Application Refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g)
On this page:
Overview
Refusal under Section 221(g) means that essential information is missing from an application or that an application has been placed on administrative hold.The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if your case is being refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g).
If you have submitted your application through interview waiver and an officer determines that you need to be interviewed, they will return your passport and application to you through this service, along with a letter asking you to schedule an appointment and appear at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General location of your choice. You are not required to pay the application fee again.
If you have already interviewed, the officer may ask you to submit additional information, or may inform you that the case has to undergo administrative processing. If further information is required, the officer will give you a written letter explaining what to submit and how to submit it. In many instances, you will be able to submit the required information by an e-mail address provided on the refusal sheet. In cases in which you need to submit an original document, you must submit documents at a CITIC Bank document collection office. This web page explains how to submit your documents for delivery to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General.
Please note: Submission of documents in case of 221(g) is only possible through CITIC, not through Premium Delivery Service. Premium Delivery Service is only for the return of your documents. You can only use CITIC in case you are required to submit additional documents because of Administrative Processing. If you choose Premium Delivery Service for the return of your passport, every documentation request or Pass-back will always go through this Premium Delivery and you will need to pay for every delivery. You cannot switch to the free CITIC Pickup service after the day of your initial submission and any changes will not be taken into account.
You will have 12 months from the date of the 221(g) refusal to submit the requested information without having to pay a new visa application fee. After one year, an application refused under Section 221(g) is terminated per Section 203(e). If you submit your passport again, please do not remove the sticker pasted on the back of the passport.
Other Information
Some refused visa applications may require further administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the consular officer will inform the applicant at the end of the interview. The duration of the administrative processing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case.
Note: Except in cases of emergency travel (i.e. serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family), before making inquiries about status of administrative processing, applicants should wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.
You can check the status of your application any time at this website: https://ceac.state.gov/ceac/.
Applicants whose cases are Refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g) for more than 180 calendar days, may check the status of their cases by clicking the link below corresponding to the Embassy/Consulate where they were interviewed:
Beijing: https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas/beijing-contact-us/
Guangzhou: https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas/guangzhou-niv-contact-us/
Shenyang: Please check the status of your case here
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/embassy-consulates/shenyang/visas/shenyang-contact-us/ (English),
https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/zh/embassy-consulates-zh/shenyang-zh/visas-zh/shenyang-contact-us-zh/ (Chinese).
If you still have questions, you may email ShenyangAP@state.gov.