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

[MRJ9987 31]

13 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

Has anyone tried going to the consulate in person to get more information? I live in Montréal, wondering if that is a way of getting additional information.

I was in Toronto consulate for my daughter’s CRBA yesterday and I tried asking the CO about my case. She said there is nothing she knows and that they’re completely separate from Montreal. Which is bs, because they all talk and I know they must know stuff about each other. I wasn’t expecting to learn much but was hoping to get one of those chatty disgruntled employees who talk to public. 

[Leo The Great 89]

44 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

I wondering if taking my passport was a good sign, or if it was just a mistake by the CO.

 

Some folks 221g form says  "Passport"  in  the requested documents. I remember one case from July 2023. Those folks are still in AP.  In our case, 221g (Oct 2023) says "Passport(When requested)". May be consulate have two different templates for 221g. It is confusing when they put passport  in  requested documents on 221g even though the  case may take few months to year (DS-5535).

Edited January 31 by Leo The Great

[haruharu 10]

34 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

Did they ask for your passport when they have you the 221g? 
 

I wondering if taking my passport was a good sign, or if it was just a mistake by the CO. 
 

Does your status explicitly say AP? Did you get any updates to indicate you were getting more vetting?
 

That is terrible that they told you a few weeks and it has been 10 months. 

Has anyone tried going to the consulate in person to get more information? I live in Montréal, wondering if that is a way of getting additional information.

The CO gave back my passport. After questioning him as to why he said the DS5535 was to verify some travel history, all of which could be seen on DS260 albeit maybe 1-2 trips. Usually, if they keep your passport you’re more likely to have a faster processing! The consulate was quite strict when I had my interview about who they were letting in. We went back to ask some questions after my interview and the guard did not let us go in and just gave us a small note which had the email address to contact them (same one they send your form from) so I’m not sure they’ll allow you in but since you’re in Montreal it’s worth a shot! 

[AP_since_May2023 37]

38 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

Did they ask for your passport when they have you the 221g? 
 

I wondering if taking my passport was a good sign, or if it was just a mistake by the CO. 
 

Does your status explicitly say AP? Did you get any updates to indicate you were getting more vetting?
 

That is terrible that they told you a few weeks and it has been 10 months. 

Has anyone tried going to the consulate in person to get more information? I live in Montréal, wondering if that is a way of getting additional information.

 

Not to be a second bearer of bad news, but another user on this thread was also asked for their passport just a few weeks ago alongside the deficit 221g document, and received their passport after a couple of weeks without the visa.

 

The consulate will send you your passport back if they put you in AP so you can travel.

[Daft_Cat 136]

46 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

Did they ask for your passport when they have you the 221g? 
 

I wondering if taking my passport was a good sign, or if it was just a mistake by the CO. 
 

Does your status explicitly say AP? Did you get any updates to indicate you were getting more vetting?
 

That is terrible that they told you a few weeks and it has been 10 months. 

Has anyone tried going to the consulate in person to get more information? I live in Montréal, wondering if that is a way of getting additional information.

 

The fact that they're asking some people for their passport after they submit their responses seems to be a relatively new trend. It may mark a change in how they're processing new cases, or it may be an attempt to expedite the back-end so that approval of the DS-5535 and the stamping of the passport can be done as a single step. Until recently, these two steps have been done separately, which has led to even longer delays for some applicants and probably doesn't help with resourcing issues (assuming that is part of the root cause). 

Personally, as someone who flies semi-regularly (and knowing what I know about AP processing times), I'd be nervous about sending the consulate my passport before they approved my visa. But then again, they asked you to do it, so your choices may be limited. Have you discussed with an immigration attorney? I believe you can always request your passport back if you're in a pinch, but obviously not ideal.

As for visiting Montreal: I'd advise against that. I doubt they'll even let you upstairs without an appointment, and if by some miracle they do, the wait will likely be incredibly long just for an officer to tell you they can't do diddly-squat. 

Edited January 31 by Daft_Cat

[AP_since_May2023 37]

17 hours ago, Cadtoverm said:

Has anyone cleared this in a reasonable amount of time? My pregnant wife is due in a month   and we were expecting to move into our home.

 

 Any stories of someone who filled out the form and got their visa?

 

Is your wife already in the US and a US citizen? 

 

Did you buy or rent your new home? Either way, it shouldn't affect your ability to close nor rent as long as you have enough down payment and can foot the monthly mortgage.

