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

[Abahoni 4]

1 hour ago, AnnaSalu said:

 

I'm sorry to hear this! Did they provide any reasons why the chose to put you through this process? Are you applying alone, or with your family (wife, children, etc.)?

Praying for you along with so many people waiting after getting DS5535, be strong. I have been waiting since April 2023, nothing can be done but wait!

[SEP-27-DS_5535 33]

11 minutes ago, Abahoni said:

Praying for you along with so many people waiting after getting DS5535, be strong. I have been waiting since April 2023, nothing can be done but wait!

Hi @Abahoni. Sorry to hear that you’re waiting since April 2023. Did you receive any unsolicited updates in the month of September? Because many of us have received couple updates but nothing much.

[Ontarkie 14,307]

18 hours ago, CarmenD said:

 I communicated directly with a couple of folks on this site just within the past few months who told me they were successful in arranging (email exchanges) with the Consulate delivery of passport in person for visa stamping, and picked up later on the same day.  A couple of fluke instances through Consulate staff error, it would seem.  Nonetheless (unless I was told a made up story, and I don’t see a motive for that), it did occur most recently 

I don't think anyone was lying or making things up. It is quiet possible they had new CO's or all had the same one. Montreal has been pretty out of the box compared to other consulates. If they were transferred to Montreal more recently they might have been used to different procedures. But really who the heck knows what is going on there from one minute to the next. 

[ShawnK 82]

Just to update, i got my GC.

 

I was stuck in the ds5535 mess since April 2023, however, I was able to move to the US with an L1 this spring. At the border they didn't care or ask me about the ds5535.

 

I filed for AOS in the US and received my GC in about 4 months (spousal).

 

Ceac still shows refused. The whole thing is very odd. 

 

 

 

I would have thought USCIS would have informed them because they ask and can obviously see your consular case. In the AOS application  I wrote an explanation about what happened and the whole admin processing thing.

 

Do I need to email Montreal and tell them to close the case? 

 

 

[Alex2024 2]

10 minutes ago, ShawnK said:

Just to update, i got my GC.

 

I was stuck in the ds5535 mess since April 2023, however, I was able to move to the US with an L1 this spring. At the border they didn't care or ask me about the ds5535.

 

I filed for AOS in the US and received my GC in about 4 months (spousal).

 

Ceac still shows refused. The whole thing is very odd. 

 

 

 

I would have thought USCIS would have informed them because they ask and can obviously see your consular case. In the AOS application  I wrote an explanation about what happened and the whole admin processing thing.

 

Do I need to email Montreal and tell them to close the case? 

 

 

Yes, please do, and tell them to stop killing our time

[Abahoni 4]

25 minutes ago, ShawnK said:

Just to update, i got my GC.

 

I was stuck in the ds5535 mess since April 2023, however, I was able to move to the US with an L1 this spring. At the border they didn't care or ask me about the ds5535.

 

I filed for AOS in the US and received my GC in about 4 months (spousal).

 

Ceac still shows refused. The whole thing is very odd. 

 

 

 

I would have thought USCIS would have informed them because they ask and can obviously see your consular case. In the AOS application  I wrote an explanation about what happened and the whole admin processing thing.

 

Do I need to email Montreal and tell them to close the case? 

 

 

You have handled it smartly with an L1 visa. I have been thinking about a TN visa, my wife got visa same time and got her GC last year already. Now she is in limbo because of my DS5535 and waiting..

[Leo The Great 141]

1 hour ago, iconoclass said:

 

Anybody know how long does the TAL check takes?

In our case it took approx. 9 months for both resume and ds-5535

[Abahoni 4]

1 hour ago, SEP-27-DS_5535 said:

Hi @Abahoni. Sorry to hear that you’re waiting since April 2023. Did you receive any unsolicited updates in the month of September? Because many of us have received couple updates but nothing much.

I have seen my DS260 is open, but no email from the consulate yet @SEP-27-DS_5535

[AP100 0]

I am in AP for almost one year (IR1), at the time of interview I had Pakistani passport and Canadian PR, but during this long AP,  recently became Canadian citizen and will have Canadian passport as well. But when I applied I had only one passport (Pakistani). My questions are below, if someone has any idea or went through similar situation? please reply

1) I previously have Pakistani citizenship only and submitted my Pakistani passport details as travel document in I-130 and DS-260 form, what should I do now? should I inform Montreal consulate about the update of Canadian status and Canadian passport or wait for them till they clear AP, how process will continue onwards, so when AP will clear and passport and re-medical will be requested, which passport I will have to submit and on which passport they will issue IR1 visa? 
 

