Leo The Great

I believed you do not need to provide the updated travel history information after submission of DS-5535 unless consulate request you. My lawyer told me that consulate cannot request you additional information on the top of submitted DS-5535 unless they lost your DS-5535 form. Wait for the clearance of your case and then either update at that time or query consulate regarding the update of DS-260 if they do not instruct in your passport request email. Please update your timelines in the spreadsheet for the benefit of other members. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

read latest blog on redeaglelaw. There is a hope

Looks like you have F-2A Visa category. Delay is due to change in priority date of your visa type or DS-5535 processing took long time. Someone mentioned in the forum that they were out of DS-5535 in 2023 but asked for passport this year because priority date was not current when cleared from DS-5535 so they had to wait one year for passport request.

Yes - It will speed up the processing of DS-5535 form. This mean less human intervention to decide most of the straight forward cases

'You will see updates once you submit the form and then radio silent for months. We saw 5 updates after we submitted DS-5535 for 2 weeks (In Oct 2023). No updates after that except when the consulate replied to email queries.

When did you place in AP last year and when you were cleared from it. Most likely the system will alert the CO once again for AP. I would suggest bring all documents relating AP during the interview and convince CO that you were in AP last year and were cleared if CO decide to give you 221g once again. There is information (not sure still valid) available on internet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Advisory_Opinion Validity period[edit] The validity of the clearance (which specifies a deadline for the time a visa could be issued) is based on its type, and ranges between three and 48 months.[1] During the period of validity, posts can usually issue another visa for the applicant without requesting a new SAO if the applicant's circumstances have not changed much.

Cannot be sure about definite but there is high possibility of getting DS-5535 for a male from MENA countries including China and Pakistan. Mentally prepare for it if you are asking this question for yourself. Be positive about the outcome of the interview.

Some times folks apply filter by visa type to look at their category specifically and forget to revert back the filter. Now it is back again

Most of the cases based on system alerts. Few cases are decided for AP by CO based on your interview answers.

What is your visa type? You can travel to US as a visitor on your Canadian passport. Just carry the proof of your ties to Canada just in case. If the CBP officer ask you about your visa case, just tell them it is in processing.

Sorry to hear about. Yes in some case, CO definitely know prior to interview, you are going to get DS-5535. They need your fingerprints during the interview so that your record can be checked against the criminal/stop list databases as a part of extreme vetting. Hopefully processing of DS-5535 will speed up this year.

DS-260 form is same today. You need to provide last 15 years travel history on DS-5535 form excluding last 5 visits to US if you have already provided on DS-260 form. Otherwise you can provide whole 15 years history that is also included in DS-260 on DS-5535 form.

Sorry you joined this club. What is your visa category? We only provided the information which was not provided on DS-260 form. It appears that consulate use DS-260 and DS-5535 form together to retrieve information for SAO. Similarly, for job history, addresses and other information, we just put one line on DS-5535 form where applicable 15 years employment history already provided on DS-260 form 15 years addresses already provided on DS-5535. Some folks have repeated Ds-260 information on DS-5535 form. That is also fine. There are stories where folks are cleared in 3-6 months time(1-2 cases on spreadsheet) or they are not on VJ

Congrats!. Since consulate kept your passport so they can only ask for re-Medical before they stamp visa.

Looks like AP started moving for some folks but not sequentially (Donald WU declaration also says DS-5535 cases are not processed on first come first served basis) Apart from Jettix3221, there another case from April 2023 (guest - K1 visa) was cleared recently as indicated in spreadsheet. Anyway it is good sign for all of us.

Looks like you have interview in Sept 2023. The DS-260 form is editable after a year and consulate generally ask you to update it. May be wait for couple of days and send email to consulate requesting them to make your form editable. Please update your timelines in spreadsheet for benefit of others in AP if your consulate is Montreal https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

Just looked at the spreadsheet. yagbawolo (Sr.No 67) with DS-5535 was cleared in 73 days after the interview. Congrats to yagbawolo for quick clearance

The declaration claimed that they handle 55,000 requests per year. With 61000 backlog every applicant needs to wait for more than a year to get clearance unless they switch to new vetting system (They claimed it is more efficient).

Did you get DS-5535? You need to provide the information requested on DS-5535 to best of your knowledge. You can use any format. For example 1. France, 07-15-2017, 3 days, Stayed at Holiday Inn Express CDG Airport Paris, Self-paid trip (Vacation). 2. UK, 09-18-2013, 5 days, Stayed at the guest house in the Central London, Employer-paid trip (Work).

You can travel to US as a visitor on Canadian passport. Carry the proof of your ties to Canada with you just in case. If CBP ask you about CR1 visa, tell them it is in processing.

Our 221g slip says Passport (When requested). Passport is needed to stamp visa once the clearance is received that could be from several months to more than a year for MTL. Please enter your info for the benefit of other VJ members in AP with DS-5535/Resume https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jV7rzX2eCRVoEDRhOtN9a6hDoHRLNEf1P3ZGZbQ0_Dc/edit#gid=0

In my view DS-5535 is for consular processing via embassy. If you are not Canadian citizen and need to stamp non-immigrant visa after immigrant visa stuck in AP via consulate, there is a chance you end up getting DS-5535 if flagged or on the CO discretion again. One guy was able to stamp L2 visa at border even though he was placed in AP(DS-5535) for EB category visa and was awaiting clearance by MTL. Folks are also getting green card via AOS in 3-6 months if they are in US on non-immigrant visas even though their cases for EB categories are still in AP for several months in MTL.

What is the category of your non-immigrant visa? Are you Canadian citizen?

National Vetting Center is used for clearance of non-immigrant visas and it should be more efficient than the KFE vetting system that is used to clear immigrant and K1 visas. You should get few updates once the DS-5535 form is submitted and then 3-4 more updates once the clearance is received from DC.

Not sure about legality of filing for AOS for IR category visas if you are applying it after placed in AP. Some folks with EB visa and already working in US on work visa are getting green card via AOS in 6 months despite they are still in AP via consular processing for several months.