H1B visa appointment availability

[canprofus]

Quick question to those of you who've booked for H1B stamping appt......

1. Does the DS-160 form expire?
2. If I live in Toronto and have to travel to Calgary, will I be required to quarantine before appt. date? Has anyone traveled from out of province?

I created my DS-160 form 2 months ago, but haven't submitted it as I keep checking for availability in Toronto or Ottawa consulates. I use the application number to book appts. and so far I have a booking for Calgary Aug 16th.

if you submit, it never expires. otherwise it expires in 30 days from the time you last saved it. so if you are scheduling appt without submitting ds160, make sure you save it periodically once a while until you submit it. not sure on question 2.. check provincial health dept websites for latest info.

 

[haripriya1012]

I have my H1 visa maxing out in July and planning to land with my kid in Canada (expiring in September) as my employer is ready to transfer me to Canada. But my husband is on H1 and cannot travel right now as he doesn't have a valid H1 stamp on his passport. He has an expired H4 stamp. In case, he travels, he need to get his H1 stamped but I see appointment dates are not available. My questions:

1. Can he use Automatic Revalidation to re-enter US after the landing procedure and dropping me and my kid in Canada?
2. Can we get an emergency appointment stating family separation as a reason? So that he can travel to Canada and come back to US every day/week for work.

 

[swan0206]

I have my H1 visa maxing out in July and planning to land with my kid in Canada (expiring in September) as my employer is ready to transfer me to Canada. But my husband is on H1 and cannot travel right now as he doesn't have a valid H1 stamp on his passport. He has an expired H4 stamp. In case, he travels, he need to get his H1 stamped but I see appointment dates are not available. My questions:

1. Can he use Automatic Revalidation to re-enter US after the landing procedure and dropping me and my kid in Canada?
2. Can we get an emergency appointment stating family separation as a reason? So that he can travel to Canada and come back to US every day/week for work.

1. Yes, he can use AVR to re-enter US with valid i797A and passport.
2. Emergency appointment for what? for H1 stamping? He might get an emergency appointment approved only if you and your kid are staying in US but not in Canada.
Yes, he can travel(daily/weekly) to and fro once you move permanently to Canada using AVR. No issues.

 

[haripriya1012]

1. Yes, he can use AVR to re-enter US with valid i797A and passport.
2. Emergency appointment for what? for H1 stamping? He might get an emergency appointment approved only if you and your kid are staying in US but not in Canada.
Yes, he can travel(daily/weekly) to and fro once you move permanently to Canada using AVR. No issues.

Thank you so much for the response!

 

[seaheart521]

as long as US/Canada border does not open, appointments will be cancelled.

 

[haripriya1012]

1. Yes, he can use AVR to re-enter US with valid i797A and passport.
2. Emergency appointment for what? for H1 stamping? He might get an emergency appointment approved only if you and your kid are staying in US but not in Canada.
Yes, he can travel(daily/weekly) to and fro once you move permanently to Canada using AVR. No issues.

Sorry to bug with one more important question.

We are planning to land Canada and husband will commute back to US using AVR. But if he enters back to Canada next weekend, will he be questioned about his quarantine. He will be using his vehicle to cross border and work from his US apartment.

I was wondering, if quarantine is mandatory then traveling frequently will not be an option.

 

[harirajmohan]

Sorry to bug with one more important question.

We are planning to land Canada and husband will commute back to US using AVR. But if he enters back to Canada next weekend, will he be questioned about his quarantine. He will be using his vehicle to cross border and work from his US apartment.

I was wondering, if quarantine is mandatory then traveling frequently will not be an option.

Traveling to US for work purpose gives exemption from quarantine.
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/isolation#exemptions
"regularly cross the border to work (pattern of travel which is generally defined as daily or weekly)"

 

[haripriya1012]

Traveling to US for work purpose gives exemption from quarantine.
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/isolation#exemptions
"regularly cross the border to work (pattern of travel which is generally defined as daily or weekly)"

Thanks for the response. I was going through the link and noticed that daily/weekly work are for essential service workers and they listed down few jobs. But my husband is working in an IT firm. So I am wondering if he will be allowed/ his situation will be considered as an essential travel for work.

He cannot work remote due to security firewall which will block him from working in Canada and works only in United States. His employer does not recommend working remote as well.

