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

[Pending DS5535 25]

16 hours ago, Cholte cholte said:

 

My spouse’s interview was on March 15, 2024, and she was asked to submit a DS5535 which she submitted the next day. Except for a few updates, there has not been any progress. 

She will be visiting her home country in February 2025. Will that delay her case? Also, does she need to inform the Montreal consulate about this trip after she returns (since it was not included in the DS 260 that she submitted)?

Thanks
 

My case is IR5. I was interviewed on Jan 24, 2024, and submitted DS553 and resume on Jan 25. However, I still have not received any good news or unsolicited updates, although people who were interviewed after me started receiving good news.

[Sisa24 20]

3 minutes ago, Pending DS5535 said:

My case is IR5. I was interviewed on Jan 24, 2024, and submitted DS553 and resume on Jan 25. However, I still have not received any good news or unsolicited updates, although people who were interviewed after me started receiving good news.

We both interviewed on the same day. This process has proven that it’s mere luck.. as in anything else in life 🤷‍♀️

[apsincejune23 16]

Hi all! I sent my passport and new photos etc via courier to the consulate on Sept 25th for visa stamping. Was I suppose to receive some sort of tracking number or anything? I emailed the consulate and they haven’t given a clear response on whether they have received my passport yet. We got senate office to contact them, and they said they haven’t received it yet. I was under the impression courier service only takes 2/3 days. Any advice on how I can figure out where my passport is?

 

On sept 27th (2 days after drop off) I got an email from that AIS system where I generated the courier label titled “Confirmation of visa documents received at a Service location”. Is this just a confirmation that i dropped off the documents or that it was delivered to Montreal? The consulate is saying that’s just a confirmation of drop off.

 

any advice? 16 months since my interview now and I am ready for all this to be over

[JanMontrealDS5535 24]

5 minutes ago, apsincejune23 said:

Hi all! I sent my passport and new photos etc via courier to the consulate on Sept 25th for visa stamping. Was I suppose to receive some sort of tracking number or anything? I emailed the consulate and they haven’t given a clear response on whether they have received my passport yet. We got senate office to contact them, and they said they haven’t received it yet. I was under the impression courier service only takes 2/3 days. Any advice on how I can figure out where my passport is?

 

On sept 27th (2 days after drop off) I got an email from that AIS system where I generated the courier label titled “Confirmation of visa documents received at a Service location”. Is this just a confirmation that i dropped off the documents or that it was delivered to Montreal? The consulate is saying that’s just a confirmation of drop off.

 

any advice? 16 months since my interview now and I am ready for all this to be over

I have sent my passport on Oct 15th and received delivery notice on Oct 16th.

Today, I received congressman's reply saying embassy is still waiting for the passport.

Here is the response:

 

"The requested documents have not yet been received by our office.

 

All mail directed to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal is received at an offsite mail processing facility. It takes additional time before the mail actually reaches the Visa Unit. If applicants do not send the mail using our courier service, longer mail processing delays may be expected. 

 

Once additional documents are received, an adjudicating Consular officer will review the case taking into consideration the additional evidence provided. As soon as the review is complete, the Visa Unit will provide you with further details regarding the status of the visa application."

 

No idea how long does mail facility takes to deliver a mail in same city.

 

 

[DS5535TXCAN 58]

12 minutes ago, apsincejune23 said:

Hi all! I sent my passport and new photos etc via courier to the consulate on Sept 25th for visa stamping. Was I suppose to receive some sort of tracking number or anything? I emailed the consulate and they haven’t given a clear response on whether they have received my passport yet. We got senate office to contact them, and they said they haven’t received it yet. I was under the impression courier service only takes 2/3 days. Any advice on how I can figure out where my passport is?

 

On sept 27th (2 days after drop off) I got an email from that AIS system where I generated the courier label titled “Confirmation of visa documents received at a Service location”. Is this just a confirmation that i dropped off the documents or that it was delivered to Montreal? The consulate is saying that’s just a confirmation of drop off.

 

any advice? 16 months since my interview now and I am ready for all this to be over

 

if this is an immigrant visa for CR1/IR1, on the AIS website you can view the tracking number on the first page once you sign in. Its called "Courier-In Shipping Number". 

 

We sent our passport back in August, 15, and took a month for them to reply and confirm they recieved our "documents", even though we were bugging them about any other documents (ex. medical and passport photos). Only for the consulate to request additional documents 2 months after intially requesting the passport. For reference: passport photos were submitted on Oct 13 and medical exam sent to consulate today, although completed almost 2 weeks ago .

 

So my trust in consulate responses is not 100% as they just use templated cookie-cutter responses for all, especially if they already responded to you. Its likely your documents were delivered and just pending consular review. I would wait another week and get your congress to send an inquiry as to the status of the case and if there is any other pending items.

 

 

 

Edited October 23 by DS5535TXCAN

[DuBrun20 27]

5 minutes ago, JanMontrealDS5535 said:

I have sent my passport on Oct 15th and received delivery notice on Oct 16th.

Today, I received congressman's reply saying embassy is still waiting for the passport.

Here is the response:

 

"The requested documents have not yet been received by our office.

 

All mail directed to the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal is received at an offsite mail processing facility. It takes additional time before the mail actually reaches the Visa Unit. If applicants do not send the mail using our courier service, longer mail processing delays may be expected. 

