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

[DadofUSCitizen 20]

32 minutes ago, Daft_Cat said:

Hi everyone! Quick update from me: was notified by the consulate this morning that my passport is being returned. My status on the CEAC tracker has changed to "Issued" as of an hour ago. Surprisingly quick for me. They're sending it back just 1.5 weeks after I sent it through - since others that interviewed around the same time as me are still waiting, I do wonder if my WoM had an impact... albeit much more slowly than it would've a year ago. 

 

Thanks again for all the support throughout the process and I hope to see more movement for everyone still waiting soon. 

Great news for you and hope for all of us here. Congratulations! 

[Phil_K_IR1 83]

1 hour ago, Daft_Cat said:

Hi everyone! Quick update from me: was notified by the consulate this morning that my passport is being returned. My status on the CEAC tracker has changed to "Issued" as of an hour ago. Surprisingly quick for me. They're sending it back just 1.5 weeks after I sent it through - since others that interviewed around the same time as me are still waiting, I do wonder if my WoM had an impact... albeit much more slowly than it would've a year ago. 

 

Thanks again for all the support throughout the process and I hope to see more movement for everyone still waiting soon. 

So happy for you!! Congrats!

 

We had sent the passport to their old address (but seems to have been mail forwarded to their new one), delivered this past Tuesday to the consulate. Still waiting on medical results to be sent to them.
 

Hopefully it moves fast for us and anyone else waiting/in AP. I've noticed A LOT of approvals/updates on cases I've been tracking randomly on the side

Edited May 3 by Phil_K_IR1

[DS5535_Child 14]

5 hours ago, Phil_K_IR1 said:

I've noticed A LOT of approvals/updates on cases I've been tracking randomly on the side

Can you say more to give us on the queue hope? All I've seen is 2 cases in April from the sheet and silence in a few weeks.

[Phil_K_IR1 83]

58 minutes ago, DS5535_Child said:

Can you say more to give us on the queue hope? All I've seen is 2 cases in April from the sheet and silence in a few weeks.

I've been tracking cases in and around my case's numerical range, and going back from Mar 2023 to July 2023 in case created ranges. 
 

Many over the last week or so have gotten good news, and things are moving positively generally. 

[Pending DS5535 22]

12 hours ago, Daft_Cat said:

Hi everyone! Quick update from me: was notified by the consulate this morning that my passport is being returned. My status on the CEAC tracker has changed to "Issued" as of an hour ago. Surprisingly quick for me. They're sending it back just 1.5 weeks after I sent it through - since others that interviewed around the same time as me are still waiting, I do wonder if my WoM had an impact... albeit much more slowly than it would've a year ago. 

 

Thanks again for all the support throughout the process and I hope to see more movement for everyone still waiting soon. 

Congratulations 

[mariagomez 17]

DS-5535 after k-1 visa interview (montreal)

Hello! I attended my interview for my k-1 visa yesterday on May 3. I’m a Canadian citizen and my fiancé is American. Everything went well, I brought more than enough documentation for everything, but once I was doing the interview I got asked if I had travelled anywhere in the last 15 years, I had already disclosed my travel history but I was born and raised in Venezuela until I was 15 years old so I mentioned that. The interviewer didn’t ask me for any documents at all, but he gave me a DS-5535 form and under the section that lists what they’re requesting of me, he just wrote “passport”. I left feeling very anxious and frustrated because until this point everything had gone smoothly for us. I wasn’t feeling the best and decided to fill out the form ASAP, and it wasn’t until this morning that I realized in my anxiety-fueled rush I only included my most recent expired venezuelan passport, and not the previous ones before that. How screwed am I? Is there anything I can do to reach out and provide this info now? I googled the form afterwards and honestly it’s freaking me out reading that people have been waiting 10+ months for a response. I am devastated and haven’t stopped crying since then 😕 

[MTLaffectee 45]

22 hours ago, Daft_Cat said:

Hi everyone! Quick update from me: was notified by the consulate this morning that my passport is being returned. My status on the CEAC tracker has changed to "Issued" as of an hour ago. Surprisingly quick for me. They're sending it back just 1.5 weeks after I sent it through - since others that interviewed around the same time as me are still waiting, I do wonder if my WoM had an impact... albeit much more slowly than it would've a year ago. 

