The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal. Post here and support each other (split)

[Hello100 50]

During my interview, I caught the name of my Consular Officer. Would it be wise to directly contact them and ask why I was placed in AP, or is that the riskiest thing to do?

[ice-qube 648]

2 minutes ago, Ap 5535 said:

To be honest with you. I don’t know what factors trigger ds5535 . all i remember officer telling me it will take 2-4 weeks max to resolve this as fast i reply to their email  . I am just keeping your passport for to make things faster. 

Where are you from? Are you born in Canada? 

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

During my interview, I caught the name of my Consular Officer. Would it be wise to directly contact them and ask why I was placed in AP, or is that the riskiest thing to do?

Well, I can tell you this. I asked my consular officer the question directly. He did not give me a meaningful answer, it was a non-answer in bureaucratese.

[Ap 5535 2]

2 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Where are you from? Are you born in Canada? 

Canadian Pakistani. Born in pakistan

[ice-qube 648]

Just now, Ap 5535 said:

Canadian Pakistani. Born in pakistan

Well there we go I guess, Pakistan seems like a common factor in giving people a DS-5535. Did you ever travel there?

[Hello100 50]

4 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Well, I can tell you this. I asked my consular officer the question directly. He did not give me a meaningful answer, it was a non-answer in bureaucratese.

 

4 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Well, I can tell you this. I asked my consular officer the question directly. He did not give me a meaningful answer, it was a non-answer in bureaucratese.

Same with me, I asked her why I was being refused, and as a matter of fact, she had a big grin when she said "I'm refusing your visa here today." When I asked her why, she simply replied "just further administrative processing needs to be done" with another big smile. Then I had the will to say "thank you, have a good day" and she said "aha." That was it.

Edited February 11, 2022 by Tony Nikolovski

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

 

Same with me, I asked her why I was being refused, and as a matter of fact, she had a big grin when she said "I'm refusing your visa here today." When I asked her, she simply replied "just further administrative processing needs to be done" with another big smile. Then I had the will to say "thank you, have a good day" and she said "aha." That was it.

That is all you will get from them. They don't want to tell you, and don't have to. It really sucks. 

[Hello100 50]

4 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

That is all you will get from them. They don't want to tell you, and don't have to. It really sucks. 

It almost looks as if they live for that moment where they refuse you, as she looked totally unempathetic and rather happy. Btw, my visa process has taken over a year, 17 months to be precise. I know you have it worse though, so I'm pulling for you! As you know from last time, the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that I'm from Windsor––border city with Detroit and see it every day. I'm a "foreign alien" though, perhaps we speak with a different dialect or different culture, lol. I feel like I'm in AP because even though I'm born and raised in Windsor, my last name is from former Yugoslavia and I've been to Serbia before.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Tony Nikolovski

[Ap 5535 2]

11 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Well there we go I guess, Pakistan seems like a common factor in giving people a DS-5535. Did you ever travel there?

Yes i have travel history to Pakistan. 

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

It almost looks as if they live for that moment where they refuse you, as she looked totally unempathetic and rather happy. Btw, my visa process has taken over a year, 17 months to be precise. I know you have it worse though, so I'm pulling for you! As you know from last time, the thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that I'm from Windsor––border city with Detroit and see it every day. I'm a "foreign alien" though, perhaps we speak with a different dialect or different culture, lol. I feel like I'm in AP because even though I'm born and raised in Windsor, my last name is from former Yugoslavia and I've been to Serbia before.

17 months is a long time by any stretch man, and I recall I thought at 17 months, "surely this must be over soon". I don't know what I am in AP for either, obviously. My last name seems faintly Russian, although it isn't really. I have hardly even been anywhere... besides the US, I have been to UK and Ireland. I don't know man. It must be hard being in Windsor there looking across the river and not be able to just go across. It has been so long for me, not living in the same place as my wife and hoping that soon it could be resolved. I don't feel it is good for anyone's marriage to have this.

Just now, Ap 5535 said:

Yes i have travel history to Pakistan. 

I would guess this is very much related to why you have received DS-5535 and AP.

[Federico 147]

21 minutes ago, Ap 5535 said:

To be honest with you. I don’t know what factors trigger ds5535 . all i remember officer telling me it will take 2-4 weeks max to resolve this as fast i reply to their email  . I am just keeping your passport for to make things faster. 

The CO told me in 2 weeks everything will be solve, here I am on my way to 4 months, this is really funny. 

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, Federico said:

The CO told me in 2 weeks everything will be solve, here I am on my way to 4 months, this is really funny. 

Yes, funny in a dark comedy sort of way. Why say any timelines? That sheet I got said "please allow 6-8 weeks for a response from the consulate". Mm ok, I am almost at double that. Why say that?

[Hello100 50]

2 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

17 months is a long time by any stretch man, and I recall I thought at 17 months, "surely this must be over soon". I don't know what I am in AP for either, obviously. My last name seems faintly Russian, although it isn't really. I have hardly even been anywhere... besides the US, I have been to UK and Ireland. I don't know man. It must be hard being in Windsor there looking across the river and not be able to just go across. It has been so long for me, not living in the same place as my wife and hoping that soon it could be resolved. I don't feel it is good for anyone's marriage to have this.

I would guess this is very much related to why you have received DS-5535 and AP.

It is hard looking across the river, indeed. It's even harder when your wife is from Miami and you want to chill with her over there but you have the winter cold here to deal with. I think they already know whether or not they will refuse you even before you show up to the interview. It's not like they'll drastically change their minds and it's not like you'll say anything that significant to change their minds. In other words, they make you drive 12 hours, or even fly a few hours to Montreal for a 3 minute interview only to smile and tell you "refused." Are other Western countries as bad for immigration as this? I can't imagine England or Canada doing this to legal, prospective immigrants.

[ice-qube 648]

Just now, Tony Nikolovski said:

It is hard looking across the river, indeed. It's even harder when your wife is from Miami and you want to chill with her over there but you have the winter cold here to deal with. I think they already know whether or not they will refuse you even before you show up to the interview. It's not like they'll drastically change their minds and it's not like you'll say anything that significant to change their minds. In other words, they make you drive 12 hours, or even fly a few hours to Montreal for a 3 minute interview only to smile and tell you "refused." Are other Western countries as bad for immigration as this? I can't imagine England or Canada doing this to legal, prospective immigrants.

I agree, I believe it is most likely that they have already decided that they will do that before you even get to the interview. Can't prove that, but it sure seemed like it, they didn't skip a beat or go in the back to deliberate or anything at the end of the interview--my CO just said that he had no further questions put that they are refusing the visa today, and I will have to answer a questionnaire, etc. Like it was already on the screen. So why make me come there? I don't get it. 

[Federico 147]

2 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Yes, funny in a dark comedy sort of way. Why say any timelines? That sheet I got said "please allow 6-8 weeks for a response from the consulate". Mm ok, I am almost at double that. Why say that?

Maybe they want make the comedy darker as possible, the CO said that but the letter she gave me said I have to wait at least 6 more before reach them but obviously I didn’t read the letter there and I trusted the CO.