 

Once additional documents are received, an adjudicating Consular officer will review the case taking into consideration the additional evidence provided. As soon as the review is complete, the Visa Unit will provide you with further details regarding the status of the visa application."

 

No idea how long does mail facility takes to deliver a mail in same city.

 

 

We got the same reply last week - passport was delivered October 4th. Hopefully there will be a big batch of approvals soon 

Edited October 23 by DuBrun20

[DS5535TXCAN 58]

On 10/21/2024 at 4:52 PM, mariagomez said:

UPDATE: 11 days after sending my passport, the consulate themselves emailed me requesting an updated medical (I expected this as it expired on October 15 and they received my passport on October 10) and my passport. On one hand this is super annoying because I’m going to have to fly to Vancouver again for it and spend more money, on the other hand I am absolutely ELATED because this means I am so close to finally obtaining my visa!! 

Congratulations! - at least they were a little bit competent with your case. We waited 2 months before getting a request for medical after submitting the passport. Good grief this consulate is so inconsistent. Nevertheless, CONGRATS. The end is near! 

[CarmenD 150]

3 hours ago, appleblossom said:

 

One becomes tax resident in the US as soon as one becomes a LPR.

 

Ontario law says that the place of residence for OHIP eligibility is determined by, amongst other things, "anticipated future living arrangements". If you've become a US LPR and then returned to Canada briefly to wrap things up before moving to the US permanently, then it's clear that those "anticipated future living arrangements" aren't in Ontario. 

 

If you have a re-entry permit and are returning to Ontario for longer, then it would be different though. 

OHIP eligibility as you describe it relates to residents making an initial move into Ontario from other provinces, not existing residents already having OHIP coverage.

 

Dual residency tax implications is a different ball of wax and independent if this Ontario Health discussion

 

LOL 😂 A “re-entry permit” is never required for a Canadian citizen, nor for a Canadian Permanent Resident with an active/non-expired status as such, to return to Ontario or to anywhere in Canada, for that matter. I’m going to go with the information provided to me via two telephone conversations with Ontario Health representatives which I’ve already outlined previously.  Plain and simple

Edited October 23 by CarmenD
Add and remove words

[mariagomez 21]

8 minutes ago, DS5535TXCAN said:

Congratulations! - at least they were a little bit competent with your case. We waited 2 months before getting a request for medical after submitting the passport. Good grief this consulate is so inconsistent. Nevertheless, CONGRATS. The end is near! 

Thank you!! I feel like we’ve been slightly lucky with these things, even after getting the ds5535. Appointment is on November 7th so hopefully by the end of the year everything is settled 🥹

[memeatball 0]

Is everybody getting some kind of notification after their passport arrives at the Consulate? Canada post tracking showed it was delivered over a week ago but I never got any notification or status update on ceac.

[appleblossom 2,803]

54 minutes ago, CarmenD said:

OHIP eligibility as you describe it relates to residents making an initial move into Ontario from other provinces, not existing residents already having OHIP coverage.

 

Dual residency tax implications is a different ball of wax and independent if this Ontario Health discussion

 

LOL 😂 A “re-entry permit” is never required for a Canadian citizen, nor for a Canadian Permanent Resident with an active/non-expired status as such, to return to Ontario or to anywhere in Canada, for that matter. I’m going to go with the information provided to me via two telephone conversations with Ontario Health representatives which I’ve already outlined previously.  Plain and simple

 

No, it's not just for initial moves.

 

And I meant a US re-entry permit.

 

I used to do that for a job, and would never rely on what OHIP representatives have said, as they are usually reading off a script and often wrong. Personally I'd get travel insurance from the US just in case healthcare in Canada was needed after becoming a LPR in the US, but it's up to each person to make a decision. I was just sharing what the law says. 

[ghp2019 1]

Has anyone AP’d after having told that they are approved on the interview?

[JanMontrealDS5535 24]

1 hour ago, memeatball said:

Is everybody getting some kind of notification after their passport arrives at the Consulate? Canada post tracking showed it was delivered over a week ago but I never got any notification or status update on ceac.

Canada post has delivered the documents.

Consulate recieves it at the receiving facility.

God knows how long does it takes from receiving facility to Consular officer desk.

My passport was delivered a week ago and I received a reply today saying " they have NOT received the documents ".

 

 

[Ontarkie 14,305]

~~Folks we cannot derail this thread further. This thread is about the DS-5535, all talk of OHIP must stop or admin action will be taken.~~

[apsincejune23 16]

2 hours ago, DS5535TXCAN said:

 

if this is an immigrant visa for CR1/IR1, on the AIS website you can view the tracking number on the first page once you sign in. Its called "Courier-In Shipping Number". 

 

We sent our passport back in August, 15, and took a month for them to reply and confirm they recieved our "documents", even though we were bugging them about any other documents (ex. medical and passport photos). Only for the consulate to request additional documents 2 months after intially requesting the passport. For reference: passport photos were submitted on Oct 13 and medical exam sent to consulate today, although completed almost 2 weeks ago .

 

So my trust in consulate responses is not 100% as they just use templated cookie-cutter responses for all, especially if they already responded to you. Its likely your documents were delivered and just pending consular review. I would wait another week and get your congress to send an inquiry as to the status of the case and if there is any other pending items.

 

 

 

Wow that is so frustrating! I hope you get back your passport soon, maybe we will be in the same batch! I couldn’t find the shipping number once I log into the AIS website, where exactly on the page do you see that?