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multi-entry visa
- Thread starter bsun
- Start date
Embassy of the United States of America, Ottawa, Canada
Public Announcement Concerning Visa Requirements for
Permanent Resident Aliens of the Commonwealth and Ireland
(Landed Immigrants) Residing in Canada
1. Beginning March 17, 2003, except as noted below, all landed immigrants in Canada seeking to enter the
United States as non-immigrants must possess a valid passport and non-immigrant visa in order to enter.
This requirement will apply to citizens of the following countries who were formerly exempt from visa
requirements:
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei
Cameroon
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New
Guinea
Samoa
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the
Grenadines
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom (its
colonies, territories,
and dependencies)
Vanuatu
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Please note: 1) Hong Kong nationals holding either British National Overseas or Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region passports will require visas. 2) The countries in bold italics participate in the Visa
Waiver Program. Citizens of those countries are not required to possess visas if they are traveling for business
or tourism and their stay will be less than 90 days. Non-Commonwealth landed immigrants who are citizens
of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are unaffected by this regulation change.
2. Effective immediately, U.S. consular sections in Canada will accept non-immigrant visa applications by
mail from landed immigrants residing in Canada who are citizens of the Commonwealth countries and
Ireland listed above. Information about applying for non-immigrant visas, and all necessary application
forms, can be found at the following Internet address: www.state.gov/travel. To find the application forms, go
to the “Visas” section on that page, and click on “Visa Forms.”
3. Commonwealth landed immigrants applying for non-immigrant visas must submit the following:
- evidence of landed immigrant status;
- a form DS-156, fully completed and signed. Separate forms must be submitted for each applicant, even if
applicants share a single passport;
- an application fee in the amount of $100.00 U.S. per applicant, paid in the form of a money order or certified
check to the U.S. Treasury (**see Toronto section below for special fee instructions for that consulate);
- a passport valid for travel to the U.S. The passport must have an expiration date at least 6 months beyond the
intended duration of the visit;
- 1 current (less than 6 months old) photo of the applicant, 37mm x 37mm (1.5 inches x 1.5 inches), full face,
without head covering, against a white background;
- in addition to the form DS-156, all male applicants between the ages of 16-45 must submit a completed and
signed form DS-157, with street addresses and telephone numbers where required;
- applicants for student (F or M) or exchange visitor (J) visas must also complete a form DS-158;
- any appropriate supporting documents, such as proof of employment or studies, home ownership or other
commitments in Canada, and evidence of any prior travel to the U.S.;
- applicants for student visas (F-1) must submit Form I-20, applicants for exchange visitor visas (J-1) must
submit Form DS-2019 (Form IAP-66, if issued and dated prior to August 31, 2002, is acceptable) and
applicants for H and L visas should submit Form I-797 and the supporting I-129;
(Note: All Forms I-20 and DS-2019 issued by the sponsoring institution or exchange program on or after
January 30, 2003, must be issued from within the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Student and
Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS-generated forms are easily identifiable by the bar code
on the right-hand side of the document. Unlike most prior versions of Forms I-20 and DS-2019, these are onepage
forms.);
- if applying by mail, a self-addressed stamped postal envelope, or a pre-paid express delivery envelope, must
be provided for the return of passports. Passports will be mailed only to Canadian addresses.
Further information about the application procedure, supporting documents, etc. can be obtained at this web
address: www.state.gov/travel. Go to the “Visas” section on that page, and click on “Visa Services for Foreign
Citizens.” Please do not call the Embassy or consulates with questions.
4. In situations where travel must be undertaken immediately, landed immigrants residing in Canada should
book an appointment for a visa interview. To book an appointment and obtain further information by e-mail,
use this web address: www.nvars.com (cost: CD 10.00), or call the following numbers in Canada: 1-900-451-
2778 (cost: CDN2.00/minute) or 1-888-840-0032 (cost: CDN1.50/minute with a credit card). Regardless of
whether a visa application is made by mail or in person, travel plans should not be finalized until the visa has
been issued, as some applications may take up to 60 days after receipt to process to completion.
