Form DS-5535 'SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS FOR VISA APPLICANTS'

[SabrinaJerome 52]

I just noticed this letter sent by the US Chamber of Commerce regarding the expansion of the application of the supplemental questions.

They are saying, amongst other things, that this process will hit the US where it hurts - the pocketbook. $$$$

https://www.uschamber.com/letter/coalition-letter-the-state-department-form-ds-5535-supplemental-questions-visa-applicants

(click "read letter" - it's a PDF)

[TangierMorocco 52]

23 hours ago, Shawnice said:

hello everyone!! did anyone try to ask for a help from the senate or congress? can they help us? since this is a security issue. Someone advised us to ask help from the senate or congress but did not do it yet. we have been waiting for 6 months already. my medical expires today. 

Hi, Yes I did ask my senator to inquire on my behalf. They did contact the Embassy, however they receive the same response that I also get. However it is VERY important everyone here let his/her senator know about what is going on. This is much more than security. This is simply delays for citizens who are waiting for their loved ones. Unless everyone here write to his/her senators we may end up waiting until the next round of election 2022 before our loved ones join us.

[yvonne riofrir 2]

5 hours ago, YoungPadawan said:

Greetings friends!

I came back to inform you that I have received my visa after a long administrative processing, finally! 

 

I am currently in the United States, where my now spouse and I were finally reunited.

 

I was placed under administrative processing in late 2016, well before the ds5535 existed. We waited, and waited and waited, until one day, a year later, I was called. They asked to resubmit some documents along with a fresh medical exam, which we promptly did. We were then placed under a little bit more Administrative Processing, three or four months, I had stopped counting the days and months at that point... They then emailed us the ds5535 form. the latter took about 2 months to finish, and the visa was finally issued.

 

I had honestly never in my life felt more relief and happiness than the day I picked up my passport with the visa printed on it. 

 

 

tl;dr: ap for 400+ days, ds5535 took 2 months to complete, visa was issued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow that's awesome, we are vj group of yours happy that you got your visa after a long wait. Pray  for us to get our visa soon and will reunite to our love ones. I have waited for almost 6months now. I wworked in Syria for 3yrs that's why the put me on ds5535.During my interview  Co was asking police clearance certificate from Syria but I don't have it so I went to Syrian  consulatein Makati City,anyway I'm from Philippines.the day of my interview I went to Syrian consulate office here in philippines to request PC and it takes us to wait 4months but no PC recive but instead the Syrian consul gave me a certificate proven I did my best to obtain one. So I sent this certificate or a. Letter to US embassy together with my passport and a 221g letter. After one week embassy emailed me ti filled out the form ds5535 and I sent it back immediately.after then we got alot of update but our last update now was feb13th until then no updates. Here the date where I took my interview  June 1,2017,request PC that day too and waited for 4months until October,then October 22nd I send the ds5535 until  now we are waiting.its very frustrated bht we never stop praying and hoping to get our visa. I am praying for all of us to get our visa. 

[Shawnice 2]

2 hours ago, TangierMorocco said:

Hi, Yes I did ask my senator to inquire on my behalf. They did contact the Embassy, however they receive the same response that I also get. However it is VERY important everyone here let his/her senator know about what is going on. This is much more than security. This is simply delays for citizens who are waiting for their loved ones. Unless everyone here write to his/her senators we may end up waiting until the next round of election 2022 before our loved ones join us.

i told my fiance about this. we agree, they should know how this affects the lives of the immigrants. we are stucked and can't move on with our plans because of this delay. totally frustrating.

[99balloons 12]

I promised myself that I will not post here again and upset everyone, but what the Dakar embassy told me  in January " Administrative processing is complex and can take up to 18 months to complete. It is done in Washington DC, not here in Dakar. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience" .  I still stop here. I have tons of observations to add that I shared with my senator. So the moral of this story, wait, try not to have mental breakdown and while your government decides who uses what bathroom and the states think they need to sue the feds for a simple census question "are you an US citizen" , I guess the government that should be working on our spouse visas is just otherwise occupied. And if not on that, they are just taking a spring break vacation;  If my senator will share where exactly in US our DS5535 is, I'll share it. I am ready to spend another year without my husband in the US so another overseas trip for me, again.  Stay stong.

[Shazyyo 37]

9 hours ago, YoungPadawan said:

Greetings friends!

