The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal Only. Post here and support each other (PART 3)

[CarmenD 38]

3 minutes ago, tdot2nj said:

This is just an automated email. It’s almost like an acknowledgement that your email has been received by them. It doesn’t mean anything specific to your situation and everyone that emailed that email address receives it as bounce back. 

Thank you! I’m aware that’s all it is

[Bhandal 0]

29 minutes ago, tdot2nj said:

The first time I emailed them was the beginning of December and they responded within two weeks. The status update changed December 18 as a result of responding to my email. I emailed them again on January 31 and have yet to hear back from them. So I’m not really too sure what their protocol is in regards to answering emails because this would just be my second time inquiring  

Where do you guys check status update?

[tdot2nj 23]

39 minutes ago, Bhandal said:

Where do you guys check status update?

Go on google and search nvc case status. It should be the first link for the ceac website. You will need to put in your case number “MTLxxxxxxxxxx”

[CarmenD 38]

32 minutes ago, Bhandal said:

Where do you guys check status update?

There is an app called “Case Tracker for USCIS and NVC” which makes it simple and straightforward (you’ll have to register/enter your case information).  To contact the Consulate email Montreal-IV-DV@state.gov and provide your MTL Case# in the subject line

[APRIL2023 48]

@JamesTan when exactly is your interview? Have you gotten an interview date yet? 

[dj222 0]

I haven't got my interview date yet. I DQ also 3 years ago, and my PD is up in about 2 months. My guess is my interview with be in the 6-12 month time frame. 

 

Family-based immigration is tricker. My wait time is 9 years until my priority date is current. I've been almost waiting for 10 years to enter the US. I never got to settle down and laid roots or foundation in Canada. I never bought real estate in Canada, and because of my category is unmarried sons of US citizens, I've also steered away from marriage. My only solace is traveling and seeing the world which is an aspiration of mine. The mental stress of these years is taking a toll. I'm in my mid-30s now and am considering if I would be better off not even immigrating in the first place as I would probably be more established in Canada. This even more apparent if somehow I don't get approved.  Although I would love to live in the United States don't get me wrong.

 

Some comments on this thread...

 

1. I still don't see how renewing your passport before the interview will trigger any red flags. I was considering renewing my passport before I even found out that my travel history may trigger ds5355. Im sure a lot of people may want to renew their passports before they move to a new country especially if the expire date is within 2 years or so or even less. This may be common practice.

 

2. I agree that the USA can see entry and border crossing into the United States and maybe even EU countries or whatnot (although not 100% certain of this), not sure if there is such thing as a global record keeping of passport and entry and exits of all countries and where all countries share this amongst each other. Anyway, if Im asked to fill out a DS5355, I might as well be honest. I am however kind of scared and debating if I should include my travel to Cuba because I'm sure Cuba doesn't share info with the US and they don't stamp my passport either. Not sure how immigration would view my trip to Cuba as well. 

 

3. Although I get the whole life is all about having a career, family and work to make end meets and working the 9-5 grind and this makes the most sense to immigration officers, there are many different types of people out there in the world. Not everyone is confined to the same financial restraints. People may not even view and have an outlook on life compared to the Western hamster wheel lifestyle of work, having a family, saving for rrsp/401k, retire and die. In fact, some people might consider that insanity. I'm sure there are many american that view it this way as well. We should all have life liberty and the pursuit of happiness(which is different for everyone).

4. Hopefully because this thread is full of people who have had a DS-5355 notice sent to them, the replies may be a little biased. Yes, I'm worried but maybe the chances of me getting a DS-5355 are 50/50 or even less. Although 40-50 countries is a little excessive, I doubt all people with a history of travel(say 10+) countries will get served with AP.

 

I feel for all of you guys, however. I pray I don't get served with a DS-5355.

 

 

Edited February 27 by JamesTan

[APRIL2023 48]

35 minutes ago, JamesTan said:

I haven't got my interview date yet. I DQ also 3 years ago, and my PD is up in about 2 months. My guess is my interview with be in the 6-12 month time frame. 

 

Family-based immigration is tricker. My wait time is 9 years until my priority date is current. I've been almost waiting for 10 years to enter the US. I never got to settle down and laid roots or foundation in Canada. I never bought real estate in Canada, and because of my category is unmarried sons of US citizens, I've also steered away from marriage. My only solace is traveling and seeing the world which is an aspiration of mine. The mental stress of these years is taking a toll. I'm in my mid-30s now and am considering if I would be better off not even immigrating in the first place as I would probably be more established in Canada. This even more apparent if somehow I don't get approved.  Although I would love to live in the United States don't get me wrong.

 

Some comments on this thread...

 

1. I still don't see how renewing your passport before the interview will trigger any red flags. I was considering renewing my passport before I even found out that my travel history may trigger ds5355. Im sure a lot of people may want to renew their passports before they move to a new country especially if the expire date is within 2 years or so or even less. This may be common practice.

