FAQs regarding 221g administrative processing

Do not panic. You are not the only one who has been handed the pink slip, there have been others before you and they have come out of this just fine. It is not a reason to give up hope, hang in there! This list of questions have been answered by students who were issued an 221g. It might help to soothe your nerves.

1. What is 221g security check/administrative processing?
2. What is the reason that I was given a 221g security check?
3. What exactly happens during the visa interview if I get a 221g?
4. What are the chances my visa is approved after being issued a 221g security check?
5. How long do I need to wait to get my visa after the 221g administrative processing is done?
6. I have been waiting for a number of weeks since I received the pink slip. I am getting frustrated! What should I do? Should I defer my admit? Why is mine taking so long?

These are the personal observations of a few students and the scenario might be quite different in your case. Still, we are trying to help...

1. What is 221g security check/administrative processing?
Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act is the provision of law that enables the consular officer to put a visa application on hold until the applicant provides requested documentation or the consular officer resolves an issue requiring further investigation, such as a security check/ administrative check (Google it to find an official definition). It is also termed as pink slip/yellow slip in some of the consular offices.

2. What is the reason that I was given a 221g security check?

Although there are many reasons a candidate can be issued a 221g security check, the most commonly observed reason in the case of F1 applicants is that their field happens to be listed on the Technology Alert List (TAL) and the visa officer needs a Visas Mantis Security Advisory Opinion on your application. 

3. What exactly happens during the visa interview if I get a 221g?
If the consular officer decides that you need to undergo administrative processing, you will be asked about your current research, planned research, US academic advisor and other similar questions. You will be asked to send the responses to these questions as an email, to an email address provided by the visa officer.

4. What are the chances my visa is approved after being issued a 221g security check?
Quite high, do not panic. As a matter of fact, according to recent statistics released from the US department of homeland security, more than 85% of the 221g cases are approved a visa later on.

5. How long do I need to wait to get my visa after the 221g administrative processing is done?
The entire processing time might vary from anywhere between 3 weeks to 3 months. Once approved the visa is sent you through courier service in 3 days.

6. I have been admitted for the PhD Biochemistry / Chemistry program. In the DS-160 form there is a question that says 'Do you possess any training in firearms, explosives, chemical, biological or other related field'. Should I answer this question as a 'NO' to decrease my chances of getting a 221g?Technically speaking, it is likely that you have had some biological/chemical training if you have been admitted into such programs, so the answer for this question should be 'YES'. However, it is your call whether to answer in the affirmative or the negative. Answering this question as 'NO' might not really decrease your chances of getting a 221g.

7. I have been waiting for a number of weeks since I received the pink slip. I am getting frustrated! What should I do?
OR
7. I've been waiting for so long, I am beginning to wonder if I'm going to get the visa in time. Should I defer my admit?
OR
7. I got a 221g in June. I have been following these other forums, and am seeing other people receive their visas without much hassle. Why is mine taking so long?
In case you're one of the unlucky ones who ended up with a pink slip during your visa interview (or know that you are going to end up with one, because of your academic background), there are a few things you can do to escape the inevitable feeling of disappointment and frustration. 

First, even before your visa appointment, it is best to come to terms with the idea that you might be one of those receiving the pink slip, especially if you're from one of the bio-related fields. 

In the off chance, that you're not from a bio-related field and ended up with a 221g, try to not over-analyze your responses during the visa interview. Just respond to the questions asked of you offline honestly, and send it across at the earliest.

While you wait for the visa... that it is, hopefully, (almost surely) on its way ...

There are preparations that you can do for the journey without investing too much money. Like, spending time in the kitchen and learning how to cook, trying to find potential roommates, gathering information about the travel and things to do once you arrive here, getting a health checkup along with the TB and meningitis formalities, making a to do/to buy list.

As far as possible, delay doing things that need you to spend a considerable amount of money for. Postpone things such as buying airline tickets or shopping. Keep yourself distracted, but be prepared. You will have to do things in a hurry when you finally receive that most-awaited-for visa!

Deferring admit:

The question of deferring your admit doesn't need to come up until early August. There are cases of people who have received their admits as late as July, visa in the last week of July and then arrival in the US a couple of weeks after that. Keep International Student Services in the loop with respect to your 221g delays. 

There are people who have managed to arrive during the last week of August and still got things done right!

***This is only a list of possible answers to the above mentioned questions. The reader must verify the information based on their specific situation.***

Visa Interview Experiences

We have tried to collect the experiences of students from different consulates and different departments. Kindly go through these experience with care. They might be specific to the individual, but they can give you a fair idea of what you could expect at the interview.

COMING SOON...

