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

[From_CAN_2_US 1,106]

1 minute ago, Hello100 said:

No, I have not mentioned that. I actually think that might backfire on me. My wife and I started a Mandamus lawsuit about a month and a half ago, and the Court set the deadline for them to respond by May 29th. Alas, my Medical expires just 6 days before the court deadline (May 23rd), and I feel that the Consulate will use that information to stall and try to expire my Medical on purpose so that they can have an excuse in Court to claim that they need an "extension" due to the applicant (me) not having an updated Medical and that they cannot move forward in issuing my Visa as a result of that.

Never thought of it that way… yes, they could be that crafty…

[ice-qube 649]

26 minutes ago, Hello100 said:

To help you feel some sense of hope, here's my story (so far):

 

I think that my wife and I might be one of only a few on here who have pursued Mandamus after waiting way longer than those who were already approved. Since then, we've been getting more updates on CEAC, and I highly doubt that they would ask me for anything were it not for the lawsuit. I think that you are in a good position and have merit to take on a lawsuit, and you shall see things open up once you do (in my estimation). Here's the main reason why I think it might help: there is a deadline that they must meet that the court sets. Without a lawsuit, they can continue infinitely doing what they are doing to you. I know that you say you cannot afford it, but work on saving some money for this matter. It might be a lot of money now, but you are essentially paying to get your life back with your wife and start a new, better life. Your life is worth way more than a few thousand dollars. Month-by-month, save up. If I had some extra money, I'd try to help you. Ask your family and friends, as well as, of course, your wife and her family for help. I've never met you (yet), but you are like a brother to me who has experienced similar things as me: you are Canadian (born and raised), waited so long for your Visa, your wife is from Miami (I think), as is mine, we've both been placed in Administrative Processing for such a long time (and for no apparent reason), and I feel for you. Once again, perhaps try this option, and hopefully we'll meet to talk about our experiences in-person one day soon! All the best to you man!

I really am happy that you are seeing some movement, and I am sincerely touched at your expressions of solidarity, for real. I have been very reluctant to pursue a Mandamus suit as I feel it was the last resort and it is extremely expensive, and was hoping that I would see some action. It is getting to the point (past 180 days!) where I will be considering it because they have not shown me any signs that they intend to move on this. I don't want to do it, but your situation is showing that it might be necessary. It is not a position I like to be in here. 

 

 

[Hello100 50]

11 minutes ago, ice-qube said:

I really am happy that you are seeing some movement, and I am sincerely touched at your expressions of solidarity, for real. I have been very reluctant to pursue a Mandamus suit as I feel it was the last resort and it is extremely expensive, and was hoping that I would see some action. It is getting to the point (past 180 days!) where I will be considering it because they have not shown me any signs that they intend to move on this. I don't want to do it, but your situation is showing that it might be necessary. It is not a position I like to be in here. 

 

 

Yes, and the pro of your prolonged case (one of only a few pros of waiting as long as you have) is that the longer you have waited with no real movement, the better position you should be in during a lawsuit. You will have a stronger case once you file. All of us in this group are in solidarity with one another, particularly with you, as we are all experiencing these same injustices. There has to be a way out, stay strong, brother!

[Cloud 9 Soon 7]

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. It’s refreshing knowing we’re all experiencing this together. I do believe there is an end in sight here. We have no option but to be positive and keep helping each other out through sharing information as best as we can. Let me share my story and experiences… 

 

My interview: 

February 14th and I had initially thought Valentine’s Day was a positive sign to ending this disconcerting process. At the end of the interview, the CO recommended approval. Cloud 9 was reached with a huge sigh of relief. The feeling of being in “life limbo” was over. A new beginning awaits. Finally, it’s time!

 

The dreaded DS 5535:

Only a few hours after sharing my news, as well as rambling on about VDay being some form of omen to friends and family, my Cloud 9 immediately went dark. The sound of thunder heard from my iPhone of an email notification was the request of the DS 5535 officially bringing this black hole of an undue process alive. I must say though, it definitely wasn’t only a 60 min burden to complete this, as noted in the form’s footer - haha, this thing literally took me hours upon hours to complete! Thank you coffee and beer!

 

After a blast to my exhilarating past, I tiredly clicked send and emailed DS 5535 as a Word Document on February 16th (@Danii hit me up in your spreadsheet). My case status updated twice that week. I didn’t receive an email confirmation nor automatic reply, most likely because I “replied” to their email.

 

But what could have triggered the need for AP? I apprehensively checked my case status hourly at first (just imagine their IT team reviewing the number of times we login to check our case status?… Lol) to now only a few times each day - only to false hope myself for a mere case status update. Please?! I have become my own worst enemy searching for impossible answers for being in AP, though; I do have a technical educational background and work history, and I have travelled extensively over the years.

