You’re done with your K1 Visa Interview but the Consular Officer cannot make a decision based on the information and/or documents you’ve submitted. This is where the 221G Request for Additional Documents come in. As explained by the Consular Officer, a 221G Request for Additional Documents is neither an approval or refusal of the Visa Case. Before Consular Officers decide on a case, they must thoroughly study the case. Which means there are additional processing involved. Your case may be put in Administrative Review or Administrative Processing if they are doing additional background checks and waiting for your 221G submission / compliance.
First, Don’t panic. It may be quite a bit of a delay on your visa issuance but if you comply to what they ask of you right away, your case may be reviewed in a timely manner and you will have news about your visa soon enough. Follow-up with the Embassy through calls to the Immigration Visa (IV) Unit or through email. Now, gather all the documents that are needed from you. They have given you a checklist and the Consular Officer has marked the documents you lack/need to submit. Nowadays, they EMAIL you your 221G Checklist. So make sure you check the email you used on your DS-160 Form/USTravelDocs everyday.
The 221G Requirements Sheet signed by the Consular Officer who interviewed me. | 221G Request For Additional Documents | ©2013, US Embassy Manila, Life As Mrs. Presson (www.mrspresson.com)
Provide a Cover Letter explaining what is included in your 221G Package. Fill out the 221G Submission Sheet.
The 221G Submission Sheet for 2Go Couriers | 221G Request For Additional Documents | ©2013, US Embassy Manila, Life As Mrs. Presson (www.mrspresson.com)
Bring your 221G Documents with you at any 2GO Branch. They will pack them for you. For easier handling, you may want to label your documents and put clips on it.
Manong Kuya looking for some packaging material to put my 221G documents in. | 221G Request For Additional Documents | ©2013, US Embassy Manila, Life As Mrs. Presson (www.mrspresson.com)
No need to worry, you don’t have to pay for anything. It will be paid for by the US Embassy. You just have to hand everything over to a 2Go Courier clerk and they already know what to do. They will prepare everything for you, you just have to sign the receipt they’re going to give you. It also has a Tracking Number so you’d know when your 221G documents has been delivered.
221G Document Submission, 2GO Receipt with Tracking Number | 221G Request For Additional Documents | ©2013, US Embassy Manila, Life As Mrs. Presson (www.mrspresson.com)
Obviously, contacting them through a phone call is always the fastest. :P The following information was taken directly from the US Embassy Manila, Website: Email
For general inquiries: IVManilaReplies@state.gov To enable us to electronically sort the messages and provide better, more timely responses, please follow the instructions below.
- The subject line of your email should indicate the visa applicant’s last name, first and middle name (ex. DOE, John James), case number/USCIS receipt number, visa category and priority date.
- Messages should be limited to 500 characters or less.
- The mail size should not be more than 15 KB.
- Do not submit documentation or attachments with your message as our system is unable to receive inquiries with attachments.
- Do not send your inquiry more than once as duplicate inquiries will congest our system and delay our response time.
For inquiries on a specific case, please call the Immigrant Visa (IV) Unit’s inquiry line at (632) 301-2000, extension 5184 or 5185 during normal business hours, except between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m.
UPDATE as of March 1st, 2014: The Embassy’s main trunk line 301-2000 is experiencing technical issues and prone to congestion. If your call can’t get through please use these numbers: 301-2166 or 301-2177
Good luck! :)
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Disclaimer: I do not work for nor am I affiliated with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs and the U.S. Embassy Manila, Philippines. This guide was made with the sole intention of helping other K1 applicants to understand what goes on during the K1 Visa Process. For the full disclaimer, please click here.
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hey every one hope that u are having a good day ! after i did my interview in the embassy today using k1 visa the consular gived me my passport back and he gave me a paper mentioned that my case has been suspended under section 221(g) pending the recipt and review of the information and missing documents….
that’s all because it was a bad interview with the consular and i was missing three paper of the folder than i can truck this to them as soon as possible i get the papers
my questions is : should i send my passport with the missing document?
No. Only send what is asked of you. They will contact you when they have reached a decision and will let you know when your passport is needed.
First off, let me say OMG i love you and I’m so obsessed with your blog!!!!! ?
