H1B visa appointment availability

[harirajmohan]

Hello "harirajmohan", "iamBeingPatient", I am happy to inform that i got an emergency appointment approved for next thursday. So I originally got an appointment for Dec 3 rd and I opted for "expedite" option explaining the reason for requesting expedite (family reunification and emotional stress which is the main reason). Hope I get the stamping. Thanks again for guiding me during this stressful times.

How was the interview?

 

[harirajmohan]

Now the status of application turned to "Administrative Processing".

"Your visa case is currently undergoing necessary administrative processing. This processing can take several weeks, or longer. As explained on the day of your interview, if further information is needed, you will be contacted. If your visa application is approved when administrative processing is finished, you will receive notification to collect the passport with the visa from the Loomis branch you selected when you booked your appointment.
For more information, please visit U.S. Consulate General Toronto."

Visa statuses now show as Issued for both family members.

So all drama because of the trainee visa officer.

 

[harirajmohan]

Yea....i know....its crazy. I was held up for 7 weeks for no reason

Correct. So they issued it after 7 weeks?

 

[harirajmohan]

Also, i remember you saying we dont need to appear for interview if we are applying in the same class.
So your dependents were on a different class or never had the same class before?

Yes, till 2016 there were on H4 in US and then they got B1 in 2017 after we moved to Canada.
It would have been easier just like how i did the last 2 times if it were to be sent as no headache on attending the interview and trying to make the officer understand.

 

[swan0206]

Yes, till 2016 there were on H4 in US and then they got B1 in 2017 after we moved to Canada.
It would have been easier just like how i did the last 2 times if it were to be sent as no headache on attending the interview and trying to make the officer understand.

Congrats Hariraj. Was it easy getting a B1 for a spouse after being on H4 or vice-versa. I mean wouldn't they have extra questions/scrutiny.

 

[harirajmohan]

Congrats Hariraj. Was it easy getting a B1 for a spouse after being on H4 or vice-versa. I mean wouldn't they have extra questions/scrutiny.

Thanks.
Main consideration is your situation. One should have moved here already. Giving few months gap after moving (before applying) would help a lot.
Given the current situation it would take months before they serve regular appointments anyway hence it will automatically take months before you get B1.

For some of the temporary work/student visa residents who moved to Canada from other countries do apply for B1 but either they get rejected or get for short duration of visa due to visa officers not knowing their intention and that too for applying in few months after moving to Canada. But in our cases they do understand that one spouse is still having ties to US in the form of work and having habit of buying things in US hence visa officers dont create much problem but having some gap would certainly help to prove that we are not desperate.
Some of the PR holders(who were on student/work visas earlier) do get only 1 year B1 duration. So it also depends on officer if we get 1 year or 10 years duration.

Only simple questions will be asked on why you want to go and where you want to go. Not seeing much like why you want to go after moving here as we say that we are going for shopping. My wife told that we just want to go for shopping but they will ask specifically on listing few cities for their documentation purposes hence try to keep in mind on few exact cities you would visit rather telling simply we want to go for shopping will help,

 

[kumar135]

Looking for some help here. Are they are processing dropbox visa now or emergency appointment is the only option.
Yesterday I paid the fees and went through the workflow of scheduling the appointment but it did not give me the option of Dropbox though I meet all the criteria and my previous stamping was also done in Ottawa. @harirajmohan

 

[harirajmohan]

Looking for some help here. Are they are processing dropbox visa now or emergency appointment is the only option.
Yesterday I paid the fees and went through the workflow of scheduling the appointment but it did not give me the option of Dropbox though I meet all the criteria and my previous stamping was also done in Ottawa. @harirajmohan

What criteria you think is eligible for drop box?
Explain your situation first. Your previous visa type, current visa type, current country where you live, country where you lived during your earlier visa etc.

In the home page(after logging in), does the "current status" show as "Send documents" or "Appointment"?
After clicking Continue from the home page, does it list to schedule the appointment?

