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20 hours ago, ak47 said:

Hello All,

 

Did any of the folks from Jan, Feb, Mar & Apr 2023 received any updates ?

 

It would help us a lot in knowing if any of the files are moving for the early 2023 DS-5535 candidates.

 

Thanks.

 

 

We are late May coming up on a year and the only update this year was a solicited one. Has anyone heard anything from their lawyers about why the timelines are suddenly increasing so much? The new tracker is not 100% accurate in its analysis since many of us now have been waiting a year or more. 

5 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I merged a new topic from @Cholte cholte (posted in the Canada forum) into this existing thread (Part 3).  

I'm not sure. If you got to the end of Part 2 the link to Part 3 is deleted. So might be confusing for some folks trying to find this thread. 

On 3/28/2024 at 3:02 PM, Crazy Cat said:

****New topic for MTL DS-5535 merged into existing thread***

I think you somehow deleted the link in Part 2. 

2 hours ago, Phil_K_IR1 said:

I've been tracking other people's cases for fun, and have seen approvals/issued visas this year. 

What ones have you seen? There have been people who have gotten through this year that I have seen, but they had been asked late last year for their passports and medical. From what I have seen no one has been asked for new medical/passport in many months. 

Has anyone considered that they may not process any of us in an election year? I don't believe anyone in this forum has been asked to redo medical/send back passport this year. 

I believe the spreadsheet may now be being used incorrectly. If you were only issued a 121g or resume only please do not enter your information on this spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is for the DS-5535 Form. 

Also, the request for the passport date was indicative in the past that they are about to process your visa. Now they are asking for it on the form at the interview. I am not sure how we can indicate this on the spreadsheet. 

Thank you

41 minutes ago, Superluminal said:

I second this piece of advice. I have found land travel to the US much more difficult than air travel, which I attribute to the fact that I always have a return flight to Canada booked. Hard to prove when you will return if you are driving in and out of the country.

 

For the new folks worried about travelling while under DS-5535: I'm actually writing this at Pearson on my way to see my wife in the US after clearing customs. I have gone back an forth over a dozen times without too much difficulty. Be honest your current status if they ask you questions about your immigrant intent. Try and have several reasons you will return back to Canada (i.e. flight back, work, medical appointments) with supporting evidence. 9 times of out 10 they don't ask but it pays to be prepared if they do.

 

 

I have never had a problem crossing by land and have done many times but  my husband and I are immigrating together to the US. I would think it would stir up more questions if the person immigrating was going to visit their spouse/fiancé. 

1 hour ago, northface said:

you could monitor the MTL web page to estimate time frame :

https://ca.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/consular-operations-updates/

As of Feb 15,2024, they touched the cases of Nov, 2023, 3 months ago. for high piority IR1 class

 

This page is for people awaiting interview. It wouldn’t have anything to do with someone who has already interviewed. 

7 minutes ago, APRIL2023 said:

It’s all dependent on the VO as well. Based on what I read so far some are “nicer” than others. The guy that I got clearly hated his job. He told me that no timeline can be given as this a “black hole of wait time”. He can’t give me a reason for AP or why I am flagged as my case “appeared pretty straight forward”. So I’m pretty convinced that the VO has no control over who to place on AP, once they are flagged on the system for whatever reason.  He also rolled his eyes when I asked him to clarify some points he made. Clearly they have to deal with frustrated applicants on a daily basis once visa is denied. 
 

Sounds like you actually got the most honest answer even though he was rude. Our VO was super nice and said it was random and that it would likely take 2 weeks. It’s been over 8 months. 

44 minutes ago, AP_since_May2023 said:

Can you share the name of the FB group? Don't post link as that is against the rules of this forum.

 

I was asked for my CV only (without DS-5535) and I've been waiting for 9 months now. 

It’s called 
“US Embassy Administrative Processing and Form DS-5535” Has 1.4K followers

3 hours ago, Superluminal said:

Visa category seems to have an impact on timeline for DS-5535 processing. Some EB visas seem to process faster, I suspect because of economic interests. This doesn't apply to everyone with an EB application though.

Yes I am EB and am at 8 months waiting.

There is a group on Facebook for worldwide DS-5535 and someone on there was a Feb 2023 Montreal interview. They were contacted in September to resubmit medical. Could mean they’ve taken some sort of 

break and the rest of the Feb interviews will get notice soon. 

A reminder to all, a 221g only is not a DS-5535. This thread is for people given a DS-5535 in Montreal. For others with only a 221g it it not helpful to get advice from this forum because it will be a different timeline and different processing. It is also not helpful for DS-5535 to see 221g only a get through in a couple months when many have been waiting 8 plus months. Thank you. 

