The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal. Post here and support each other (PART 2)

[LAMA9 118]

On 6/25/2023 at 2:00 AM, Admitt said:

Does anyone have the Montreal consulate contact info to push for updates on why I was placed in AP?

 

thanks!

You can only contact them via email : Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov

And you will never know why you were placed in DS-5535 which is one of the most frustrating parts of being in this situation.  If you are just in regular AP, you know why - missing or incorrect documents.

[Admitt 0]

Thanks @LAMA9, Unfortunately i was placed under AP for DS-5335. My interview went well and the agent told me i was approved for a green card  just their "computer "for AP was down and they would be sending me a confirmation email. All i got was a email for AP and submit a DS5335 and that they would be sending back my passport (without my green card).

 

Wish there was someone to talk to.

 

[AP_since_May2023 37]

26 minutes ago, Admitt said:

Thanks @LAMA9, Unfortunately i was placed under AP for DS-5335. My interview went well and the agent told me i was approved for a green card  just their "computer "for AP was down and they would be sending me a confirmation email. All i got was a email for AP and submit a DS5335 and that they would be sending back my passport (without my green card).

 

Wish there was someone to talk to.

 

They actually send you the DS-5535 form to complete?

 

I had a similar situation as yours. Passport collected at Embassy, but received an email a few hours later to come collect my passport.

[AP_since_May2023 37]

On 6/21/2023 at 4:15 PM, justanamericangrl said:

Just wanted to update my husbands status changed to issued today! Says passport should be returned within 10 business days. Hope you get some good news soon! Can’t be much longer!

 

edit to add I’ll update again soon with our whole timeline in case anyone is interested. 

Congrats!! Did you manage to obtain another police check before the visa was issued, since your previous one expired? 

[Admitt 0]

57 minutes ago, SGtoMurica said:

They actually send you the DS-5535 form to complete?

 

I had a similar situation as yours. Passport collected at Embassy, but received an email a few hours later to come collect my passport.

I received a email from them 2 hours after my interview with the request for more info and it was the DS-5335 in a email format to answer.

[APRIL2023 48]

In addition to DS5535, I was instructed to submit an RCMP background check (I submitted a provincial one originally and was approved by NVC). 
 

I have the correct background check on hand now, but the consulate instructed me to hold off on sending it in and that I should wait for further instruction from them. 
 

Just had a consultation for WOM and I was told that a WOM MAY not appropriate as not all my documents are submitted, even though I was instructed not to send it in. I’ll connect with the lawyer again tomorrow once she has clarify that a WOM is appropriate for my situation. 
 

i will be in further limbo if I can’t file WOM and if the consultare wouldn’t accept the requested document. 

 

updates: after ++ email inquiries, the consulate was able to confirmed that they have received my DS5535 info from the previous email I sent. Up to this date, I have not received any documents or instructions from them after my interview… all of which they said they would do. 
 

I just want to be with my family. Two kids… one starting preschool in august. I’m speechless. 

[throwitaway 189]

44 minutes ago, APRIL2023 said:

In addition to DS5535, I was instructed to submit an RCMP background check (I submitted a provincial one originally and was approved by NVC). 
 

I have the correct background check on hand now, but the consulate instructed me to hold off on sending it in and that I should wait for further instruction from them. 
 

Just had a consultation for WOM and I was told that a WOM MAY not appropriate as not all my documents are submitted, even though I was instructed not to send it in. I’ll connect with the lawyer again tomorrow once she has clarify that a WOM is appropriate for my situation. 
 

i will be in further limbo if I can’t file WOM and if the consultare wouldn’t accept the requested document. 

 

updates: after ++ email inquiries, the consulate was able to confirmed that they have received my DS5535 info from the previous email I sent. Up to this date, I have not received any documents or instructions from them after my interview… all of which they said they would do. 
 

I just want to be with my family. Two kids… one starting preschool in august. I’m speechless. 

They don’t want the PCC right now because MTL usually wants PCC under a year old (even though DOS in general allows up to 2 years).

 

When you clear DS-5535, they’ll ask you at that time for the PCC. Your 221g is not about the incorrect PCC. 

