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

[DS5535_Child 14]

5 hours ago, sikeDS-5535dbyMTL said:

 

Congrats! Our timelines are very similar and we used the same law firm lol. 

What was the cost of filing WOM?

[jillian_a 3]

21 hours ago, jillian_a said:

My interview was July 14th, 2023 so waiting a similar amount of time and still haven't gotten my email yet either  I emailed for an update a two months ago (July 13) and got the standard reply on August 5th and 3 case updates over the next week after the reply email. 

Now over a month later our congress emailed on September 17th, saw a case update on September 18th and still haven't heard anything and no more case updates at this point (Sept 23)

 

I hope we can both get out of this soon, it has definitely left me feeling quite hopeless

Update! Just received an email from our Senator with the email asking for me to get an updated Medical!! Anyone who hasn't gotten their senator to send an email recently definitely try again, it really seems to be pushing people along. 

[DS5535TXCAN 44]

2 hours ago, tdot2nj said:

I sent an email to MTL consulate on Wednesday last week and this is the fastest response i have received. As I mentioned earlier I received 3 unsolicited updates in August and it has been radio silence since. The response I received today is the following:

 

“This case is currently pending review by a consular officer. As soon as the review is complete, the Visa Unit will advise of the next steps if anything else is needed to complete processing the case”

 

Has anyone ever received this type of a response before? I don’t want to assume anything but I am under the assumption that my processing is complete and I am just waiting for someone to ask me for my passport at this point. I looked back at my previous generic responses from them and none of them are like this.

1 hour ago, Hopelessincanada said:

I just received a reply to my email I sent on 9/12. Same response as yours: 

   

Thank you for your inquiry.

 

As soon as the current review of your case is complete, the Visa Unit will advise of the next steps if anything else is needed to complete processing the case.

  

We hope that this information is helpful in replying to your inquiry.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

 

Also, Same reply to the last email I sent. 
 

I checked my case status after and it hasn’t even been updated since August 22nd, is that normal to get an email with no date update? We’ve now hit the 5 month mark of the consulate having my fiancés passport. I’m strongly considering going with a law firm at this point. Does anyone mind sharing the costs they incurred going that route? Thanks in advance. 

 

We also received this type of response on Aug 23 (Friday). after submitting the passport. Our case status updated on the same day as well.  The message reads as follows: 

 

"We acknowledge receipt of the documents you have provided. This case is currently pending review by a consular officer. As soon as the review is complete, the Visa Unit will advise of the next steps if anything else is needed to complete processing the case."

 

We then asked for estimated timeline of when this review will be completed to figure out our lives and try to plan around it, and the consulates replied on Sep 13 (Friday) as follows: 

 

"While we cannot predict when the review of your visa will be completed, please be assured that the Consulate and the State Department are aware of your concerns and will contact you as soon as the review is complete if anything else is needed to complete processing the case."

 

It seems like we are still pending consular review. And to answer the others, it appears that the consulate reviews emails/updates statuses on Thursday/Fridays, at least based on our case.  Ill be on the lookout later this week for any new updates, we've been waiting around 5 weeks now like the others here who were requested documents in early August. We also contacted our senator this weekend in the hopes of pushing things along. Fingers crossed.

 

 

 

Edited September 24 by DS5535TXCAN

[CarmenD 150]

1 hour ago, DS5535TXCAN said:

 

"We acknowledge receipt of the documents you have provided. This case is currently pending review by a consular officer. As soon as the review is complete, the Visa Unit will advise of the next steps if anything else is needed to complete processing the case."

 

We then asked for estimated timeline of when this review will be completed to figure out our lives and try to plan around it, and the consulates replied on Sep 13 (Friday) as follows: 

 

"While we cannot predict when the review of your visa will be completed, please be assured that the Consulate and the State Department are aware of your concerns and will contact you as soon as the review is complete if anything else is needed to complete processing the case."