Details : Proof of Finances

This list describes in detail the types of documents you can present at the visa interview as proofs of finance:

1. Liquid funds
2. Non Liquid Funds
3. Property
4. Annual Income

Liquid Funds:

Liquid Funds are those funds which are at your instant disposal. 

1. Savings Accounts:
This is considered as good as cash in hand. If however there are insufficient funds in the account, you will most likely need to transfer money from a non-liquid source into your savings account to present at the visa interview. In this case, carry documents as proof of transactions.
In any case, be prepared to justify any significant deposits in your savings account with necessary documents.

Documents Required: 

• Original passbook(s) with transactions of at least last 6 months
• Bank statement(s) (optional)
• Proof of significant transactions

Note : Some banks do not provide passbooks. In this case, you can do either of the following:

1. Get a printed transaction history of the past 6 months from the bank (Recommended)
2. If you have Internet banking, print the bank statements over the past 6 months.

2. Fixed Deposits:
A fixed deposit is a long term deposit with a bank which yields a higher rate of interest. You can show either the principal amount or the current amount of a fixed deposit as a liquid asset. Current amount will be higher than principal amount due to accrued interest, but will require an official bank statement as proof.
The maturity amount of a fixed deposit cannot be considered as liquid funds unless the maturity date is before the time, when you will be needing the funds.

Documents Required: 

• Original receipts
• Bank statements for current value

3. Bank Loans:
A bank loan that has already been sanctioned can be shown as liquid funds. Maximum bank loan available in India = Rs. 20 Lakhs. (Some banks go upto Rs. 30 Lakhs as well)
Be ready to explain what was used as collateral to obtain the loan, if required.
We would strongly advise against showing a loan from a foreign bank as source of funds.

Documents Required:

• Original loan sanction letter with the name of the university mentioned

4. Scholarships:
Any monetary scholarship is also counted as liquid funds. These can be granted by various organizations, both from India and abroad. Make sure you are prepared to explain how you were eligible for the scholarship and your ties with the awarding organization.

Documents Required:

• Original scholarship letter
• Documents proving ties with the awarding organization (especially for caste specific trusts)

Non Liquid Funds:
These are funds which are not available instantly, but can be made available in the near future if required.

1. Provident Funds:
There are several provident funds and it is beyond the scope of this document to discuss each one of those in detail.
Provident funds will pay you a certain amount of money at a given date. A percentage of this final amount is immediately available. Only this percentage can be shown as liquid funds. The rest is counted as non-liquid funds.
There are also public provident funds (PPF). Funds available through PPF can be shown as liquid funds.

Documents Required:

• Original passbooks
• Original statements (as applicable)

2. Policies:
All policies are considered as non-liquid funds.

Documents Required: 

• Original policy letter

3. National Savings Certificate:
NSC's are also considered as non-liquid funds.

Documents Required:

• Original certificates

4. Bonds:
There are again several kinds of bonds and each of them will have specific conditions. Unless you dissolve these bonds and transfer them to savings accounts, they are counted as non-liquid funds.

Documents Required:

• Original bond certificates

5. Shares:
The value of these assets is constantly fluctuating and hence have to be shown as non-liquid assets. I would recommend you calculate the value of the shares approximately one week prior to the visa interview. You can do this yourself also and do not need to pay any professional to do it.

Documents Required:

• Original share certificates (if possible)
• DMAT account statement

6. Mutual Fund Investments:
These are also constantly fluctuating in value and to be shown as non-liquid assets.

Documents Required:

• Original mutual fund investment document
• Investment portfolio (if you are investing through an agency)

7. Other Investments :
Any other investments not covered above or later can be counted as non-liquid assets only.
Documents Required: As per investment
Note that most of the above non-liquid assets can be dissolved into liquid funds. If you do so, make sure you carry the necessary proofs for the dissolution of these assets so that you can explain the influx of liquid funds in your savings account.

Property:
Property is not directly included in non-liquid assets since you will rarely be selling property to generate funds. While it is not compulsory to show property, it is highly recommended. There are two reasons:

1. It shows strong ties to your home country.
2. In case you are falling short of funds for the second year, you can show property as a collateral for loan.

Documents Required:

• Original proof of ownership
• Evaluation certificate from a registered evaluator (optional, will cost money to obtain)

Annual Income:
Along with all the above assets, you will also need to show the annual income of your sponsors. This is generally required to prove that your sponsors can sustain themselves while providing money for your education.
The annual income may include income from one of your liquid assets such as FD interest, or pay-offs from other investments. In this case, make sure that their income excluding these sources is sufficient.

Documents Required:

• Income Tax Returns of the past 3 years of each sponsor
• If IT Returns of the current year have not been filed, carry salary slips, bills, receipts or any other proof of income over the past year as applicable.

