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H1B Stamping Dropbox in Canada

devregati

Star Member
May 16, 2022
79
14
Will update my status below.
Location: Ottawa
Dec 20: Application submitted and received notification of being on the waitlist.
 

Saralynn97

Hero Member
Mar 7, 2018
329
60
It is totally fine to send the documents on your own to consulate (just cross check you had the right address for Ottawa).
Also, keep in mind, to have updated the "document delivery address" on the AIS website, and have included the correct return label with your package. They will use the return label to send your passport back to you/or the Canada post location (depending on what you selected as the document delivery location).
That’s the thing, I didn’t use the shipping label on the AIS website. I sent the document at my own cost and created my shipping label but of Couz so put down the right address. Will that be a problem? I still can’t track anything on CEAC unfortunately..
 

rkvarma

Full Member
Jun 27, 2023
33
19
Hello everyone! I have recently obtained my CoPR but haven't yet landed in Canada. Currently, I am employed in the US on H1b visa, and my initial H1 visa stamp has expired. I am trying to understand the options I have to do a soft landing in Canada with an expired visa stamp. From what I gathered in the forums, it appears that my case could be eligible for drop-box with CoPR. I also read that I can use ARV route to get back to the US with an expired H1. Can someone with similar experience please shed some light on these options if they are true? And if true, what is the process like? My CoPR expires around June 2024, but the latest visa slot I could find is Jan 2025. Is there any better way? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
 
Jan 16, 2018
11
3
Hello everyone! I have recently obtained my CoPR but haven't yet landed in Canada. Currently, I am employed in the US on H1b visa, and my initial H1 visa stamp has expired. I am trying to understand the options I have to do a soft landing in Canada with an expired visa stamp. From what I gathered in the forums, it appears that my case could be eligible for drop-box with CoPR. I also read that I can use ARV route to get back to the US with an expired H1. Can someone with similar experience please shed some light on these options if they are true? And if true, what is the process like? My CoPR expires around June 2024, but the latest visa slot I could find is Jan 2025. Is there any better way? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
I used AVR - pretty straightforward. Just keep your recent pay stubs, original 797 (if you have it) with you. That’s what the border agents looked when I did my soft landing on an expired stamp and had to go back. I did land entry though If that matters. And I took a print out of avr page with requirements in case some border agents may give me some trouble.
 
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swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,172
227
Hello everyone! I have recently obtained my CoPR but haven't yet landed in Canada. Currently, I am employed in the US on H1b visa, and my initial H1 visa stamp has expired. I am trying to understand the options I have to do a soft landing in Canada with an expired visa stamp. From what I gathered in the forums, it appears that my case could be eligible for drop-box with CoPR. I also read that I can use ARV route to get back to the US with an expired H1. Can someone with similar experience please shed some light on these options if they are true? And if true, what is the process like? My CoPR expires around June 2024, but the latest visa slot I could find is Jan 2025. Is there any better way? Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Better to complete your soft-landing and return to USA via AVR. And later you can try going for stamping.
 
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rkvarma

Full Member
Jun 27, 2023
33
19
I used AVR - pretty straightforward. Just keep your recent pay stubs, original 797 (if you have it) with you. That’s what the border agents looked when I did my soft landing on an expired stamp and had to go back. I did land entry though If that matters. And I took a print out of avr page with requirements in case some border agents may give me some trouble.
Thanks for the explanation! I would also like to ask if I can still utilize AVR when I have a visa appointment booked in a different country(for eg., India) at a later date than my intended journey to Canada? I read online that to utilize AVR, I shouldn't have any pending visa applications.
 
Jan 16, 2018
11
3
Thanks for the explanation! I would also like to ask if I can still utilize AVR when I have a visa appointment booked in a different country(for eg., India) at a later date than my intended journey to Canada? I read online that to utilize AVR, I shouldn't have any pending visa applications.
sorry. I don’t know the answer to this one because I read something similar - that is you shouldn’t be applying for a visa stamping, but I’m not sure if applying in a different country will cause issues. Worthwhile to check with your lawyers.
 
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swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,172
227
Thanks for the explanation! I would also like to ask if I can still utilize AVR when I have a visa appointment booked in a different country(for eg., India) at a later date than my intended journey to Canada? I read online that to utilize AVR, I shouldn't have any pending visa applications.
It doesnt matter. You can go ahead for soft landing. I have travelled multiple times with interview scheduled in Canada. Similarly many people have travelled with their interviews scheduled in Canada. I hope its the same in both the cases! If you really concerned/worried then cancel the interview slot in India and go for soft landing!
 
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sauron666

Full Member
May 17, 2023
40
41
Agree. Once you obtain your PR Card you will be eligible for drop box.
Not if the expired visa has a CWOP (canceled without prejudice) stamp. I recently spoke to someone who did AVR and while entering US, her visa got the CWOP stamp. It doesn't have any negative effect but does make us ineligible for dropbox, atleast in India. Because in India if you have a CWOP stamp, you need to schedule an interview. I don't know if its different in Canada. I will be doing a soft landing sometime this year too so I am in a dilemma lol.
 

devregati

Star Member
May 16, 2022
79
14
Not if the expired visa has a CWOP (canceled without prejudice) stamp. I recently spoke to someone who did AVR and while entering US, her visa got the CWOP stamp. It doesn't have any negative effect but does make us ineligible for dropbox, atleast in India. Because in India if you have a CWOP stamp, you need to schedule an interview. I don't know if its different in Canada. I will be doing a soft landing sometime this year too so I am in a dilemma lol.
Dont understand what youre saying. I've had 2 stamps from Canada and prior visa has CWOP and no issues entering US or renewing. In the past when I did dropbox in India my previous visa had CWOP and I was still eligible for dropbox. Usually to be eligible for dropbox they expect previous stamping to have happened in the same country. That is not true for Canada PR as my previous stamping was in India, after which as I said i've had 2 stampings in Canada without issues. Only thing that changed during covid for dropbox in India is as long as you got a visa stamp in the same class from anywhere and it expired within the past 48 months you were eligible for dropbox. Dont know if that rule still remains or if they reverted back to the old one of having to have the visa issued in India as one of the conditions to be eligible for dropbox.
 

Roshwarner

Full Member
Jul 6, 2020
41
4
Hello, I have been using AVR since 2020 and I finally applied for my 1st H1b stamping at the Toronto location. I have a canadian PR so I had the option to mail in my documents. The current status is “application received”. Could there be an issue with visa approval as I used AVR all this time?