N-400 name check, process, delays
drvr
Through my congressman, I have been able to find out how
the security background checks are done and why they take
varied times for different people post interview.
It all depends on your name. The name check which is done
for visa's, is also being done for N-400. So below visa and
naturalization are the same upto name check.
Why varied time?
If you have an arabic sounding name or a variation
of your name sounds Arabic, the data base has names for sure
which are similar. For example if there is Mohammad or waled
in your name, you may be a "hit". Hits have to be resolved.
It takes at leat 4 months, plus a month or two for communication.
So many people with Mulim names will have to wait a minimum
of 6 months. Of course women are hardly in the data base hence,
they clear fast.
FBI has told my congressman's office that they cannot keep up
with demand for various name checks requests. So there is
a backlog and is growing. So if you are a muslim, post interview,
you should expect about a year.
If you don't hear after that you have been by mistake classify
as possible threat. The law does not require this to be a
certain thing; doubt disqualifies you. The only problem is that
when this happens, BCIS will not tell you. Either they will find
some other reason to deny you or they will just make you
wait. So after a year, you may assume, you are denied.
These have come through two independent sources and I am
pretty sure they are true.
FBI Name Check Process
It may be helpful to the Committee to follow along with Attachment B, a
flow chart of the FBI visa name check work process. Consular officers
worldwide determine whether a visa request falls into one of the special
visa categories requiring additional scrutiny. Two of these categories
are Visa Condor, relevant to certain individuals who are from designated
countries and who satisfy additional criteria which may make them worthy
of additional scrutiny, and Visa Mantis, relevant to certain individuals
who will have access during their visit to American special
technologies. The consular officer will submit their name check requests
by cable, simultaneously to both the FBI and State Department
headquarters.
In the next step of the process, the FBI communications center forwards
the batches of names to be checked electronically to the name check
program. The name is electronically checked against the FBI Universal
Indices (UNI). The searches seek all instances of the individual's name
and close date of birth, whether a main file name or reference. By way
of explanation, a main file name is that of an individual who is,
himself, the subject of an FBI investigation, whereas a reference is
someone whose name appears in an FBI investigation. References may be
associates, witnesses, conspirators, or a myriad of other reasons may
exist to explain why an FBI Agent believed it important to index a
particular name in an investigation for later recovery. The names are
searched in a multitude of combinations, switching the order of first,
last, middle names, as well as combinations with just the first and
last, first and middle, and so on. It also searches different phonetic
spelling variations of the names, especially important considering that
many names in our indices have been transliterated from a language other
than English.
If there is a match with a name in a FBI record, it is designated as a
"Hit", meaning that the system has stopped on a possible match with the
name being checked, but now a human being must review the file or
indices entry to further refine the names "Hit" on. If the search comes
up with a name and birth date match, it is designated an "Ident." An
"Ident" is usually easier to resolve.
Resolution Rate
Approximately 85% of name checks are electronically returned as having
"No Record" within 72 hours. A "No Record" indicates that the FBI's
Central Records System contains no identifiable information regarding to
this individual. By agreement with State, partially due to our concern
about the time factors in approving most visa requests, a No Record
equates to a No Objection to the issuance of a visa. The substantive
investigative divisions in the FBI, (i.e., Counterterrorism Division
(CTD), Counterintelligence Division (CD), Criminal Investigative
Division (CID) and the Cyber Division (CyD)) do not review visa requests
where there is no record of the individual. Duplicate submissions (i.e.,
identically spelled names with identical dates of birth submitted within
the last 120 days) are not checked and the duplicate findings are
returned to State.
Because a name and birth date are not sufficient to positively correlate
the file with an individual, additional review is required. A secondary
manual name search usually identifies an additional 10% of the requests
as having a "No Record", for a 95% overall "No Record" response rate.
This is usually accomplished within a week of the request. The remaining
5% are identified as possibly being the subject of an FBI record. The
FBI record must now be retrieved and reviewed. If the records were
electronically uploaded into the FBI Automated Case Support (ACS)
electronic recordkeeping system, it can be viewed quickly. If not, the
relevant information must be retrieved from the existing paper record.
Review of this information will determine whether the information is
identified with the subject of the request. If not, the request is
closed as a "No Record."
The information in the file is reviewed for possible derogatory
information. Less than 1% of the requests are identified with an
individual with possible derogatory information. These requests are
forwarded to the appropriate FBI investigative division for further
analysis. If the investigative division determines there is no objection
to the visa request, the request is returned to the name check
dissemination desk for forwarding to the State Department. If there is
an FBI objection to the visa request, the investigative division will
prepare a written Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) and forward it to the
State Department. In reviewing these visa requests, the FBI has
identified individuals attempting to enter the United States who are of
serious concern to the FBI.
