People,
I was granted my H1b visa stamp at Toronto US Consulate with no problem.
They return the passport the next working day between 3-4pm. So that 3 day information posted at NVARS.com is not totally correct.
Here's what they asked me for a F-1 to H1B stamp.
1. DS-156
2. DS-157
3. 100$ fee receipt for the application payment that you need to pay at a Scotia bank branch before your interview - you'll get 3 copies from the bank.
There is one large branch at University Ave. so you could go there. There are 3 branches at walking distance that all open by 9:00 am. There is one branch that opens up at 8:00 am at King Street West - 5 blocks from the Consulate. The website for NovaScotia will tell you 8:30 am but this branch is open at 8:00 am. Get the receipt and walk over the US Consulate and line up and the rear end which is on Simcoe street. Show the guard the appt. letter and he'll let you in.
4. Copy of the complete petition that was sent to the INS for the I-797. Including LCA.
5. I-797 Original
6. Passport valid for atleast 6 months beyond the duration that you're asking the visa for.
7. Original Degree certificate from the US.
8. Transcript from the degree granting college in the US. Mine is a MS in Computer Science.
9. Last Year's W2 and recent paystub. They asked for these two things but did not look at it for even 2 seconds.
10. Letter from employer with joining date, salary and a request to issue a visa. This has to be a recent letter and is retained by the consulate.
11. I PP size photo stuck to the visa application with a light background.
12. LCA copy (this is part of the complete set of documents you sent to the INS
Things they did not ask me for:
1. Indian Degree
2. Tax returns and such stuff.
3. Previous years paystubs or W2
4. Previous I-797 ( I changed from F1 to H1 Status to H1 Status)
Questions they asked:
1. Since when have you been working for XYZ.
2. Is XYZ's CEO known to you ?
3. How did you land the job ? I said that XYZ used to be vendor for my previous company and there I met these guys.
4. How many people work in your company (One guy along with me who said '2 people' ran into some problems. I did not see him again so could not ask what happenned to him)
I suggest you pack your documents in order - I mean staple or put a clip on all the documents you give to the officer. I got yelled at (a bit) because I had kept all my documents in a lot of snazzy folders which are of no use. So you might as well save money and do the simple thing.
You are then given a slip and asked to pay $50 reciprocity fee upstairs. Give the receipt for fee back to the person who sent you up. Then you'll be asked to wait for fingerprinting. Another officer called me shortly for fingerprinting using this Live-Scan device.
That's it - you get a receipt and are asked to come the next working day at 3:00 and pick up the passport. I assume this means that you have been granted a visa.
The Bond Street Hotel is quite nice. It's on Dundas street and about 4 blocks from the US Consulate. Nice place too.
Summary: US Degree = Visa Granted.
EOM
I was granted my H1b visa stamp at Toronto US Consulate with no problem.
They return the passport the next working day between 3-4pm. So that 3 day information posted at NVARS.com is not totally correct.
Here's what they asked me for a F-1 to H1B stamp.
1. DS-156
2. DS-157
3. 100$ fee receipt for the application payment that you need to pay at a Scotia bank branch before your interview - you'll get 3 copies from the bank.
There is one large branch at University Ave. so you could go there. There are 3 branches at walking distance that all open by 9:00 am. There is one branch that opens up at 8:00 am at King Street West - 5 blocks from the Consulate. The website for NovaScotia will tell you 8:30 am but this branch is open at 8:00 am. Get the receipt and walk over the US Consulate and line up and the rear end which is on Simcoe street. Show the guard the appt. letter and he'll let you in.
4. Copy of the complete petition that was sent to the INS for the I-797. Including LCA.
5. I-797 Original
6. Passport valid for atleast 6 months beyond the duration that you're asking the visa for.
7. Original Degree certificate from the US.
8. Transcript from the degree granting college in the US. Mine is a MS in Computer Science.
9. Last Year's W2 and recent paystub. They asked for these two things but did not look at it for even 2 seconds.
10. Letter from employer with joining date, salary and a request to issue a visa. This has to be a recent letter and is retained by the consulate.
11. I PP size photo stuck to the visa application with a light background.
12. LCA copy (this is part of the complete set of documents you sent to the INS
Things they did not ask me for:
1. Indian Degree
2. Tax returns and such stuff.
3. Previous years paystubs or W2
4. Previous I-797 ( I changed from F1 to H1 Status to H1 Status)
Questions they asked:
1. Since when have you been working for XYZ.
2. Is XYZ's CEO known to you ?
3. How did you land the job ? I said that XYZ used to be vendor for my previous company and there I met these guys.
4. How many people work in your company (One guy along with me who said '2 people' ran into some problems. I did not see him again so could not ask what happenned to him)
I suggest you pack your documents in order - I mean staple or put a clip on all the documents you give to the officer. I got yelled at (a bit) because I had kept all my documents in a lot of snazzy folders which are of no use. So you might as well save money and do the simple thing.
You are then given a slip and asked to pay $50 reciprocity fee upstairs. Give the receipt for fee back to the person who sent you up. Then you'll be asked to wait for fingerprinting. Another officer called me shortly for fingerprinting using this Live-Scan device.
That's it - you get a receipt and are asked to come the next working day at 3:00 and pick up the passport. I assume this means that you have been granted a visa.
The Bond Street Hotel is quite nice. It's on Dundas street and about 4 blocks from the US Consulate. Nice place too.
Summary: US Degree = Visa Granted.
EOM