 

Thanks again for all the support throughout the process and I hope to see more movement for everyone still waiting soon. 

So happy for you. Congratulation!!

[Kara.gana 36]

15 hours ago, Phil_K_IR1 said:

I've been tracking cases in and around my case's numerical range, and going back from Mar 2023 to July 2023 in case created ranges. 
 

Many over the last week or so have gotten good news, and things are moving positively generally. 

Guess you can’t see what category they’re in? My husband is CR1/IR1. Had his  interview August 1 and the last known update we had was over a month ago. 

[CarmenD 150]

23 minutes ago, mariagomez said:

Is there anything I can do to reach out and provide this info now?

I just sent you a private message

[JamesLouz 0]

Had a quick question. 

 

My IR1 visa has been under Administrative Processing for 1 year (due to Form DS-5535 processing). 

 

My visa has not yet been approved.

 

The Montreal Consulate also has been holding my passport the whole time. 

 

I now need to travel abroad and am not sure the correct way to request my passport.

 

Can I simply walk in and request they return my passport?

 

Or do I have to email them first so they can get my passport ready, and then go to the Consulate to pick it up?

 

Or do they have to physically mail it to me?

 

I was hoping I could just walk in with my ID and pick it up during normal business hours. 

 

How does picking up your passport work if the visa is still under Administrative Processing? 

Edited May 4 by JamesLouz

[mariagomez 17]

1 hour ago, JamesLouz said:

Had a quick question. 

 

My IR1 visa has been under Administrative Processing for 1 year (due to Form DS-5535 processing). 

 

My visa has not yet been approved.

 

The Montreal Consulate also has been holding my passport the whole time. 

 

I now need to travel abroad and am not sure the correct way to request my passport.

 

Can I simply walk in and request they return my passport?

 

Or do I have to email them first so they can get my passport ready, and then go to the Consulate to pick it up?

 

Or do they have to physically mail it to me?

 

I was hoping I could just walk in with my ID and pick it up during normal business hours. 

 

How does picking up your passport work if the visa is still under Administrative Processing? 

You can’t just walk in, they will refuse you, they only allow people with appointments in. You need to go to https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0Sy1YoH0qhFtLmlsn5fRWtORUMkY5TzJaNjZNSkQ2N0NESUNTQ0hRNlhGWCQlQCN0PWcu and select the option to request your passport back. It usually takes a few weeks for them to get back to you and then they’ll mail your passport back to you which will take another week or so. 

[yvesemma 21]

Hi all just checked the CEAC website and it says ISSUED as of May 3rd!!! I almost cant believe it.... I still haven't gotten any notification that my passport was sent back... how long did it take for everyone who got it back?? 

 

thanks! 

[CarmenD 150]

6 hours ago, mariagomez said:

You can’t just walk in, they will refuse you, they only allow people with appointments in. You need to go to https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0Sy1YoH0qhFtLmlsn5fRWtORUMkY5TzJaNjZNSkQ2N0NESUNTQ0hRNlhGWCQlQCN0PWcu and select the option to request your passport back. It usually takes a few weeks for them to get back to you and then they’ll mail your passport back to you which will take another week or so. 

It seems this link is to provide services to U.S. Citizens at the Consulate (renew/apply/pending U.S. passport application issues), not to request return of another country’s passport being held at the Consulate for visa stamping after case adjudication 😔 

[mariagomez 17]

15 hours ago, CarmenD said:

It seems this link is to provide services to U.S. Citizens at the Consulate (renew/apply/pending U.S. passport application issues), not to request return of another country’s passport being held at the Consulate for visa stamping after case adjudication 😔 

Apologies! I shared the wrong link, here is where you can request your passport back from the consulate: 

 

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0Sy1YoH0qhFtLmlsn5fRWtORUM1VNMVlYWFAzNldZRU5KUjgwTjhFOVFWTCQlQCN0PWcu

[Fayisa 21]

On 1/31/2024 at 3:05 PM, Gha said:

Hi 

@Fayisa any update regarding your case .because your are waiting for second medical and your interview was in February 2023

thank you 

Hello, hope you are doing well. I have got my visa on December 28th and moved December 31st to USA. I am finally with my husband and my son. Sorry for not updating here I was busy so much with life, I didn't log in for months.