you... but I do think that CFL success rate is so high that truly, "it will happen" in time...