DS-5355 for expedited interview :( Why?!

[A Mo and L ma 10]

Hello all. Really bummed because my husband has been on AP now for a month. No reason really? He is from Egypt, we live in Abu Dhabi now as a family with our daughter and he previously worked in Saudi Arabia. They said he was approved after his interview but then of course he got the email to fill out the DS 5355. His passport was returned 3 days later at the post without stamps and With a 221g slip..

I am seeing these cases taking anywhere from a few weeks to YEARS. Anyone with experience in Middle East: specifically UAE or Saudi Arabia or Egypt? And can anyone tell me if getting this case expedited again USCIS AND NVC might have caused this? Perhaps didn’t give them a chance to even do a background check in the first place for a CR1?

 

thanks..

[NMHayek 56]

On 9/14/2020 at 12:43 PM, A Mo and L ma said:

Hello all. Really bummed because my husband has been on AP now for a month. No reason really? He is from Egypt, we live in Abu Dhabi now as a family with our daughter and he previously worked in Saudi Arabia. They said he was approved after his interview but then of course he got the email to fill out the DS 5355. His passport was returned 3 days later at the post without stamps and With a 221g slip..

I am seeing these cases taking anywhere from a few weeks to YEARS. Anyone with experience in Middle East: specifically UAE or Saudi Arabia or Egypt? And can anyone tell me if getting this case expedited again USCIS AND NVC might have caused this? Perhaps didn’t give them a chance to even do a background check in the first place for a CR1?

 

thanks..

Hi, just curious if you had any progress with this? My husband worked in the UAE for 14 years before we came to Egypt last year from the UAE. We are waiting for the rescheduling of his visa interview. I never even heard of this form until I saw your post today! 

If it takes a long time you should talk to a lawyer. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by NMHayek

[A Mo and L ma 10]

55 minutes ago, NMHayek said:

Hi, just curious if you had any progress with this? My husband worked in the UAE for 14 years before we came to Egypt last year from the UAE. We are waiting for the rescheduling of his visa interview. I never even heard of this form until I saw your post today! 

If it takes a long time you should talk to a lawyer. 

This is a form that Trump added in 2017 for extra security checks that seems to really be used mainly for Muslims/Arabs/those who have traveled anywhere in the Middle East.

 

i have no heard anything back yet and it has been one month..

 

if your husband is the one getting the visa and he has never had a Schengen or US visa before, I would prepare this document just in case. You can print it out online..

[NMHayek 56]

3 hours ago, A Mo and L ma said:

This is a form that Trump added in 2017 for extra security checks that seems to really be used mainly for Muslims/Arabs/those who have traveled anywhere in the Middle East.

 

i have no heard anything back yet and it has been one month..

 

if your husband is the one getting the visa and he has never had a Schengen or US visa before, I would prepare this document just in case. You can print it out online..

Thanks for the reply. I was looking for the form online and couldn’t find it. I’ll try to find it and have him fill it just in case. 
 

You should contact the embassy, I read that if you hadn’t heard back in 30 days you should send them an email. 
 

 

[A Mo and L ma 10]

6 minutes ago, NMHayek said:

Thanks for the reply. I was looking for the form online and couldn’t find it. I’ll try to find it and have him fill it just in case. 
 

You should contact the embassy, I read that if you hadn’t heard back in 30 days you should send them an email. 
 

 

I contacted them. I got the generic “still in process” email.

 

just going to have to wait it out... SO frustrating. 

[NMHayek 56]

17 hours ago, A Mo and L ma said:

I contacted them. I got the generic “still in process” email.

 

just going to have to wait it out... SO frustrating. 

Yes very, I am sorry you are going through this. A while back a lawyer was telling me about Administrative Processing and that usually if they don't hear back after 180 days they will proceed to action. If it reaches that long maybe talk to an lawyer. Good luck, hopefully you will hear back soon. Keep us updated on what happens. We are crossing our fingers for you

[A Mo and L ma 10]

Yes, I have contacted a lawyer to discuss a writ if mandamus if it does end up taking that long. I am hoping it doesn’t! I do have a very helpful congressman that helped me with my case as a whole so hoping I won’t have to get to the point of spending thousands on filing any sort of lawsuit against the involved agencies:( Thank you and you as well. I will keep you updated! Please update your timeline when you find out more on your case as well and I’ll keep up with yours!:) 

[NMHayek 56]

Ok great! Good luck! My timeline is updated lol... I am just stuck in this COVID disaster. ::crying:: lol

 

[jamesbond123 14]

On 9/24/2020 at 6:16 AM, NMHayek said:

Hi, just curious if you had any progress with this? My husband worked in the UAE for 14 years before we came to Egypt last year from the UAE. We are waiting for the rescheduling of his visa interview. I never even heard of this form until I saw your post today! 

If it takes a long time you should talk to a lawyer. 

sorry to say, they will issue you that same form. its common for male applicant with middle east travel history.

[Sh- 1]

Hi, I’m Egyptian and I lived in the gulf area, I have went through this situation (AP) and it took 100 days until I got my visa. 3-2020 There is nothing you can do but wait and pray....

🙏

[A Mo and L ma 10]

33 minutes ago, Sh- said:

Hi, I’m Egyptian and I lived in the gulf area, I have went through this situation (AP) and it took 100 days until I got my visa. 3-2020 There is nothing you can do but wait and pray....

🙏

Thank you for your response! This makes me hopeful. Which gulf country are you in? And what is your travel history? Also what type of visa..

[jamesbond123 14]

9 hours ago, Sh- said:

Hi, I’m Egyptian and I lived in the gulf area, I have went through this situation (AP) and it took 100 days until I got my visa. 3-2020 There is nothing you can do but wait and pray....

🙏

 

thanks For letting us know.

 

was this recently in 2020 ( covid era)?

 

[Sa'ad 0]

Hello, is there any update with your case? And can you share with me the status your case been/going through after submitting the DS 5355 (application recieved then refused/AP etc...)

 

I'm going through the same situation here, they asked me to fill DS 5355 form after my interview in Saudi Arabia on oct 5th 2021, I submitted the next day then my case changed to refused on oct 6th then Administrative processing on oct 28th then refused again on Nov 4th until now. I'm from Saudi Arabia and already been in the US for 4 years on F1 visa, so I didn't expect this much delay but I guess we are all on the same boat. Hope we get our visas soon.

[A Mo and L ma 10]

We already got the visa last December. The case was in administrative processing for about a month month if I remember correctly (check my timeline just to be sure ). All you can do is wait unfortunately….. but if you have a US citizen in your family, I suggest they reach out to their local congressman to contact the embassy on your behalf. In my case, it helped speed up the process I believe.