Edited June 26, 2023 by throwitaway

[millefleur 5,039]

**One hijack post removed. Please start a new thread if you have your own question.**

 

VJ Moderation

[LYV 42]

Hi There,

 

I’ve been following along silently for a couple weeks. It’s nice to be able to read everyone stories for some comfort that we’re not alone on this. My husband and I went for our interview for our EB-1A visa May 26th 2023. We had no idea the DS5535 was even an option. I knew some people got chosen for extended processing but anything I saw was the person had been refused entry to the states before. That there was a reason. For us there is no reason. Our lawyer didn’t prepare us for this possibility. It’s been 5 years since my husband started the process, he added me on his and it’s been two years for me. Our lawyer said you’re already approved so there shouldn’t be a problem. We walked into that embassy happy as clams. We assumed when answering questions just to answer simply and not extrapolate  which I now think was the mistake. But usually at border crossings that’s how you answer so it’s what we did. We answered about 3 or 4 basic very conversational almost questions of the officer. She was super nice.
 

She said, So what will you be doing in the states? My husband answers I’ll be working in the industry in LA., (I didn’t answer here and maybe I should have about my job etc but she was on to the next question)

 

Have you been working on anything recently? Yes (listed tv show name he is working on) 

 

Have you lived anywhere outside of the US or Canada? No 

 

Where have you travelled to over the last 5 years? Listed South Africa, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Portugal. 
 

My husband did most of the talking. Not for any reason it just kind of happened that way. I’m not sure if I should’ve spoke up more. She said okay I’m going to

give your passports back to you. We looked shell shocked. And she said you’ve been randomly selected for extensive processing. This happens sometimes. I said something to my husband about how he answered one of the questions. She heard and said it was nothing that you said. It typically takes two weeks for processing. She said I could keep your passports but sometimes it takes longer so I’m going to give them back. 
 

That was it. We went back to the hotel and got the email in the afternoon. It took us almost 2 weeks to fill everything out because we’ve travelled a lot and I grew up in a border town and a lot of my family is in the states so I had to figure out as many times as I could every time I went to the states (usually 5 times a year or more) Plus backpacking through Europe after college and various other trips. So we sent it in on June 7, 2023. Two weeks has past and nothing. I mean I didn’t expect it since what I’ve seen on here but I think my husband wanted to be hopeful. I’m 37 and we are wanting to start a family soon. It’s so hard to do that with this looming. I think I read on here or somewhere else that someone had a baby while on DS5535 and then the embassy wanted another interview with in Montreal with the 7 month old baby present. I don’t want to complicate things more. But who knows how long this will take.
 

I also found this company on YouTube who is made up of ex-immigration officers and it made me even more upset that I just trusted the lawyer and didn’t do more research which I usually always do crazy too much research with stuff like this. They said that when you go there the officer has never seen you case before. That if you bring extra proof and stuff in that you should find ways to give as much information as possible to the officer because they start at “this person does not deserve to be approved” and you are basically convincing them otherwise! Which I thought was insane. Why do you go through all the paperwork and approval process then? It makes no sense… and if that’s what they want more extrapolated answers then why isn’t this communicated in any way? 
 

So now we are on this waited game again. Hoping it’s going faster now post pandemic but we’ll see I guess. I was wondering has anyone started an Excel sheet for tracking everyone’s cases and dates, and approvals? I know they do that on other threads for the first part of the approval process to kind of get an idea of where they might be in the line of approvals.  

[SalishSea 16,950]

4 minutes ago, LYV said:

Our lawyer said you’re already approved so there shouldn’t be a problem

Well, that was certainly a red flag.  No one is ever pre-approved, or 'approved on the spot.'

 

Higher levels of vetting, via the DS-5535 seems to be a thing for Canadians now.  All you can do is wait.  

[Tristan L 2]

4 hours ago, SalishSea said:

Well, that was certainly a red flag.  No one is ever pre-approved, or 'approved on the spot.'

 

Higher levels of vetting, via the DS-5535 seems to be a thing for Canadians now.  All you can do is wait.  

Hi SalishSea,

That is the truth, the consulate would like to send out  DS5535 rather that a simple approve. I am Australian citizen and also be stuck in the process from 7 March this year. 