Affidavit of Support

Date (dd mmm yyyy)

To whom it may concern,

This is a Financial Affidavit of Support for Mr/Mrs/Ms._________(Self). I, Mr/Mrs/Ms. ______ (Sponsor), ______(relation) of _______(Self), am willing and able to pay a sum upto USD _____/- equivalent to Rs. ______ /-_____ (In Words) for my ________(relation) education at _______(University Name). Please find enclosed the necessary documents that support the same.

Sincerely,

(Sponsor)

Format for the Bank Statement

Date (dd mmm yyyy)

To whom it may concern,

This is to certify that Mr/Ms ___________________ is/are having a Savings Account Number _______________ with our Branch/Bank for the past ___________ years. The transactions in this account have been satisfactory since then. The balance in the account as of _________(date) is Rs.______________ which is equivalent to ___________ US dollars as per today's market rate.

Signature and Name
Branch Manager

Bank Statements

Some information on Bank Certificates:

• It is issued by the bank where your sponsor has a savings account. 
• It must be on the letter head of the bank. 
• All copies must be signed by the Branch Manager. 
• In case the bank issues only one original copy, all the photocopies must be signed. 
• Copies must be attested by the same Branch Manager. 
• This certificate is not required to be in a sealed envelope. 
• Usually the balance in the account is equivalent to the first. 
• Yearly expenses of the most expensive University that you have short listed. 
• You must request the bank to mention the balance in your account in US dollars. 
• It could be as per the market rate of the date of issuance of the certificate. 

A sample format for the Bank Certificate. 

***Keep in mind that this is a suggested format, a different format would still be valid. This is just a rough representation of the bank statement to give the reader an idea of how it is supposed to look. ***

Definitive Guide to Visa Finances

Following are some FAQs that might answer some common questions on Visa Finances:

1. What amount of funds do I need to show for my visa interview?
2. What if my I-20 mentions a bloated (lengthier) program duration?
3. Do I need to show my actual source of funds for visa interview?
4. In what forms can these funds be shown?
5. How do I present these proof of finances to the visa officer?
6. What other documents do I need from my sponsor?

1. What amount of funds do I need to show for my visa interview?

You should be able to show enough funds for the entire duration of your stay i.e for the duration of your program as mentioned on your I-20. The financial estimates on the I-20 are usually for 12 month period. 

The duration of most programs is 24 months or 2 years, but can differ as it is specific to each program. The rule of thumb is twice the amount mentioned in the I-20, which should be covered by liquid and non-liquid funds, in most scenarios. 
Sometimes, the course duration on the I-20 is more than what it actually might take. In this case, you still should prepare sufficient finance for the written duration.

2. What if my I-20 mentions a bloated (lengthier) program duration?

Usually, the I-20 states your program's duration as 36 months. (This is to account for deferrals and flexible course structure). Check if you can get a written communication from the university stating that it is common for the program to last two years despite what the I-20 states. Take supporting documents to back your claims that you need to finish the program in 2 years, and that you will maintain your F-1 status while you are at the university by taking appropriate credits each semester. The officers have got every right to buy or reject this argument and hence be prepared with an explanation. Be firm and honest about the duration of your program and how the funds you have shown are indeed sufficient.

3. Do I need to show my actual source of funds for visa interview?

In several cases, the funds that you show during your visa interview are not the actual source of funds that you will be using to pay for your education. It is highly recommended to show your actual source of funds. 
But, there is a possibility that you cannot show your actual sources of funds due to the fact that:

1. The living expenses on the I-20 are much higher than what you will actually be spending. (This is true for almost everybody)
2. You will have rely on on-campus jobs to a certain degree.
3. Your funds may not be readily available at the time of the visa interview, but will be ready by the time you have to pay the fees.

4. In what forms can these funds be shown?

Technically, they say that funds for the first year must be shown in the form of liquid funds. Funds for the remaining duration of the course can be shown as non-liquid funds. 
Note that it is better not to show properties/lands as sources of funds as one is hardly like to sell it. However, properties/lands can be shown as an asset to establish strong home-ties, a reason for the visa officers to believe that you have a strong base in your native country and won't immigrate to the country for which you are requesting a visa.
Click here for a detailed description of the documents that you can present. 

5. How do I present these proof of finances to the visa officer?
There are two ways:

1. Prepare a consolidated statement in tabular format. It should have three columns - Asset, Value in Rupees, Value in Dollars. Have four separate sections for all the above four forms of funds.
2. Prepare a Fund Flow Statement. State the funds required for your education semester-wise and the source of funds for each semester. So you will have three columns - Semester, Funds Required, Source of Funds

I would recommend option 1, since I have heard cases where visa officer's get suspicious about involvement of a counselor on seeing a Fund Flow Statement. You do not need to get these documents from any chartered accountant or firm. You can prepare them yourself.

