Leo The Great

It is better to apply for US visa from Europe than the Montreal as consulate has high rate of handing out DS-5535 and resolution time is much more than Europe. Your travel history during the last fifteen years is a factor for DS-5535. But if your place of birth is MENA, China or Pakistan, then there is a high probability of getting DS-5535. If your field of study or work is in TAL, that is another reason to ask for Resume. DS-5535 cases takes from few months to more than a year to resolve. Other than that system can also select you randomly for DS-5535. Since the DV lottery visa is time bound visa, , there is higher probability that you won't get DV lottery visa if you are stuck in DS-5535. Read the post from @Adam RS regarding DV lottery visa and AP https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/787842-montreal-embassy-eb-2-interview-wait-time-part-2/page/134/#comments

LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE CLOSE TO FINISH LINE. After how long you got your first unsolicited update (April 26)? You are on VJ forum for more than a year and half. I will appreciate if you update the spreadsheet for the benefits of other members https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

If you have F1 or B1 previously and CO need to investigate any violations of those visas, Majority of those cases are handled at consulate level and may take 8-12 weeks. Your travel history during the last five years also a factor for DS-5535. But if your place of birth is MENA, China or Pakistan, then there is a high probability of getting DS-5535. If your field of study or work is in TAL, that is another reason to ask for Resume. DS-5535 cases takes from few months to more than a year to resolve.

You may find a post from @WMBB (page 36) with F2A visa category initially out of DS-5535 in March 2023 via WOM but consulate told them they cannot process visa because of priority date was not current.

Tax transcripts also work. They may not ask for it if you have already uploaded latest tax transcript to NVC. It appeared that they already have all info about IRS taxes in their system. They usually ask for W-2.

I am able to get all travel history including this year travels for my dad Canadian passport just now using this link https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/history-search But it is not returning my travel history (US passport).

I believed you do not need to provide the updated travel history information after submission of DS-5535 unless consulate request you. My lawyer told me that consulate cannot request you additional information on the top of submitted DS-5535 unless they lost your DS-5535 form. Wait for the clearance of your case and then either update at that time or query consulate regarding the update of DS-260 if they do not instruct in your passport request email. Please update your timelines in the spreadsheet for the benefit of other members. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

read latest blog on redeaglelaw. There is a hope

Looks like you have F-2A Visa category. Delay is due to change in priority date of your visa type or DS-5535 processing took long time. Someone mentioned in the forum that they were out of DS-5535 in 2023 but asked for passport this year because priority date was not current when cleared from DS-5535 so they had to wait one year for passport request.

Yes - It will speed up the processing of DS-5535 form. This mean less human intervention to decide most of the straight forward cases

'You will see updates once you submit the form and then radio silent for months. We saw 5 updates after we submitted DS-5535 for 2 weeks (In Oct 2023). No updates after that except when the consulate replied to email queries.

When did you place in AP last year and when you were cleared from it. Most likely the system will alert the CO once again for AP. I would suggest bring all documents relating AP during the interview and convince CO that you were in AP last year and were cleared if CO decide to give you 221g once again. There is information (not sure still valid) available on internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Advisory_Opinion Validity period[edit] The validity of the clearance (which specifies a deadline for the time a visa could be issued) is based on its type, and ranges between three and 48 months.[1] During the period of validity, posts can usually issue another visa for the applicant without requesting a new SAO if the applicant's circumstances have not changed much.

Cannot be sure about definite but there is high possibility of getting DS-5535 for a male from MENA countries including China and Pakistan. Mentally prepare for it if you are asking this question for yourself. Be positive about the outcome of the interview.

Some times folks apply filter by visa type to look at their category specifically and forget to revert back the filter. Now it is back again

Most of the cases based on system alerts. Few cases are decided for AP by CO based on your interview answers.

What is your visa type? You can travel to US as a visitor on your Canadian passport. Just carry the proof of your ties to Canada just in case. If the CBP officer ask you about your visa case, just tell them it is in processing.

Sorry to hear about. Yes in some case, CO definitely know prior to interview, you are going to get DS-5535. They need your fingerprints during the interview so that your record can be checked against the criminal/stop list databases as a part of extreme vetting. Hopefully processing of DS-5535 will speed up this year.

DS-260 form is same today. You need to provide last 15 years travel history on DS-5535 form excluding last 5 visits to US if you have already provided on DS-260 form. Otherwise you can provide whole 15 years history that is also included in DS-260 on DS-5535 form.

Sorry you joined this club. What is your visa category? We only provided the information which was not provided on DS-260 form. It appears that consulate use DS-260 and DS-5535 form together to retrieve information for SAO. Similarly, for job history, addresses and other information, we just put one line on DS-5535 form where applicable 15 years employment history already provided on DS-260 form 15 years addresses already provided on DS-5535. Some folks have repeated Ds-260 information on DS-5535 form. That is also fine. There are stories where folks are cleared in 3-6 months time(1-2 cases on spreadsheet) or they are not on VJ

Congrats!. Since consulate kept your passport so they can only ask for re-Medical before they stamp visa.

Looks like AP started moving for some folks but not sequentially (Donald WU declaration also says DS-5535 cases are not processed on first come first served basis) Apart from Jettix3221, there another case from April 2023 (guest - K1 visa) was cleared recently as indicated in spreadsheet. Anyway it is good sign for all of us.

Looks like you have interview in Sept 2023. The DS-260 form is editable after a year and consulate generally ask you to update it. May be wait for couple of days and send email to consulate requesting them to make your form editable. Please update your timelines in spreadsheet for benefit of others in AP if your consulate is Montreal https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

Just looked at the spreadsheet. yagbawolo (Sr.No 67) with DS-5535 was cleared in 73 days after the interview. Congrats to yagbawolo for quick clearance

The declaration claimed that they handle 55,000 requests per year. With 61000 backlog every applicant needs to wait for more than a year to get clearance unless they switch to new vetting system (They claimed it is more efficient).

Did you get DS-5535? You need to provide the information requested on DS-5535 to best of your knowledge. You can use any format. For example 1. France, 07-15-2017, 3 days, Stayed at Holiday Inn Express CDG Airport Paris, Self-paid trip (Vacation). 2. UK, 09-18-2013, 5 days, Stayed at the guest house in the Central London, Employer-paid trip (Work).