I came back to inform you that I have received my visa after a long administrative processing, finally! 

 

I am currently in the United States, where my now spouse and I were finally reunited.

 

I was placed under administrative processing in late 2016, well before the ds5535 existed. We waited, and waited and waited, until one day, a year later, I was called. They asked to resubmit some documents along with a fresh medical exam, which we promptly did. We were then placed under a little bit more Administrative Processing, three or four months, I had stopped counting the days and months at that point... They then emailed us the ds5535 form. the latter took about 2 months to finish, and the visa was finally issued.

 

I had honestly never in my life felt more relief and happiness than the day I picked up my passport with the visa printed on it. 

 

 

tl;dr: ap for 400+ days, ds5535 took 2 months to complete, visa was issued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thats great. Congratulationsssss to youu

[Nhona Scott 93]

On 4/5/2018 at 4:38 AM, YoungPadawan said:

Greetings friends!

I came back to inform you that I have received my visa after a long administrative processing, finally! 

 

I am currently in the United States, where my now spouse and I were finally reunited.

 

I was placed under administrative processing in late 2016, well before the ds5535 existed. We waited, and waited and waited, until one day, a year later, I was called. They asked to resubmit some documents along with a fresh medical exam, which we promptly did. We were then placed under a little bit more Administrative Processing, three or four months, I had stopped counting the days and months at that point... They then emailed us the ds5535 form. the latter took about 2 months to finish, and the visa was finally issued.

 

I had honestly never in my life felt more relief and happiness than the day I picked up my passport with the visa printed on it. 

 

 

tl;dr: ap for 400+ days, ds5535 took 2 months to complete, visa was issued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations! Did they ask you to redo your medical?

[S.S 6]

On 4/5/2018 at 12:00 AM, tiyyo said:

Agreed!!! 

Hi, Did you see any dates update in your case since you filled the DS5535 form?

[IrelandDos 0]

1 hour ago, S.S said:

Hi, Did you see any dates update in your case since you filled the DS5535 form?

Mine is still in AP for B1 visa - "they said visa approved and kept the passport"

 

DS5535 filled and sent via an email on April 3rd

 

[tiyyo 68]

On 4/4/2018 at 4:38 PM, YoungPadawan said:

Greetings friends!

I came back to inform you that I have received my visa after a long administrative processing, finally! 

 

I am currently in the United States, where my now spouse and I were finally reunited.

 

I was placed under administrative processing in late 2016, well before the ds5535 existed. We waited, and waited and waited, until one day, a year later, I was called. They asked to resubmit some documents along with a fresh medical exam, which we promptly did. We were then placed under a little bit more Administrative Processing, three or four months, I had stopped counting the days and months at that point... They then emailed us the ds5535 form. the latter took about 2 months to finish, and the visa was finally issued.

 

I had honestly never in my life felt more relief and happiness than the day I picked up my passport with the visa printed on it. 

 

 

tl;dr: ap for 400+ days, ds5535 took 2 months to complete, visa was issued.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am so glad to hear the wait if over for you and your family!! It's exhausting for real.....

[tiyyo 68]

7 hours ago, S.S said:

Hi, Did you see any dates update in your case since you filled the DS5535 form?

the last update was the day after the interview, I am sure it's because we responded with the information the same day of the interview and probably uploaded into our file that next day. Nothing since then.....

[LebanonUSA2018 9]

6 months passed and still AP a lot of updates from time to time but nothing changed case status is still AP

[Shazyyo 37]

On 4/7/2018 at 7:21 PM, LebanonUSA2018 said:

6 months passed and still AP a lot of updates from time to time but nothing changed case status is still AP

Same here.. Almost 7 months have passed.. Still AP.. Passport is still in embassy.. I don't know how they will ask me to do medical exam again and can we re done medical exam without passport? Bcz consular kept my passport at the time of interview. God knows what will happen next

[tiyyo 68]

8 hours ago, Shazyyo said:

Same here.. Almost 7 months have passed.. Still AP.. Passport is still in embassy.. I don't know how they will ask me to do medical exam again and can we re done medical exam without passport? Bcz consular kept my passport at the time of interview. God knows what will happen next

Are either one of you CR1 visas?

[Shazyyo 37]

4 hours ago, tiyyo said:

Are either one of you CR1 visas?

I dont know i m not one of them