H1B visa appointment availability

[Nil007]

Hello @phanisrikanth @go4sacchi @mustufasshah

Need your advice, I just receive my status as below (Ottawa Consulate, for H1B & H4), same what you received previously but ais-usvisa website is yet to be updated (still showing 'Send Documents'):

"Your case is open and ready for your interview, fingerprints, and required documents. If you have already had your interview, please check your status after two business days."

Can you please let me know the below:
1. Did you get update in ais-usvisa website & received email communication too, to attend in-person interview?
2. How long it takes to receive official communication for attending interview after get the above status?
2. Did you book your appointment by yourself or any how you got help from consulate to book appointment faster as that was asked by you?
3. When you get your interview scheduled?
4. Any way to change consulate as Toronto & Ottawa are not having any slot available in near future.

 

[Nil007]

H1b Interview Experience:
Status : Approved
Status in Canada : PR
Consulate : Ottawa
Date: June 16th 2022
Total time taken : 30 Minutes
Booked Slot: A year ago, had cancellations from their end, rescheduled 3 times( I know thats a long wait but a good News )


Not too many people at Consulate, seems like only limited services. There were 2 Visitor visas before me and next is me followed by a lady back of me waiting for her H4.

Firstly Interviewed by American lady Officer at Counter 6. All generic questions. Have been handed-over to a Indian lady Officer for document verification at Counter 5.

Indian Officer: Had asked every document starting from Old I-129s, Old 1797s and new petitions. University Grad docs, Tax returns, W2's, Client letter(I had no client letter but gave her Vendor letter and all the list what i took as supporting documents related to Client). She seems like working on all Dropbox files and asked one document after another and reviewed everything real quick. Then after Indian officer went backside and spoke to American officer and handed over my complete set of documents to her.
Then, American officer came to her system typed for a while and called me back to the counter and said Visa is Approved.
She told i should receive Visa within 2 weeks.

Happy to answer any questions. thanks.

Great news @swan0206 . I just received update & mostly called for interview. I might ask you for little guidance after get official communication on interview. Also, do you know any slot is available for Ottawa in near future or I can change consulate? And as they asked for interview so anyway they can help me.

 

[swan0206]

Great news @swan0206 . I just received update & mostly called for interview. I might ask you for little guidance after get official communication on interview. Also, do you know any slot is available for Ottawa in near future or I can change consulate? And as they asked for interview so anyway they can help me.

Thankyou. Sure. Last week i have seen dates in Nov 23rd 2022 for Ottawa, Toronto its in Feb 2023. I believe, you can try calling customer care and check if they can help scheduling one for you sometime soon.

 

[santaguy]

Dropbox is pain unless you do not have any travel plans. They are taking crazy amount of time to process them.

True. However, My visa got issued.

My timelines are:
Vancouver Dropbox:
Shipped docs: 06/05
Delivered: 06/06
Admin Processing: 06/15
Issued: 06/16
Tracking number: 06/16

 

[swan0206]

True. However, My visa got issued.

My timelines are:
Vancouver Dropbox:
Shipped docs: 06/05
Delivered: 06/06
Admin Processing: 06/15
Issued: 06/16
Tracking number: 06/16

Congrats !! Nice. This is something quick. Less than 2 weeks is a good timeline. Was yours H1b as well?

 

[santaguy]

Congrats !! Nice. This is something quick. Less than 2 weeks is a good timeline. Was yours H1b as well?

Yes, It was H1b + 2 H4s (Family)

 

[champ1411]

Before we make the payment on ais usvisa website, they give the information on first available appointment. Right now it is showing

Toronto - 29 July, 2022
Ottawa - 11 October,2022

How correct is that, because I see most people saying there are no appointments before 2023. Looks like ais usvisa are showing wrong information?

 

[swan0206]

Before we make the payment on ais usvisa website, they give the information on first available appointment. Right now it is showing

Toronto - 29 July, 2022
Ottawa - 11 October,2022

How correct is that, because I see most people saying there are no appointments before 2023. Looks like ais usvisa are showing wrong information?

Its not wrong. So what happens is if there is a slot that opened up because of someone cancelled or re-scheduled to a different date, then the latest one obviously pops up, (that doesn't mean there are whole month of July or August dates available , its only one slot, so dont get confused). A week ago, Toronto showed latest dates as Feb 2023 will full month availability. If you pay the fee and get-in you will know the scenario. Back in Oct 2021 consulates abruptly opened regular appointments for Dec 2021 and they filled up pretty fast but till then, there were no appointments showed till March 2022. It all depends on what time you are looking at.

 

[harirajmohan]

Indian Officer: Had asked every document starting from Old I-129s, Old 1797s and new petitions. University Grad docs, Tax returns, W2's, Client letter(I had no client letter but gave her Vendor letter and all the list what i took as supporting documents related to Client). She seems like working on all Dropbox files and asked one document after another and reviewed everything real quick. Then after Indian officer went backside and spoke to American officer and handed over my complete set of documents to her.

Were you asked to bring these old H1 set of docs and other docs or you yourself took it for safer side?

 

[swan0206]

Were you asked to bring these old H1 set of docs and other docs or you yourself took it for safer side?

I took them for safer side. FYI, mine is a direct Interview appointment, not a dropbox and then called for interview. I had this experience for my previous interview back in India where i was called for a second time interview even after keeping the passport first time. So i was just being extra careful this time, luckily i had them what all they asked for except for i-129s, i showed them LCAs though, they were ok!!

