Successful Stamping Vancouver
A lot of thanks to the members and moderators, of this forum for the information regarding immigration procedures and experiences.
Am on H1B/H4 in the US for the last 5 years. Had to do my Canadian immigration and at the same time get the new H1/H4 stamped.
We drove from Oregon to Bellingham WA (Used our own car) and halted at Bellingham, WA for the night. The plan was to cross over at Blaine WA through the Peace Arch crossing between 9 am – 10 am when the traffic was at the minimum.
US Consulate: Reached the consulate 30 mins before the appointment. PLEASE follow the rules regarding what not to take to the consulate. Like cell phones, bags, etc as instructed in the appointment letter. They are very strict about it. They did the security check and sent us to the 1 floor where we gave our PP and papers and $100 each . As per the instructions for H1 case only hand over the passport, I797 and appropriate DS forms at that time along with the fees. They handed us a number. In 40-45 mins they called our number and we lined up for the lift to the 20th floor. At the 20th floor there was another security check after which we had to take a seat in a narrow corridor just facing the VO cabin.
When our number was called: The version here is a condensed version as most of the time the VO and I were talking about other stuff.
Me: Hello and good afternoon officer:
VO: Hi
Looked at the passport and DS forms. Did something on the computer.
VO: So you were in Kenya, How did u get to that place?
Me. Actually I was born there and my Dad blah blah…..
VO. I was also there in such a such year.
Me: Oh really….. I think that was around the time they had a terrorist attack.
We again talked about it for a min or so. As I have traveled a lot of countries he was interested and asked me some info about it and the coincidence was that he had been to all those countries.
VO: so what do you do at your company?
Me: Blah blah blah……Blah blah blah….. and again some blah blah blah
VO: Do you like Oregon or NJ (My company is based in NJ while I have been working in OR for the last couple of years).
Me: I love Oregon… Life is a little slow and it is a very beautiful state.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Again we went back to talking about other places We have visited. At this point I just could not stop from cracking a joke and told him that “Either I am following you or you are following me to all these places and of all the places we are now meeting in Vancouver , so which is it ? and we all started laughing.
But the VO was pretty smart and somewhere he threw me a curve and asked me my wife’s birth date. As I was a bit tensed I gave the correct date but the wrong month and I goofed up big time. Then he asked me about our anniversary. I looked into his eyes and told him “ I always advice my friends never to ask me my anniversary date when my wife is around because after 10 years of marriage most of the husbands get selective memory loss” and again he got a good laugh.
Well it was strike 2 and I goofed up again correct date wrong month since I was so focused on myself I kept giving the month I was born in.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Vo: Can I have your pay stubs ?
Me. Yes here you go ?
VO: looking at my wife … Is he taking good care of you
Wife: Definitely… he is a little forgetful which I can’t change but takes really good care of me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
again we started talking about some non related stuff….
For a couple of seconds there was a pause and he jokingly told me to take very good care of my wife as she is the reason he is giving me the visa. He gave me the red slip and asked me to pay the fees and pick up the passport the next day.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Me: thank you very much and lets hope we meet again in future in some other country!
Next day we picked up the passport and drove back to the US
Folks: some advice I would give is to have your paper work straight. Don’t be tensed and have an answer or all the possible questions. Take your time … and try to have a jovial mood.
Kali
A lot of thanks to the members and moderators, of this forum for the information regarding immigration procedures and experiences.
Am on H1B/H4 in the US for the last 5 years. Had to do my Canadian immigration and at the same time get the new H1/H4 stamped.
We drove from Oregon to Bellingham WA (Used our own car) and halted at Bellingham, WA for the night. The plan was to cross over at Blaine WA through the Peace Arch crossing between 9 am – 10 am when the traffic was at the minimum.
US Consulate: Reached the consulate 30 mins before the appointment. PLEASE follow the rules regarding what not to take to the consulate. Like cell phones, bags, etc as instructed in the appointment letter. They are very strict about it. They did the security check and sent us to the 1 floor where we gave our PP and papers and $100 each . As per the instructions for H1 case only hand over the passport, I797 and appropriate DS forms at that time along with the fees. They handed us a number. In 40-45 mins they called our number and we lined up for the lift to the 20th floor. At the 20th floor there was another security check after which we had to take a seat in a narrow corridor just facing the VO cabin.
When our number was called: The version here is a condensed version as most of the time the VO and I were talking about other stuff.
Me: Hello and good afternoon officer:
VO: Hi
Looked at the passport and DS forms. Did something on the computer.
VO: So you were in Kenya, How did u get to that place?
Me. Actually I was born there and my Dad blah blah…..
VO. I was also there in such a such year.
Me: Oh really….. I think that was around the time they had a terrorist attack.
We again talked about it for a min or so. As I have traveled a lot of countries he was interested and asked me some info about it and the coincidence was that he had been to all those countries.
VO: so what do you do at your company?
Me: Blah blah blah……Blah blah blah….. and again some blah blah blah
VO: Do you like Oregon or NJ (My company is based in NJ while I have been working in OR for the last couple of years).
Me: I love Oregon… Life is a little slow and it is a very beautiful state.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Again we went back to talking about other places We have visited. At this point I just could not stop from cracking a joke and told him that “Either I am following you or you are following me to all these places and of all the places we are now meeting in Vancouver , so which is it ? and we all started laughing.
But the VO was pretty smart and somewhere he threw me a curve and asked me my wife’s birth date. As I was a bit tensed I gave the correct date but the wrong month and I goofed up big time. Then he asked me about our anniversary. I looked into his eyes and told him “ I always advice my friends never to ask me my anniversary date when my wife is around because after 10 years of marriage most of the husbands get selective memory loss” and again he got a good laugh.
Well it was strike 2 and I goofed up again correct date wrong month since I was so focused on myself I kept giving the month I was born in.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Vo: Can I have your pay stubs ?
Me. Yes here you go ?
VO: looking at my wife … Is he taking good care of you
Wife: Definitely… he is a little forgetful which I can’t change but takes really good care of me.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
again we started talking about some non related stuff….
For a couple of seconds there was a pause and he jokingly told me to take very good care of my wife as she is the reason he is giving me the visa. He gave me the red slip and asked me to pay the fees and pick up the passport the next day.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Me: thank you very much and lets hope we meet again in future in some other country!
Next day we picked up the passport and drove back to the US
Folks: some advice I would give is to have your paper work straight. Don’t be tensed and have an answer or all the possible questions. Take your time … and try to have a jovial mood.
Kali