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

[Daft_Cat 136]

*edit - double post

Edited March 27 by Daft_Cat

[Daft_Cat 136]

5 hours ago, APRIL2023 said:

I don’t understand the complete standstill with all cases since Jan 2023. Are there ppl OUTSIDE of this chat forum that is actually being cleared?? I can’t even imagine the backlog the system is facing now. I wonder does this have anything to do with changes to the system post public opinion inquest. 
 

Hang in there everyone!

I’m not sure what’s going on either, but someone must be listening because I just got an unsolicited case update (the first in 25 days). 

[ak47 32]

1 minute ago, Daft_Cat said:

I’m not sure what’s going on either, but someone must be listening because I just got an unsolicited case update (the first in 25 days). 

Was the update today?

[Daft_Cat 136]

3 minutes ago, ak47 said:

Was the update today?

Yep. I checked a few hours ago and nothing, so it must've just happened. 

[Leo The Great 140]

56 minutes ago, Daft_Cat said:

Yep. I checked a few hours ago and nothing, so it must've just happened. 

hoping this will be the final update before you receive medical and passport request from MTL. You are at top of the list in the spreadsheet awaiting clearance.

Edited March 27 by Leo The Great

[Pending DS5535 21]

VO asked us to submit the passport when he gave us 221g form, it was written there to submit the passport when submit DS5535 and resume. My question is, what should I do in this situation? My interview was in 3rd week of Jan, I submitted DS5535 and resume the next day but did not submit the passport as I needed it for traveling. I think Montreal can ask for the passport once the clearance is done, difficult to decide what to do. I heard sometimes they asked for a passport but then kept it for months and in the end, people requested it back due to their travel plans. Any suggestions

Edited March 27 by Pending DS5535

[APRIL2023 59]

2 hours ago, Pending DS5535 said:

VO asked us to submit the passport when he gave us 221g form, it was written there to submit the passport when submit DS5535 and resume. My question is, what should I do in this situation? My interview was in 3rd week of Jan, I submitted DS5535 and resume the next day but did not submit the passport as I needed it for traveling. I think Montreal can ask for the passport once the clearance is done, difficult to decide what to do. I heard sometimes they asked for a passport but then kept it for months and in the end, people requested it back due to their travel plans. Any suggestions

They will contact you to submit passport once security clearance is completed on their end. I was advised this by the consulate in one of my email inquiries. 

[tdot2nj 71]

I’m hoping someone can shed light on this if you file a WOM and the government does not respond within 60 days. What happens then? I read somewhere on Reddit that if they do not respond within 60 days, the judge can just take action based off of your request. Is this true because the government only has about five days left to respond to my WOM I have still not received anything. When reviewing other peoples timelines, I am noticing that the government has been responding within a couple of weeks.

[Inveigh 69]

10 hours ago, tdot2nj said:

I’m hoping someone can shed light on this if you file a WOM and the government does not respond within 60 days. What happens then? I read somewhere on Reddit that if they do not respond within 60 days, the judge can just take action based off of your request. Is this true because the government only has about five days left to respond to my WOM I have still not received anything. When reviewing other peoples timelines, I am noticing that the government has been responding within a couple of weeks.

They judge can dismiss but probably it wont get there, for our case they responded to us at midnight the day it was due for a response

Edited March 28 by Inveigh

[Timbits 2]

Just want to vent. Spouse interviewed in mid Dec. got DS5535. CEAC had not had any updates since Dec 22. At time of interview VO asked us to submit her unexpired visa from old third country passport. Then when we emailed them to clarify whether to send in the unexpired visa first, they said just wait for the visa team for further instruction. So we are not sure whether to send in the old unexpired US visa or just wait. worried that if we don’t send it in and a year passes by and then they’ll have an excuse to screw us over saying we didn’t follow 221g. 
 

Tired of this bullshit. As an American my country has only disappointed me again and again. 

 

also who should I vote for in president election to fight this immigration BS? 
 

 

[Inveigh 69]

1 hour ago, Timbits said:

Just want to vent. Spouse interviewed in mid Dec. got DS5535. CEAC had not had any updates since Dec 22. At time of interview VO asked us to submit her unexpired visa from old third country passport. Then when we emailed them to clarify whether to send in the unexpired visa first, they said just wait for the visa team for further instruction. So we are not sure whether to send in the old unexpired US visa or just wait. worried that if we don’t send it in and a year passes by and then they’ll have an excuse to screw us over saying we didn’t follow 221g. 
 

Tired of this bullshit. As an American my country has only disappointed me again and again. 

 

also who should I vote for in president election to fight this immigration BS? 
 

 

I saw that your interview was around Mid-December (23'), based one everyone's experiences here, it appears as if youre only about 15% - 20% of the way there on how everything is looking for the rest of us. Hopefully for March this was just an unlucky month (or an off month where they just stopped processing K1's and CR'1'S and focused on J1, F1 visas) and they get back to their regularly scheduled routine by the time April swings around. We can only guess as to why March has been so dry though but from what I have seen, processing around the world has just been reliant on J1/F1 (and sometimes B1's here and there) cases and they might have switched the routines to process those types and switch back and fourth every month or so. This is just my assessment from what I have seen. If you look at those other telegram groups, people are being cleared left and right it seems but we seem to be the unlucky ones.

Edited March 28 by Inveigh

[DS5535_Child 14]

@Timbits I think it's obvious one president is against immigration and the other... well he won't do anything. So tough call... lol.

EDIT: (to explain the above, DS 5535 was introduced by the last administration... but it was not lifted in the current one, or made better)

Jokes aside, I think if we gather a petition of 1000+ with DS5535 issues and send a letter to VPOTUS or POTUS maybe they'll wake up and fix it to gain some votes.

All this needs is someone from high up to say: "I need this done, here's extra workers if needed".

Edited March 28 by DS5535_Child

[Ontarkie 14,215]

I know it is hard to keep politics out of this thread but please try. I do not want to have to remove comments. 

[Daft_Cat 136]

Hi everyone, 

Some good news on my end: I got an email from the consulate today requesting my passport and a new medical. 

Thanks to everyone that reached out with their support and I hope my approval is encouragement to others that are still waiting! Hopefully this is a sign that things are moving again.

[DS5535_Child 14]

Congrats Daf_Cat! That's good news indeed! Mind sharing a recap of your journey when you get a chance? (Including how many countries travelled, which I think may be a factor?)