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H1B visa appointment availability

iceman55

Hero Member
May 1, 2022
518
258
Can we return to US from Canada via road without getting a valid H1B visa stamp ?
As soon as you submit your DS 160 at a personal interview or at a dropbox you become ineligible to use AVR.

At that point, will have to wait in Canada until you get an answer from the consular post no matter how long it takes.
 
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prusa

Star Member
Jul 22, 2019
192
63
Hi All - I've a question regarding registration/creating an account on the visa appointment portal (https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/niv/users/sign_in). Just to give you a brief background I have received my first H1B stamp from the US embassy in Vancouver. To book an interview appointment at that time, I've registered on the above mentioned visa appointment portal i.e. https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ca/niv/users/sign_in

Now, I've got the H1B extension and planning to get a stamp from Canada again. My question is:

Do I need to create a new account on the visa appointment portal or Can I use my existing account and add a new applicant in it for myself? Reason I am asking this is, If I will use my existing account and add a new applicant in it, the system would not ask again the below which is asked at the time of new registration.

1. "I am a Non canadian citizen residing in the US and want to apply for a visa"
2. "I am a Non Canadian Citizen residing in Canada who has completed the U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) form and want to apply for a visa."
etc.

Since my situation is still the same when I first registered on the visa appointment portal i.e. "I am a non canadian citizen residing in the US and applying for a US visa". Just wanted to clarify, Is it fine if I don't create a new account and use the existing account to add the new applicant OR Do I need to create a new account this time?

Would be really helpful if anyone could please clarify? Thanks!
On the home page, there is a gear icon. Click that, and then on Edit, scroll down to the last question "Are you traveling from another country to apply for a U.S. visa in Canada? ". I think this will update what you are trying to do.
 
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ripster85

Star Member
Sep 9, 2019
148
53
I tried to book appointment today for My B1/B2 visa but it gave me to send the documents to consulate is it normal? I am Canadian PR had B1/B2 since 2010 which expired in 2020. Had h1B from 2012 to 2018 which I surrendered when I moved to Canada.
Its normal since you are renewing
 

swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,163
226
As soon as you submit your DS 160 at a personal interview or at a dropbox you become ineligible to use AVR.

At that point, will have to wait in Canada until you get an answer from the consular post no matter how long it takes.
This is incorrect. People have travelled after submitting ds-160 till a day before their interview slots. during the pandemic and also after pandemic.
 

iceman55

Hero Member
May 1, 2022
518
258
yes, i am talking about submission itself. Forget about submitting just ds-160, people have travelled using AVR with interview slots booked.
Submitting does not mean hitting submit button on DS160. It does not mean booking an interview slot. You can go back and read my prior posts in this thread.
Ds160 is the application for a visa and submitting means handing over the application at an in person interview or at a Dropbox site.

An electronic DS 160 by itself doesn't do anything.
 

swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,163
226
Submitting does not mean hitting submit button on DS160. It does not mean booking an interview slot. You can go back and read my prior posts in this thread.
Ds160 is the application for a visa and submitting means handing over the application at an in person interview or at a Dropbox site.

An electronic DS 160 by itself doesn't do anything.
My bad, read your post again. i missed that point. you are right . cheers :)
 
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j9lad

Star Member
Nov 24, 2017
79
8
Hi all, need some guidance - my spouse and I are Canadian PRs currently living in the US. My spouse needs to urgently travel to India, but we're unable to find any dropbox appointments until 2023 in order to return to the US.

For some context, my partner previously had an F-1 student visa and is currently living in the US as a dependent (on an approved H-4 petition), so it was determined to be eligible for a visa waiver (dropbox). This has turned out to be even more problematic for us. What options do we have given it's an emergency?

1) Can we schedule an appointment (interview/dropbox) in Canada as PR holders?
2) If yes, what's the earliest available date that can potentially be considered in Canada? (Since we already paid for DS-160 in India, we haven't yet registered on the Canadian consulate site)
 

swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,163
226
Hi all, need some guidance - my spouse and I are Canadian PRs currently living in the US. My spouse needs to urgently travel to India, but we're unable to find any dropbox appointments until 2023 in order to return to the US.

For some context, my partner previously had an F-1 student visa and is currently living in the US as a dependent (on an approved H-4 petition), so it was determined to be eligible for a visa waiver (dropbox). This has turned out to be even more problematic for us. What options do we have given it's an emergency?

