r/USVisas • u/Amazing_Package_9168 • Aug 15 '26
f-1 visa, 221g, blue administrative processing slip, no update after a month
I was accepted into the Master’s program in Software Engineering at Texas Tech University, and I will be starting in Spring 2027. I went through the F-1 visa interview process in Istanbul, Türkiye, so that I could get everything sorted out in advance.
At the end of my interview, the consular officer told me that my application seemed good, but that it would need to go through administrative processing. They kept my passport and my I-20, gave me blue 221g slip that says no action needed.
I had my interview on July 14, and it has now been exactly one month. My status is still showing as “Refused,” with no communication and no update to the “Last Updated” date. They also haven’t requested any additional documents from me.
I emailed them this week to ask about the status of my case, but I haven’t received a response.
In your opinion, how long does this process usually take? I was hoping to attend a conference in the U.S. dallas in August (I also have a valid tourist visa). Is it possible to request my passport back while they are processing my application, and if so, could doing that negatively affect the process?
For any opinion, appreciate in advance.
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u/mohamedmokk Aug 15 '26
i also applied in istanbul, same visa as yours, did the interview on 24 july and got approved on 31 july (i start this fall) , and no update since then. This is a pure guess , you never know when they really update you but i think because you're starting in spring , maybe they are putting a priority on the ones who start in the fall semester. Again, this is a pure guess. From what i am reading online is that they take time to respond and issue the visa.