New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms

DS-5535 Supplemental Questions for Visa Applicants

A supplemental questionnaire a consular officer can require from a visa applicant selected for extra vetting. It asks for fifteen years of travel history, addresses, employment, and family details, and five years of phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles. Being asked for it usually means months of administrative processing.

Fee
$0 - there is no separate fee; it is part of an existing visa application
Fee waiver
Not available
Who files
Nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applicants a consular officer selects for supplemental vetting.
Where to file
Completed at the request of the consular post and returned to that post.

Usually filed with

Part of these processes

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • Use of supplemental vetting expanded sharply in 2025 and 2026 alongside broader social media screening. State does not publish a processing time for cases in administrative processing under INA 221(g); several months is common.

Official page. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/administrative-processing-information.html. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.