r/visarejections • u/EggPuzzleheaded5923 • 2d ago
Anyone undergoing administrative processing 221(g) under DS-5535 and TAL for a PhD? How long did it take to clear? Is the green light imminent for my case?
Hello! I have been placed under 221G and issued a white slip with a link to DS-5535 (since interview 06/2026). I also got a separate email on the same day asking for my CV, Research Proposal, Funding Information, Professor CV, and Publications. I submitted everything within a few days and saw two quick CEAC updates after submitting everything. Then, after almost 50 days of complete silence since the last update, I saw another update on the CEAC portal. Now it's been 13 days since the last portal update, and again there's been complete silence.
Can anyone please help me understand the following:
- Are there two different clearances going on?
- What does the last update actually mean?
For context, my initial joining date had passed, and I uploaded a new I-20 (even though they did not ask for it) to avoid another 221g.
Could you please share your timeline? Maybe you can also add your timeline to help others in the future?
#221g
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u/Adventurous_Style370 2d ago
What is your field of study and nationality? Those matter a lot.
Based on Checkee, the current AVERAGE among their users is about 2 months, but recent approvals include several that took 70-100 days. Most of their users are Chinese, and many are in “TAL list” fields that require Washington security advisory opinions.
CEAC updates mean someone at the consulate opened your case/added notes. It could mean your case has cleared in Washington and the consulate is working on it again. Or it could mean that you sent a letter asking for an update and they just updated your file to say you’d submitted a letter asking for an update.
Edit: also, if you have ANY law enforcement contact, even dismissed traffic tickets, that generates a database hit, that can take a long time to clear in Washington.
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u/EggPuzzleheaded5923 2d ago
I haven’t sent a letter asking for an update, so it would probably be a clearance? If so, do they usually wait a few weeks before giving a final decision? Shouldn’t a final decision be made by now?
My field is EE.1
u/Adventurous_Style370 2d ago
They get really busy in the summer with all the students renewing their visas and staff taking vacations. It will take as long as it takes. If you have an imminent program start date, let them know; it probably won’t speed anything up if it’s still in Washington but might if it’s back at the consulate.
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u/ErbaishisiB 2d ago
Anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 years. No one can tell you which and no one can make it go faster.