Yeah, because sweet, demure young women like the Future Mrs. tommy525 are known for being unimaginable threats to world security… 
Good luck, tommy, and hope she can get out to California without much further delay.
yeah her name may be similar sounding to some secret agent or something. So the security bureaus of the whole planet have to be consulted to give her a pass.
So stupidly ridiculous it would be funny , except its not.[/quote]
My ex airport manager’s son has the same problem. We are taking about a pudgy 8 year old that every time he gets one toe in the States triggers a red alert. Most times they won’t let him in. They claim they can’t. Big brouhaha ensues. Ex boss has to pull rank all the time.
I would understand if they point single women travelers as drug couriers or something along those lines. Security threats should be analyzed more rationally, random hitting just weakens defenses and lessens the impact of security measures.
Anyways, the most valuable things are worth fighting for.
Yes this is what I read about ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING, what it really means:
Administrative processing, officially referred to as Security Advisory Opinion (SAO), could be a most frustrating process for US visa applicants. The Office of the Secretary of State for Visa Services maintains, though, that it is a necessary process for sifting out terrorists, spies, and unscrupulous people that illegally transfer sensitive technologies. It also claims it only affects 2% of applicants, so if you’re unlucky to be chosen, be prepared to wait 12-360 days for a response, which might be a revocation of your previously approved visa. Most times, though, you would be approved.
What they do during administrative processing is pretty much background checks. Based on your background, application data or, specifically, nationality, you will be assigned one or more categories or class:
Visas Mantis: (potential illegal transfer of sensitive technology)
Visas Bear (for foreign government officials, representatives to international organizations, and their families)
Visas Donkey (name hits, certain nationalities)
Visas Merlin (for refugees and asylees)
Visas Eagle (certain nationals of Cuba, China, Russia, Iran, Vietnam)
Visas Condor (certain nationalities e.g Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates,Yemen.)
Visas Hawk (for immigrant visas).
Visas Horse (diplomatic visa holders of certain nationalities)
Visas Pegasus (officials of Commonwealth of Independent States)
Afterward, your information is forwarded to the pertinent agencies for a very thorough check-- mostly FBI. Others could be CIA, DEA, U.S. Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Interpol, and the Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.
This is where the delay really occurs. If everything goes well, you can have your approved visa in as little as three weeks, but if there is a problem of any sort, a delay could be anything from 30days to 360days. The most painful part is that you dont know exactly how long it’s going to take, and there are no step by step updates, so you are stuck in a timeless time of waiting. Here are some reasons for delay:
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Errors in the visa submission : The US Embassy from the country you are applying might mistakenly submit your information in a wrong format (different from what the agencies want), so the agency returns the data to the embassy. This obviously prolongs the security check and approval process. This situation happens every now and then, but it seems that the various agencies are working to standardize the submission format, which would help reduce such mistakes.
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False Hits(Especially for Visas Mantis and Visas Condor): If your name matches that of someone on the FBI’s (or any other agency’s) list, you will be subjected to more scrutiny till you are either cleared or marked as a concern to security. Imagine if you are from a country with many identical names, this process will take much longer for you, and this accounts for most of the average processing time differences across various countries.
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Visa Burden: If you apply at a peak time, when a lot of people are seeking to travel, this process will obviously take much longer. The agencies do not have enough personnel to deal with the spike, so they just do the best they can. Sometimes there are even backlogs, and this is why some people dont get their visas for more than a year. More so, the agencies prioritize certain visa classes, therefore when there is an overload, certain requests are sidelined. For example, the FBI prioritizes Visas Condor and Visas Mantis.
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Hits: If your name and information submitted by the Embassy matches the one in any agency’s database, then you might want to forget about traveling any time soon because they will resort to fetching as much information as they possibly could. This would take a long time since they might have to request information from other non-related sources-- sometimes this could require judicial approval. In addition, some agencies are yet to centralize their information storage systems, which means that it could be necessary to request
paper files from branch offices. If you are considered a security threat, the agency will write a security advisory opinion on you and then send it back to the State for Visa Services, who then revokes your visa.
Below is an chart (from wikipedia) that shows how a Visa Mantis is processed:
The biggest problem of the waiting process is that you do not have any access to the nature of the delay. You could call the consular a million times, and they would say the same exact thing-- “your application is undergoing administrative processing…” While the reasons of establishing such procedure is understandable, it seems inhumane to put people in the prison of time just because they want to travel to the United States-- mostly to add to economic or/and intellectual growth of the nation. It is thus evident that the US government, especially in the context of this problem, is yet to realize the delicate balance between securing borders and opening doors.