5 hours ago, dmitrych said:

They seem to enjoy ruining people's birthdays: my interview was on my wife's birthday as well.

Yes! Our interview was on my husband’s birthday as well!

16 minutes ago, Leo The Great said:

sometime folks use filter on Visa Type  to look at CR1/IR1 cases. You may change it back by clicking on "Visa Type" column header (right side icon with lines) and "select all" and then click OK to bring back all entries

Thanks for switching it back. I think if you are viewing from your phone there is no option to change the filter. At least I didn’t see one. 

There seems to be an issue with the tracking sheet again. Did someone sort it for CR1 only and forget to change it back?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

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. 

9 minutes ago, MRJ9987 said:

When I saw that I will be getting a refusal form the CO and read DS-5535, I burst into tears and said something along 'No, really?".  The CO told me that I should just fill out the form and they will be able to get back to my case.  I said that it takes a year after receiving one of those forms and she replied that it is not true and that some of them get resolved in weeks.  So, has anyone's been resolved in weeks?  

😢I’m sorry. We feel you’re pain, we’ve all been there. It’s devastating. I feel like they tell you what you want to hear. Either that or they don’t know. But you can check the excel sheet and see how it has gone for most people here. It’s possible there may be people that got through faster and just have not found this forum because they got through so fast. 

3 hours ago, Cadtoverm said:

We’re you guys explicitly given ds5535 status? I was given an online form to fill out and asked to mail in my passport as soon as I filled it out. The online form asked questions similar to a ds5535 form, but no where was this ds5535 status explicitly told to me. Just a check mark for 221g and he just said he needed some more information about my travel and work history.

 

I am applying spousal IV, Canadian, good medical, good finances, already own home in the USA, marriage to American, transferring to an American employer.

 

I am seeing crazy wait times here, but the agent told me it should only be a few weeks. Any one have a similar experience as me? Am I in for a long haul?

 

 

Not to be the bearer of bad news but I think they just say 2 weeks so that you don't flip out in their offices lol. We were told 2 weeks and it has been 8 months

10 hours ago, APRIL2023 said:

How many of us have filed their application via attorney? I'd always wonder if have legal representation would prevent DS5535. For those who were represented, what strategies did the lawyers use to expedite the process, if any?

 

Yes, I think DS5535 is random, but I am also convinced that being from the "special" countries listed will increase the chance of you being selected for it. The CO's expression literally changed when he asked my country of origin and my age when I immigrated to Canada (<10yo). I'll be curious to know data on 221g/DS5535 in relation to country of changeability. 

We could add country of birth to the tracking sheet but some might not be comfortable with that. It would give more information though. 

23 minutes ago, MRJ9987 said:

Thanks, downloading telegram now!

 

 

 

Question in general - what is everyone's experience to travelling to US while in AP?  

No issue travelling to the US. Been many times and they do not mention anything related to green card or AP. 

35 minutes ago, ShawnK said:

It is , but.it is much more likely if you are from Iran or Somalia vs say Iceland or Norway. Iranians will almost always get it.

 

My anecdote,  on the day of my interview, a few of us IRs ,there.. the only two who walked away all clear were the old stock Canadian folks. They 100% profile, all lawyers I have consulted with told me this.

 

 

Disagree,

My family and my husband’s family are English, German, French. My mom is American as well as several other family members. The consulate person interviewing told us it was random. if a baby gets it and no other family members then you know it’s something else going on and not based on anything. 

5 minutes ago, Irish89 said:

Our Interview was in March and still news. Hopeful signs last week with two April interviewers receiving unsolicited updates on CEAC tracker. 

 

Just to add for anyone interested, I seen a post by Red Eagle Law on X that stated that by law a refused visa must be reconsidered by the consular officer on the 1 year anniversary from the interview date provided that the applicant was asked to and provided additional information post interview. We would all meet this criteria since we've given them the DS-5535. Who knows if that actually means they do anything. 

I am a late May EB1 interviewer and I received an unsolicited update in early Dec. I'm not sure anything can be read into the updates.

1 hour ago, Bestbest7 said:

Totally 💯.

Thank you!

56 minutes ago, Bestbest7 said:

Hi Leo,

since after Covid I guess nothing is normal as far as I know.

 

Cala2023,

I did also send in another second medical which was requested together with my second medical. I almost spent $5k to file for WOM but thank Jesus things came at the right time.

Plan is for my wife to go pick up my package so I can exit the U.S. and return to activate my green card.

 

patience patience everything will work out.

HI @Bestbest7 Congrats! It must feel amazing to see the end of the tunnel! Can you please add your information to our tracking spreadsheet? It will help others determine what their wait time might look like. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0