Processing Times
As in the name checks processes for 70 other agencies, the name check
system accurately monitors the status of visa requests in the name check
process. The system's metrics are a dynamic tool, allowing the FBI to
identify when to add additional personnel to process visas. The metrics
also provide an accurate tool to determine whether the name check
process is causing delays for visa requests.
The FBI's goal is to have all requests completed within 120 days.
Attachment C illustrates the current status of Visa Condor names checks,
and Attachment D illustrates the same for Visa Mantis name checks. This
status was taken on July 3, 2003. For example, for Visas Condor, the FBI
received 7384 requests during the month of June 2003. The FBI resolved
all but 649 of these requests, for a 92% resolution rate. In the month
of May 2003, the FBI received 5,059 Visa Condor requests and has
resolved all but 105 of these requests for a 98%resolution rate (See
Attachment C). For Visas Mantis, the FBI received 2589 requests in the
month of June 2003 and resolved 2226, or 86% of them (See Attachment D).
Visas Mantis are particularly difficult to resolve due to the
predominance of requests from China and the commonality of Asian names.
A common question we receive is, How long does it take to complete a
visa request name check? As shown on these graphs, 86 to 92% are
completed in 30 days. For both types of visa requests, 98-99% of the
requests are resolved in 120 days.
Most name check requests that are over 30 days old are the result of the
time required to retrieve and review field office record information.
Some delay occurs at substantive analysts' desks, but this is to be
expected. These analysts are assigned to the investigative divisions and
are primarily assigned to the analysis of intelligence reports from
around the world in order to support on-going investigations, or to
support the flow of intelligence to policy makers. These are the best
professionals, however, to review information in our records and to then
make an informed decision on whether a requester of a visa represents a
threat to our homeland, or is interested in illegally acquiring our
targeted technology. Nevertheless, as I stated earlier, the FBI's
resolves 99% of all types of visa requests within 120 days.
These numbers provide you accurate information to assess whether, both
in time and in numbers, the FBI name check process for visa requests
unduly disrupts the legitimate commerce of this nation.
--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com
sam2000
Thanks for posting the process.
If you are in the other forums you must have already know this...
What happened was for one N400 applicant local office was telling that
the application was on name check proceess. What the applicant did was
called the FBI. They informed the applicant that the name check was
completed and approved and already sent few months back. Also, the
applicant was told that it was sent to the service center.
So, sometimes they send it to the service center and the local office
never receives it and wait for ever thinking that it is on the approval
process. May be Service senter personals must have received it and
discarded it thinking that they have nothing to do with that
document......
drvr
thanks!
Originally posted by sam2000
drvr
Did he tell you how to contact the FBI for namr checks?
Originally posted by sam2000
waistophobic200
Congressman office or a joke thay wont left a finger they will just fax
inquiry request and try to fiind out just some simple info
i have done most of there job , i had to pull some string right and left
i have been waiting since december 2003 to get a new oath ceremony ,it
was cancelled at the last moment
i'm thinking filling a PETITION FOR A WRIT OF MANDAMUS to force BCIS to
get me an oath ceremony date
i did call the FBI and then i had to fax the a pricacy act request
them i got a confirmation that the National Nam check program was
completed and sent back to the BCIS headquarter .
also i made a privacy act to access my record and find out what was on
the National Nam check program got a response letter from the FBI
stating that i had "no record" and was never subject to any interest or
investigation from the FBI so botton line i was cleared as far as i know
still have not got a new ceremony date , i'm in the process to fil a
mandamus soon i will drop by BCIS office and show them letter i got
from FBI and see what they are going to tell me and find out if any oath
ceremony date was schedule for me
drvr
I would for sure take legal action if I knew name check was
done. Go for it. The only way, they could win is by talking
about "security concerns". If you have the letter from FBI that
should shut them up.
Originally posted by waistophobic200
drvr
ps: Do you still have the number you called or other
useful info, where to get the form etc?
Here is a useful link for you
http://shusterman.com/toc-dpt.html#A1
Originally posted by waistophobic200
dsr
Originally posted by drvr
>
>
> Why varied time?
> they clear fast.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> FBI Name Check Process
>
>
>
>
> Resolution Rate
>
>
>
>
> Processing Times
>
>
>
>
>
Is this name check before or after the interview. My interview result
is favorable so do you think they will still do the name check again?
drvr
Originally posted by dsr
> Is this name check before or after the interview. My interview result
> is favorable so do you think they will still do the name check again?
>
Some people here seem to know more than I do but
I was told by my local office that it is after
dsr
Originally posted by drvr
> Some people here seem to know more than I do but
> I was told by my local office that it is after
Thanks.
aurora
Backlogs on Small Business, it has some info. on the security checks
by USCIS.
http://www.aila.org/contentViewer.aspx?bc=9,576,3048
drvr <member@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<1050190.1...@britishexpats.com>...