 

2. I agree that the USA can see entry and border crossing into the United States and maybe even EU countries or whatnot (although not 100% certain of this), not sure if there is such thing as a global record keeping of passport and entry and exits of all countries and where all countries share this amongst each other. Anyway, if Im asked to fill out a DS5355, I might as well be honest. I am however kind of scared and debating if I should include my travel to Cuba because I'm sure Cuba doesn't share info with the US and they don't stamp my passport either. Not sure how immigration would view my trip to Cuba as well. 

 

3. Although I get the whole life is all about having a career, family and work to make end meets and working the 9-5 grind and this makes the most sense to immigration officers, there are many different types of people out there in the world. Not everyone is confined to the same financial restraints. People may not even view and have an outlook on life compared to the Western hamster wheel lifestyle of work, having a family, saving for rrsp/401k, retire and die. In fact, some people might consider that insanity. I'm sure there are many american that view it this way as well. We should all have life liberty and the pursuit of happiness(which is different for everyone).

4. Hopefully because this thread is full of people who have had a DS-5355 notice sent to them, it may be a little biased. Yes, I'm worried but maybe the chances of me getting one are 50/50 or even less. Although 40-50 countries is a little excessive, I doubt all people with a history of travel(say 10+) countries will get served with AP.

 

I feel for all of you guys, however. I pray I don't get served with a DS-5355.

 

 

I mean, i get it you are in a tough situation. Especially when you’ve waited for almost a decade for this. Even holding off marriage …

 

I would be anxious too if I’m in your shoes as I would do everything I could to minimize the risk for AP and DS5535. 
 

But honestly, I feel that ppl here are selected either 1) at random or 2) cause they fit the official profile (country of chargeability and TAL profession). All of which you really have no control over or have the ability to change at this point. If there’s anything that the officer would considered as red flag, I would think he/she would ask further question to investigate further and that you would answer truthfully and at your best abilities.
 

I know this may sound rude. I feel like your situation is a bit different from the experience of most ppl here who have gone through interview and have been placed on AP. I can’t quite relate to what you are going through. Are there other chat groups in this website for ppl awaiting for interviews? 
 

 

[nneettiiee 8]

9 hours ago, JamesTan said:

I haven't got my interview date yet. I DQ also 3 years ago, and my PD is up in about 2 months. My guess is my interview with be in the 6-12 month time frame. 

 

Family-based immigration is tricker. My wait time is 9 years until my priority date is current. I've been almost waiting for 10 years to enter the US. I never got to settle down and laid roots or foundation in Canada. I never bought real estate in Canada, and because of my category is unmarried sons of US citizens, I've also steered away from marriage. My only solace is traveling and seeing the world which is an aspiration of mine. The mental stress of these years is taking a toll. I'm in my mid-30s now and am considering if I would be better off not even immigrating in the first place as I would probably be more established in Canada. This even more apparent if somehow I don't get approved.  Although I would love to live in the United States don't get me wrong.

 

Some comments on this thread...

 

1. I still don't see how renewing your passport before the interview will trigger any red flags. I was considering renewing my passport before I even found out that my travel history may trigger ds5355. Im sure a lot of people may want to renew their passports before they move to a new country especially if the expire date is within 2 years or so or even less. This may be common practice.

 

2. I agree that the USA can see entry and border crossing into the United States and maybe even EU countries or whatnot (although not 100% certain of this), not sure if there is such thing as a global record keeping of passport and entry and exits of all countries and where all countries share this amongst each other. Anyway, if Im asked to fill out a DS5355, I might as well be honest. I am however kind of scared and debating if I should include my travel to Cuba because I'm sure Cuba doesn't share info with the US and they don't stamp my passport either. Not sure how immigration would view my trip to Cuba as well. 

 

3. Although I get the whole life is all about having a career, family and work to make end meets and working the 9-5 grind and this makes the most sense to immigration officers, there are many different types of people out there in the world. Not everyone is confined to the same financial restraints. People may not even view and have an outlook on life compared to the Western hamster wheel lifestyle of work, having a family, saving for rrsp/401k, retire and die. In fact, some people might consider that insanity. I'm sure there are many american that view it this way as well. We should all have life liberty and the pursuit of happiness(which is different for everyone).

4. Hopefully because this thread is full of people who have had a DS-5355 notice sent to them, the replies may be a little biased. Yes, I'm worried but maybe the chances of me getting a DS-5355 are 50/50 or even less. Although 40-50 countries is a little excessive, I doubt all people with a history of travel(say 10+) countries will get served with AP.

 

I feel for all of you guys, however. I pray I don't get served with a DS-5355.

 

 

Well as far as the Cuba one, they did care at all on my husband's application. Canadians have been travelling there for years. 

[Daft_Cat 136]

12 hours ago, JamesTan said:

Hopefully because this thread is full of people who have had a DS-5355 notice sent to them, the replies may be a little biased. Yes, I'm worried but maybe the chances of me getting a DS-5355 are 50/50 or even less. Although 40-50 countries is a little excessive, I doubt all people with a history of travel(say 10+) countries will get served with AP.

