Hi all! First off I just wanted to say how much of a relief it is, reading some of the stories in here and all the helpful discussion. If anyone has some time, I'd love to share my experience and current situation and hear if anyone can provide any insight.
a few weeks ago I got an approved petition for an O1-A visa to work in the united states as an executive for a tech startup
I checked the NIV website each day to land an interview at the Toronto Consulate, and was able to find one for earlier this week
I showed up first thing in the morning with all my documents ready (DS160 confirmation, barcode, original i797 approved petition, and a binder of a copy of the o1-a petition that was like 300+ pages)..
Up until this point, I read a ton of confusing information regarding the proper steps to take after getting an approved O1-A. The official instructions were for me to go to the Consulate, but anecdotally I had friends who said they took their approved petition and went right to the POE. Once I got to the first booth at the Consulate right before finger prints and interview, the lady looked at me and said "hey for next time, just know that O1-A petitions can go right to the POE, you don't need to be here"
Of course at that point it was too late so I proceeded with the interview, one that I was anticipating would be lengthy, where the consular officer would review the o1 petition that got me approved in the first place, ask some questions about it, then ideally approve and issue the visa.
However, what I think happened, is the consulate officer didn't even look at the petition, but rather pulled up the DS160 form which didn't really show off any of the required accomplishments I had attained over the years that would have justified an O1 status. The DS160 really just shows my university education (undergrad), and my current and previous employment that doesn't include any details aside from start/end dates and a few other minor things.
So, after being asked 2-3 standard questions after about 3 minutes, I'm told my application is refused due to administrative processing, then later that day I got an email for a Microsoft equvialent to google forms, asking all the questions for a DS5535.
I'm frustrated as I think what happened is the consular officer ignored my petition, just looked at the ds160, saw that I was young and only had undegrad experience, then defaulted to requiring more info.
SHould I have done anything differently? Such as mail in my petition beforehand instead of bringing it with me to the interview? He didn't even ask for it.
Last question, I'm ready to submit the DS5535 form now electronically through that google form style method, does anyone have a rough idea as to how long I can expect it's going to take to hear back from them regarding their next steps? Would these steps involve another interview, potentially sending my petition etc? Or am I near the finish line and it's just a matter of filling this out then hopefully getting instructions to submit my passport.
ANY information on this would be super helpful as I'd really like to get started on my job in the united states, I had found a great lead on a lease that I was approved for, but now I have no idea what the timeline is (whether we're talking weeks, months etc).
Thanks in advance!