Its also possible that they blocked the dropbox option as they are not serving regular appointments for months(dropbox is not emergency request - its same as regular appointment except that the interview is waived). They might have realized that people like me who were still using dropbox facility to get it stamped even after interviews were cancelled hence they might have blocked the option - but dont know unless you give more detail about your situation.

 

[kumar135]

What criteria you think is eligible for drop box?
Explain your situation first. Your previous visa type, current visa type, current country where you live, country where you lived during your earlier visa etc.

In the home page(after logging in), does the "current status" show as "Send documents" or "Appointment"?
After clicking Continue from the home page, does it list to schedule the appointment?

Its also possible that they blocked the dropbox option as they are not serving regular appointments for months(dropbox is not emergency request - its same as regular appointment except that the interview is waived). They might have realized that people like me who were still using dropbox facility to get it stamped even after interviews were cancelled hence they might have blocked the option - but dont know unless you give more detail about your situation.

Thanks for your reply.
I have been on H1b for the past 3 years. Same employer. My previous stamping was also done in Ottawa, Canada which expired in September 2020. I am residing in Canada .So I was trying to get the visa stamped in the same category and same consular post. After logging in the current status shows as Appointment and the only option it gives is to schedule appointment

 

[harirajmohan]

Thanks for your reply.
I have been on H1b for the past 3 years. Same employer. My previous stamping was also done in Ottawa, Canada which expired in September 2020. I am residing in Canada .So I was trying to get the visa stamped in the same category and same consular post. After logging in the current status shows as Appointment and the only option it gives is to schedule appointment

hmm... So it seems that they updated the site in the last few weeks/months to reflect blocking regular appointments for the dropbox too. They might open once they start opening the consulates full fledged.
They are not serving regular appointments hence you need to wait if you dont have any urgent necessity to have visa.

 

[swan0206]

Thanks.
Main consideration is your situation. One should have moved here already. Giving few months gap after moving (before applying) would help a lot.
Given the current situation it would take months before they serve regular appointments anyway hence it will automatically take months before you get B1.

For some of the temporary work/student visa residents who moved to Canada from other countries do apply for B1 but either they get rejected or get for short duration of visa due to visa officers not knowing their intention and that too for applying in few months after moving to Canada. But in our cases they do understand that one spouse is still having ties to US in the form of work and having habit of buying things in US hence visa officers dont create much problem but having some gap would certainly help to prove that we are not desperate.
Some of the PR holders(who were on student/work visas earlier) do get only 1 year B1 duration. So it also depends on officer if we get 1 year or 10 years duration.

Only simple questions will be asked on why you want to go and where you want to go. Not seeing much like why you want to go after moving here as we say that we are going for shopping. My wife told that we just want to go for shopping but they will ask specifically on listing few cities for their documentation purposes hence try to keep in mind on few exact cities you would visit rather telling simply we want to go for shopping will help,

Thanks for the info Hariraj.

 

[kumar135]

hmm... So it seems that they updated the site in the last few weeks/months to reflect blocking regular appointments for the dropbox too. They might open once they start opening the consulates full fledged.
They are not serving regular appointments hence you need to wait if you dont have any urgent necessity to have visa.

Thanks for the info @harirajmohan

 

[anv87]

So new to this thread here... Do we have any options at all to go for an H1B interview ? Wife and I both have an approved visa but it seems like there's no stampings happening at all?

 

[harirajmohan]

So new to this thread here...
Do we have any options at all to go for an H1B interview ?
Wife and I both have an approved visa but it seems like there's no stampings happening at all?

Explain your situation first. Where were you on June 24 and when was your I797 approved.
I assume you have approved I797, not visa.

 

[anv87]

Explain your situation first. Where were you on June 24 and when was your I797 approved.
I assume you have approved I797, not visa.

Yes, we both have approved I797s... Wife was in the USA on June 24, I was in India