Administrative Processing / "Refused" Visas
Oftentimes an applicant for a visa at an overseas United States Embassy will have his application sent for additional review immediately following the visa interview. This process can be known as “administrative processing.” Other times, visa applicants are told their visas have been “refused” and to continue to wait.
Unfortunately for the visa applicant and his family, the reason for this additional delay is rarely made clear. It is also often unknown how long this additional review can take, and unfortunately, this delay can sometimes last months, and in some circumstances, years.
The Law Offices of Michael Z. Goldman has had success fighting the Department of State in federal court through the filing of what is called a “mandamus” lawsuit, demanding that the overseas embassy make a judgment on a delayed visa application.
We have found that once such a lawsuit is filed, a decision on the visa is almost always processed quickly. For families facing delays overseas, a mandamus lawsuit is one option to consider. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about administrative processing and how my office may be able to help.
Here are examples of my office’s victories resulting in the ending of administrative processing and the granting of a visa:
- B-1/B-2 Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant (Vienna, Austria; administrative processing = 5 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- B-1/B-2 and L-1 Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant (Cairo, Egypt; administrative processing = 15 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen wife, German husband (Frankfurt, Germany; administrative processing = 14 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen fiancee, Egyptian fiancee (Cairo, Egypt; administrative processing = 6 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen sister, Pakistani brother (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 3.5 years at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen husband, Jordanian wife (Amman, Jordan; administrative processing = 13 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen husband, Egyptian wife and children (Cairo, Egypt; administrative processing = 14 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen wife, Palestinian husband (Jerusalem, Israel; administrative processing = 28 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen husband, Afghan wife (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 15 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen fiancee, Pakistani fiancee (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 30 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Afghan husband (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 22 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Afghan husband (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 22 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Afghan husband (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 10 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen fiancee, Afghan fiancee (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 14 months at the time of the lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Pakistani husband (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 12 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen wife, Egyptian fiancee (Cairo, Egypt; administrative processing = 20 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen wife, Lebanese husband (Beirut, Lebanon; administrative processing = 18 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen fiancee, Afghan fiancee (Kabul, Afghanistan; administrative processing = 8 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen husband, Cuban wife (Georgetown, Guyana; administrative processing =1 year at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Moroccan husband (Rabat, Morocco; administrative processing = 10 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen husband, Palestinian wife (Jerusalem, Israel; administrative processing = 4 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen wife, Pakistani husband (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 5 years at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen husband, Palestinian wife (Jerusalem, Israel; administrative processing = 13 months at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen sister, Pakistani brother (and brother’s wife and two children) (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 4 years at the time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen husband, Yemeni wife (Sana’a, Yemen; administrative processing = 15 months at time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen wife, Pakistani husband (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 17 months at time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen brother, Pakistani sister (and sister’s husband) (Islamabad, Pakistan; administrative processing = 3 years at time of lawsuit)
- U.S. citizen daughter, Lebanese mother (Damascus, Syria & Beirut, Lebanon; administrative processing = 27 months at time of lawsuit)
- U.S. Citizen son, Cuban father (Havana, Cuba; administrative processing = 2 years at time of lawsuit)
** Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome**