[Cadtoverm 1]

1 minute ago, SGtoMurica said:

 

Is your wife already in the US and a US citizen? 

 

Did you buy or rent your new home? Either way, it shouldn't affect your ability to close nor rent as long as you have enough down payment and can foot the monthly mortgage.

My wife is an American, currently living in Canada with me in Montreal. We bought our house in Vermont when we got married and started the immigration process. At the time we thought it would be an 8 month process….

 

We are having a baby in 3 weeks, and was hoping to be able to move full time to be close to her family and live in our house. The uncertainty of this situation is really impacting my mental health.

 

 Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and information….. it makes a bit easier to go through the experience. 

 

 

[AP_since_May2023 37]

1 minute ago, Cadtoverm said:

My wife is an American, currently living in Canada with me in Montreal. We bought our house in Vermont when we got married and started the immigration process. At the time we thought it would be an 8 month process….

 

We are having a baby in 3 weeks, and was hoping to be able to move full time to be close to her family and live in our house. The uncertainty of this situation is really impacting my mental health.

 

 Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and information….. it makes a bit easier to go through the experience. 

 

 

 

On the brighter side, if she delivers in Canada, at least healthcare will be fully covered and parental leave benefits are awesome. In the US, you will be on the hook for a large deductible and parental leave isn't great either. 

 

Would the sellers be willing to delay closing? 

[MRJ9987 31]

Quick question - people here talk about completing DS-5535 form  after getting it email and returning it to the consulate. 

 

I got a link on my refusal letter where I went and completed the form from there.  Is that a new thing they're doing?  I didn't get a confirmation email or anything that they got it. 

 

And my refusal form said they need my passport but only when requested.  

[Inveigh 69]

2 minutes ago, MRJ9987 said:

Quick question - people here talk about completing DS-5535 form  after getting it email and returning it to the consulate. 

 

I got a link on my refusal letter where I went and completed the form from there.  Is that a new thing they're doing?  I didn't get a confirmation email or anything that they got it. 

 

And my refusal form said they need my passport but only when requested.  

Thats the first time I've EVER heard it being done that way. Must've been that new rollout they were talking about over the Summer.

[Daft_Cat 136]

1 minute ago, Inveigh said:

Thats the first time I've EVER heard it being done that way. Must've been that new rollout they were talking about over the Summer.

 

A few other posters in this thread have mentioned a portal for filling out the responses. It's definitely a newer thing, but you're not alone @MRJ9987

[Cadtoverm 1]

8 minutes ago, Daft_Cat said:

 

A few other posters in this thread have mentioned a portal for filling out the responses. It's definitely a newer thing, but you're not alone @MRJ9987

This is all I received, with instructions on how to courier my passport.

 

 

[LYV 42]

34 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

My wife is an American, currently living in Canada with me in Montreal. We bought our house in Vermont when we got married and started the immigration process. At the time we thought it would be an 8 month process….

 

We are having a baby in 3 weeks, and was hoping to be able to move full time to be close to her family and live in our house. The uncertainty of this situation is really impacting my mental health.

 

 Thanks everyone for sharing your stories and information….. it makes a bit easier to go through the experience. 

 

 

I’m so sorry, my partner and I have been holding off getting pregnant because of the complications of adding a baby to our case. We are both Canadian though. Will you go to the US to have the baby? I’m not sure what it will mean to have the baby here. Maybe consult your lawyer if you have one. I fear it prolonging the process but again could be different because she is American. 

[Leo The Great 89]

40 minutes ago, MRJ9987 said:

I got a link on my refusal letter where I went and completed the form from there.  Is that a new thing they're doing?  I didn't get a confirmation email or anything that they got it.

We also got online form link in the email and just got this message when we submitted the form:

 

Thanks

Your response was submitted

 

Did not get confirmation email from consulate.

Consulate replied with generic message when asked about the form submission. But status was updated 5-6 times in 2 weeks after submission. That indicated they were working on our DS-5535 form etc.

Edited January 31 by Leo The Great

[Daft_Cat 136]

31 minutes ago, Cadtoverm said:

This is all I received, with instructions on how to courier my passport.

 

 

Yeah, this just looks like a variant of the exact same thing we all get. My form said additional questions would be sent to me by email, but that was a year ago. The only difference is I was told to send my passport after, and not before. Not sure what that means - either you'll be processed faster, or, as I mentioned earlier, it may be an attempt by the consulate to streamline the back-end of the process so that they have your passport on hand already when you're approved.

Edited January 31 by Daft_Cat