H1 Visa stamping experience- Canada

Hello Minxx

Thank you for your post. It gave a lot of great information and I appreciate you taking the time to inform us all on ImmigrationPortal about your experience!! I have one quick question, do the consular offices take the I-94 from your passport before issuing the H1-B visa?


Thanks!

 
H1 stamping in Canada (currently on L1 )

Hi,

I've been living in the US since last 2.5 yrs on L1 visa, have been getting paid for all the months and have W2s. I'd applied for H1B on 2006 and got it aproved for Consular processing. I've sheduled an appointment at Chennai consulate for Feb2nd.

I recently came to know about the advantages of stamping in Canda and also the risks in Chennai.

Now, without cancelling the appointment at Chennai, can I apply for the visa stamping in Canada? How long it will take to get an appointment?

I have a BE degree and PG diploma in Management, my profession is Sales and Marketing.

My L1 is valid till feb 28th. For some reasons, if H1 doesn't get stamped, Can I enter US on my existing L1 visa?

Appreciate your advice

Sam
 
Yes

You can apply for visa appointment in Canada without canceling visa appointment in Chennai, lot of my friends did that way. But all of them got their visas in canada and later ended up in canceling visa appointment in Chennai. You should be able to get visa appointment for the next 6-8 weeks in canada. All the best
 
Paula Zahn on discrimination

As posted by another user on murthy's forum.
"
Watch CNN's Paula Zahn show tonight at 8pm EST. They are going to expose how the FBI is "intentionally" delaying Visa applications from people they don't like ...."

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/paula.zahn.now/

I have been waiting in Vancouver for 31 days due to this BS. I sent my story to Paula Zahn. I urge all others affected by this to post your stories.
 
preliminary approval

my appt. is coming up shortly

i read people saying they would be given "preliminary approval" from u.s consulate while their application is under admin processing or 221g.

when someone gets 221g, does papers like passport,h1b document be with the VO's or they would give it back to the applicant?

And when someone gets a preliminary approval, can they comeback to U.S using that and then go back to pickup the visa?

thank you
 
To bryan26

What is this "preliminary approval" ? Where did you hear about it? Can you provide some links or more information? --Thanks.
 
RE: Paula Zahn on discrimination

Anybody has a link where I can find the video of this news article? I watched it yesterday but missed the first few mins and I do not recall FBI saying they are "intentionally" delaying for certain group of people. May be I missed that part. -- Thanks.
 
user28,

Off course FBI denied that they intentionally do it. Their spokesman said that they don't even know the religion of the applicant. However, nobody asked him that isn't it very easy to figure out what the religion of Mr. Abdullah is who was born in Pakistan? It wasn't a good debate or discussion...
Anyway... the preliminary approval that has been mentioned is probably what the VO says that the visa is approved but the checks have to be done. They can't issue the visa until 221(g) is approved - I have not heard about any such case. Hundreds of people are still stuck outside US to get that approval.
 
Successful H1 stamping at Ottawa

Hello,
My wife and I attended H1 stamping at Ottawa consulate on 17th and it as successful. Mine is H1 7th year extension and my wife's is H4 to H1. The interview was successful. The VO was very cool and she asked very few formal questions and asked us to pick our passports next day. We picked up our passports on 18th at 3:00. I will post more details when I get back.
 
Congratulations...

Your posting is very encouraging to me. When you are back then can you please post more details such as:

o Did you file I-824 to notify the change of consulate before you go there for your wife's H1 approval notice?.

o Was the old H4 stamping on your wife's passport expired?.

I am on my 8th year extension and my wife's H1 got approved last year around Sep but without the I-94. Both of ours stamping on our passport got expired (for me H1 and for her h4). Next month we are planning to goto Vancouver for stamping.
 
visa stamping in Ottawa

My wife and I are travelling to Ottawa,Canada next week for H1 and H4 visa stamping. Do I have to fill two separate D156 forms for each of us, I added her as my dependent while taking the visa appointment.

Thanks.
 
Hello kavipura,
Both of our visas in the passports expired and we did not have to file any I-824, as my wife's I-797 petition has I-94 attached to it.
 
Successful Visa Stamping at Ottawa (h1 reval & h4 to h1)

Our appointment was at 8:00 AM on 17th at the Consulate and we drove from Albany, NY to Ottawa via Lansdowne port of entry on 16th evening. We had to complete the formalities at the Canadian Immigration post as we were landing in Canada as Immigrants. We reached Ottawa about 11:00 PM and checked in to the Clarion hotel in GATINEAU, which is about 10 min drive from the consulate. I found Ottawa downtown is a very confusing and easy to get lost.