5. Completed applications are to be submitted to the consular section with jurisdiction in the applicant’s place
of residence. Consular section areas of jurisdiction and addresses are as follows:
Consular Section, American Embassy Ottawa:
Eastern Ontario (Kingston, Lanark, Leeds,
Prescott, Renfrew, Russell, and Stormont)
Western Quebec (Gatineau, Hull, Labelle,
Papineau, Pontiac, Tamiscamingue, Baffin
Island, District of Franklin).
Mailing address: Consular Section, American
Embassy, PO Box 866, Station B, Ottawa,
ON K1P 5T1 (regular mail only)
American Consulate Vancouver: British
Columbia and Yukon Territory
Mailing address: 1095 W. Pender St., 21st Floor,
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 2M6
American Consulate Calgary: Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwest
Territories.
Mailing address: 615 Macleod Trail SE, Suite
1000, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4T8.
American Consulate Montreal: Southwestern
Quebec (except for those areas immediately east
of Ottawa)
Mailing address: NIV Unit – CLI Program, P.O.
Box 65, Postal Station Desjardins, Montreal,
Quebec H5B 1G1
American Consulate Toronto: Ontario (except
for areas east of Kingston)
Mailing address: 360 University Ave., Toronto,
ON M5G 154
**Individuals applying for visas in Toronto must
first deposit the $100.00 U.S. application fee at
any branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia
(Scotiabank) in Ontario. A special pre-coded 4-
part deposit slip (one per applicant) can be
downloaded from www.usembassycanada.gov
or www.amcits.com. It can also be obtained by
calling 1-900-451-2778, as part of the
appointment process at www.nvars.com, or in
person at 360 University, Toronto.
American Consulate Quebec: Northeastern
Quebec (including Abitibi-West, Abitibi-East,
St. Maurice, Trois Rivieres, Nicolet, Wolfe, and
Frontenac), Nunavut
Mailing address: 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin, Quebec
City, Quebec G1R 4T9
American Consulate Halifax: New Brunswick,
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward
Island
Mailing address: Suite 904, 1969 Upper Water
Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3R7
Public Announcement Concerning Visa Requirements for
Permanent Resident Aliens of the Commonwealth and Ireland
(Landed Immigrants) Residing in Canada
1. Beginning March 17, 2003, except as noted below, all landed immigrants in Canada seeking to enter the
United States as non-immigrants must possess a valid passport and non-immigrant visa in order to enter.
This requirement will apply to citizens of the following countries who were formerly exempt from visa
requirements:
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei
Cameroon
Cyprus
Dominica
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
India
Ireland
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New
Guinea
Samoa
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & the
Grenadines
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Swaziland
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad & Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom (its
colonies, territories,
and dependencies)
Vanuatu
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Please note: 1) Hong Kong nationals holding either British National Overseas or Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region passports will require visas. 2) The countries in bold italics participate in the Visa
Waiver Program. Citizens of those countries are not required to possess visas if they are traveling for business
or tourism and their stay will be less than 90 days. Non-Commonwealth landed immigrants who are citizens
of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are unaffected by this regulation change.
2. Effective immediately, U.S. consular sections in Canada will accept non-immigrant visa applications by
mail from landed immigrants residing in Canada who are citizens of the Commonwealth countries and
Ireland listed above. Information about applying for non-immigrant visas, and all necessary application
forms, can be found at the following Internet address: www.state.gov/travel. To find the application forms, go
to the “Visas” section on that page, and click on “Visa Forms.”
