H1B visa appointment availability

[Takita]

This forum is of great help to me in my H-1B stamping process. Here is my experience so it may help someone.



Date - 9/28/21

Appointment time - 8:30am.



Arrived at Consulate 8:25am. Yes it was bit late. Reached at OSGOODE Subway station at 8am, but confused on the route due to not having cell phone. people around there are great help and showed me the way to go as I was walking in opposite way. reached Consulate Building at 8:20 but was told it's front side not for H-1B's told to go back side. took ~5min walk to go to backside of the building to reach by 8:25am. Tip: If you're taking Subway, Just look for Museum building when come out of station and 2nd next building is consulate.



Checked passport at the security and allowed inside. Lady inside asked for passport, DS-160 confirmation then told to stand behind the guy waiting at counter #1.



Counter #1 - Asked for passport, I-797, DS-160 confirmation, offer letter, photo (returned after seeing same as uploaded in ds-160) & LCA (told I don't have it. he said that's okay). packed all the above in a file handed over to me and told to go to either counter 7, 8 or 9.



Counter #7 - me: Good morning officer, How are you?

officer: Good. How are you?

me: Good. Thanks!

Officer: give me the file. given.

Officer: You will need to give finger prints...start with left four fingers. given.

Officer: Perfect. What's your employer name? Which location will you be working? What's title? What's salary?

Officer: Your visa has been approved and you will get back your passport in 7 days

me: Thank you! Have a good rest of your day!!



Out in less than 10min. Didn't wait at any step. basically, to my understanding they are allowing one by one inside (any way there won't be much crowd I think) to avoid wait/sit.



Visa status afternoon -

Your visa case is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks, or longer. As explained on the day of your interview, if further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved when administrative processing is finished, you will receive notification to collect the passport with the visa from the Loomis branch you selected when you booked your appointment.

For more information, please visit U.S. Consulate General Toronto.



Hoping to receive passport by Fri just like @sriinn did exactly 1week back.



one more tip - Follow this as below.

Do not bring the following prohibited items--you will be turned away:

· No mobile phones or electronic devices

· No bags, backpacks, luggage, or large purses

· No knives, pepper spray, or weapons

· No strollers

Update 10/1 - Status changed to "Issued". received email with canada post tracking #, but don't see anything on canada post tracking yet.

 

[STCVer]

I have a dropbox option available for H1B stamping (Sending through courier). I am currently in US, and planning to travel to Canada just to have the dropbox option available. I am assuming its same as sending the document through courier. I am a Canadian PR, but resides in US on H1B.

Has anyone done that, travelled from US to just get stamping done through couriers (dropbox)? How long it usually take?

Thanks

 

[harirajmohan]

I have a dropbox option available for H1B stamping (Sending through courier). I am currently in US, and planning to travel to Canada just to have the dropbox option available. I am assuming its same as sending the document through courier. I am a Canadian PR, but resides in US on H1B.

Has anyone done that, travelled from US to just get stamping done through couriers (dropbox)? How long it usually take?

Thanks

Yes, sending copies of documents along with original passport is called dropbox here in Canada. You can send it by courier by paying required cost or you use canadapost(for which they already charged for it in the visa fee).
Time takes same as the interview one. Its having same dependency on how long it takes to get the DS160 application status to change issued. Around 1-2 weeks typical.

 

[tuhadapeo]

Depends, from what i’ve read interviews have been faster. I submitted mines through dropbox (Ottawa consulate) and there has been no updates to my profile since delivery (over a week).

I have a dropbox option available for H1B stamping (Sending through courier). I am currently in US, and planning to travel to Canada just to have the dropbox option available. I am assuming its same as sending the document through courier. I am a Canadian PR, but resides in US on H1B.

Has anyone done that, travelled from US to just get stamping done through couriers (dropbox)? How long it usually take?

Thanks

 

[harirajmohan]

Depends, from what i’ve read interviews have been faster. I submitted mines through dropbox (Ottawa consulate) and there has been no updates to my profile since delivery (over a week).

You should track your DS160 first. Once its updated as issued then track your profile for courier number.

 

[tuhadapeo]

Yes, I mean’t my visa status on CEAC website. Its been displaying “No status” for over a week now.

You should track your DS160 first. Once its updated as issued then track your profile for courier number.

 

[Takita]

Update 10/1 - Status changed to "Issued". received email with canada post tracking #, but don't see anything on canada post tracking yet.

Update 10/4 - Passport available for pickup at Canada post at 9am. picked up in the afternoon. over all it took ~1week as the visa officer said but it may be available for pickup on Fri for some of them depends on canada post pick up cut off time from embassy.

 

[dry.00]

Update 10/4 - Passport available for pickup at Canada post at 9am. picked up in the afternoon. over all it took ~1week as the visa officer said but it may be available for pickup on Fri for some of them depends on canada post pick up cut off time from embassy.

Congrats.
I'm assuming that you're a Canadian PR?
Was this your first visa interview in Canada?