 

Emailing the Consulate:

I emailed the consulate twice starting in March inquiring on whether they received my DS 5535, the status of my case (the “Refused” really threw me off initially, thank you so much Google for clarifying this definition in this context), and timeline to process this type of form. The consulate emailed back in less than 5 business days each time with a personalized email added to a standard email reply. Contentedly, they addressed my specific questions and mentioned they cannot predict a timeline for this process, but can be lengthy. Well that feeling really sucked.

 

My thoughts on mandamus:

While I think it’s a good option, the one thing that’s resonating with me is that it could force the consular officer to unwillingly adjudicate and make a final decision on an inconclusive case. They could, hypothetically speaking, deny a case if they feel there’s a potential threat to security, or an unresolved investigation is still pending for that matter. The caveat here is, there is uncertainty whether or not a given case received a “hit” in their database or, rather; they’re strategically employing this black hole of a process as a means to reduce the significant backlog of cases from 2021? But there goes my mind again. How can it not?

 

So we wait and each new week in AP for me be all like… 

Monday brings on hope and some form of bizarre happiness. Friday brings on further questioning, frustration, and a sense of hopelessness if no case updates occur, or email inquiries answered. It really sucks approaching weekends because we know nothing happens on weekends. But in an uncanny way, gives our minds a bit of a break. I tell ya… lol.

 

Thanks for reading this everyone, and hope this helped put a smile on your face today

 

 

 

[BatmanFlow 481]

I think I’m just gonna stop checking for my mom. At this point they will have to email us for an updated medical, so will save some sanity and wait for the email 

[ice-qube 649]

23 minutes ago, BatmanFlow said:

I think I’m just gonna stop checking for my mom. At this point they will have to email us for an updated medical, so will save some sanity and wait for the email 

I hear that. I have reduced the amount of times I check by a lot. Once a day usually. Even that seems too much nowadays. 

[herecomestherain 77]

On 4/26/2022 at 2:02 PM, Hello100 said:

To help you feel some sense of hope, here's my story (so far):

 

I think that my wife and I might be one of only a few on here who have pursued Mandamus after waiting way longer than those who were already approved. Since then, we've been getting more updates on CEAC, and I highly doubt that they would ask me for anything were it not for the lawsuit. I think that you are in a good position and have merit to take on a lawsuit, and you shall see things open up once you do (in my estimation). Here's the main reason why I think it might help: there is a deadline that they must meet that the court sets. Without a lawsuit, they can continue infinitely doing what they are doing to you. I know that you say you cannot afford it, but work on saving some money for this matter. It might be a lot of money now, but you are essentially paying to get your life back with your wife and start a new, better life. Your life is worth way more than a few thousand dollars. Month-by-month, save up. If I had some extra money, I'd try to help you. Ask your family and friends, as well as, of course, your wife and her family for help. I've never met you (yet), but you are like a brother to me who has experienced similar things as me: you are Canadian (born and raised), waited so long for your Visa, your wife is from Miami (I think), as is mine, we've both been placed in Administrative Processing for such a long time (and for no apparent reason), and I feel for you. Once again, perhaps try this option, and hopefully we'll meet to talk about our experiences in-person one day soon! All the best to you man!

Just curious, when did you initially apply for your Visa?

[herecomestherain 77]

On 4/26/2022 at 8:40 PM, Cloud 9 Soon said:

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. It’s refreshing knowing we’re all experiencing this together. I do believe there is an end in sight here. We have no option but to be positive and keep helping each other out through sharing information as best as we can. Let me share my story and experiences… 

 

My interview: 

February 14th and I had initially thought Valentine’s Day was a positive sign to ending this disconcerting process. At the end of the interview, the CO recommended approval. Cloud 9 was reached with a huge sigh of relief. The feeling of being in “life limbo” was over. A new beginning awaits. Finally, it’s time!

 

The dreaded DS 5535:

Only a few hours after sharing my news, as well as rambling on about VDay being some form of omen to friends and family, my Cloud 9 immediately went dark. The sound of thunder heard from my iPhone of an email notification was the request of the DS 5535 officially bringing this black hole of an undue process alive. I must say though, it definitely wasn’t only a 60 min burden to complete this, as noted in the form’s footer - haha, this thing literally took me hours upon hours to complete! Thank you coffee and beer!

 

After a blast to my exhilarating past, I tiredly clicked send and emailed DS 5535 as a Word Document on February 16th (@Danii hit me up in your spreadsheet). My case status updated twice that week. I didn’t receive an email confirmation nor automatic reply, most likely because I “replied” to their email.

 

But what could have triggered the need for AP? I apprehensively checked my case status hourly at first (just imagine their IT team reviewing the number of times we login to check our case status?… Lol) to now only a few times each day - only to false hope myself for a mere case status update. Please?! I have become my own worst enemy searching for impossible answers for being in AP, though; I do have a technical educational background and work history, and I have travelled extensively over the years.