Is the government aware of the pains this process causes to applicants (See openhomelandsecurity.ide…. )? Apparently, they are aware, and they say they are working towards a faster and better system-- although they admit that it will always be thorough and thus protracted. But the good news is that there are signs of improvement. The agencies and State for Visa Services are working towards a more efficient partnership in order to streamline the process. The agencies are hiring more personnel and upgrading their technology tools to meet the demand for visa checks. Hopefully, things will get better in the coming years.
However, it is important for visa applicants to apply well ahead of their intended travel date if possible. This gives some cushion for the time required for the processing just in case such applicants are picked. And for those who are stuck in the timeless time of administrative processing, I encourage them to remain hopeful, and in unusually long cases, consult an attorney, contact a senator, or an organization such as the International Visa Office for individuals in the scientific community (including students) http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/biso/visas/PGA_048017
Below are some other helpful resources (some from which I gleaned the information presented above):
Their method of screening is like using a 500 pound hammer to catch a fly. It’s all politics. Also why issue a visa if you don’t know if you are going to let somebody in or not?
Exactly. Technically they are supposed to give us a 221G form which tells us they are going to be looking at our case further. But instead we got an approval (which is a great thing) but i was dumb enough to go ahead and get a plane ticket and worse, she resigned from her job !!
So now shes jobless, adding to the financial burden for me. Losing 75 for the ticket was not so bad. But shes jobless now while we are waiting for this security alert on her to get sorted.
Shes all of 90 pounds soaking wet. She is not a danger to even a pet cat. Honestly Whopper will scare her if he so much as hisses at her.
And she needs a check from top security agencies in the USA ??? GIMME A BREAK. 
I sure hope they give us the A OK< very soon. Its been over five weeks already. Bet nobody has even looked at her file yet.
Jesus Christ !
It took so very long but finally Uncle Sam has decided that my baby is NOT a spy or a subversive or an industrial agent or what-the-hell-ever they think she is. Her visa is supposedly finally issued. But i am not making plans till i see it !
U.S. Department of State
NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION
Issued
Application ID or Case Number: ************************************007
Case Creation Date: 24-Jul-2013
Status Updated Date: 09-Sep-2013
Your visa is in final processing. If you have not received it in more than 10 working days, please see the webpage for contact information of the embassy or consulate where you submitted your application.
And here she is, missus tommy525, the one they were all afraid of. 
Perhaps I should be scared as well ? :lick:
Visa in hand ! And Indo citizens can visit taiwan for up to 30 days visa free if they have a US or European or Canadian visa !!
So I was able to get her a TW visa online in a few minutes. Its just a “pre-approval” that takes just minutes. Just key in info and print it out for TW immigration. Show that along with your visa in your passport and you are good to go. Along with an onwards/return flight rsvn/ticket.
Shes going to stop over in taipei and my sister and my friends will show her around for the day then i get to see her next week 
Will give you guys little updates on how her adjustment goes. From life in the fast lane in Jakarta to life in the much slower lane in East Bay USA !
Thanks for all your good wishes.
Al fin! Finally! Congrats! :dance: You had patience, you went the distance.
OTOH, the time is near, Tommy. Soon you will have to leave your single ways behind, buahahaha! 
Great news Tommy.
Iv left my single ways behind a LONG time ago
Except now I cant let out a BIG ONE in the morning like i like to do. Will have to excuse myself before i backfire. Doggone.
I guess there will be adjustments for me to make as well.
It will be different living with someone else again. But im looking forward to it.
Single ways? Way over-rated. Except maybe when you are 30 or younger.
Congratulations, Tommy! :bravo:
May you have many happy, healthy, adventure-filled years together.
Congrats, I’m glad it worked for you. As least that part is done, then you have to deal with adjustment of status. More paperwork!
Kabar baik! Selamat!
well thats not so bad as she will be with me already. The only pain is the 1150 dollars uncle sam wants.
Thanks ! (i think, will ask her what that means ) 
Its been a very long journey but GF landed in SFO today. This is her EVA jet from TPE.
Shes home now finally and loves my cat !
Whopper is half her size!
But does the cat love her? I’m not convinced.
NO not yet, but I think he will warm to her I just hope he doesnt eat her while i am at work.