1) Can we schedule an appointment (interview/dropbox) in Canada as PR holders?
2) If yes, what's the earliest available date that can potentially be considered in Canada? (Since we already paid for DS-160 in India, we haven't yet registered on the Canadian consulate site)
Hi,
1)Yes, you can schedule an interview in Canada. Considering you are both PRs i believe you should get a dropbox option. If its a dropbox option you can send your docs immediately but for that better to be inside Canada. If you are not eligible for dropbox you would get an option to schedule an interview where the dates are somewhere in Nov 2022 for almost all the consulates and few are in 2023.
2)You may have to fill up new ds-160.
3) As you are saying its emergency my suggestion is better your spouse alone travel to India and you both look for dropbox slots in parallel with help of some agent. And if you find some slots earlier better you travel then. Many people got it that way.
 

j9lad

Star Member
Nov 24, 2017
79
8
Hi,
1)Yes, you can schedule an interview in Canada. Considering you are both PRs i believe you should get a dropbox option. If its a dropbox option you can send your docs immediately but for that better to be inside Canada. If you are not eligible for dropbox you would get an option to schedule an interview where the dates are somewhere in Nov 2022 for almost all the consulates and few are in 2023.
2)You may have to fill up new ds-160.
3) As you are saying its emergency my suggestion is better your spouse alone travel to India and you both look for dropbox slots in parallel with help of some agent. And if you find some slots earlier better you travel then. Many people got it that way.
Thank you, @swan0206. Really appreciate you answering the questions and providing details.

A visa interview would've worked well for us considering this would be the first H-4 visa stamping, but the application got qualified for a visa waiver. Unfortunately, there are no dropbox slots in India until the end of the year. Our only option now is to fill up a new DS-160 and for my partner to travel to Canada in order to apply for a dropbox.

1) Would you happen to know the timeline of how long dropbox appointments + processing times are taking in Canada?
2) Since we are currently in the US, we are wondering how to apply for the dropbox. On the website (https://ais.usvisa-info.com), looks like there are two options:

I am a Non Canadian Citizen residing in the U.S. and want to apply for a visa.
or
I am a Non Canadian Citizen residing in Canada who has completed the U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) form and want to apply for a visa.

Not sure which option would help us in our situation -- wondering if it would be better to make an appointment while we are in the US or to do it only when we are in Canada.

Thanks again. Your suggestions would tremendously help in booking temporary accommodation along with other travel plans.
 
Last edited:

swan0206

Champion Member
May 14, 2019
1,163
226
Thank you, @swan0206. Really appreciate you answering the questions and providing details.

A visa interview would've worked well for us considering this would be the first H-4 visa stamping, but the application got qualified for a visa waiver. Unfortunately, there are no dropbox slots in India until the end of the year. Our only option now is to fill up a new DS-160 and for my partner to travel to Canada in order to apply for a dropbox.

1) Would you happen to know the timeline of how long dropbox appointments + processing times are taking in Canada?
2) Since we are currently in the US, we are wondering how to apply for the dropbox. On the website (https://ais.usvisa-info.com), looks like there are two options:

I am a Non Canadian Citizen residing in the U.S. and want to apply for a visa.
or
I am a Non Canadian Citizen residing in Canada who has completed the U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Application (DS-160) form and want to apply for a visa.

Not sure which option would help us in our situation -- wondering if it would be better to make an appointment while we are in the US or to do it only when we are in Canada.

Thanks again. Your suggestions would tremendously help in booking temporary accommodation along with other travel plans.
Ok, so dropbox appointments are immediate they ask you to send documents as soon as you fill up questionnaire. But dropbox results take anywhere between 4-6 weeks as per few folks here in this forum. Also remember few were asked to attend interview after sending in documents(this would delay your process because they wouldnt give you slot, you need to book the appointment- also double check this with customercare as few people posted this concern but havent seen responses if consulate was able to provide them any slot later or they had to do it themselves).

In your case i would say either you travel to Canada temporarily for Visa(better check with customer care once) or applying from US its the first option because you are not residing in Canada. And if you select 1st option you would be asked to book an in-person interview and if you select 2nd option you will be asked to send documents i.e dropbox.
 
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