 

Emailing the Consulate:

I emailed the consulate twice starting in March inquiring on whether they received my DS 5535, the status of my case (the “Refused” really threw me off initially, thank you so much Google for clarifying this definition in this context), and timeline to process this type of form. The consulate emailed back in less than 5 business days each time with a personalized email added to a standard email reply. Contentedly, they addressed my specific questions and mentioned they cannot predict a timeline for this process, but can be lengthy. Well that feeling really sucked.

 

My thoughts on mandamus:

While I think it’s a good option, the one thing that’s resonating with me is that it could force the consular officer to unwillingly adjudicate and make a final decision on an inconclusive case. They could, hypothetically speaking, deny a case if they feel there’s a potential threat to security, or an unresolved investigation is still pending for that matter. The caveat here is, there is uncertainty whether or not a given case received a “hit” in their database or, rather; they’re strategically employing this black hole of a process as a means to reduce the significant backlog of cases from 2021? But there goes my mind again. How can it not?

 

So we wait and each new week in AP for me be all like… 

Monday brings on hope and some form of bizarre happiness. Friday brings on further questioning, frustration, and a sense of hopelessness if no case updates occur, or email inquiries answered. It really sucks approaching weekends because we know nothing happens on weekends. But in an uncanny way, gives our minds a bit of a break. I tell ya… lol.

 

Thanks for reading this everyone, and hope this helped put a smile on your face today

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

In the case of Mandamus, I they generally ask for a continuance if they don’t have all the information they need to fairly adjudicate the case- at least I hope so.

[GraceFace33 35]

On 4/21/2022 at 3:24 PM, Krisara said:

I was thinking the same @WishIWasntHere.  My fiancee is in the process of getting his Canadian Citizenship (he is a Canadian PR and filed for Citizenship March 2021) and at this point we are planning our back up plan to live here, which is obviously not our first choice, but we can't take the living in limbo much longer.  We need to buy a home and find a school for our daughter (currently living in a shoe box condo, hoping we will be given the "good to go" and not have to deal with the Toronto real estate market).  I realize we are luckier than most as we are together, that I am grateful for.  

 

I'm curious as well, has anyone here looked into simultaneously applying for their their US fiancee to come here as back up?  In case this never does end?  

We did this right before we got approved as a back up plan. But I applied for CAN PR. 

[GraceFace33 35]

On 4/26/2022 at 7:03 AM, A.Jon.Satko said:

Has anyone had any luck contacting their Senator? If so, what was your experience or is contacting them just another black hole?

I did but it was my congresswoman in Seattle, WA. I think the success also has to do with how active your state is on immigration (my personal opinion). For my case specifically, getting out congresswoman involved brought specific responses from the consulate that brought out status to issues after a 5.5 month wait.

[Canada_F3 10]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:11 AM, Hello100 said:

Hello everyone: 2 weeks ago, the Consulate asked me to send back my passport via their courier. I thought this was encouraging news, as I assumed the Visa would be stamped and returned within a couple of days. No updates on CEAC since (still refused), nor any email confirmation regarding my passport. How long should I expect them to process the sent passport? They say it is first sent to an “offsite processing facility,” and later to the Visa Unit. Any experiences with the approximate timeframe? My medical expires in less than 1 month and we are worried.

@Hello100

 

Hi 

 

I got 221g after immigration interview at Montreal consulate. I have to submit missing original documents to the Montreal consulate. 

 

Please help me to the process of sending documents to the Montreal consulate through courier. How we send documents through consulate courier services and the courier shipment has tracking information.

[Ap 5535 2]

Hello everyone 

finally i have requested back my passport after sitting in consulate for 7 months with no moment in my AP process. My question is what i am doing next steps for courier tracking or consulate will send another email with tracking number . 

[herecomestherain 77]

8 hours ago, Ap 5535 said:

Hello everyone 

finally i have requested back my passport after sitting in consulate for 7 months with no moment in my AP process. My question is what i am doing next steps for courier tracking or consulate will send another email with tracking number . 

You need to request the documents back on the AIS website, I believe. The AIS customer service people will be able to help you if you can't find the right place.

[herecomestherain 77]

16 hours ago, Canada_F3 said:

@Hello100

 

Hi 

 

I got 221g after immigration interview at Montreal consulate. I have to submit missing original documents to the Montreal consulate. 

 

Please help me to the process of sending documents to the Montreal consulate through courier. How we send documents through consulate courier services and the courier shipment has tracking information.

Hello,

You need to log into the AIS website and select the option to send supplementary documentation. It will give you a tracking document to print and there will be a link of post offices near you. You can call AIS customer service for help.

[herecomestherain 77]

Some fun facts for the data lovers!🤪

Among reported cases on VJ and FB Groups

 

Last reported approval: March 5th, 2022

Oldest Refused Case: 206 days

Average time in AP before approval: 89 days

 

Open Cases by Interview Month:

October 2021: 7

November 2021: 5

December 2021: 7

January 2022: 2

February 2022: 12

March 2022: 5

April 2022: 1

 

AVERAGE DAYS IN AP FOR OPEN CASES: 118 days