Application Pending Further Action

On this page:

Overview

Refusal under Section 221(g) means that essential information is missing from an application or that an application requires additional administrative processing. The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if action on your case is refused under 221(g) pending further information. The officer will either tell you that the case has to undergo administrative processing, or will ask you to submit additional information.
If further information is required, the officer will tell you how to submit that information. As part of this process, you will be given a written letter (OF-194), and will have 12 months from the date of your application to submit the requested documents without having to pay a new visa application fee. Please follow the instructions in the refusal letter. After one year, an application refused under Section 221(g) is terminated per Section 203(e).

Who is eligible to schedule an appointment?

Only eligible immigrant visa applicants (including K-1s and SB-1s) who receive a written letter (OF-194) with specific instructions to schedule an appointment may schedule an appointment to return to the Consulate and submit the additional information and/or documents. Those applicants who do not receive an OF-194 with such instructions should NOT schedule an appointment on this page.

Schedule my appointment

As soon as you have obtained ALL of the information and/or documents listed in the OF-194, please follow the step-by-step instructions below to schedule an appointment to return to the Consulate and submit the additional information and/or documents in person.

Step 1 – Create an account at: http://bit.ly/visa-account. If you already have your own account, please move to Step 2.

Step 2 – Log in to your account at: http://bit.ly/us-login.

Step 3 – After logging in, you will be taken to a Dashboard, please look at the left of the Dashboard, click on “New Application / Schedule Appointment”, and follow the instructions below:

a. Choose “Immigrant Visa”, then click “Continue”.
b. Choose “221G Requests”, then click “Continue”.
c. Select your visa class, then click “Continue”.
d. Fill in all the required fields, then click “Continue”.
e. Choose your preferred date from the calendar, then click “Schedule Appointment”. If there are currently no appointments available, please go back to the scheduling system at a later time. Our office typically schedules additional 221(g) appointment slots on a rolling basis depending on the demand for appointments. Therefore, we recommend you check the appointment system periodically for availability.

f. Click on “Printable Version” and print out the 221(g) Appointment Confirmation Page.

Once you have scheduled an appointment and printed out the 221(g) Appointment Confirmation Page, you may return to the Immigrant Visa Unit of the U.S. Consulate General at 4 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City with the following documents:

1. The OF-194 Refusal Sheet;
2. The 221(g) Appointment Confirmation Page;
3. ALL of the information and/or documents listed in the OF-194;
4. Original passports of all eligible travelling applicants.

You will be unable to enter the Consulate without having the OF-194 and the 221(g) Appointment Confirmation Page.

If you have questions, please submit an inquiry form at: https://vn.usembassy.gov/ivcontact.

Administrative Processing

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after your interview with a consular officer. You will be advised of this possibility during your interview. When additional administrative processing is required, the length of processing time will vary based on the circumstances of each case.

Note: Before inquiring about your visa status, you or your representative must wait at least 60 - 120 days from the date of your interview or the submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.

You may check the status of your application any time at the Department of State’s website.

Visa Ineligibilities and Waiver

If you were informed by the consular officer that you were found ineligible to receive a visa, but were eligible to apply for a waiver of the visa ineligibility, please refer  to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website  for information regarding waiver application procedures.