people whose update dates are changing, dont worry.. it only means you are almost there.
i dont know if it is good to share the status case numbers but to give you more hope and confidence, see this case number
see its update date and issued date in hyderabad consulate using CEAC website: 2013108 233 0001. It got cleared in 7 weeks.
May be the person took a week or two to submit required stuff so i am assuming it is average 5 weeks. Or may be it was a name
check without need of any documents and got cleared in 7 weeks.
There are many cases getting cleared in every couple of days... especially those whose status dates are updated frequently.
As somebody pointed out, when status dates are updated, it either means you are almost there or it may mean you crossed
one hurdle and unluckily put into other hurdle which may take some more time say 3 weeks.
If your case is genuine and clear and presented the documentations and answered everything properly then unless you are extremely unlucky
you should clear in 5 weeks. The word 'presentation' is important. as i mentioned one example of my friend who did not respond to the
questionnaire properly, he was held for more than 6 months though his case was straight forward.
Everything i mention here is based on the cases I have seen, based on my own experience and analysis and experiences of my friends in my network.
People who are stuck for more than 6 months have something special in their cases which makes it atough ride.. Either their name has
too many common hits or your case is not well presented.
I believe the way administrative processing works is simple.. To give you an example, assume that each case is moving in a conveyer belt like
the luggages on the airport... somewhere somebody is checking one case at a time when the cases passes through his window through the conveyer
belt.. when he picks up the case, he quickly want to see few things... for example if the case needed a documents he will see if you have submitted required stuff
in proper way. if he thinks you have missed something or not submitted properly, he dont want to waste further time on it because there are lot of
other cases he need to work on.. so he will simple put the case back in some other conveyer belt where it has to flow and reach someone else after few days or weeks.
that belt moves much slower... thats when the case status update date of that case wont change for long time. after long time either you follow up or somebody will pick up
and see what is missing.. either they communicate back or follow up with DOS or USICS or whatever and it may come back to original conveyer belt. again it may take
few days to reach it to the processing officer... that way it takes long time, hoping from one queue to other queue.
So what I mean is the key factor is, while your case is new and while it is moving in original conveyer belt, if you have provided or presented everything properly
then the first officer would immediately take decision and move it forward.. he will move it to the other processing conveyer belt where other officer will update it
to approved and issued and it will move to next conveyer belt where it will be picked and visa will be printed and then put it on conveyer belt which takes the passport to
VFS for deliver... this fast process can complete in 2 to 5 weeks.
If your case is stuck for 6 months that does not mean it was never looked at... it had its day, there was an opportunity to get it cleared but there was something
missing somewhere thats why it was put back to other slower belt where it took its own sweet time before coming back to normal belt.
sometimes 221g is simply given as an extended interview.. for example if you are given a 221g with questionnaire and few documents to be submitted over email
what that generally means is that your case was straight forward but VO did not had enough time to ask you enough questions during interview.. so what he does is
he extends your interview over email.. whatever he wanted to ask you during interview, he will ask you over email.. it is good for you because over email you can answer it cooly by
thinking and taking help from lawyer, HR or friends. when you submit required answers then the case goes back to officer in few days and it gets cleared in 10 days
assuming no holidays in between. Again if you are unlucky it may be taken to another 221g processing (like name check) from there but dont worry about that.