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

[CarmenD 150]

1 hour ago, WMBB said:

Was told I was randomly selected.

I’m so glad you took the time to share.  What a long nightmare you’ve been subjected to!  “Randomly selected” without reason makes absolutely no sense.  Typically applicants are not given details other than “additional vetting required”, such SAO due to excessive travel, for instance.  

[iconoclass 1]

Hi, we both parents had interview in Montreal March 8 2024. refused with Administrative process and asked Resume and DS5535 questions and returned the passport. 

Anybody who is / was in this situation and how long did it take to get the visa. 

[Crazy Cat 41,675]

***New topic added to the existing DS-5535 mega-thread***

[TeamSariff 3]

On 3/16/2024 at 11:14 AM, CarmenD said:

Sounds as if in your case the refusal was simply given due to the missing medical results (not as a result of INA 221(g) refusal with the requisite DS-5535 submission), and that once medicals were received and approved, the visa was adjudicated.

 

The Congressional Inquiries (two done in my case so far), have very little impact for those of us in AP due Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) review, commonly called "security clearance," "administrative clearance," or "administrative processing," refusals.

Thanks Carmen for the precision. And sorry if I was out of topic. I thought it could help someone in a similar situation as I found no other thread talking about this black hole that is Administration Processing in Montreal. 
 

Wishing everyone to have a quick resolution on their journey. 🙏🏻✨

[Leo The Great 137]

3 hours ago, iconoclass said:

Hi, we both parents had interview in Montreal March 8 2024. refused with Administrative process and asked Resume and DS5535 questions and returned the passport. 

Anybody who is / was in this situation and how long did it take to get the visa. 

My both  parents were interviewed in Oct 2023. My dad was asked to submit DS-5535 and Resume. MTL returned passport to dad. You can look at the following spreadsheet for IR5 cases. It takes 6 months to more than year to get clearance from DC as there is a backlog of more 66000 cases in immigrant and K1 visas categories.

Please enter your dates for the benefits of other people stuck in AP.

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

Edited March 17 by Leo The Great

[iconoclass 1]

18 minutes ago, Leo The Great said:

My both  parents were interviewed in Oct 2023. My dad was asked to submit DS-5535 and Resume. MTL returned passport to dad. You can look at the following spreadsheet for IR5 cases. It takes 6 months to more than year to get clearance from DC as there is a backlog of more 66000 cases in immigrant and K1 visas categories.

Please enter your dates for the benefits of other people stuck in AP.

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

thank you so much I updated the XLS

[Phil_K_IR1 83]

Just curious: to those who weren't asked for a DS-5535, does the consulate owe an adjudication by a given timeframe or not? My understanding is any refusal into AP means "no estimate" and also the consulate wouldn't owe a response by a given timeframe. 
 

People were saying the 5535 removed the timeline requirement for them, but I mean isn't that just AP in general? Once you're given a 221(g) that's it. To the black hole! 

[Irish89 44]

Hey Guys

 

Does anyone know if your DS-260 is Re-opened what that actually means? I'm wondering if others have noticed their DS-260 being Re-opened too? TIA

[Leo The Great 137]

27 minutes ago, Irish89 said:

Hey Guys

 

Does anyone know if your DS-260 is Re-opened what that actually means? I'm wondering if others have noticed their DS-260 being Re-opened too? TIA

DS-260 is valid for one year. When the case is cleared, MTL ask you to update the DS-260 and send them updated confirmation page with passport etc.

[DS5535_Child 12]

Hey All, been lurking on this forum for a long while, so thanks to everyone that contributes.

 

My mother got a DS 5535 on 3/14 and she just submitted the form completed today. I am lowkey hoping she'll get cleared within a few months, but it seems like the situation is dire 😕.

 

How do folks view the number of case updates? Just by looking at the case status daily and logging a mental counter?

[James33 0]

I got a request for the DS-5535 today after verbal approval from officer early last month February. The Montreal consulate kept my documents and passport too. Odd part is no information was provided in the email requesting documents but just completing the form. What has been your experience with this?

[Leo The Great 137]

3 hours ago, DS5535_Child said:

Hey All, been lurking on this forum for a long while, so thanks to everyone that contributes.

 

My mother got a DS 5535 on 3/14 and she just submitted the form completed today. I am lowkey hoping she'll get cleared within a few months, but it seems like the situation is dire 😕.

 

How do folks view the number of case updates? Just by looking at the case status daily and logging a mental counter?

If your mom submitted DS-5535 today. He can look at case updated case daily at the end of day for initially for 3-4 weeks. The case update will stop at some point then you can check weekly after that. You will get 3-4 case updates one after another once your case is about to clear. There is not hard and fast rules but it is more like a pattern.

[Canucklehead 102]

On 3/17/2024 at 4:10 PM, iconoclass said:

Hi, we both parents had interview in Montreal March 8 2024. refused with Administrative process and asked Resume and DS5535 questions and returned the passport. 

Anybody who is / was in this situation and how long did it take to get the visa. 

No one on the spreadsheet interviewed before me (Feb 2023). I've been in AP for over a year with zero signs of movement any time recently. Expect it to be over a year - if anything longer since they don't even seem to be processing anyone now.

 

There is absolutely nothing you can do either. Welcome to the black hole of waiting.

Edited March 18 by Canucklehead

[Leo The Great 137]

36 minutes ago, James33 said:

I got a request for the DS-5535 today after verbal approval from officer early last month February. The Montreal consulate kept my documents and passport too. Odd part is no information was provided in the email requesting documents but just completing the form. What has been your experience with this?

Some VJ members got DS-5535 form after the verbal approval.

[Canucklehead 102]

The absolute worst part of this right now is the fact that no one has even been asked for their passport back in months, let alone issued a visa.

 

We were moving along at a delayed, though consistent manner for a while and now nothing has happened for months.

 

Emails are also not being responded to. I honestly feel like I caught the absolute worst timing imaginable. The people who interviewed just a few weeks before me have had their visa for months now. Yet I'm still sitting in limbo with no updates in over 4 months.

 

Sorry for the rant but I'm just so ###### over waiting.