I'm also a Canadian PR, but a citizen of a different country

 

[Takita]

Congrats.
I'm assuming that you're a Canadian PR? Work Permit
Was this your first visa interview in Canada? No

I'm also a Canadian PR, but a citizen of a different country

 

[chaudri]

Anyone here for a b1/b2 appointment whose appointment in Canada was not cancelled?

 

[Takita]

Anyone here for a b1/b2 appointment whose appointment in Canada was not cancelled?

I'm looking to apply for B2 appointment already have H-1B stamp and I-140. Skeptical of moving forward if applying B2 would have any impact on H-1B/I-140.

 

[chetan8785]

I have a dropbox option available for H1B stamping (Sending through courier). I am currently in US, and planning to travel to Canada just to have the dropbox option available. I am assuming its same as sending the document through courier. I am a Canadian PR, but resides in US on H1B.

Has anyone done that, travelled from US to just get stamping done through couriers (dropbox)? How long it usually take?

Thanks

My situation ins similar I live in US and have Canadian PR. I have my profile created and DS 160 filled back in Dec of 2019 and my VISA appointment was cancelled due to covid in March of 2020. But I am trying to setup appointment again. But I am not seeing option for Drop Box.
I did my last stamping in Canada as well. Could you please let me know where do you see the drop box option.
Should I redo my DS 160 and then try to setup an appointment and then only I will be able to see the drop box option.

 

[kiranus3571]

Guys Pardon my Ignorance

My current position : Iam a Canidian Citizen .. I applied for H1B and my application got picked this year in lottery (This is my First time H1B) ..a week ago i have seen that my application has been approved ..

SO iam assuming my next step is scheduling an interview .. So my questions are
1) How do i schedule for an H1B Interview(I live in Toronto)
2)Is there any benefit of being a Canadian Citizen ( i mean do i get any exemption of attending an interview or any other way like a TN visa where they issue at border or at any airport) ..
3) i have read in this thread that many people are getting appointments for sep 2022 does it mean i cant move ahead with my H1 until sep 2022

 

[dry.00]

Hello @dry.00 - Hope your interview went well last Friday. Would you mind sharing your experience? Thanks

Sure! Of course!

Background info:
Canadian PR, living in Windsor, ON since October 2020.
Citizen of one of the east Asian countries.

Commuted to Michigan for work as an essential worker.
Changed my status from F-1 OPT to H-1b before moving to Windsor.
Commuted using AVR with my expired F-1 visa (There's no problem as long as you have your expired F-1 visa stamp and a valid H-1b I-94)


Interview
H-1b visa interview at the US consulate in Toronto on October 8, 2021.
Once you go through security, you'll meet 3 people.
1st person asks for your passport and DS-160 confirmation page.
2nd person is behind the window, and she asked for my 1) passport, 2) DS-160 confirmation page, and 3) Canadian PR card, along with my 4) I-797 approval notice for my H-1b change of status. She put all my documents in a blue plastic packet and told me to go to one of the other windows in the same room.

The 3rd person is the actual consular officer that conducted the interview.
She didn't ask for any additional documents. She did ask a couple questions:

1. Where do you work?
2. You previously had two F-1 visas issued. Were they both for the same school?

I can't remember the exact questions, but none of them were invasive or hard to answer. They were just standard questions.
The last thing she said was "your visa will be approved after administrative processing, so it'll take more than the standard 1-2 weeks before you get your passport back."
I kind of expected this to happen. I read that this has been happening to people from my country who have been interviewing in Canada.
This is my first time interviewing for a US visa outside of my own country.

So we'll see how long it'll take for me to get my passport back.

 

[tuhadapeo]

thanks for sharing, congrats!

Sure! Of course!

Background info:
Canadian PR, living in Windsor, ON since October 2020.
Citizen of one of the east Asian countries.

Commuted to Michigan for work as an essential worker.
Changed my status from F-1 OPT to H-1b before moving to Windsor.
Commuted using AVR with my expired F-1 visa (There's no problem as long as you have your expired F-1 visa stamp and a valid H-1b I-94)


Interview
H-1b visa interview at the US consulate in Toronto on October 8, 2021.
Once you go through security, you'll meet 3 people.
1st person asks for your passport and DS-160 confirmation page.
2nd person is behind the window, and she asked for my 1) passport, 2) DS-160 confirmation page, and 3) Canadian PR card, along with my 4) I-797 approval notice for my H-1b change of status. She put all my documents in a blue plastic packet and told me to go to one of the other windows in the same room.

The 3rd person is the actual consular officer that conducted the interview.
She didn't ask for any additional documents. She did ask a couple questions:

1. Where do you work?
2. You previously had two F-1 visas issued. Were they both for the same school?

I can't remember the exact questions, but none of them were invasive or hard to answer. They were just standard questions.
The last thing she said was "your visa will be approved after administrative processing, so it'll take more than the standard 1-2 weeks before you get your passport back."
I kind of expected this to happen. I read that this has been happening to people from my country who have been interviewing in Canada.
This is my first time interviewing for a US visa outside of my own country.

So we'll see how long it'll take for me to get my passport back.