I was issued 221G (Korean Police Clearance), and I’m planning to submit it to the US Embassy today. Do I send my passport along with it? Or after they received the documents they asked, I’ll have another interview??
LOL. Apologies for the delay.
Send back what’s asked of you on the 221G Letter/Email. You can also call them directly if you’re unsure of what to send. But by now, you should sent your docs already.
Usually when it’s a 221G, you won’t have another interview – you just have to comply with what’s asked of you. You will have to track your case on CEAC after this. No one will be able to tell you when they will be issuing you the visa / when it gets approved. Good luck!
Hi Mrs. Presson, would you still remember how long it took the embassy to process and approve your pending application after you supplied the missing 221(g) documents?
Please read my timeline: http://mrsprsn.us/Timeline
@Julieta Jones: Thanks a lot. i really appreciate because till now i have no clue what to do next.. im still waiting for my NBI results anyways. God Bless you.
To Anne…We have the same case when I processed my visa also.Just print that email from them, then attached your NBI clearance with the “aka” and send it to 2GO. It almost take a month to wait, but try to keep checking maybe it would be fastier this time.Goodluck.
Hi Erika! good day. today we had our interview for k1 and K2 visa.. everything went well, it was very fast actually but unfortunately i missed a document which is NBI “aka” .. i didn’t get any 221 (g) form from them, but the lady in window 5 (releasing) sent me an email instead regarding my unable to process visa , the document i need to submit and what to do… my question is; should i send just the “aka” NBI clearance or should i print their email and send it too along with my NBI ??
thanks in advance
For any concerns about your case, please contact the US Embassy directly.
Hi mrs.Presson,I completed additional requirements such as nbi with a.ka.and ploice clearance form malysia.all done in jan.4,2016.and i come across to check my ceac status stating ISSUED(barring unforeseen….blah..blah) dated jan 6,2016.in short ,i checked 2go courier as expected to be delivered after 7_10days as it says.but unfortunately,it’s invalid.which means no pport or visa forwarded to them.now,am worried becuase it’s been 1month and 1week since then no word or update on my visa status.i tried to call thier helplines unfortunately, still no consul to help answer my inquiries.am quiet desperate becuase my priority date will be march 05.
Sorry, I wouldn’t have information about this as yours is a different type of visa (my blog is about fiancee visas), and that processing and release is entirely at the hands of the US Embassy. It’s always best to contact them directly about your case.
hello…im just a little bit worried about my visa im done my interview sept 14..but got 221g with my aka nbi.i submitted already the said nbi with aka…my question is when i read about my status is ap…and then reading a few notes there below, there is a note that i really dont understand what is that all about at the last line of the notice with the date sept 30th 2012?
Those dates are just references as to when your case has been “checked” / “looked at” or “touched” but doesn’t necessarily mean “processed/worked on”. Frankly, those dates doesn’t mean anything extremely important. You may notice the date to change for a few days, weeks, a month or so but the case is still on “Administrative Processing”.
Please read the following:
Hi Mrs Presson,
I got 221g due to failure to reflect prior marriage, the consul didn’t say anything or to submit some documents, i am so confused what will happen…
Please re-read the 2nd paragraph (towards the end) with the title “I have a 221G Request for Additional Documents. What am I supposed to do next?”.
You can also call the US Embassy to follow up. Please deal with the US Embassy directly.
Good day!
I was approved already with my visa but the consulate requested for my Certificate of Clearance from my previous country where i worked for 2yrs. As i received my cert. of clearance from that country i just noticed that my name Maria had a typo error of Marja, but the mailing address and my passport no. Indicated on the certificate are completely correct. Can isend this certificate and just attached those docs i submitted as my supporting docs for US Embassy?
Please contact the US Embassy directly.
Hi Mrs Presson, Im glad i found your site. I went to nbi here in cebu to apply. Got Hit and was advised to return after 2 weeks. I was so dissappointed because this is my 1st time to get hit after several successful nbi applications ive done before i got married. Now, Im starting to freak out hehe as I was reading on some post. My husband Us cit has started my application for my petition and I really wonder if the time comes for my embassy interview, will it really cause me a delay if i have a hit on my nbi even though i know for sure i have no criminal record … my starting to worry :(
A “Hit” is normal, that means you have a namesake.
