Successful H1B stamping in Vancouver Nov 14

[vmodugul]

My spouse and I went to Vancouver to get our H1B stamp. I was on my 7th year H1B extension and this was my 3rd H1B stamp. His was a 2nd H1 stamp.
The whole process was very smooth. I feel that you dont have to worry if you have all the documents in place and if you have never been in status.
There were 2 officers, one a grumpy American and an Indian guy. The Indian officer seemed very nice and patient. Ofcourse I got the grumpy guy. He asked me a lot of questions about my job (what does your company do, what do you do, what methods do you use to do the work, what does your husband do etc). He asked to see my paystubs and then granted the visa.
There were several people there in the consulate and I didnt see anybody get rejected!! We were told to pick up the visas at 3:00pm the same day.
Here are a few important things to keep in mind:
1. DO NOT TAKE ANY BAGS or SEALED ENVELOPS. The security guard was very strict. He kept repeating the rules every few mins. There were still a handful of people who sneaked in their purses. He got really mad and sent them to the end of the line and make people wait for another hour to get in.
2. There is a cafe in front of the consulate. They were storing people's personal belongings for $5. I dont know if they do this regularly.
3. This consulate accepts cash only. Dont bring money orders for the $100 fee.

 

[maruti0421]

H1B stamping in 8th year of extension

I am in a similar situation as yours and need some guidance. I will be applying for my 8th year of H1B (2nd year of extension) in April 2006. I am planning to visit India sometime next year but visa on my passport has already expired. The last time I got visa stamped from India when I was still within six year H1B limit. I have following questions if you or someone can please answer-
(1) Are there any problems getting visa while you are on extension?
(2) What do you respond when asked whether you have applied for GC or not on your H1B visa application?
(3) Do you have to go to home country only to get visa stamped or can you go to Canada?
(4) What additional documentation you need for visa stamping while you are on extension?
(5) Why do lawyers are ususally against travelling out of US when you are on H1B extension?

Thanks.

 

[vmodugul]

Here are answers to your questions:
1. I dont think there is any issue with getting a visa stamp when you are on an extension. I am almost in the same boat as you. We will apply for my 8th year extension in March 2006. I needed a stamp now to be able to travel
2. I replied that my greencard is in process. The officer did notask me about that this time, but when I got my stamping done in 2004, they casually asked if I applied for GC. I said "yes". The officer said "It sounds like a good idea because you are running out of your 6 year limit"

3. You can apply in Canada / Mexico or in India. The only problem is that you cannot enter US if the visa gets rejected for any reason. The chances of this hapenning are really low unless you have issues.

4. The only additional information is a copy of your labor / greencard receipt to prove that you are eligible for the 7th year extension. This is anyway a part of the H1 B application package that your employer used for getting your visa extension

5. My lawyer had no issue with me traveling. There is a problem if you travel while the visa is in process, but I dont think there is a problem otherwise.

Relax...getting a visa stamp is not a big deal for most people. Make sure you book your appointment in advance.

 

[maruti0421]

One more question

First thanks for the quick response.
One more questions I have. Is it difficult to get Canadaian visa when US visa on your passport is already expired? I have also heard that when you get an appointment letter from US consulate it clearly articulates that if your H1B visa has expired on your passport please go to your home country to get visa stamped. Is that correct?

Thanks once again.

 

[vmodugul]

Getting a visitor visa to Canada is a piece of cake. In the "purpose of the trip" question you can say that you are going to the consulate to get the visa stamp. I did this twice and both times didnt have a problem getting the visitor visa.

It is OK to go to Canada for the visa unless all your education was done in India. In that case, you should get somebody to verify your credentials (prove that your 4 year degree in India is equivivalent to a BS here etc)

 

[maxblacks]

psl clarify....

I thought there were some rules changes, ppl with expired visa have to go to home country to revlaidate unless you have education from US Univ.

Has the rules changed again !!!!!

Getting a visitor visa to Canada is a piece of cake. In the "purpose of the trip" question you can say that you are going to the consulate to get the visa stamp. I did this twice and both times didnt have a problem getting the visitor visa.

It is OK to go to Canada for the visa unless all your education was done in India. In that case, you should get somebody to verify your credentials (prove that your 4 year degree in India is equivivalent to a BS here etc)