Halifax Nova Scotia H1-B visa stamping experience
If your appointment is before 10am make sure you have your Scotia bank receipt paid a day earlier since it opens up only at 10am.But keep in mind that a Scotia Bank branch is located 2 minutes away and you can even use the overpass bridge to get there without street walking.
The consulate is located in one of the two office buildings right on the harbor and next to the Nova Scotia casino.
Most of the hotels downtown is walking distance from there, some hotels like the Delta, and Marriot have even a connecting bridge that leads into these office buildings.
Our appointment was for 10 am, it was a 9th year H1-B revalidation, and Halifax does not do new H visas.
We got up to the 9th floor and the consulate is right there.
This very small consulate and I guess that’s the reason for the small amount of people scheduled for visa appointments there.
There were about 6 people in line when we got there and the security guard which is very kind by the way goes through your paper work to see if all is in place and asking for your appointment time, who ever shows up more than an hour and a half earlier is being asked to come back later.
After you enter the consulate you there is another security guard which will collect all your paper work, I was asked for the employer’s letter ,copy of approved LCA , I-129, marriage certificate and of course the I 797.
Than he will give you the receipt to pick up your passport for the next day.
I know from previous revalidations that the job he is doing is usually done by a consulate employee but I guess since it is a very small place he does it instead.
Once all docs are in place he will place it in window one and you are asked to take a sit in the waiting are that has no more than 15 seats.
First you will be called to that window for a full hand fingerprinting and asked to be seated again.
Then you are called to the second window for the interview and a single finger fingerprinting.
The interviewer is very pleasant and since it was my 4th Canada revalidation I didn’t find any of questions out the regular.
After a very short interview we were told that one of us can come the next day after 3pm to pick up the passports.
The next day I came over after 3pm to pick up the passport, there was no line and I walked right in. the same security guard gave me our passports, the I-797 was in an envelope stapled to the passport and I was told that the immigration officer will open it in the port of entry.
The security guard told me” that’s the way we do it in Halifax”.
Over whole very good experience, Halifax is a beautiful city nice clean and quite.
Good luck to all.
