Emergency Appointment Vancouver

[rohit.joshi]

H1B

The company that you are working for in Canada applied for your H1-B? Please let me know. I would like to PM you about it.

 

[amaxi]

Hi All,

As you all are aware, US consulates have been cancelling H1B appointments everywhere in Canada for Jan and Feb at the moment. I had already rescheduled my appointment thrice because of the pandemic and presidential proclamation introduced in June 2020. My recent appointment that got cancelled was supposed to held on Jan 14th 2020.

I have been reading about emergency appointment and decided to try it. My reason was separation from spouse who is in the US. I have drafted 300 words document and sent to consular via emergency appointment option earlier this month. I requested them to honor my original appointment citing the aforementioned reason. They have accepted it and scheduled me for Dec 22nd. I have completed my interview successfully and I hope this experience of mine helps others on how to approach emergency appointment situations.

Thanks! All the very best!

Thank you for sharing your experience. Hope both you and your family are doing good. I checked news that entry into the United States of any alien seeking entry pursuant to any of the following nonimmigrant visas was suspended until Mar, 31, 2021. How did you manage to get the H1B visa approved?

 

[swan0206]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Hope both you and your family are doing good. I checked news that entry into the United States of any alien seeking entry pursuant to any of the following nonimmigrant visas was suspended until Mar, 31, 2021. How did you manage to get the H1B visa approved?

@cr7isthegoat had a previous appointment booked back in Jan 2020 which kept postponing and in such cases they are considering the emergency appointment request if the families are seperated. Or else they are rejecting the emergency appointment.

So lets say, you get an appointment in May 2021 and you reach Canada and stuck here, your spouse is in Usa, if everything goes well and your appointment isn't cancelled well and good, or else if its getting cancelled and gets postponed indefinitely month after month then you can try requesting emergency appointment. Remember, if you book appointment today and request for emergency apptmnt a week or two weeks later they are going to straight away reject it. I faced this. So you need to atleast wait for 1 or 2months and give it a try. I also have my 2 cents, if you haven't reached Canada and try emergency apptmnt staying in Us they'll reject.

 

[aksaokar]

This is not entirely true i would say to wait for a few months. I guess it's all in the explanation that is done in the letter. I got a regular appointment on Jan 18th and expedited on Jan 20th (which was approved on Feb 1st) based on family separation grounds. But yes, they verified and checked that i am already in Canada and not travelled in the past 14 days, etc before giving me the expedited appointment. So i doubt any travel from the US would be entertained for expedited appointments.

 

[swan0206]

This is not entirely true i would say to wait for a few months. I guess it's all in the explanation that is done in the letter. I got a regular appointment on Jan 18th and expedited on Jan 20th (which was approved on Feb 1st) based on family separation grounds. But yes, they verified and checked that i am already in Canada and not travelled in the past 14 days, etc before giving me the expedited appointment. So i doubt any travel from the US would be entertained for expedited appointments.

:
Can you please mention here when were you able to get the regular appointment for 18th Jan? I am not talking about the letter but the general emergency request option in the site. I am not aware how requesting through letter works!

Bdw. Can you share your Visa experience?

 

[aksaokar]

I meant i booked the regular appointment for Oct 12 (Ottawa) on Jan 18th. By the letter i meant the explanation that needs to be given when you request for emergency appointment (for L1B new visa, company is exempt from PP, had a letter of exemption stating company is part of Technet).
My Visa experience:

1. Booked for a regular appointment at Ottawa for Oct 12, 2021 on Jan 18th
2. Requested for emergency appointment in Toronto (working in Toronto) on Jan 20th, 2021
3. Got approval for emergency appointment on Feb 1st (had to confirm i am already in Canada and not travelled in past 14 days) for an interview on Feb 11th, 2021
4. Appeared for interview on Feb 11th and VO said visa was approved and now i am waiting for the passport (was told to wait for 1-2 weeks for the same)

Questions asked in the interview:

1. Who are you working for and what are your job roles/responsibilities?
2. Why is your role considered a specialized one?
3. Were you in the US before (yes, on F1)? What is your academic background, did you do master in the US?
4. Salary in the US role?
5. Would your family accompany you since i had mentioned i was married in the application

I was not asked anything about the PP exemption but was told to expect the passport in the next 1-2 weeks. Online status currently showing "Refused" with the long administrative processing message which i have heard is normal nowadays

 

[dry.00]

Is anyone a cross-border commuter?
I live in Windsor and work in Michigan, but I don't think I can do a 2 week quarantine before the scheduled interview
It's a regular appointment, so chances are, it'll get cancelled, but I'm still worried that my cross-border commute is considered "travel"

 

[aksaokar]

No one was a cross border commuter. Regular appointments are getting cancelled all along so i highly doubt it'll be honoured soon (specially with things in Canada still shut for most things).

