Hello,
Been following this forum for years now, but first time to post. Got some questions regarding my family's TD visa, and hope to get some advices from the members.
Got our TN/TD extension recently before our visas expired (my company applied our visa by mail to USCIS; our previous visa expired yesterday, April 13). My family and I reside here in Michigan. Since my wife and son are Canadian Perm Residents, we were told that as long as they won't travel outside of the US, they won't be needing a visa stamp from US consulate.
We regularly cross the border to visit friends in Canada. So I decided to apply them for a visa stamp, to be able to obtain I-94 stamp for multiple entry. I submitted their DS-160 yesterday (April 13, after our previous visa validity expired), and applied for visa renewal at the US consulate-Canada website, since my understanding is our visa was technically extended, and was not given a new visa. I was surprised that the system didn't give me an option to schedule an interview date, and instead instructed us to mail their passports and documents to the consulate (their previous TD Visa application required them to have an interview at the consulate. They did the application before their visas expire).
My questions are:
Been following this forum for years now, but first time to post. Got some questions regarding my family's TD visa, and hope to get some advices from the members.
Got our TN/TD extension recently before our visas expired (my company applied our visa by mail to USCIS; our previous visa expired yesterday, April 13). My family and I reside here in Michigan. Since my wife and son are Canadian Perm Residents, we were told that as long as they won't travel outside of the US, they won't be needing a visa stamp from US consulate.
We regularly cross the border to visit friends in Canada. So I decided to apply them for a visa stamp, to be able to obtain I-94 stamp for multiple entry. I submitted their DS-160 yesterday (April 13, after our previous visa validity expired), and applied for visa renewal at the US consulate-Canada website, since my understanding is our visa was technically extended, and was not given a new visa. I was surprised that the system didn't give me an option to schedule an interview date, and instead instructed us to mail their passports and documents to the consulate (their previous TD Visa application required them to have an interview at the consulate. They did the application before their visas expire).
My questions are:
- Did I do it right? Or I should have not selected renewal for their visa application?
- It says that they will review the documents first before determining if an interview is needed. If they decided that an interview is needed, they should return their passports, right? As stated, my family resides in the US. If the consulate keep their passport pending interview, then my family can't cross the border for the interview. My plan is to pick up their passport from our Canadian mailing address, since the consulate can only deliver it within Canada.
- Should I call the consulate and ask to schedule their inteview instead, than sending their documents to them? Just to be sure that they have their passports and can cross the border for the interview.