The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal Only. Post here and support each other (PART 3)

[brkendream 11]

On 2/5/2024 at 11:57 PM, Daft_Cat said:

I understand the stress and feeling of urgency, but your WOM is premature. The state department will file a motion to dismiss and you won't be in a great position to fight the dismissal given your very recent interview date. I would get a second opinion and consider pulling your lawsuit so that you can refile at a later date.

I know it's hard to hear, but it's probably a good idea to make peace with the fact that you're in for an extended wait. Keep in mind that there are people in this very thread that have been waiting a year now (myself included), and that the AP backlog has grown to ~66k, with only ~35 employees dedicated to processing cases. The situation could improve, but that's roughly where it stands today.

 

I don't know what internal process the consulate has in place for prioritizing applicants, but I would have to assume (and hope) that there's at least some semblance of first in, first out. 

You said 66K AP cases with only 35 employees to work on them  , Is this number include every country in the world or just your country ( I assume Canada ) , If this is only for Canada then how can I find out number for Pakistan ?

And can any one help out ,what is  221g Yellow slip . DS-5535 , i already sent the form .

Thank you vey much . 

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

20 minutes ago, brkendream said:

You said 66K AP cases with only 35 employees to work on them

One of the issues with extended AP is that the consulate must rely upon the authorities from other countries to do some of the leg work.  

****One hijack comment removed in lieu of the topic already started by the member*******

[Leo The Great 141]

44 minutes ago, brkendream said:

You said 66K AP cases with only 35 employees to work on them  , Is this number include every country in the world or just your country ( I assume Canada ) , If this is only for Canada then how can I find out number for Pakistan ?

And can any one help out ,what is  221g Yellow slip . DS-5535 , i already sent the form .

Thank you vey much . 

You may read the blog "Administrative Processing Backlog of 66,000 Visa Applicants" on redeaglelaw site. Breakdown of state department employees  for  each region is not given in the blog. Colored 221g slips are common in other countries consulate not in Montreal consulate. In Montreal, they serve you white printout with link to online DS-5535 form (15 years travel history, 15 years Employment  history, addresses, passports numbers etc) and request for passport once the clearance is received from DC. You can look at this spreadsheet for Montreal to get some idea about processing times (3-14 months).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

 

Edited February 13 by Leo The Great

[tdot2nj 71]

17 hours ago, Sisa24 said:

But it’s already provided in the ds-260

I was never asked to provide any social media account on any of my forms. 

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

10 minutes ago, tdot2nj said:

I was never asked to provide any social media account on any of my forms. 

The DS-260 asks "Do you have a social media presence?".   It then requires a listing. 

Edited February 13 by Crazy Cat

[Pending DS5535 24]

Completion of Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) responses depends on the extent of review and coordination required, the amount of derogatory information, which other agencies have responsive information, the timing of when each partner agency completes its review, and a variety of other factors, such as emergent circumstances such as COVID, SAO request volume, or the need to facilitate travel in the national interest (e.g., for the U.S. government to comply with international obligations to facilitate travel to the United Nations) or to address emerging threats, and foreign policy priorities. Because of the complexity of this process, SAO requests can be neither addressed nor resolved in a first-in-first-out basis. That said, generally, security vetting is concluded in 75 percent of visa cases requiring additional security vetting in approximately 120 days. Security vetting is concluded in over 90 percent of all cases requiring additional security vetting in less than 24 months.

 

[Pending DS5535 24]

A very good site that highlights per each country basis that VO should issue SAO clearance to who?

DOS Issues Security Advisory Opinion Guidance (aila.org)

[Superluminal 146]

10 minutes ago, Pending DS5535 said:

A very good site that highlights per each country basis that VO should issue SAO clearance to who?

DOS Issues Security Advisory Opinion Guidance (aila.org)

Its unclear to me how this relates to DS5535 folks coming out of Montreal. 

[Pending DS5535 24]

It indicates that applicants from specific countries can get what type of Mantis check (Eagle or Donkey mantis, etc.), this is how you can predict somehow the timeline of your AP, because what I read so far, Eagle Mantis AP takes less time compared to Donkey Mantis AP. 

[Phil_K_IR1 83]

Hi all!

 

So my wife just got a second 221g in the mail (after the first at the interview). It is dated on January 23rd, 2024. 
 