2) Now during AP if I travel on my Canadian passport to visit my family in US for few weeks will that be fine? as I did not have Canadian passport before, I was wondering this will not create any issue at the entry in future as at the time of application submission (I-130 and DS-260, interview) I did not have Canadian passport and I have never travelled to US before.
 

3) If I visit on Canadian passport for few days/weeks, and later on when AP will clear and if they issue visa on Pakistani passport, will that create any issue later on during entries. 

These questions are bothering me a lot, please suggest.

[CarmenD 150]

29 minutes ago, Ontarkie said:

I don't think anyone was lying or making things up. It is quiet possible they had new CO's or all had the same one. Montreal has been pretty out of the box compared to other consulates. If they were transferred to Montreal more recently they might have been used to different procedures. But really who the heck knows what is going on there from one minute to the next. 

100%. Zero consistency or anything resembling a pattern for case handling. Obviously, the Consulate is swamped clearing cases out of AP and all that entails, along with processing cases interviewing on an ongoing basis:  I’m mentally prepared (while hoping to be mistaken) for the process to drag on into mid-October for us, with any luck

[CarmenD 150]

On 9/25/2024 at 4:52 PM, DS5535_jan2024 said:

 

Does anyone know if I have to activate the green card before my rcmp clearance expires or is that requirement only for the medical?

Medical only

[Coco_2023 14]

12 minutes ago, CarmenD said:

100%. Zero consistency or anything resembling a pattern for case handling. Obviously, the Consulate is swamped clearing cases out of AP and all that entails, along with processing cases interviewing on an ongoing basis:  I’m mentally prepared (while hoping to be mistaken) for the process to drag on into mid-October for us, with any luck

Hope you guys get the clearance asap.

 

My officer told me they would send all AP cases including the TAL to Washington DC so I don't think the consulates spend much of their time on that... I think the broken communications among the federal government agencies, laziness and lack of experienced staff play a bigger role in this mess

Edited September 27 by Coco_2023

[Leo The Great 141]

21 minutes ago, AP100 said:

I am in AP for almost one year (IR1), at the time of interview I had Pakistani passport and Canadian PR, but during this long AP,  recently became Canadian citizen and will have Canadian passport as well. But when I applied I had only one passport (Pakistani). My questions are below, if someone has any idea or went through similar situation? please reply

1) I previously have Pakistani citizenship only and submitted my Pakistani passport details as travel document in I-130 and DS-260 form, what should I do now? should I inform Montreal consulate about the update of Canadian status and Canadian passport or wait for them till they clear AP, how process will continue onwards, so when AP will clear and passport and re-medical will be requested, which passport I will have to submit and on which passport they will issue IR1 visa? 
 

2) Now during AP if I travel on my Canadian passport to visit my family in US for few weeks will that be fine? as I did not have Canadian passport before, I was wondering this will not create any issue at the entry in future as at the time of application submission (I-130 and DS-260, interview) I did not have Canadian passport and I have never travelled to US before.
 

3) If I visit on Canadian passport for few days/weeks, and later on when AP will clear and if they issue visa on Pakistani passport, will that create any issue later on during entries. 

These questions are bothering me a lot, please suggest.

I remembered one VJ member submitted his Pakistani passport to consulate for visa and was put  in AP. He used his Canadian passport for travelling. Visa was stamped on his country of origin passport. There will be no issue if the visa is issued on other passport and you use Canadian passport for travelling.

Edited September 27 by Leo The Great

[CarmenD 150]

5 minutes ago, Coco_2023 said:

Hope you guys get the clearance asap.

 

My officer told me they would send all AP cases including the TAL to Washington DC so I don't think the consulates spend much of their time on that... I think the broken communications among the federal government agencies, laziness and lack of experienced staff play a bigger role in this mass

Thanks.  Waiting for our case to proceed to Issued now.  Interviewed July, 2023.  DS-5535  required.  In AP just over a year.  Requested passport/new medical/RCMP cert on August 8.  Consulate received medical first, then rest on September 9.  Have seen two (Sept 13 and 24) updates, but case remains in Refused status.  

 

Unless the pace picks-up at the Consulate there may potentially be a wait of 4-5 weeks total until the status moves to Issued, with a possible additional 10 business days wait for the tracking number email.  It’s a waiting game at every turn.  

[CarmenD 150]

1 hour ago, Abahoni said:

2 hours ago, SEP-27-DS_5535 said:

 

I have seen my DS260 is open, but no email from the consulate yet

I would strongly suggest updating the information in the re-opened DS-260, if you haven’t already