The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal. Post here and support each other (PART 2)

[BatmanFlow 481]

3 hours ago, PNWUnited said:

When the documents arrive to the mail processing location, they only get picked up on Mondays and Thursdays- so depending on the time they arrive, it may add a few extra days to actually get picked up. My document arrived at the facility on the Friday before Canadian Thanksgiving, so it unfortunately added an additional week before it even got picked up. Even after that, it took 6 weeks and 5 days for the status to change to "application received" (so 7.5 weeks from the time it arrived at the mail facility), which I assume is when they finally manage to look at the document. The process is certainly painfully slow

ah thanks for the timing information. and yea from what i see, the turnaround time from when they get documents to visa issues is about 5-6 weeks

[Tikitch 21]

15 hours ago, LAMA9 said:

Thanks for the intel.  AP cases (simply missing or incomplete documents, medical hasn't arrived or RFEs) are one thing but DS-5535 is a whole other ballgame.  Did they specifically comment on the DS-5535 case wait to improve?  

It seems there is now a mix on this thread of just 221g APs and DS-5535 cases, which can make it confusing as to what people's circumstances are.  Waiting 30 days in DS-5535 is nothing and you can expect months to go (dare I say could be a year or longer).  We tried the congressman and senator route while  a few months into DS-5535 and it went absolutely no where.  They got the same canned response we did and they don't hold any jurisdiction over federal department of state to get them to move any faster on "security issue vetting" which DS-5535 is. (all of us criminal Canadians).  

Whichever camp you are in (AP or DS-5535) I wish you best of luck!  My DS-5535 cleared last month after 11 months and 3 ish months after filing a WOM. 

I got a DS-535 but they kept my passport. I just don't understand how Im supposed to not have my passport for a year while they process my application... And then they say my application will be paused if I ask to retrieve my passport. Just doesn't make sense.

[PZibran325 112]

6 hours ago, Tikitch said:

I got a DS-535 but they kept my passport. I just don't understand how Im supposed to not have my passport for a year while they process my application... And then they say my application will be paused if I ask to retrieve my passport. Just doesn't make sense.

Not a whole lot of this process is understandable unfortunately. But I am praying all of us start hearing some good news in near future.

[LAMA9 118]

7 hours ago, Tikitch said:

I got a DS-535 but they kept my passport. I just don't understand how Im supposed to not have my passport for a year while they process my application... And then they say my application will be paused if I ask to retrieve my passport. Just doesn't make sense.

What's your visa category again?  I'm sorry if you already said, but I don't have he energy to go back and find it and your profile doesn't contain it.  It could be that for your particular visa they plan to process it faster, hence keeping your passport, which has happened in some visas that are not K1& IR-1/CR-1.  And perhaps for your visa category, there is a rule that they need to have it for your case to remain in que.  They continue to process family based visas with or without a passport as they expect people need to have their passports to visit their fiancees and spouses while they wait (how kind of them).  Are you DV,  or employment based? 

[Tikitch 21]

On 12/2/2022 at 5:41 PM, LAMA9 said:

What's your visa category again?  I'm sorry if you already said, but I don't have he energy to go back and find it and your profile doesn't contain it.  It could be that for your particular visa they plan to process it faster, hence keeping your passport, which has happened in some visas that are not K1& IR-1/CR-1.  And perhaps for your visa category, there is a rule that they need to have it for your case to remain in que.  They continue to process family based visas with or without a passport as they expect people need to have their passports to visit their fiancees and spouses while they wait (how kind of them).  Are you DV,  or employment based? 

I'm CR1-Ir1

[MKH22 0]

Hi everyone,  Consulate sent back only my passport, but not my spouse .  Does anyone have this experience?

 

Thank you, 

[throwitaway 189]

36 minutes ago, MKH22 said:

Hi everyone,  Consulate sent back only my passport, but not my spouse .  Does anyone have this experience?

 

Thank you, 

You haven’t provided enough info

[MKH22 0]

They issued both, but just sent back mine.

[throwitaway 189]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:26 PM, MKH22 said:

They issued both, but just sent back mine.

If both are issued in CEAC they’ll likely send the other one back soon.

[Gha 16]

Hi 

I just want to ask you guys how long embassy sends he actual  response for your email .today I send the email and I just received the normal response 

(we are very busy and your email in line)

Thank you 

 

[BatmanFlow 481]

so my congressperson got a response back today that the embassy still havent received the requested information (passport, photos, etc).

Canada post shows delivered to their third party sorting facility on November 10. i realize there is a bit of a delay in embassy actually getting the document from their sorting facility, but its now 3.5 weeks!

 

anyone else who submitted document have any data on how long it took for embassy to get their documents from the sorting facility?

[throwitaway 189]

1 hour ago, Gha said:

Hi 

I just want to ask you guys how long embassy sends he actual  response for your email .today I send the email and I just received the normal response 

(we are very busy and your email in line)

Thank you 

 

It’s usually a week or two.

[throwitaway 189]

23 minutes ago, BatmanFlow said:

so my congressperson got a response back today that the embassy still havent received the requested information (passport, photos, etc).

Canada post shows delivered to their third party sorting facility on November 10. i realize there is a bit of a delay in embassy actually getting the document from their sorting facility, but its now 3.5 weeks!

 

anyone else who submitted document have any data on how long it took for embassy to get their documents from the sorting facility?

It’s probably sitting in a pile for a CO to review, and because the CO hasn’t reviewed it, it hasn’t been marked as received internally. 

 

Frustrating. 

[BatmanFlow 481]

24 minutes ago, throwitaway said:

It’s probably sitting in a pile for a CO to review, and because the CO hasn’t reviewed it, it hasn’t been marked as received internally. 

 

Frustrating. 

i hope this is the case and not that my documents are now in nowhere land.

blah i wish they can just confirm that they have been received and are waiting review. at least that way i wont have this added stress of making sure the documents are ok.

[AnimeLover89 2]

Hello everyone. 

 

Not sure if I am at the right place but just needed some suggestions. I had my interview for ir1 at the montreal embassy on the 7th November 2022. I was approved and everything. The CO told me everything is good and told me that he will recommend me for the visa, kept my passport and told me I should receive my passport with the visa and everything within 2-3 weeks. The next day I checked my CEAC status it showed "REFUSED". I was not given 221g or anything. The CO kept my passport along with the police certificate. Its been 4 weeks and the status still shows "REFUSED". Is it normal? I haven't received any email or anything. I am a Pakistani living in Canada on a worker status.