 

[harirajmohan]

Is anyone a cross-border commuter?
I live in Windsor and work in Michigan, but I don't think I can do a 2 week quarantine before the scheduled interview
It's a regular appointment, so chances are, it'll get cancelled, but I'm still worried that my cross-border commute is considered "travel"

Most applicants of emergency were asked to confirm if they are inside the country for 14 days. So you should be inside for 14 days before the appointment to avoid issues on interview day. Are you required to commute during this pandemic?
https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/iv/information/announcements#637-presidential_proclamations_on_novel_coronavirus_20210204154047
For applicants located outside of Canada
12 January, 2021
The United States and Canada have a mutual agreement to restrict non-essential travel across our shared border. The current agreement runs through February 21. Similar restrictions apply to travelers arriving in Canada via air or from countries other than the United States. For more information, see Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) website here. Travelers entering Canada must present a credible 14-day quarantine plan. If you are subject to quarantine, you cannot attend a visa appointment until it is complete.

 

[swan0206]

This is not entirely true i would say to wait for a few months. I guess it's all in the explanation that is done in the letter. I got a regular appointment on Jan 18th and expedited on Jan 20th (which was approved on Feb 1st) based on family separation grounds. But yes, they verified and checked that i am already in Canada and not travelled in the past 14 days, etc before giving me the expedited appointment. So i doubt any travel from the US would be entertained for expedited appointments.

So, you have been stuck here and your wife is in US from past October( i am asking this because they might aslo checked your wife's travel history to grant you appointment? Or you have already moved here and staying here(i mean when they ask for where do you live, you must have given a US address right?)

 

[dry.00]

Most applicants of emergency were asked to confirm if they are inside the country for 14 days. So you should be inside for 14 days before the appointment to avoid issues on interview day. Are you required to commute during this pandemic?
https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/iv/information/announcements#637-presidential_proclamations_on_novel_coronavirus_20210204154047
For applicants located outside of Canada
12 January, 2021
The United States and Canada have a mutual agreement to restrict non-essential travel across our shared border. The current agreement runs through February 21. Similar restrictions apply to travelers arriving in Canada via air or from countries other than the United States. For more information, see Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) website here. Travelers entering Canada must present a credible 14-day quarantine plan. If you are subject to quarantine, you cannot attend a visa appointment until it is complete.

I guess I could ask for some time off...but it's still a regular appointment in April, and I don't know if the consulate will cancel on me or not.
This is all very frustrating.

I also don't know if the location I chose on my DS-160 don't match Vancouver. (I chose Toronto)

 

[swan0206]

I guess I could ask for some time off...but it's still a regular appointment in April, and I don't know if the consulate will cancel on me or not.
This is all very frustrating.

I also don't know if the location I chose on my DS-160 don't match Vancouver. (I chose Toronto)

At this point of time, i can say travelling from one province to another for Visa interview would also been on check!

 

[aksaokar]

So, you have been stuck here and your wife is in US from past October( i am asking this because they might aslo checked your wife's travel history to grant you appointment? Or you have already moved here and staying here(i mean when they ask for where do you live, you must have given a US address right?)

No, I have been on a Canadian work permit working here since Feb 2019 (so just told them have been in Toronto).

 

[swan0206]

No, I have been on a Canadian work permit working here since Feb 2019 (so just told them have been in Toronto).

Ok, what is the address you gave in the place of residence(Canada or US) in DS-160? Does it really matter?

 

[aksaokar]

Ok, what is the address you gave in the place of residence(Canada or US) in DS-160? Does it really matter?

I gave wherever i am staying in Canada now. It may/may not matter. Not sure of all those things. Eitherways travel from US -> Canada is being really discouraged now specially with the impending hotel quarantine coming up for air travellers.