Form DS-5535 'SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS FOR VISA APPLICANTS'

[simplykay 12]

 hi guys has anyone travelled while waiting for their visa even though the filled the ds 5535 am wondering if i travel and then it becomes an issue and may cause visa post pone i don't want to take the risk  

[Caseinquiry 4]

1 hour ago, ibnfawzi said:

Alhamduillah, fiancee has visa and passport in hand. /me is dancing.

Congrats! Wish you great luck.

[Caseinquiry 4]

29 minutes ago, simplykay said:

 hi guys has anyone travelled while waiting for their visa even though the filled the ds 5535 am wondering if i travel and then it becomes an issue and may cause visa post pone i don't want to take the risk  

You can travel no problem.

[SabrinaJerome 52]

On 11/17/2018 at 1:28 PM, simplykay said:

 hi guys has anyone travelled while waiting for their visa even though the filled the ds 5535 am wondering if i travel and then it becomes an issue and may cause visa post pone i don't want to take the risk  

Hi, 

Where are you planning to travel?

I know that at least one person on this forum was asked for an updated 5535 after the applicant asked for the passport back. (I suppose they thought he was going to travel.)

 

Also, we were advised not to try going to the US on my husband's tourist visa during the 5535 AP.

 

[SabrinaJerome 52]

On 11/14/2018 at 9:55 PM, 99balloons said:

Congrats ibnfawzi!  I am happy that your fiancee will finally come home to you.

 

I have a huge news to report too. On Oct 16 our case got touched on CEAC but I thought it was due to senator's inquiry. I had senators and congresspersons inquire over time with no avail. On 11/13, the case changed to expiring soon.  This morning, 11/14 it was back to AP.  I have an Indian co-worker whose husband's company relocated them to Canada due to uncertain immigration future and she was in the US this week. She asked if I heard anything about my hubby (she met him 5 years ago when he was in the US) and my answer was no.  5 minutes later I checked my email. There was an email from embassy...

The embassy's email starts with "Your visa is ready for issuance...."  and asks for updated forms and tax returns and medical.

 

We are IR-1 since submission Aug 6 2014!

 

 I am so happy today. For those still waiting. Never give up. One day when you are almost ready to give up hope, good news will come. We are not finished yet, but after 4+ long years this is the best news ever!!!

I can't believe it!! This really is amazing news. Best wishes to you! 

[SabrinaJerome 52]

On 11/13/2018 at 7:39 AM, MO&RA said:

We had an update today! I just checked. But I'm sure it's because there was an inquiry from the Senator's office about our case! It's been 10 months  

I hope you get it soon MO&RA!!

[SabrinaJerome 52]

On 11/15/2018 at 5:59 AM, tiyyo said:

They have been updating our case about twice a month. Just so frustrating. All the way around. 9 months of AP.

Ugh I'm sorry you guys are still waiting. I'm recalling our first conversations about a year ago ... I think you shouldn't be too far behind us. 

Are you making a trip over this winter? Good excuse to go to sunny Spain. That's what I did this summer, and we got the call just before I  went back to the US. That airport goodbye was one of the happiest ones since we knew it would be our last, inshallah! !

He will arrive in about a month after packing up and closing down our business. 

 

Keep us posted! 😚

[SabrinaJerome 52]

On 11/14/2018 at 1:00 PM, ibnfawzi said:

Wanted to share some good news to help other see it through. to sum up my last few posts, my fiancee was contacted ~2 weeks ago to update her medical and criminal records. Asked for my updated taxes as well. She had everything turned back in to the consulate in Casablanca last Thursday.  Since then noticed a few changes on CEAC (first time it was updated in over a year!). Checked her case today, and it says issued! So now it's just the logistics of getting it through the courier they use to deliver. A little bonus is I had saved up so many miles from traveling back and forth, I'm treating her to a business class ticket to her new home   Sadly because of work I can't fly there to escort her home.

 

Total time in AP: 411 days -or- 1 year, 1 months and 16 days. 

This whole process sucks. It is literally nothing but a waiting game by the administration to force people to abandon their applications. It only took 2 weeks to actually process her visa. The extra 13 months the case is just sitting in a file.

Wow. I am so happy to hear this fantastic news. The wait is over! I hope she enjoys business class and especially her arrival!! 

[Caseinquiry 4]

9 hours ago, SabrinaJerome said:

Hi, 

Where are you planning to travel?