This one is signed by an officer, does not mention supplemental questions anymore, and still says to mail the passport when asked. 
 

We sent inquiries since then, and they never mentioned this letter. We're confused as to why we got a 221(g) letter in the mail, and if it means an officer did get to our case and maybe something happened? 
 

Would it be worth emailing the consulate and asking them why we got one in the mail, or did others get the same? 
 

EDIT: Apparently it was a letter reply to our email, but the weird thing is they had responded to the email. Very confusing. 

Edited February 14 by Phil_K_IR1

[long_journey_2003 1]

9 hours ago, Pending DS5535 said:

It indicates that applicants from specific countries can get what type of Mantis check (Eagle or Donkey mantis, etc.), this is how you can predict somehow the timeline of your AP, because what I read so far, Eagle Mantis AP takes less time compared to Donkey Mantis AP. 

What is this whale or donkey mantis ? 

[dmitrych 14]

12 hours ago, Pending DS5535 said:

It indicates that applicants from specific countries can get what type of Mantis check (Eagle or Donkey mantis, etc.), this is how you can predict somehow the timeline of your AP, because what I read so far, Eagle Mantis AP takes less time compared to Donkey Mantis AP. 

 

That document is from 24 years ago. While it provides some background, I doubt it's helpful for predictions, because things have changed a lot. Montreal requests DS-5535 much more often since 2021.

[AP_since_May2023 37]

8 hours ago, dmitrych said:

 

That document is from 24 years ago. While it provides some background, I doubt it's helpful for predictions, because things have changed a lot. Montreal requests DS-5535 much more often since 2021.

 

Why do you think Montreal issues more DS-5535 relative to other Western countries? A larger 1st-generation immigrant population or more dual citizens? Less stringent security vetting when immigrating to Canada? 

[dmitrych 14]

2 hours ago, AP_since_May2023 said:

 

Why do you think Montreal issues more DS-5535 relative to other Western countries? A larger 1st-generation immigrant population or more dual citizens? Less stringent security vetting when immigrating to Canada? 

 

I don't know why, so I can only guess. But I personally don't think it was intentional, it might've been just a side effect because of the criteria they use to trigger DS-5535. Just for example:

 

- Maybe it happens that Canada accepts more people with backgrounds on the Technology Alert List (a bunch of medicine-related backgrounds, robotics, AI and vaguely related things like software development, etc), and those are the people who then also end up applying for US visas.

- Maybe people in Canada happen to be from a more diverse set of countries they were born in, and some of those countries might be scrutinized more. Somewhat related, maybe the names of immigrants from Canada are more diverse and happen to be redflagged more as a potential match to known criminals.

- Maybe there happens to be more information collected by the government and various agencies about people from Canada, and the more data there is about you, the more probability some minor thing ends up triggering the automated "red flag".

 

And it might be not just one single reason, it might be a combination.

Anyway, it's all just wild theories, and your guesses are probably as good as mine.

Edited February 14 by dmitrych

[northface 30]

3 hours ago, dmitrych said:

 

I don't know why, so I can only guess. But I personally don't think it was intentional, it might've been just a side effect because of the criteria they use to trigger DS-5535. Just for example:

 

- Maybe it happens that Canada accepts more people with backgrounds on the Technology Alert List (a bunch of medicine-related backgrounds, robotics, AI and vaguely related things like software development, etc), and those are the people who then also end up applying for US visas.

- Maybe people in Canada happen to be from a more diverse set of countries they were born in, and some of those countries might be scrutinized more. Somewhat related, maybe the names of immigrants from Canada are more diverse and happen to be redflagged more as a potential match to known criminals.

- Maybe there happens to be more information collected by the government and various agencies about people from Canada, and the more data there is about you, the more probability some minor thing ends up triggering the automated "red flag".

 

And it might be not just one single reason, it might be a combination.

Anyway, it's all just wild theories, and your guesses are probably as good as mine.

 

1.From my observation, it is true that Canada goverment began more tougher background check to immigration appliciants since mid 2023. Similar as DS-5535 process.

2.Another thing is for their job security , tons of 66k DS5535 cases need 66000 working hours to clear (1 hour each case). An analyst working hours is ~2000 per year, so need ~33 staff at DOS to work one year , that is why they requested  budget for it last year. Imaging if DS-5535 gone , where 35 positions gone ?