Applying for USA B visas from canada - first time

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kalim71

New Member
Apologies if this is not the right forum
Here is my situation;
I am Canadian PR
I am a graduate student and need to go to USA for Conference (this is my first time)
Is it B1 visa that i apply for?
My spouse wants to travel to USA with me ( no purpose but just accompanying me and visiting USA) - this is also the first time
Does my spouse also apply for the same B1 visa
Can we also take our child with us?

Please suggest what are the documents required and what are the chances? I dont want to jeopardize my chances of getting visa because of my family, I must go to this conference. I am funded for the conference and my family is not, but we can show enough funds for all of us

Thanks again, and looking forward for comments
 
Both of you need to apply for B-2 visas. You need to document your financial and social ties to Canada. Assuming your child is a Canadian citizen, he/she only needs a passport.

kalim71 said:
Please suggest what are the documents required and what are the chances? I dont want to jeopardize my chances of getting visa because of my family, I must go to this conference. I am funded for the conference and my family is not, but we can show enough funds for all of us
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thanks
I assume that our social ties would be our study at the university of job . No the child is also PR , I dont know what difference would that make
 
kalim71 said:
thanks
I assume that our social ties would be our study at the university of job . No the child is also PR , I dont know what difference would that make
Click to expand...

MOST Canadian citizens do not need a visa. Only Canadians who have a criminal ground or a U.S. immigration violation that requires a waiver, would need a visa (and waiver).

It also matters what country you hold a valid passport from as to whether or not you need a visa. SEE: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html
 
yes child would need visa on her own pp. thank you.
the only thing worrying me is the social and economic ties as this is not our home country

all we have here is job, study and some money in a bank. we dont have relatives and realstate
 
As permanent residents in Canada, there is lttle to cause you to overstay in the U.S. You are a married couple, neither has any basis to apply for adjustment of status. You can't even apply for asylum, because of being firmly resettled in Canada and the U.S.-Canada third safe country agreemenmt. Neither is married to a USC and no other family relationship would allow you to file for adjustment.

The only possibility would be for at least one of you to qualify for change of status to H1-B or L visas. If you qualified as L's your company would sponsor you so that leaves H1-B and the cap has been reached so you couldn't stay in status long enough to change status. You are already a grad student in Canada so, becoming a student in the U.S. would be kind of pointless (redundant). Once you have a professional degree and Canadian citizenship TN would be a viable option to come to the U.S. in the future, IF that were even a desire at all.

I think you have a strong case to show ties to Canada. You have jobs and are in grad school. Is your child in school too, he was not born in Canada so he is probably not a baby? One last thing, where is the Conference? Is it a desireable vacation destination for you and your spouse? Vegas, NYC, Orlando????
 
Speak with the university's office that handles international student and faculty issues. Even though you do not fall within their normal processing, they likely have seen similar questions before. Since you are likely going to the conference on behalf of the university, I would expect them to be able to answer your questions.
 
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