 

[harirajmohan]

I took them for safer side. FYI, mine is a direct Interview appointment, not a dropbox and then called for interview. I had this experience for my previous interview back in India where i was called for a second time interview even after keeping the passport first time. So i was just being extra careful this time, luckily i had them what all they asked for except for i-129s, i showed them LCAs though, they were ok!!

i know. its pain. they are sometimes real pain. they wont simply give correct list, instead ask for all documents which most even know the names of H1 docs. Everytime they used to ask me on client letter/sow. During first time renewal in India, i didnt take it and during 2010 recession and they asked me to drop the docs but i never got the visa. So i took all of the docs you had during 2012 but they didnt ask(same docs i took during 2017 and was not asked anything). I thought they will ask those old H1 docs only in India locations since more scrutiny in India but never expected to be asked in Canada too. Seems lot of scrutiny even here which i surprise for me.

Well prepared. Thats why you got the visa approved without any issue even after this much verification.
Finish the residency and end this nightmare soon.
Congrats.

 

[swan0206]

i know. its pain. they are sometimes real pain. they wont simply give correct list, instead ask for all documents which most even know the names of H1 docs. Everytime they used to ask me on client letter/sow. During first time renewal in India, i didnt take it and during 2010 recession and they asked me to drop the docs but i never got the visa. So i took all of the docs you had during 2012 but they didnt ask(same docs i took during 2017 and was not asked anything). I thought they will ask those old H1 docs only in India locations since more scrutiny in India but never expected to be asked in Canada too. Seems lot of scrutiny even here which i surprise for me.

Not sure, if that because i am on EVC model, these scrutinies keep happening. But again its not genric for all contractors i would say. It would have been different if i was an FTE !! You never know how they would look at our application. All this is an experience for me personally, many people also have been in more tough situations as i read through posts or other forums, great that they have came across all these ! Cheers.

Well prepared. Thats why you got the visa approved without any issue even after this much verification.
Finish the residency and end this nightmare soon.
Congrats.

Oh yeah, true that.

 

[vickeysaw]

I am in the same situation. My H1b passport has been with the US Consulate in toronto since March 21st and this is the 3rd week. I have emailed TRTNIV@state.gov asking the status. No update yet.

Hi...I am in similar situation. Did the above email address respond?

 

[epremkishan]

Hello All,

We had our interview(H1B and H4) scheduled on July 28th at Calgary. Sharing my overall experience here:

July 6th 2022(morning) - Original Apt for Nov 1st 2022, Calgary
July 6th 2022 (evening)- Rescheduled for Aug 31st 2022, Vancouver
July 19th 2022 - Rescheduled for July 28th 2022, Calgary

At the day of Interview(Calgary, 28th July 2022):
Interview was scheduled at 8:00AM, reached at 7:30AM(was 3rd in the queue). They did not allow in until 07:45 AM.
At the very first step, they asked for Passports and confirmed the apt.
Next - the lady asked for passport, DS 160 confirmation page, one photo and Canada resident proof (Work permit in my case) and bunched it together.
Next - security check. They asked to switch off the phone and took all electronics items including Apple watch and put in the locker.
Next - at first window, asked for the bunched documents (Passport, Canada work permit, photo) and extended original I797 and took fingerprints.

Next - different window, Interview.
Asked for I797 again.
Questions asked (H1):
What is your Highest degree and from where?
Where will you work (city) ?
What is your designation ?
Who is your Employer?
What exactly will you do (roles and responsibilities)? (took notes and ensured that he is entering it correctly in the system)
Is it your first time in USA?
Ask if I have any query.

Questions to my wife (H4):
Since when are you married?
Do you work?

Then said that your Visa is approved and you will receive your passports back in a week.

DS160 status till Aug 1st - Administrative Processing
DS160 status on Aug 2nd - Visa Issued
Aug 2nd - Got the Canada Post tracking number
Aug 3rd - tracking status update that the passports will be delivered by Aug 5th.

Happy to answer any further questions/clarifications.

 

[Learner02]

Hello All,

We had our interview(H1B and H4) scheduled on July 28th at Calgary. Sharing my overall experience here:

July 6th 2022(morning) - Original Apt for Nov 1st 2022, Calgary
July 6th 2022 (evening)- Rescheduled for Aug 31st 2022, Vancouver
July 19th 2022 - Rescheduled for July 28th 2022, Calgary

At the day of Interview(Calgary, 28th July 2022):
Interview was scheduled at 8:00AM, reached at 7:30AM(was 3rd in the queue). They did not allow in until 07:45 AM.
At the very first step, they asked for Passports and confirmed the apt.
Next - the lady asked for passport, DS 160 confirmation page, one photo and Canada resident proof (Work permit in my case) and bunched it together.
Next - security check. They asked to switch off the phone and took all electronics items including Apple watch and put in the locker.
Next - at first window, asked for the bunched documents (Passport, Canada work permit, photo) and extended original I797 and took fingerprints.

Next - different window, Interview.
Asked for I797 again.
Questions asked (H1):
What is your Highest degree and from where?
Where will you work (city) ?
What is your designation ?
Who is your Employer?
What exactly will you do (roles and responsibilities)? (took notes and ensured that he is entering it correctly in the system)
Is it your first time in USA?
Ask if I have any query.

Questions to my wife (H4):
Since when are you married?
Do you work?

Then said that your Visa is approved and you will receive your passports back in a week.

DS160 status till Aug 1st - Administrative Processing
DS160 status on Aug 2nd - Visa Issued
Aug 2nd - Got the Canada Post tracking number
Aug 3rd - tracking status update that the passports will be delivered by Aug 5th.

Happy to answer any further questions/clarifications.

Congratulations!

Curious, did you all not qualify for mail in? I suppose there is an interview waiver for H1B and their derivatives.

Please let me know.