Please read:
NBI Clearance
Hello. It’s me again and I’m now done with my interview. Unfortunately, I was given a 221g. I already sent it through 2Go MoA the same day of my interview since I only need to send a copy of his passport with Philippine entry and exit stamps. The American consul was really nice and told me that I just need to submit it then, everything is good. Do you have an idea if he will be the same person who will review my documents? I dunno. I’m just a little bit worried. Hehe.
Sorry to hear this. That is strange. This is the first time I’ve heard that the US Petitioner’s Philippine Entry and Exit Stamps are needed at the Interview stage. Those are usually sent with the I-129F Petition (for proof of relationship). Did they tell you why they were requesting for it? I guess it would still fall on “proof of relationship” under the Official US Embassy Instructions
Honestly, no one knows who handles the 221G submissions, if they’re the same Consular Officers. I imagine that it only gets passed on to Case Workers, checking if they’ve already complied with the needed documents.
Good luck!
Hi I would like to ask re: administrative processing. My Fiance went for his interview under K-1 visa today March 18, 2015. He was able to answer all the questions during the interview from the Filipina consul and the American consul as well. It was a 5 minute interview with the Filipina and just 1 minute from the American consul. The American consul mentioned to him that everything seems ok except for the Police Clearance from Malaysia that he was not able to submit. He worked and stayed there for more than 1 year. Now he was persuaded to go to releasing window and was just told on the instruction on how to acquire the document. The challenge now is that the website to submit application to get the police clearance from malaysia is down. What do we expect from now.? He received an e-mail stating the following: we are unable to complete the processing of your case under section 221g of the INA as amended until you present the following documents or required action from your end.
and it says there “POLICE CERTIFICATE FROM MALAYSIA” his passport was returned to him because they said he will need it in acquiring the police clearance.
I hope you can give me an advice on what to expect. I am so disappointed. I did not read through the required documentations.
I’m sorry to hear this. But there is no other way but to acquire that police clearance and send it to the U.S. Embassy. Until then, your case will be stuck in Administrative Processing. This requirement must be satisfied.
Good luck!
Hi Mrs Presson, i had my interview last jan 21. i received 221(g) email regarding my middle name on my BC. i already sent my amended nso BC via 2go last feb 6 and it was received on feb 9 at us embassy manila. but i don’t have any confirmation from immigrant visa unit. i check on CEAC updated march 3, 2015 and my status is READY but it says:
Your case is ready for your interview when scheduled at the U.S. Consular section. If you have already scheduled an appointment for an interview, please prepare your documents as directed in your appointment letter and appear at the consulate on the appointed date and time. Otherwise, please wait until you have received interview scheduling instructions.
what shall i do? please advise.. many thanks..
You just have to keep monitoring your status.
Hi mrs. Presson, I had my interview last february 11 then the consul ask me If I have CENOMAR and I said yes but it’s in my house, I thought they don’t need it since I have the marriage certificate already then the consul told me to proceed on window 5 then the guy give me a form to fill up to get CENOMAR he then told me to give that to pasay-nso then they will be the one to pick up so on that day I rush to nso pasay to get the cenomar and so while waiting for my cenomar I was in administrative processing then it updated in February 17 and February 19 I was confused because there’s no work on that day since it’s chinese new year how come it updated on February 19? And when I was checking the cgf before it states “your passport is still at the embassy/consulate and now it says document delivery information but in my CEAC it’s still administrative processing? How’s that? I’m confuse and stress please help me
Read: Why is my case on Administrative Processing and/or 221G? How long will it be stuck on AP?
Hi mrs. Presson
Im leah . And i am worried because untill now my visa status is still READY . I had my visa interview Feb. 2 2015 and the consul didnt say im approved and told me to go to step 5 which is releasing they didnt even give me any form if i missed any supporting document. But when i got the releasing i asked a consul and he said OK Na you can go now and wait for your visa . But untill now theres no good news . Im a bit worried . What should i do . Oh btw. My case is fiance visa . And me and my fiance have a baby 1year old and weve been for 3years and 5 months . Wish to have a good news sooner or later Godbless.