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

[ice-qube 648]

Well another fine day of nothing, with 18 days to go on the medical. What will be my future? Four, five, six more months, perhaps? A year? Amazing.

[Hello100 50]

2 hours ago, ice-qube said:

So you are literally in a storage unit lol. Damn dude. Yeah. My condolences. Quite frankly, a immigration lawyer is not likely going to do much... unless I want to pay big money to file a mandamus suit and I am not prepared to do that. I don't have money to just burn on that ($5000 USD or more).

And to be honest, who knows if Mandamus works either. The question is, why are you waiting almost 3 years. I applied in October 2020 (16 months after you) and had my interview on December 2021 (less than 2 months after you). You're applying for the same Visa from the same country. I know COVID was the problem, but I applied during COVID too, and might I add that my process was entirely during COVID. They would have still dealt with your case before mine, at least 16 months earlier. Why almost 3 years?

[ice-qube 648]

5 minutes ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

And to be honest, who knows if Mandamus works either. The question is, why are you waiting almost 3 years. I applied in October 2020 (16 months after you) and had my interview on December 2021 (less than 2 months after you). You're applying for the same Visa from the same country. I know COVID was the problem, but I applied during COVID too, and might I add that my process was entirely during COVID. They would have still dealt with your case before mine, at least 16 months earlier. Why almost 3 years?

I would LOVE to give you a good answer for your question. I have no bloody clue man. I have reiterated here many times how I have very very few of the known apparent risk factors to explain why I was put in AP--but that is only the most recent part of this awful process. Before that, I had to wait nearly a full year between being "documentarily qualified" and getting an interview at Montreal. Before that, the transfer of my case from USCIS to NVC was less than smooth, it took several months before I was able to confirm that they had transferred me and had them resend an invitation letter via email (the original of which I never got--I would NOT have missed that, ever).

Edited March 2, 2022 by ice-qube
Missing words

[Hello100 50]

4 minutes ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

And to be honest, who knows if Mandamus works either. The question is, why are you waiting almost 3 years. I applied in October 2020 (16 months after you) and had my interview on December 2021 (less than 2 months after you). You're applying for the same Visa from the same country. I know COVID was the problem, but I applied during COVID too, and might I add that my process was entirely during COVID. They would have still dealt with your case before mine, at least 16 months earlier. Why almost 3 years?

To put in perspective, I've "only" been waiting 17 months to cross the man-made canal known as the Detroit River. That's "nothing" compared to 3 years.

[ice-qube 648]

5 minutes ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

And to be honest, who knows if Mandamus works either. The question is, why are you waiting almost 3 years. I applied in October 2020 (16 months after you) and had my interview on December 2021 (less than 2 months after you). You're applying for the same Visa from the same country. I know COVID was the problem, but I applied during COVID too, and might I add that my process was entirely during COVID. They would have still dealt with your case before mine, at least 16 months earlier. Why almost 3 years?

There is no guarantee mandamus works, either, correct. That is a very expensive hail mary to throw.

[Hello100 50]

1 minute ago, ice-qube said:

I would LOVE to give you a good answer for your question. I have no bloody clue man. I have reiterated here many times how I have very very few of the known apparent risk factors to explain why I was put in AP--but that is only the most recent part of this awful process. Before that, I had to wait nearly a full year between being "documentarily qualified" and getting an interview at Montreal. Before that, the transfer of my case from USCIS to NVC was less than smooth, it took several months before I was able to confirm that they had transferred me and had them resend an invitation letter via email (the original of which I never got--I would NOT have missed that, ever).

Based on that, I can't think of anything else than to take legal action when you're ready. All this information would be enough (in my estimation) to convince a judge that this is unreasonable.

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

To put in perspective, I've "only" been waiting 17 months to cross the man-made canal known as the Detroit River. That's "nothing" compared to 3 years.

Lol, yes apparently relatively long stretches, measured in months that stretch into years, of one's finite life, and all the stresses they place on relationships and one's mental health and ability to plan for future, etc.,  are now 'nothing'. It also seems just a cherry-on-top sort of absurd that in a time of labour shortage they would be want to be slowing down the stream of potentially productive workers to fill that--but heck what do I know? Bureaucracies have their own internal logic that defies reason.