I know that at least one person on this forum was asked for an updated 5535 after the applicant asked for the passport back. (I suppose they thought he was going to travel.)

 

Also, we were advised not to try going to the US on my husband's tourist visa during the 5535 AP.

 

Hi Sabrina,

 

actually, I did a couple of travels after the petition got approved and another one during the AP. was no problem at all. as I haven't got a similar warning not to travel. 

[ibnfawzi 46]

12 hours ago, SabrinaJerome said:

Hi, 

Where are you planning to travel?

I know that at least one person on this forum was asked for an updated 5535 after the applicant asked for the passport back. (I suppose they thought he was going to travel.)

 

Also, we were advised not to try going to the US on my husband's tourist visa during the 5535 AP.

 

How did your husband keep the tourist visa to the US while waiting? SOP is to cancel the tourist visa when application for non-immigrant visa is accepted. I know they canceled my fiancee's tourist visa, as they did to others, during the interview.

[SabrinaJerome 52]

1 hour ago, ibnfawzi said:

How did your husband keep the tourist visa to the US while waiting? SOP is to cancel the tourist visa when application for non-immigrant visa is accepted. I know they canceled my fiancee's tourist visa, as they did to others, during the interview.

Hmmm well I dont know that that's the policy in general - maybe it's up to the individual agent you interview with?

At any rate, before and during our immigration process my husband traveled with his passport, and entered and exited the US with his tourist visa throughout those years, and even immediately before his interview. The interviewing agent did not keep his passport after she served him the 5535 and we traveled within Europe during AP. My guess is he probably would have been let into the US during AP but we will never know the answer to that, and won't have to, thankfully!! 😎

That's our experience, maybe each case is different?

[SabrinaJerome 52]

4 hours ago, ibnfawzi said:

How did your husband keep the tourist visa to the US while waiting? SOP is to cancel the tourist visa when application for non-immigrant visa is accepted. I know they canceled my fiancee's tourist visa, as they did to others, during the interview.

What is SOP?

[ibnfawzi 46]

1 hour ago, SabrinaJerome said:

What is SOP?

Standard Operating Procedure 

[fs2439 46]

On 11/3/2018 at 1:45 PM, DS5535-Jeddah-O1A said:

I wish to share my experience of applying for an O-1A visa from Jeddah Saudi Arabia. I also included my wife (O-3) in my application. I would like to mention here that I have visited US times on internships and for conferences and so has my wife. We had our visa interview on 3-Oct-2018 at morning 9:30 am. After waiting for more than an hour we were called for the interview with one of the consular officers. As advised by my attorney I brought all the petition documents with me along with some additional paperwork. In totality, it was more than 200 pages and when the consular officer asked for the case documents I passed on all of these. To be fair, these were a lot of documents which were difficult for the consular officer to be processed at the moment. Anyway, the CO went through these and asked me a few questions pertaining to my qualifications. After a few brief questions which I answered in detail, the CO handed over me documents highlighting my rights in the US. At this point, I was very happy that my case is going to be approved but soon after that, the CO noticed that I have also filed an immigrant petition which was already approved  CO asked me that what are my plans after I finish my O-1 assignment, to which I specified that I am going to file for a green card later in the US.

 

After this discussion, the CO mentioned that they need to look up my case and they will call me again for another interview in a few days. They did not call me yet and I think they are not going to but they did send my wife DS-5535 on 8-Oct-2018 asking for a lot of details including social media handles, and travel details. Since then there has been no update in the case status.

 

Here is the timeline:

Interview date: 03-Oct-2018

DS-5535 sent:  08-Oct-2018 (sent filled form back on 09-Oct-2018)

Nationality: Indian

 

 

 

 

Hi! In just wondering why you had an approved immigrant petition on file? Did you situation change and therefore you filed for the O? Will you go to the interview for the immigrant petition, or do you now need to wait for the consular review regardless? Sorry to hear of this outcome. Fs2439

[DS-5535-O1A 0]

6 hours ago, fs2439 said:

Hi! In just wondering why you had an approved immigrant petition on file? Did you situation change and therefore you filed for the O? Will you go to the interview for the immigrant petition, or do you now need to wait for the consular review regardless? Sorry to hear of this outcome. Fs2439

I was outside US when I got this job offer and we decided to file a petition for O1A visa. After the petition is approved by uscis we went for the visa interview and this happened