3. Commonwealth landed immigrants applying for non-immigrant visas must submit the following:
- evidence of landed immigrant status;
- a form DS-156, fully completed and signed. Separate forms must be submitted for each applicant, even if
applicants share a single passport;
- an application fee in the amount of $100.00 U.S. per applicant, paid in the form of a money order or certified
check to the U.S. Treasury (**see Toronto section below for special fee instructions for that consulate);
- a passport valid for travel to the U.S. The passport must have an expiration date at least 6 months beyond the
intended duration of the visit;
- 1 current (less than 6 months old) photo of the applicant, 37mm x 37mm (1.5 inches x 1.5 inches), full face,
without head covering, against a white background;
- in addition to the form DS-156, all male applicants between the ages of 16-45 must submit a completed and
signed form DS-157, with street addresses and telephone numbers where required;
- applicants for student (F or M) or exchange visitor (J) visas must also complete a form DS-158;
- any appropriate supporting documents, such as proof of employment or studies, home ownership or other
commitments in Canada, and evidence of any prior travel to the U.S.;
- applicants for student visas (F-1) must submit Form I-20, applicants for exchange visitor visas (J-1) must
submit Form DS-2019 (Form IAP-66, if issued and dated prior to August 31, 2002, is acceptable) and
applicants for H and L visas should submit Form I-797 and the supporting I-129;
(Note: All Forms I-20 and DS-2019 issued by the sponsoring institution or exchange program on or after
January 30, 2003, must be issued from within the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Student and
Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). SEVIS-generated forms are easily identifiable by the bar code
on the right-hand side of the document. Unlike most prior versions of Forms I-20 and DS-2019, these are onepage
forms.);
- if applying by mail, a self-addressed stamped postal envelope, or a pre-paid express delivery envelope, must
be provided for the return of passports. Passports will be mailed only to Canadian addresses.
Further information about the application procedure, supporting documents, etc. can be obtained at this web
address: www.state.gov/travel. Go to the “Visas” section on that page, and click on “Visa Services for Foreign
Citizens.” Please do not call the Embassy or consulates with questions.
4. In situations where travel must be undertaken immediately, landed immigrants residing in Canada should
book an appointment for a visa interview. To book an appointment and obtain further information by e-mail,
use this web address: www.nvars.com (cost: CD 10.00), or call the following numbers in Canada: 1-900-451-
2778 (cost: CDN2.00/minute) or 1-888-840-0032 (cost: CDN1.50/minute with a credit card). Regardless of
whether a visa application is made by mail or in person, travel plans should not be finalized until the visa has
been issued, as some applications may take up to 60 days after receipt to process to completion.
5. Completed applications are to be submitted to the consular section with jurisdiction in the applicant’s place
of residence. Consular section areas of jurisdiction and addresses are as follows:
Consular Section, American Embassy Ottawa:
Eastern Ontario (Kingston, Lanark, Leeds,
Prescott, Renfrew, Russell, and Stormont)
Western Quebec (Gatineau, Hull, Labelle,
Papineau, Pontiac, Tamiscamingue, Baffin
Island, District of Franklin).
Mailing address: Consular Section, American
Embassy, PO Box 866, Station B, Ottawa,
ON K1P 5T1 (regular mail only)
American Consulate Vancouver: British
Columbia and Yukon Territory
Mailing address: 1095 W. Pender St., 21st Floor,
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 2M6
American Consulate Calgary: Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwest
Territories.
Mailing address: 615 Macleod Trail SE, Suite
1000, Calgary, Alberta T2G 4T8.
American Consulate Montreal: Southwestern
Quebec (except for those areas immediately east
of Ottawa)
Mailing address: NIV Unit – CLI Program, P.O.
Box 65, Postal Station Desjardins, Montreal,
Quebec H5B 1G1
American Consulate Toronto: Ontario (except
for areas east of Kingston)
Mailing address: 360 University Ave., Toronto,
ON M5G 154
**Individuals applying for visas in Toronto must
first deposit the $100.00 U.S. application fee at
any branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia
(Scotiabank) in Ontario. A special pre-coded 4-
part deposit slip (one per applicant) can be
downloaded from www.usembassycanada.gov
or www.amcits.com. It can also be obtained by
calling 1-900-451-2778, as part of the
appointment process at www.nvars.com, or in
person at 360 University, Toronto.
American Consulate Quebec: Northeastern
Quebec (including Abitibi-West, Abitibi-East,
St. Maurice, Trois Rivieres, Nicolet, Wolfe, and
Frontenac), Nunavut
Mailing address: 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin, Quebec
City, Quebec G1R 4T9
American Consulate Halifax: New Brunswick,
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward
Island
Mailing address: Suite 904, 1969 Upper Water
Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3R7