Visa Stuck at the Embassy

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I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING QUESTION TODAY: 

My husband and father's cases have been in Administrative processing for over 9 months now. The Embassy is just delaying the process!

ANSWER: 

In general, there’s not much a lawyer can legally do to "unstuck" an application at an Embassy. An attorney can submit a letter, but Embassies are so bureaucratic it is doubtful the letter will reach the right person. An attorney can, however, sue the Department of State in U.S. federal court to force a decision one way or another, but this will cost thousands of dollars and the decision may go against you. One realistic course of action should be to contact your own Congressperson to write a letter to shake loose a decision. You should know, however, that if the application was problematic is some way, sometimes no answer is a good answer. Meaning, at least the application is not yet denied. To help determine your chances, a consultation with an attorney may help. But it will be essential to have a copy of the application and supporting documents, along with an accurate recollection of the questions asked at the Embassy interview.

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