Form DS-5535: what to prepare and how to answer

Fifteen years of travel: every country other than your country of residence, with approximate entry and exit dates, in chronological order. A separate list for each adult family member. Exact days are not required - month and year suffice.

Fifteen years of addresses with no gaps, including dormitories and temporary housing, with the month and year of each move. Cross-check against your DS-260, which asks for addresses from age 16.

Fifteen years of employment and study, including short stints; names and dates of birth of relatives; every social-media account used in the last five years (the same ones as in the DS-160 or DS-260).

Answer in the body of the email, not as an attachment - the first requirement people break. Keep the subject line and the order of questions, and answer every one, even when the answer is "no" or "not applicable".

The fields most often forgotten: the US port of entry, the export licence number, defence-related work experience and the full list of countries visited. A blank field reads as evasion and delays the check.

Keep a copy of what you sent. If the consulate sends a repeat request, answer that one: in community experience proactive emails can go unread.

The questionnaire typically asks for: full name and all former names; port of entry; education with dates and institution addresses; fifteen years of employment; field of specialization; purpose of travel; the inviting organization in the US; who funds the trip; the itinerary; defence-related experience; every country visited; publications; past research; planned work in the US; referees’ contacts; export licence number; military service.

Draft the text in a separate document and paste it into the email - you will not lose it to a dropped session and can reuse it if the request repeats or arrives for another family member.

The CEAC status usually reads Refused with the interview date - an interim entry during the check, not a denial. Community-reported waits run from a few weeks to 6-12 months and depend heavily on the post and the applicant’s profile.

If the check drags on, the community has a ladder of escalations: a query to the consulate, a request through a congressional office, an ombudsman complaint and, as a last resort, a mandamus suit.