 

A little excessive is an understatement. I would imagine that the regression on applicants with that much travel history is a much smaller group than you think, and unfortunately it does increase your chances of getting a DS-5535. That's the question you asked, and that is the honest answer. On the flip side, I'm certain you wouldn't trade those experiences for anything, including avoiding a potential DS-5535, and there's nothing to be gained by hiding your passion for travel if asked at the interview. I doubt it will have any bearing on the result.  

Maybe try shifting your mindset a bit. It's best not to overthink it or try to outsmart the process given that the outcome is genuinely outside of your control. It's also worth recognizing that while it's entirely possible (and perhaps even likely) that you slip by unscathed, if you do get AP, it's not the end of the world. You've been waiting so long already, what's another 6 months to a year? It's not ideal (as we can all attest), but it's not the end of the world either. It's a road-bump in your plans, not a derailment. 

And again, that's if it happens. Which it very well may not. 

Edited February 27 by Daft_Cat

[dj222 0]

Thanks for the reply and good advice. Yes 50 is excessive however I doubt immigration can see all the places I've been to (unless i've made a transfer through the United States). Unless there is some international sharing database of this information of all countries of border crossing that I don't know of. Im not going to go out of my way to disclose this if not asked and even if asked, I'll try to keep it as vague as possible unless prompted otherwise.

 

I've also heard that perhaps Montreal is using the DS 5355 forms as a way to reduce the backlog. Now that we're now 3 years removed from covid(and the backlogs should be less than before), are there any trends or data suggesting that this has slowed in any way or if there are less DS5355 from montreal? Has processing of DS5355 gotten faster in 2024 compared to 2023?

Edited February 27 by JamesTan

[Daft_Cat 136]

1 hour ago, JamesTan said:

I've also heard that perhaps Montreal is using the DS 5355 forms as a way to reduce the backlog. Now that we're now 3 years removed from covid(and the backlogs should be less than before), are there any trends or data suggesting that this has slowed in any way or if there are less DS5355 from montreal? Has processing of DS5355 gotten faster in 2024 compared to 2023?

While it will surely improve eventually, at the moment the backlog seems to be intensifying. The wait time for applicants on this forum (and similar ones) has grown to around 1 year+, and the chief legal tool at our disposal (a lawsuit called a Writ of Mandamus) is no longer as effective as it once was thanks to the State Department's increased willingness to file a motion to dismiss to deter applicants from filing.

 

According to the very limited data we have, there are approximately 66k applicants in AP (would have to assume that's global) with only 35~ resources dedicated to clearing them. So basically it's a massive resourcing problem that's only made worse by certain consulates over-utilizing the DS-5535 process. 

Edited February 27 by Daft_Cat

[CarmenD 38]

7 minutes ago, Daft_Cat said:

While it will surely improve eventually, at the moment the backlog seems to be intensifying. The wait time for applicants on this forum (and similar ones) has grown to around 1 year+, and the chief legal tool at our disposal (a lawsuit called a Writ of Mandamus) is no longer as effective as it once was thanks to the State Department's increased willingness to file a motion to dismiss to deter applicants from filing.

 

According to the very limited data we have, there are approximately 66k applicants in AP (would have to assume that's global) with only 35~ resources dedicated to clearing them. So basically it's a massive resourcing problem that's only made worse by certain consulates over-utilizing the DS-5535 process. 

Angry 😠😤 😡 🤬 emoji needs to be added here 

[dmitrych 14]

On 2/26/2024 at 7:40 PM, JamesTan said:

I haven't got my interview date yet. I DQ also 3 years ago, and my PD is up in about 2 months. My guess is my interview with be in the 6-12 month time frame. 

 

I don't think your plan to renew the passport works the way you expect, since DS-260 will already ask you for all countries you traveled to within the last 5 years.

Also, the consulate doesn't have time or need to go through all the stamps in your passport and enter them into the system, otherwise they would've at least asked for passport stamps and translations ahead of time, which they don't.

The system will decide whether to give you DS-5535 based on the entered information, most of the time it doesn't seem to be interviewer's decision.

So I think it won't matter whether you renew your passport or not.

[dj222 0]

The DS-260 only asks for the times I've entered the United States. I don't believe it asked me to list the countries I've traveled to in the last 5 years.

 

Renewing passports that are about to expire within a few years is likely a common practice before immigrating to the United States. Not sure if immigration officers or the system think you're trying to conceal your travel history by doing so. Most likely someone just wants to avoid the hassle of renewing their passports in a new country and having to reapply to get their visa stamped into their new passport again in a few years.

[CarmenD 38]

3 hours ago, JamesTan said:

 

The DS-260 only asks for the times I've entered the United States. I don't believe it asked me to list the countries I've traveled to in the last 5 years.

 

You are correct in that the DS-260 requests only US travel over a 5 year period, but if you get slapped with the DS-5535 you’ll have to provide ALL travel in the last 15 years, with details