The dreaded DS-5535 thread for Montreal Only. Post here and support each other (PART 4)

[Lemonslice 5,310]

1 hour ago, EveK said:

 

Oh wow..its taking that long?? Can you please provide me with the information how I can sign up with Usps informed delivery? Also, my Canadian passport will expire in few months which has the endorsed I-551 and I have to renew my passport soon. Will that be a problem as my new passport wont have the endorsed seal? Thanks.

If you live close to a Canadian diplomatic mission, you can reach out to them to retain your passport while they renew it.  

[From_CAN_2_US 1,156]

On 6/27/2025 at 12:53 PM, jay_bird said:

 

Leaving an update in case anyone else happens to be in my situation: Though I did fill out the DS 5535, it never came up again. I was approved on the spot at the interview, and the visa is issued and in my hands. It feels very surreal. I don't know if the link was sent to me in error, or they determined it was unnecessary, but it is possible to receive a request to fill out the ds5535 in an email in advance of your interview and then not enter AP. I have had a Nexus card my entire adult life, which means I've already had a background check and biometrics done-- I don't know if that affected anything. I wish I knew the why behind any of it so I could share  Wishing everyone luck in this really difficult process. 

Congratulations! That's a HUGE relief. 

 

Just so you know though, we have had people here before on NEXUS who still were stuck with DS5535 for more than a year, so unfortunately having NEXUS does not necessarily mean you won't be flagged.

[tas005 5]

Has anyone issues visa recently?

[AnnaSalu 44]

So, on Friday Aug 15, I checked my status and it showed "At NVC" (after showing "refused") for the past 7 months, being in AP. I got excited and thought something is moving in my AP process. But 2 hours later, checked again, and it showed "refused" again. Nothing changed. It must have been a system glitch. Sharing this here for people who may face the same thing. Don't get excited!

[EmmsW 2]

THE TRUTH ABOUT MONTREAL's ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING AND DS-5535

Just my 2 cents. I was watching this thread very closely  for the last 15 months thinking that most applicants in Montreal will get DS-5535 because that's what Montreal does, but when I showed up for my Diversity Visa interview in January, I saw the real reason behind this phenomenon.

It's one word: "IRAN".

Basically, a huge chunk of immigrant visa applicants in MTL are from Iran and I would bet that most people on this thread are from Iran. Even if they naturalized in Canada or were born in Iran as Canadian citizens or even if born in Canada to Iranian parents, they all could still be subject to AP. This is something that was never mentioned in this thread and has mislead many applicants (like me) and I have come to realize that when I attended my DV interview. t all made sense and clicked. Iranian citizens are commonly thrown into AP and handed the DS-5535 sheet for a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO). This is a process that is mostly initiated by the State Department and not usually the Consular Official. Applicants are already flagged to be conducted an SAO.

The way I got to confirm this is that as a Diversity Visa winner, we are able to scan CEAC case numbers chronologically and we're able to see the consulates that interview those case numbers in question too. I know that Iranian citizens commonly conduct their IV and DV interviews at the US embassies in Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Yerevan, and the consulate in Montreal, and guess what? They all have the insanely high rate of 221g / AP that are chargeable to the Asia region which is what DV applicants from Iran are chargeable to. The CEAC data for DV applicants is publicly available where you can search by consulate as well. Here. 

This is not a consulate problem. This is a citizenship problem. If you're reading this because you're anxious about getting DS-5535 in MTL and you're not  Iranian or have links to Iran, don't. Odds are, you'll be fine with regards to AP if your case is clean. Now that doesn't mean that others won't be thrown into AP. AP is a tool at the consulate's hands and they utilize it for other purposes especially if they have doubts about the authenticity of the petition or if there have been criminal convictions or security concerns, but I would say that the vast majority of applicants in AP at MTL are from Iran.

Edited August 24 by EmmsW

[Ontarkie 15,010]

 Sadly way to many who have received the DS 5535 have zero links to Iran. 

[Matt777 3]

On 8/23/2025 at 11:51 PM, EmmsW said:

THE TRUTH ABOUT MONTREAL's ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING AND DS-5535

Just my 2 cents. I was watching this thread very closely  for the last 15 months thinking that most applicants in Montreal will get DS-5535 because that's what Montreal does, but when I showed up for my Diversity Visa interview in January, I saw the real reason behind this phenomenon.

It's one word: "IRAN".

Basically, a huge chunk of immigrant visa applicants in MTL are from Iran and I would bet that most people on this thread are from Iran. Even if they naturalized in Canada or were born in Iran as Canadian citizens or even if born in Canada to Iranian parents, they all could still be subject to AP. This is something that was never mentioned in this thread and has mislead many applicants (like me) and I have come to realize that when I attended my DV interview. t all made sense and clicked. Iranian citizens are commonly thrown into AP and handed the DS-5535 sheet for a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO). This is a process that is mostly initiated by the State Department and not usually the Consular Official. Applicants are already flagged to be conducted an SAO.

