Successful 7th year H1-B stamping in Ottawa, Canada
Folks -
I made another pilgrimage to Canada to get my passport stamped - for my "7th year" extension. This time around I went to Ottawa - having been previously to the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver. Since I also visited Montreal on this trip, I am in serious danger of running out of Canadian cites to visit!
On a more serious note - the process went very smoothly. I showed up around 9:00 for my 9:30 appointment. It really did not matter as the guard was letting people on a general 'first come first served' basis with out regard to appointment timings. After ensuring that I had no electronic equipment of any sort (and that includes 'remote' car keys) I went in and had the documents reviewed by the guard. Next stop was to pay $100 fee. Then on to get fingerprinted. Finally was called for the "interview" which lasted less than a minute - the only question was what I did for my employer. After I described what I did - the gentleman asked if I had a letter form my employer, which I did. That was it, I was asked to pay the $50 reciprocity fee and come back at 3:00 PM. I was out of the building a little after 10:00. I showed up at 2:45 and the passport was ready for pick up. The process was very painless and people quite friendly.
Disclaimer: Take this for what its worth. I have clear paperwork and have been in status through out. Your mileage may vary!
A few general notes: I expected Ottawa to be a sleepy capital city and was quite surprised at how vibrant it was. There are ton of things to do nearby and the "market" area nrar by is chock full or outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars if you are so inclined. Montreal is a two hour drive from Ottawa.
Folks -
I made another pilgrimage to Canada to get my passport stamped - for my "7th year" extension. This time around I went to Ottawa - having been previously to the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver. Since I also visited Montreal on this trip, I am in serious danger of running out of Canadian cites to visit!
On a more serious note - the process went very smoothly. I showed up around 9:00 for my 9:30 appointment. It really did not matter as the guard was letting people on a general 'first come first served' basis with out regard to appointment timings. After ensuring that I had no electronic equipment of any sort (and that includes 'remote' car keys) I went in and had the documents reviewed by the guard. Next stop was to pay $100 fee. Then on to get fingerprinted. Finally was called for the "interview" which lasted less than a minute - the only question was what I did for my employer. After I described what I did - the gentleman asked if I had a letter form my employer, which I did. That was it, I was asked to pay the $50 reciprocity fee and come back at 3:00 PM. I was out of the building a little after 10:00. I showed up at 2:45 and the passport was ready for pick up. The process was very painless and people quite friendly.
Disclaimer: Take this for what its worth. I have clear paperwork and have been in status through out. Your mileage may vary!
A few general notes: I expected Ottawa to be a sleepy capital city and was quite surprised at how vibrant it was. There are ton of things to do nearby and the "market" area nrar by is chock full or outdoor cafes, restaurants and bars if you are so inclined. Montreal is a two hour drive from Ottawa.
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