[Hello100 50]

1 minute ago, ice-qube said:

There is no guarantee mandamus works, either, correct. That is a very expensive hail mary to throw.

Suing the Government shouldn't even be necessary if they were more humane with the process. I asked this last time, but I don't think there is another country that does this to law-abiding applicants expressing their intent to live with their loved ones abroad. It shouldn't be easy either, but making it this difficult is not right and unnecessary. We shouldn't be begging and spending money if we are approvable applicants. We shouldn't be waiting this long either. Just issue the Visa if we're clean, lol.

[ice-qube 648]

Look at all this impotent rage, so to speak. It's like a complete defeat. I am literally trying to reconcile myself to another several months, at least, of this, so that I don't just turn completely bitter.

[candyg 33]

19 minutes ago, Tony Nikolovski said:

Suing the Government shouldn't even be necessary if they were more humane with the process. I asked this last time, but I don't think there is another country that does this to law-abiding applicants expressing their intent to live with their loved ones abroad. It shouldn't be easy either, but making it this difficult is not right and unnecessary. We shouldn't be begging and spending money if we are approvable applicants. We shouldn't be waiting this long either. Just issue the Visa if we're clean, lol.

Totally agree! I remember reading from  somewhere that the DS5535 was created to do extreme vetting on immigrants by the Trump administration It’s really unfortunate for us to go through this process especially considering that we (I’m sure) have all visited the States to see our significant other but we are still considered to be potential threat. I also read that DS5355 is being used more under Biden than Trump. But at the same time, Biden’s administration was suppose to see how “useful” it is in preventing external threats.  Either way here we all are, being extremely vetted but yet we are sharing the largest/longest unprotected border with America.  Also Biden said this on immigration (granted most of it was regarding zither borders) during the State of the Union address “Revise our laws so businesses have the workers they need and families don’t wait decades to reunite. It’s not only the right thing to do—it’s the economically smart thing to do.” 🙃

Edited March 2, 2022 by candyg

[ice-qube 648]

3 minutes ago, candyg said:

Totally agree! I remember reading from  somewhere that the DS5535 was created to do extreme vetting on immigrants by the Trump administration It’s really unfortunate for us to got through this process especially considering that we (I’m sure) have all visited the States to see our significant other but we are still considered to be potential threat. I also read that DS5355 is being used more under Biden than Trump. But at the same time, Biden’s admit was suppose to see how “useful” it is in preventing external threats.  Either way here we all are, being extremely vetted but yet we are sharing the largest/longest unprotected border with America.  Also Biden said this on immigration (granted most of it was regarding zither borders) during the State of the Union address “Revise our laws so businesses have the workers they need and families don’t wait decades to reunite. It’s not only the right thing to do—it’s the economically smart thing to do.” 🙃

Yep, it was created for 'extreme vetting' under Trump admin, and from all appearances, is being used *more*, and not less, by State Dept under Biden. 

[DamAk 33]

17 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Look at all this impotent rage, so to speak. It's like a complete defeat. I am literally trying to reconcile myself to another several months, at least, of this, so that I don't just turn completely bitter.

Are there other representatives you can try contacting, like other congresspersons? Some may be a little more assertive than others when reaching out to the consulate, especially since you're so close to the medical expiring. I don't think it would hurt your case contacting multiple people (Sorry if you've already done that, haven't read the full chat)

[DamAk 33]

5 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

Yep, it was created for 'extreme vetting' under Trump admin, and from all appearances, is being used *more*, and not less, by State Dept under Biden. 

But why for Canadians? It makes absolutely no sense

[ice-qube 648]

1 minute ago, DamAk said:

But why for Canadians? It makes absolutely no sense

Makes no sense to me. To prove how they don't 'discriminate'? Have no clue.

[DGF 730]

7 hours ago, Hello100 said:

This is merely speculation, so don't take my word on this, but perhaps it's because after further contemplation, they didn't like the interviewee's hairstyle or fashion sense.

It wouldn't be the first time: https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/23/world/judge-denounces-us-visa-policies-based-on-race-or-looks.html