The way I got to confirm this is that as a Diversity Visa winner, we are able to scan CEAC case numbers chronologically and we're able to see the consulates that interview those case numbers in question too. I know that Iranian citizens commonly conduct their IV and DV interviews at the US embassies in Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Yerevan, and the consulate in Montreal, and guess what? They all have the insanely high rate of 221g / AP that are chargeable to the Asia region which is what DV applicants from Iran are chargeable to. The CEAC data for DV applicants is publicly available where you can search by consulate as well. Here. 

This is not a consulate problem. This is a citizenship problem. If you're reading this because you're anxious about getting DS-5535 in MTL and you're not  Iranian or have links to Iran, don't. Odds are, you'll be fine with regards to AP if your case is clean. Now that doesn't mean that others won't be thrown into AP. AP is a tool at the consulate's hands and they utilize it for other purposes especially if they have doubts about the authenticity of the petition or if there have been criminal convictions or security concerns, but I would say that the vast majority of applicants in AP at MTL are from Iran.

This info is not correct at all! I was interviewed in Montreal early 2024, and out of the five applicants who were there at the same time, the passports of three applicants were returned to them after the interview, those were from India, east Europe and middle east. The other two applicants who got their visas right away were Asian (maybe Chinese) and a white Canadian.

[mam521 2,653]

On 8/23/2025 at 10:51 PM, EmmsW said:

This is something that was never mentioned in this thread and has mislead many applicants (like me) and I have come to realize that when I attended my DV interview.

This is untrue. This is part 4 of this thread and there has been past discussion about MENA countries as well as TAL professions seeming to be flagged more often.  But, as @Ontarkie pointed out, there have been many people with ZERO affiliation with those countries or on TAL occupation lists who've landed in extended AP.  There have been elderly Canadians and young children that have been flagged.  Additionally, remember Canada is a diverse country in general, a giant mixing pot of backgrounds and cultures, and the Montreal Consulate interviews for ALL immigrant visas across Canada, so to put everyone in an Iranian bucket based on DV visas is pretty short sighted IMO.  

[zero1331 18]

ap took about 10 monthes for me from day of ds5535 to the notice of ready for more info.      we delayed our case for a little bit, a few months during the ds260 to help guide roughly when we would get approved and be able to cross,  which failed due to AP..    after getting approved and having visa in hand  FEB 2025,  we waiting till june as we were driving down and dident want to do that in the winter.     so over all we extended by choice for the better part of a year. 

[Cristiano Ronaldo 0]

Hello Everyone 

 

A little bit about our case. 
 

Visa Category: F3

 

interviewed In December 2021 (Montreal)

then placed in AP (DS-5535) 

 

September 2024: Writ of Mandamus was filed. 
 

May 7, 2025: consulate requested the following (to move forward with our case): passports, New medicals, new Police certificates, updated DS-260. 
 

May 30, all documents delivered to the consulate. 
 

July 8, 2025: I followed up with the consulate to confirm the receipt of the documents and the status of our case. 
 

July 11, 2025, consult confirmed the receipt of all requested documents and our case is under Administrative Processing. 

 

So it has been almost 100 days since everything was delivered and NOT a single update to our case. 
 

 

Has anyone been in a similar situation? 
 

i noticed that most people have their visa stamped 1-4 months after the delivery of the requested documents! 
 

I still got 20 days to go 

 

some said that since they requested these documents, it is a positive sign that they decided to issue the visa. 
 

Any advice? 

 

 

[AnnaSalu 44]

On 9/8/2025 at 11:24 PM, Cristiano Ronaldo said:

Hello Everyone 

 

A little bit about our case. 
 

Visa Category: F3

 

interviewed In December 2021 (Montreal)

then placed in AP (DS-5535) 

 

September 2024: Writ of Mandamus was filed. 
 

May 7, 2025: consulate requested the following (to move forward with our case): passports, New medicals, new Police certificates, updated DS-260. 
 

May 30, all documents delivered to the consulate. 
 

July 8, 2025: I followed up with the consulate to confirm the receipt of the documents and the status of our case. 
 

July 11, 2025, consult confirmed the receipt of all requested documents and our case is under Administrative Processing. 

 

So it has been almost 100 days since everything was delivered and NOT a single update to our case. 
 

 

Has anyone been in a similar situation? 
 

i noticed that most people have their visa stamped 1-4 months after the delivery of the requested documents! 
 

I still got 20 days to go 

 

some said that since they requested these documents, it is a positive sign that they decided to issue the visa. 
 

Any advice? 

 

 

WTH! 4 years in AP??? Sorry, I am still in AP for 9 months, so have no input to help you...