6. What other documents do I need from my sponsor?
The most important document you will need from your sponsor is an Affidavit of Support. Mention only the amount of Liquid Funds made available by each sponsor on the Affidavit. Try not to mention non-liquid funds.

Here is a suggested format.
The Affidavits must be printed on a stamp paper of minimum Rs.20 value and then signed and notarized. Alternatively, you can print the affidavit on a paper and get franking done. Notarize it after that. It is recommended that each sponsor have a separate Affidavit made, since each will have a separate set of documents associated with it.

Steps to Get I-20

After getting an admit, and before you can apply for an F-1 Visa for the first time, the following documents are to be submitted to the International Student Services:

1. Immigration Information Questionnaire
2. Proof of financial resources
Your funding can come from a variety of sources, such as private funds, university funds, sponsoring company/agency/government funds. (This can be similar to the financial documents for the visa but need not be as detailed.)
Private funds can be provided by individuals such as the student, friends or family members. If you will be supported by private funds, you will have to provide a Bank Letter, a personal support letter and I-134 Affidavit of Support (if the individual who is supporting you is inside the United States).
The bank letter (on the bank’s letter head) should be current and should include the current ending balance along with the most current monthly bank statement with an ending balance.
The letter or bank statement must show liquid assets such as cash deposits, certificates of deposit, saving accounts, etc. Statements regarding property, jewelry, cars, loans and other non-liquid assets are NOT acceptable. Statements regarding investments such as stocks and bonds are also not acceptable.
The personal support letter can be found here. If there are multiple sponsors, then each sponsor needs to provide this form.
The current estimated expenses for Texas A&M University are:

• Graduate
• Graduate - MAYS Business School
• Undergraduate

3. Copy of specific passport pages; namely the picture page and the expiration page
You can upload all these documents through the AIS system.

Once you have completed the steps listed above, it is important to consider the I-20 Mailing options:

Students are given a choice between standard mail and the express mail, eShipGlobal service. It is recommended to opt for the latter, namely https://study.eshipglobal.com.
You must use the website provided above – do not go through the DHL or FedEx website directly, all communication will go through the eShipGlobal service, who will notify us that you are requesting your I-20 to be sent by express mail.
If you use this service, you will be required to create a user name and password to set up an account. To request shipment, you will need your TAMU UIN (9 digit number that is at the top of your admissions letter), mailing address, e-mail address, phone number and credit card information. Please pay close attention to the information submitted, as errors in the credit card information or submitting incorrect or incomplete address information will result in a delay in the mailing of your I-20.

For more information regarding the process, visit http://iss.tamu.edu/Prospective-Students/You-are-admitted-Now-What.

***Note the academic year and relevance of every link that you click here. The documents are only as current as maintained on the original website.***

List of Documents for F1 Visa

The following is a list of suggested documents to carry for the visa interview. You may organize the documents in a folder (pockets will help you organize better) in the following manner:

Pocket 1

• Passport
• Visa interview letter and fee receipt
• I-20 (Student’s copy)
• Admission letter from the University
• Scholarship letter
• Photograph(s)

Pocket 2

• Admit/Reject summary
• Admit/ Reject letter(s)
• CEAC (DS-160) confirmation page

Pocket 3

• GRE/TOEFL Scores
• Resume
• SOP

Pocket 4

• Affidavit of support
• IT returns - Sponsor(s) (Last three financial years)

Pocket 5

• Consolidated financial statement
• Bank statement(s) or passbook(s)
• Loan sanction letter (if applicable)

Pocket 6 (Liquid Investments)

• Life insurance policy of a parent
• Shares
• National saving certificate(s)
• Fixed deposit receipt(s)
• Gold evaluation certificate(s)

Property evaluation documents and gold evaluations are the least preferred because they can be forged or manipulated. The bank statements are a sure measure of finances. Visa officers are well aware that the probability of selling off your property to fund education is low. Hence, try to show most of the I-20 amount through bank deposits, be it in the form of savings account or fixed deposits.

Pocket 7

• Fixed asset valuation report

Pocket 8

• Transcript(s)
• Mark sheet(s)
• Degree certificate(s)

Pocket 9

• 10th and 12th certificates and mark sheets

Pocket 10

• Miscellaneous

Try your best to carry the original receipts of all bank statements, fixed deposits, and NSC. Do not take a chance. 

* * * Please remember that this list is meant to help you gather and organize the documents you will usually need, but is not exhaustive. Depending on your circumstances you might need to produce special documents. * * *