H1B In-person Interview in the US

[Eli15]

Hello, I am a Bulgarian citizen and a Canadian Permanent Resident currently residing in Canada. I recently applied for H1B sponsorship employment opportunities in the United States (US). A large number of US companies were highly interested in my application, yet were not willing to sponsor me for H1B visa unless I met with them in person. I immediately applied for a US Visitor Visa which I was denied. The US Consulate Representative had no reasons to believe that I would return back to Canada upon my travel to the States. I have been unemployed since I first came to Canada which was a year and a half ago despite the immense efforts that I have put forward to become a Canadian employee. I believe that this was the reason why I was denied a US Visitor Visa. It appeared to me that whether employed in Canada or not, there is no guarantee that a Visitor Visa applicant would return to Canada upon their stay in the US. Yet, while some applications are approved, others are denied such an opportunity. America is opening its doors for me while my heart has always been open for America. Could you please advise me as to how to proceed in order to attend the in-person interviews extended to me by US companies provided my Visitor Visa application had been denied? Thank you very much!

[Nattybone]

Hello, Eli.

Having a source of income or employment (which essentially indicates ties to the country of residence and ability to fund the trip) is very important for someone to obtain a US visitor visa. They analyze each case from the perspective of the likelihood of the visitor not returning from US. So, someone not having employment makes a strong case for not returning. You might want to return after an interview but the Visa Officer will look at your case differently from how you plan to spend your stay in USA.

So, you might need to have employment first in your country of residence and then be able to demonstrate reasons to return to your country after visiting USA.

You could try landing an opportunity (and i know it is extremely difficult) in Canada with an American company having operations in Canada and could try for an intra company transfer to USA (should your skill be specialized enough for a L1 visa).

I am hoping this helps.

Wishing you luck.

Cheers,

Hello, I am a Bulgarian citizen and a Canadian Permanent Resident currently residing in Canada. I recently applied for H1B sponsorship employment opportunities in the United States (US). A large number of US companies were highly interested in my application, yet were not willing to sponsor me for H1B visa unless I met with them in person. I immediately applied for a US Visitor Visa which I was denied. The US Consulate Representative had no reasons to believe that I would return back to Canada upon my travel to the States. I have been unemployed since I first came to Canada which was a year and a half ago despite the immense efforts that I have put forward to become a Canadian employee. I believe that this was the reason why I was denied a US Visitor Visa. It appeared to me that whether employed in Canada or not, there is no guarantee that a Visitor Visa applicant would return to Canada upon their stay in the US. Yet, while some applications are approved, others are denied such an opportunity. America is opening its doors for me while my heart has always been open for America. Could you please advise me as to how to proceed in order to attend the in-person interviews extended to me by US companies provided my Visitor Visa application had been denied? Thank you very much!