We took a cab on 17th morning from the hotel and we reached there about 7:30, the fare was $16. It was freezing cold and the temperature was almost -10 and we were allowed into Consulate anout 7:40. They do not allow any thing except for the documents (no lip balm, glue stick, ladies hand bags, cell phones, office bags, laptop bags, chewing gums , etc... are allowed). My wife had to throw her hand bag, nothing in it. They don't let you throw anything in the consulate surroundings. We were security checked, and allowed in to consulate. There were about 4 people ahead of me in the consulate.

at about 7:50, counter 7 was opened and the person is collecting the passport, I-797, Application, DS-157, $100 fee. My wife and I are next to each other in the line to pay the fee. The fee receipt will be given at the time of interview. At about 8:05 counter 2 was opened and a tall guy with serious look started taking interviews. He sounded very serious, but ok. No queries and no rejects, but taking his own time to make sure everything before he issues the visa. He was asking many questions, but the regular expected questions.

People were called in for interview randomly, he called some who came in after us. At about 9:00 window 3 was opened and at 9:20 window 1. They both are ladies. The officer at window 3 was very jovial and she was joking and providing some directions to places as well. We were waiting, waiting and waiting finally my wife's name was called at about 9:35 from the counter 1. My wife's case is H4 to H1.

VO: so you landed in to Canada as Immigrant yesterday?
me: yes maam.

VO: When did you come to US.
my wife: xx-xx-xxxx

VO: How long have you been working
my wife: 4 months

VO: which company do you work for?
my wife: xyz

VO: where?
my wife: abc city

VO: so, you were temperorily there? (as home address is different in the application)
my wife: yes

VO: Where does your husband work?
my wife: xxx

VO: What does your husband do?
my wife: abc

VO: what do you do and your responsibilities?
my wife: blah blah blah...

VO: Can I see the letter that was submitted by your employer, to INS along with your H1B petition.
my wife: yes, and she gave it to her.

Then she looked at it and went way from the counter with the documents and was talking to another person, she came back after 5 min and gave the letter and I-797 back with a token (red color), and asked to collect the passport the next day.

My wife saw my application on VO desk, so she told me that I am next at counter-1. I was called in couple minutes.

me: Good Morning
VO: very good morning

VO: so you landed in to Canada as Immigrant yesterday?
me: yes maam.

VO: How long have you been in US.
me: 6.5 years

VO: Did you have your GC process pending more than year.
me: yes maam. I have my labor pending more than one year. I have the doc if you like to look at it.

VO: What is the priority date?
me: I was trying to recall my priority date.

VO: Can I see the doc.
me: I gave her the document.

VO: What do you do?
me: I am a computer systems analyst. I do blah, blah, blah.. 20 sec.

VO: How long have you been working for this employer?
me: almost 2.5 years

VO: Do you work at your office's corporate office or clinet location.
me: I work at Client's place.

VO: Who is the client?
me: abc

VO: You can pick up your passport tomorrow at 3:00 PM.
me: Thank you maam.

VO: good day
me: thanks, you too have a good day

My interview was about a minute. We collected our passports the next day about 2:50. It was very cool.

Be confident and keep every possible document with you and the VOs and interviews are very cool.

The worst part and I didn't like was the Interview hall was very small in a very huge palace like building.

I hope this helps and good luck to you all. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
hi aboppana ,
was your H1B stamping a 7th yr H1 since your USA GC case was pending?
I have an approved 140 and but am pending a 485 due to retrogression. But this is only my 4th yr (extension) H1-b ...do you think i shuld carry my LC and 140 papers?
 
Thank you so much aboppana...

I am sure, your posting will be useful for lot of people.

Last few questions:-

o Do you mind sharing, how much experience your wife was having before applying for h1-b. Did she work in US before on some other visa?.

o Did your wife also did MS in US?.

Our case is bit different than yours. My wife's I-797 approval doesn't have I-94 attached and She didn't have experience from US before neither she did her MS here ....
 
aboppana said:
I don't think they will ask you for your Labor or I-140, but I would caryy just in case.

Another question,if I am waiting to apply for 485 because of retrogression.In that case should my spouse answer as YES or NO in the the field on the DS-156 asking "Has anyone filed an immigration petition for you? "
 
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