[AP_since_May2023 37]

17 hours ago, LYV said:

Hi There,

 

I’ve been following along silently for a couple weeks. It’s nice to be able to read everyone stories for some comfort that we’re not alone on this. My husband and I went for our interview for our EB-1A visa May 26th 2023. We had no idea the DS5535 was even an option. I knew some people got chosen for extended processing but anything I saw was the person had been refused entry to the states before. That there was a reason. For us there is no reason. Our lawyer didn’t prepare us for this possibility. It’s been 5 years since my husband started the process, he added me on his and it’s been two years for me. Our lawyer said you’re already approved so there shouldn’t be a problem. We walked into that embassy happy as clams. We assumed when answering questions just to answer simply and not extrapolate  which I now think was the mistake. But usually at border crossings that’s how you answer so it’s what we did. We answered about 3 or 4 basic very conversational almost questions of the officer. She was super nice.
 

She said, So what will you be doing in the states? My husband answers I’ll be working in the industry in LA., (I didn’t answer here and maybe I should have about my job etc but she was on to the next question)

 

Have you been working on anything recently? Yes (listed tv show name he is working on) 

 

Have you lived anywhere outside of the US or Canada? No 

 

Where have you travelled to over the last 5 years? Listed South Africa, USA, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Portugal. 
 

My husband did most of the talking. Not for any reason it just kind of happened that way. I’m not sure if I should’ve spoke up more. She said okay I’m going to

give your passports back to you. We looked shell shocked. And she said you’ve been randomly selected for extensive processing. This happens sometimes. I said something to my husband about how he answered one of the questions. She heard and said it was nothing that you said. It typically takes two weeks for processing. She said I could keep your passports but sometimes it takes longer so I’m going to give them back. 
 

That was it. We went back to the hotel and got the email in the afternoon. It took us almost 2 weeks to fill everything out because we’ve travelled a lot and I grew up in a border town and a lot of my family is in the states so I had to figure out as many times as I could every time I went to the states (usually 5 times a year or more) Plus backpacking through Europe after college and various other trips. So we sent it in on June 7, 2023. Two weeks has past and nothing. I mean I didn’t expect it since what I’ve seen on here but I think my husband wanted to be hopeful. I’m 37 and we are wanting to start a family soon. It’s so hard to do that with this looming. I think I read on here or somewhere else that someone had a baby while on DS5535 and then the embassy wanted another interview with in Montreal with the 7 month old baby present. I don’t want to complicate things more. But who knows how long this will take.
 

I also found this company on YouTube who is made up of ex-immigration officers and it made me even more upset that I just trusted the lawyer and didn’t do more research which I usually always do crazy too much research with stuff like this. They said that when you go there the officer has never seen you case before. That if you bring extra proof and stuff in that you should find ways to give as much information as possible to the officer because they start at “this person does not deserve to be approved” and you are basically convincing them otherwise! Which I thought was insane. Why do you go through all the paperwork and approval process then? It makes no sense… and if that’s what they want more extrapolated answers then why isn’t this communicated in any way? 
 

So now we are on this waited game again. Hoping it’s going faster now post pandemic but we’ll see I guess. I was wondering has anyone started an Excel sheet for tracking everyone’s cases and dates, and approvals? I know they do that on other threads for the first part of the approval process to kind of get an idea of where they might be in the line of approvals.  

I believe we all share the same experience. We had thought that the interview was going to be the final step, only to be slapped in the face by AP...

[Admitt 0]

I am still under AP with refused with no update since my interview. I happen to be going back to the consulate for my sons interview, has any one had experience with discussing with the officer there for a update on my case. or am I asking for trouble for bringing it up to them during my sons interview? 

[AP_since_May2023 37]

3 hours ago, Admitt said:

I am still under AP with refused with no update since my interview. I happen to be going back to the consulate for my sons interview, has any one had experience with discussing with the officer there for a update on my case. or am I asking for trouble for bringing it up to them during my sons interview? 

I don't see any harm in bringing it up. Worst thing they can do to you is literally say to you: "Your case is still under administrative processing".

How long have you been in AP?

Edited June 28, 2023 by SGtoMurica

[TBoneTX 43,489]

A duplicate post has been removed.  Please post only once on a single topic.