Is first time H1B visa stamping in Canada (my home country is India) a good idea?

[hydrizxcv]

Hello

I came to the US on an F1 visa. I got my H1B in Dec 2019. I have never traveled outside of the US since Aug 2016.
I haven't had my H1B stamped yet (valid till March 2023).

My Canada PR is processing and I expect it to be processed end of the year or early next year. So if I get my PR and I travel to Canada and I have to return to the US I need to get my Visa stamped in Canada.

Is first time H1B visa stamping in Canada (my home country is India) a good idea?

If not is there any other nearby country I can travel to?

I don't want to travel by flight for 24 hours to India just for a visa stamping.

Also, might be a silly question: If I get my PR and I travel to Canada can I return to the US without getting my visa stamped? I read somewhere that if you just travel outside the US for few days you can return to the US without getting your current visa stamped. Is this true?

 

[starlordavuthu]

Hello

I came to the US on an F1 visa. I got my H1B in Dec 2019. I have never traveled outside of the US since Aug 2016.
I haven't had my H1B stamped yet (valid till March 2023).

My Canada PR is processing and I expect it to be processed end of the year or early next year. So if I get my PR and I travel to Canada and I have to return to the US I need to get my Visa stamped in Canada.

Is first time H1B visa stamping in Canada (my home country is India) a good idea?

If not is there any other nearby country I can travel to?

I don't want to travel by flight for 24 hours to India just for a visa stamping.

Also, might be a silly question: If I get my PR and I travel to Canada can I return to the US without getting my visa stamped? I read somewhere that if you just travel outside the US for few days you can return to the US without getting your current visa stamped. Is this true?

You can use AVR to get into US, but your stay in Canada cannot be more than a month. You can certainly book your H1B stamping appointment in Canada there is no hard rule saying your 1st stamping should be in your home country. That being said be prepared for any questions regarding the same and since you are PR you have a strong reason to get stamped in Canada than in India. Also I dont think you can get a slot in Canada for your stamping anytime soon.