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Visa Stamping from Canada/ Mexico
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H1b stamping in Toronto
I have my H1b extension stamped from Toronto US consulate and I would like to share my experience.
Before I start, my humble request to all is, to share your H1b stamping story with everyone here, even if it is successful or uneventful. It gives hope to people in these difficult times. It was surprising to see only a few cases from Toronto were reported in this forum whereas the average wait time to get an appointment in Toronto is around 50 days, which means there are definitely 100s of cases getting approved or rejected every week.
The instructions on how to book an appointment, fill DS 160, get photograph, get Canadian visitor visa etc. is available on internet. So I am not repeating that.
The interview was scheduled for a Monday – one of the morning slots. I drove across the border and reached Toronto a day before the interview date. Since I had a rental car, I decided not to use Uber or public transport in the morning. On the previous day, I drove around the embassy and nearby parking lots to make myself familiarize with the place. The traffic in Toronto is way too bad, so if you are planning to drive in the morning, make sure you start very early. Even though it is mentioned that you should not be reaching there no earlier than 15 minutes, nobody seems to be following it. Once you are in the queue, it is first come first serve. So use your discretion on when to arrive at the consulate.
No electronics are allowed inside the consulate including watch, keyless remote, cell phone etc. Wallets, file folders, jackets, belts are allowed though. Please check Toronto consulate website for detailed information. There is a locker facility in a nearby shop (beside the Tim Hortons on the same street) where you can keep your valuables. They charge 5 CA$, it seemed reasonable (most of the shops in Canada accept USD as well). If you need to grab some bite/coffee before the interview, you can get it from Tim Hortons.
The whole consulate process took less than half an hour.
First step – There is a counter outside the consulate where I was asked for my passport and DS 160. They verified the information and pasted a white slip with a bar code on top of the passport.
Second step - Security screening. It went smooth and I joined a queue inside the consulate.
Third step - The lady at the counter verified some information and kept my passport and I797 in a blue folder and asked me join another line for finger print.
Fourth step – Finger prints were taken and again another line for the interview
Fifth step (Interview) – The officer was very friendly, didn’t ask for any documents other than the blue folder. He asked me the below questions.
What is the purpose of the visit?
Are you currently staying in US?
Who is your previous employer?
Are you married? What is your wife’s visa status? Do you have any kids?
Then he said “You are qualified for the visa”. He kept my passport and gave me the I797 back along with another sheet with the instructions on how to get the passport back.
I was ready with all possible documents – whatever I could find out after reading through various forums, but none was asked.
The status changed to ‘Administrative Processing’ after the interview and then changed to ‘Issued’ and got a mail with a tracking number. Next day (Tue) afternoon, the package was picked up by postal service from the consulate. On Wednesday morning, the tracking status changed to ‘ready for pick up’ at the scheduled pick up location.
PS: I had a bad experience – there is a theft attempt on my rental car, which was parked in a garage near the consulate. Somebody broke the window and took my backpacks, but they couldn’t find anything valuable and left the bags in the same floor near the car. I have filed a claim with my insurance company and I may still have to pay the deductible. I think the thief was expecting to find electronic items, since there are a lot of people park their cars here for the consulate interview. This might not happen with everyone, but my advice is to stick with Uber or public transport if possible.
Before I start, my humble request to all is, to share your H1b stamping story with everyone here, even if it is successful or uneventful. It gives hope to people in these difficult times. It was surprising to see only a few cases from Toronto were reported in this forum whereas the average wait time to get an appointment in Toronto is around 50 days, which means there are definitely 100s of cases getting approved or rejected every week.
The instructions on how to book an appointment, fill DS 160, get photograph, get Canadian visitor visa etc. is available on internet. So I am not repeating that.
The interview was scheduled for a Monday – one of the morning slots. I drove across the border and reached Toronto a day before the interview date. Since I had a rental car, I decided not to use Uber or public transport in the morning. On the previous day, I drove around the embassy and nearby parking lots to make myself familiarize with the place. The traffic in Toronto is way too bad, so if you are planning to drive in the morning, make sure you start very early. Even though it is mentioned that you should not be reaching there no earlier than 15 minutes, nobody seems to be following it. Once you are in the queue, it is first come first serve. So use your discretion on when to arrive at the consulate.
No electronics are allowed inside the consulate including watch, keyless remote, cell phone etc. Wallets, file folders, jackets, belts are allowed though. Please check Toronto consulate website for detailed information. There is a locker facility in a nearby shop (beside the Tim Hortons on the same street) where you can keep your valuables. They charge 5 CA$, it seemed reasonable (most of the shops in Canada accept USD as well). If you need to grab some bite/coffee before the interview, you can get it from Tim Hortons.
The whole consulate process took less than half an hour.
First step – There is a counter outside the consulate where I was asked for my passport and DS 160. They verified the information and pasted a white slip with a bar code on top of the passport.
Second step - Security screening. It went smooth and I joined a queue inside the consulate.
Third step - The lady at the counter verified some information and kept my passport and I797 in a blue folder and asked me join another line for finger print.
Fourth step – Finger prints were taken and again another line for the interview
Fifth step (Interview) – The officer was very friendly, didn’t ask for any documents other than the blue folder. He asked me the below questions.
What is the purpose of the visit?
Are you currently staying in US?
Who is your previous employer?
Are you married? What is your wife’s visa status? Do you have any kids?
Then he said “You are qualified for the visa”. He kept my passport and gave me the I797 back along with another sheet with the instructions on how to get the passport back.
I was ready with all possible documents – whatever I could find out after reading through various forums, but none was asked.
The status changed to ‘Administrative Processing’ after the interview and then changed to ‘Issued’ and got a mail with a tracking number. Next day (Tue) afternoon, the package was picked up by postal service from the consulate. On Wednesday morning, the tracking status changed to ‘ready for pick up’ at the scheduled pick up location.
PS: I had a bad experience – there is a theft attempt on my rental car, which was parked in a garage near the consulate. Somebody broke the window and took my backpacks, but they couldn’t find anything valuable and left the bags in the same floor near the car. I have filed a claim with my insurance company and I may still have to pay the deductible. I think the thief was expecting to find electronic items, since there are a lot of people park their cars here for the consulate interview. This might not happen with everyone, but my advice is to stick with Uber or public transport if possible.
All Replies (5)
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