 

Same old, same old.  In other words, we’ve got you by the you-know-what and you’re going to have to wait, even though our process for moving cases along at this stage (passport, etc in after released from AP) or at any stage in this process is flawed and inconsistent 🙄 

[tdot2nj 71]

On a sidenote, I am just realizing that them asking for my documents does not mean that the wait is over. I will still have to wait for my visa to come in and then I will have to wait for my card to come in and then I will have to wait for my Social Security number to come in. Looks like another year of life wasted in administrative processes. 😭🥳🥳

[CarmenD 150]

14 minutes ago, tdot2nj said:

On a sidenote, I am just realizing that them asking for my documents does not mean that the wait is over. I will still have to wait for my visa to come in and then I will have to wait for my card to come in and then I will have to wait for my Social Security number to come in. Looks like another year of life wasted in administrative processes. 😭🥳🥳

The clearance out of AP wait is over, but yeah, not done by any stretch of the imagination.  There’s waiting at every turn!

[memeatball 0]

Has anyone dropped off their passport, photos, documents, etc. in person at the consulate instead of mailing them in? How does that work?

[tdot2nj 71]

Reached out to my senators office in hopes he can get my process moving. Hopefully i have some positive news soon 🤞🏻 they have already emailed the consulate. 

[Ontarkie 14,218]

1 hour ago, memeatball said:

Has anyone dropped off their passport, photos, documents, etc. in person at the consulate instead of mailing them in? How does that work?

They will not let you drop them off. 

[604vancouver 24]

10 hours ago, sikeDS-5535dbyMTL said:

 

Congrats! Our timelines are very similar and we used the same law firm lol. 

Did you get your passport back from the consulate yet? Still waiting for mine 

[Coco_2023 14]

Hi everyone,

I had my interview at MTL this morning and was given the notorious DS-5535 link to fill out at the end of ineterview and since I was well expecting it before, submitted it right after the interview but an hour later got an email from MTL asking me to email my CV (jobs, studies, etc. without any gaps) which I sent it too right away...it's soul crushing knowing you are now officially inside this AP "black hole"...

Does anybody have any idea if I got AP'd because my field of study (AI and Robotics) is part of TAL list in which I was asked to email my CV or is it due to the fact that I am born in Iran since I guess those who get asked for their CV might get cleared out sooner?

I have never served at military whatsoever though, and the officer told me that it might get my AP process faster but there was no guarantees.

I was the only person to get AP'd in my family.

Btw, I wasn't able to add my info into the tracker spreadsheet since it's read-only so here they are:

EB2-NIW (PhD in AI & Robotics)
Country of chargeability: Iran 
Interview date: Sept 24, 2024
DQ: March 2023
PD: September 23,2021
 

Edited September 24 by Coco_2023
typo

[JanMontrealDS5535 24]

8 hours ago, CarmenD said:

Ours came on August 8 ..  a Thursday

Thank you Carmen !!

I shall wait for Thursday then. 

Holding my breath.

[Leo The Great 141]

2 hours ago, Coco_2023 said:

Hi everyone,

I had my interview at MTL this morning and was given the notorious DS-5535 link to fill out at the end of ineterview and since I was well expecting it before, submitted it right after the interview but an hour later got an email from MTL asking me to email my CV (jobs, studies, etc. without any gaps) which I sent it too right away...it's soul crushing knowing you are now officially inside this AP "black hole"...

Does anybody have any idea if I got AP'd because my field of study (AI and Robotics) is part of TAL list in which I was asked to email my CV or is it due to the fact that I am born in Iran since I guess those who get asked for their CV might get cleared out sooner?

I have never served at military whatsoever though, and the officer told me that it might get my AP process faster but there was no guarantees.

I was the only person to get AP'd in my family.

Btw, I wasn't able to add my info into the tracker spreadsheet since it's read-only so here they are:

EB2-NIW (PhD in AI & Robotics)
Country of chargeability: Iran 
Interview date: Sept 24, 2024
DQ: March 2023
PD: September 23,2021
 

AI and Robotics is the reason for Resume and DS-5535 is given due to your country of chargeability and being male applicant(if applicable)

Edited September 25 by Leo The Great

[Abahoni 4]

My Timeline

Interview March 2023 iR5

DS5535 was received the same day, and submitted in two days

DS260 is open, no email from the consulate yet, last update was September 18, 2024

and waiting!!

[Vancan 9]

25 minutes ago, Abahoni said:

My Timeline

Interview March 2023 iR5

DS5535 was received the same day, and submitted in two days

DS260 is open, no email from the consulate yet, last update was September 18, 2024

and waiting!!

ideally if your DS 260 is open you should hear something soon