Want to Visit the U.S. - here is the process we went through

[silver1968]

Not sure if this has been outlined here but we had some difficulty finding out the info so I thought I would show our steps to receive a U.S. visitors visa.

For folks here that have a PR card and would like to visit the U.S. but are NOT visa exempt.

The process is actually pretty straight forward…..once you know where to go to apply.

First step is to visit the following site and apply for the Nonimmigrant Visa (DS-160)

https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

There is a lot of information to fill out here but it is straight forward and has a pretty good FAQ as well as a help section when you get stumped.

You will be required to upload a recent photo and the one mistake we made was using a photo that was a few months old. Be sure to use a current one as the customs officer will look at the photo and if they feel the photo is to old they will send you to re-take the photo. Not a big deal but if you can avoid it you might as well.

Once your form is complete you will be able to print out your form….this is what you will take for your interview. YES…..there will be an interview 

So this is where we dropped the ball….for some reason I assumed we would be contacted to set up an interview….NOPE…..you need to pay the $160.00 visa fee and schedule the interview yourself. Go to the following site as soon as you complete and print out your DS-160.

https://usvisa-info.com/

You select the Nonimmigrant Visa Applicant tab and follow the directions. Again it’s very straight forward and the last step you will use your credit card to pay the fee. Once the fee is paid you will be given the opportunity to schedule your interview.

We did ours in Calgary and the next available interview spot was only 2 days away 

The interview itself was very simple. Basically if you are a PR in Canada it is really easy (well it was for us….no guarantee it will be the same). We went with all kinds of into to show that my wife had no intentions of staying in the U.S. Such as marriage certificate, Mortgage paperwork, business documents etc. They never asked to see any of it…. Long story short, they asked the following…

Where in the U.S. are you planning to go?
What is the reason for your visit?
What do you do in Canada?
Are you Married?

Once she told them she was PR and married to a Canadian the interview was over. All in all 5 min total time.

There was no way to know if we got the visa….or what the duration of the visa would be but they did ask for her to leave them her passport (obviously they were going to approve the visa as they need it to insert it into the passport) we were told that we would have it back in approx one week. About 3 days later we had a call from Loomis courier to pick it up. The visa she received was a 10 year visitor visa fixed inside her passport.

I hope this info helps and don’t hesitate to msg me up if you have any other questions.

 

[ramcal]

thank you for sharing

 

[gosia]

thanks

 

[wsongco]

What about if you're a temporary worker in Canada? Please share your experience and what are the questions and documents they ask. Thanks

 

[cnonline]

I hope this info helps and don't hesitate to msg me up if you have any other questions.

Very good and helpful summation of the experience. Good work. Thank you so much.

 

[viranee]

Not sure if this has been outlined here but we had some difficulty finding out the info so I thought I would show our steps to receive a U.S. visitors visa.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Biblo]

Thanks for sharing, indeed helpful...

 

[sailorgal]

What about if you're a temporary worker in Canada? Please share your experience and what are the questions and documents they ask. Thanks

I got my US visa wayback 2011 when i was still a live-in caregiver, same on how silver1968 did the process, i can recall the website wasn't very friendly but i was able to upload picture from my camera for the photo required.
Interview question were " How long have you been in Canada?", "Are You Married?", "do you have kids, how many"?, "are you sponsoring them?"
"what is the purpose of your visit to US"? "Which place are you planning to visit?"
Then the officer even told me that i got visa for 10 yrs. You just have to be patient lining up for the interview,was march when i went to Toronto for the interview and was cold lining up outside. It's worth all the effort though, i have already visited a lot of places in US.

passport should be handy when you file online the DS-160,You will be asked for information about your employer, including the employer’s address.

 

[may25]

What about if you're a temporary worker in Canada? Please share your experience and what are the questions and documents they ask. Thanks

Hi, I just ask i already received my AIP, what's next?
thank you wsongso GOD Bless

 

[wsongco]

Hi, I just ask i already received my AIP, what's next?
thank you wsongso GOD Bless

.

R
That's good. Are you single?

 

[may25]

.

R
That's good. Are you single?

Yes, single applicant

 

[gosia]

I have just submitted and got an interview for 1st week of Sep Real nervous coz i visited the states 6 years ago

 

[dr_ziad80]

Could i ask thus question

In your home country , if you apply with ur origional passport befor ur pr then how many years of visa do they usually give .? Is it a 10 year one ?

The reason im asking is do you think us give 10 years to all those.who have pr

 

[steaky]

Could i ask thus question

In your home country , if you apply with ur origional passport befor ur pr then how many years of visa do they usually give .? Is it a 10 year one ?

The reason im asking is do you think us give 10 years to all those.who have pr

Not necessary. USA has with each country, what it calls a Reciprocity Agreement. The agreement with Vietnam clearly states a B1/B2 visa of 12 months i.e 1 year. Here's the link:
http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/reciprocity-by-country/VM.html

 

[Msafiri]

Could i ask thus question

In your home country , if you apply with ur origional passport befor ur pr then how many years of visa do they usually give .? Is it a 10 year one ?

The reason im asking is do you think us give 10 years to all those.who have pr

Its up to the consular officer...some 'upgrade' you to the reciprocity for the citizens of the country in which you hold PR. So in this case if you are a Canadian PR they give you a 'Canadian Citizen' level visa issuance. They can also give you that of your home country, less than that of your home country or anywhere between the Canadian Citizen level and that of your home country. Most PRs never get to use it to the 10 year mark where issued as they naturalize and obtain a Canadian Passport before then.