Hi all, I read some posts on this forum before applying for a Temporary Resident Visa (Visitor V1) and found them useful so I want to contribute to the community by sharing my recent experience applying in Mexico City.
Background:
*On December, 2015 I was denied a US B1/B2 visa (my second denial, still without a US Visa) so I figured I might visit Canada instead; my intended dates of travel are in the summer next year, I'm only staying for a week and I'm the only one travelling. I am 25 years old, mexican citizen, single, no previous travel history.
*My mother lives in the US under an Employment Authorization Card and the rest of my family (father and siblings live in MX but I live by myself).
*No family or acquaintances in Canada.
Application:
I applied for a tourist visa (on paper) using the VFS Global Center in Mexico City. I submitted my application on Dec. 21st @ ~4PM and was told that there was a mistake in my application so I paid the service fee to have the VFS correct the form and send it to the embassy in MX City. The next day, I tracked my application using the website (that same day I turned the papers in, the tracking part of the website was down) and it said my application was at the Visa Office in the Embassy at MX City. Thursday (Dec. 24th) my application was already on its way back to the VFS center. I thought it was a denial because it was processed in 2 days but to my pleasant surprise, it was accepted for the remaining validity on my passport (6 years). Very expedient and pleasant process.
Summary of Timeline:
Dec 21, 2015 - 4PM: Submitted application for a visitor visa on paper through the VFS Center in MX City
Dec. 22, 2015- Application arrived at the Visa Office in the Embassy of Canada in MX City and online tracking marked "being processed"
Dec. 23, 2015 - Tracking status still marked "being processed"
Dec 24, 2015 - 10AM: Processed passport was en route back to the VFS Center
Dec 24, 2015 - 1PM: Passport ready for pick up at the VFS (Visa approved ;D)
Note: Processing times for MX City as stated on the CIC website are 6 days. I guess applying during low travel season and through the VFS made my application get resolved faster.
I submitted as evidence:
*Proof of full time Bachelor's enrollment at my two universities (working on two different degrees at the moment, about a year to finish one of them and about 2 years to finish the second one)
*Proof of a research assistantship contract with the National Council for Science and Tech (this is a yearly renewal, this current contract expires around Feb. 2016) and pays about $150 CAD per month
*Bank statements for the last 5 months showing monthly income of >$2000 CAD
*Mom's letter of financial support (stating she will pay my vacation expenses and her proof of income- funds available to me from her side are upto $9000 CAD)
*Some proof of this year's research projects I've worked on
*A proposed itinerary showing sites, costs, addresses, and hours of places I want to visit
So to close this up...very happy Canada recognized that I am a legitimate visitor, their application format in my opinion helped me to prove ties and legitimate reasons for travel. The US process is very closed-minded and the consular interviews in my opinion are unfair, they don't let you present all the evidence. I did not need to be interviewed for my Canadian visa.
So my advice: if you guys qualify for a visa, go for it, just include all relevant evidence and don't be discouraged if you've been denied to the US, you can still get a CA visa like in my case. Good luck to you all.
Background:
*On December, 2015 I was denied a US B1/B2 visa (my second denial, still without a US Visa) so I figured I might visit Canada instead; my intended dates of travel are in the summer next year, I'm only staying for a week and I'm the only one travelling. I am 25 years old, mexican citizen, single, no previous travel history.
*My mother lives in the US under an Employment Authorization Card and the rest of my family (father and siblings live in MX but I live by myself).
*No family or acquaintances in Canada.
Application:
I applied for a tourist visa (on paper) using the VFS Global Center in Mexico City. I submitted my application on Dec. 21st @ ~4PM and was told that there was a mistake in my application so I paid the service fee to have the VFS correct the form and send it to the embassy in MX City. The next day, I tracked my application using the website (that same day I turned the papers in, the tracking part of the website was down) and it said my application was at the Visa Office in the Embassy at MX City. Thursday (Dec. 24th) my application was already on its way back to the VFS center. I thought it was a denial because it was processed in 2 days but to my pleasant surprise, it was accepted for the remaining validity on my passport (6 years). Very expedient and pleasant process.
Summary of Timeline:
Dec 21, 2015 - 4PM: Submitted application for a visitor visa on paper through the VFS Center in MX City
Dec. 22, 2015- Application arrived at the Visa Office in the Embassy of Canada in MX City and online tracking marked "being processed"
Dec. 23, 2015 - Tracking status still marked "being processed"
Dec 24, 2015 - 10AM: Processed passport was en route back to the VFS Center
Dec 24, 2015 - 1PM: Passport ready for pick up at the VFS (Visa approved ;D)
Note: Processing times for MX City as stated on the CIC website are 6 days. I guess applying during low travel season and through the VFS made my application get resolved faster.
I submitted as evidence:
*Proof of full time Bachelor's enrollment at my two universities (working on two different degrees at the moment, about a year to finish one of them and about 2 years to finish the second one)
*Proof of a research assistantship contract with the National Council for Science and Tech (this is a yearly renewal, this current contract expires around Feb. 2016) and pays about $150 CAD per month
*Bank statements for the last 5 months showing monthly income of >$2000 CAD
*Mom's letter of financial support (stating she will pay my vacation expenses and her proof of income- funds available to me from her side are upto $9000 CAD)
*Some proof of this year's research projects I've worked on
*A proposed itinerary showing sites, costs, addresses, and hours of places I want to visit
So to close this up...very happy Canada recognized that I am a legitimate visitor, their application format in my opinion helped me to prove ties and legitimate reasons for travel. The US process is very closed-minded and the consular interviews in my opinion are unfair, they don't let you present all the evidence. I did not need to be interviewed for my Canadian visa.
So my advice: if you guys qualify for a visa, go for it, just include all relevant evidence and don't be discouraged if you've been denied to the US, you can still get a CA visa like in my case. Good luck to you all.