 

[harirajmohan]

Thanks for the response. I was going through the link and noticed that daily/weekly work are for essential service workers and they listed down few jobs. But my husband is working in an IT firm. So I am wondering if he will be allowed/ his situation will be considered as an essential travel for work.

He cannot work remote due to security firewall which will block him from working in Canada and works only in United States. His employer does not recommend working remote as well.

Thats for the people who come just to visit canada other than work but they work in essential sector to get exemption from quarantine and they are not cross border commuters.

I used to travel frequently and get exempted and i am in IT too and many are here doing commute and they are exempted.

 

[haripriya1012]

Thats for the people who come just to visit canada other than work but they work in essential sector to get exemption from quarantine and they are not cross border commuters.

I used to travel frequently and get exempted and i am in IT too and many are here doing commute and they are exempted.

Thats a great news for us to know he can commute every week with COPR and AVR to and fro.

Thank you so much Hari!

 

[canprofus]

Thats a great news for us to know he can commute every week with COPR and AVR to and fro.

Thank you so much Hari!

If he is going to reside in US and visit you every week, then they will make him quarantine during every visit.. what hari said regarding exemption is applicable only for people who reside in Canada, go to work for US and then come back. Only they will get exempted because their trips are for essential reasons.

 

[haripriya1012]

If he is going to reside in US and visit you every week, then they will make him quarantine during every visit.. what hari said regarding exemption is applicable only for people who reside in Canada, go to work for US and then come back. Only they will get exempted because their trips are for essential reasons.

Oh got it. So it is applicable only for daily commute. Thanks for clarifying!

How long does it really take for everyday to commute if we plan to stay near borders? Just wanted to check if it is really feasible for us.

Also, with daily commute, we were worried if he will be questioned at US POE for not having a visa stamp.

Sorry for these silly questions.

 

[swan0206]

Oh got it. So it is applicable only for daily commute. Thanks for clarifying!

How long does it really take for everyday to commute if we plan to stay near borders? Just wanted to check if it is really feasible for us.

Also, with daily commute, we were worried if he will be questioned at US POE for not having a visa stamp.

Sorry for these silly questions.

No, it doesn't matter if he is travelling daily or weekly or once in two weeks but the thing is he should be a Canadian resident to get the exemption from quarantine. If his residence is still in US and wants to commute, he might not be put in essential travellers list.
As far i understood, you will be shifting your residence to Canada permanently and then he will start his commute, is that it? or only you are moving? If only you are moving but if your husband isn't moving, he will not be exempted from quarantine. ( Best bet in this case would be, he moving off completely to Canada with you. i mean permanent move, but commute daily/weekly to his US apartment to work, and at border(US POE) , when asked tell officer that he is travelling to work, and about work location and stuff he would say actual work location(i mean the company where he works, hope its in Detroit?) but travel to his apartment and work. no worries, while returning at Canadian POE, same thing)

2. This can be answered by @harirajmohan/ @canprofus .

3. No issues at US poe. many people have been commuting daily.

 

[haripriya1012]

No, it doesn't matter if he is travelling daily or weekly or once in two weeks but the thing is he should be a Canadian resident to get the exemption from quarantine. If his residence is still in US and wants to commute, he might not be put in essential travellers list.
As far i understood, you will be shifting your residence to Canada permanently and then he will start his commute, is that it? or only you are moving? If only you are moving but if your husband isn't moving, he will not be exempted from quarantine. ( Best bet in this case would be, he moving off completely to Canada with you. i mean permanent move, but commute daily/weekly to his US apartment to work, and at border(US POE) , when asked tell officer that he is travelling to work, and about work location and stuff he would say actual work location(i mean the company where he works, hope its in Detroit?) but travel to his apartment and work. no worries, while returning at Canadian POE, same thing)

2. This can be answered by @harirajmohan/ @canprofus .

3. No issues at US poe. many people have been commuting daily.

Thank you so much for your inputs swan0206!

We did not decide anything yet due to these confusions. We wanted to plan based on options available.
His office is not in Detroit but Cinncinati, Ohio (currently working remote) which is why we thought of travelling every weekend. Weekly commute from Canada to US is also not possible due to security reasons. Since this is not an option now, we cannot consider this.
Right now, the only option we have is to plan for a soft landing, come back to US and move at a later point in time when the mandatory quarantine is removed.

 

[harirajmohan]

Thank you so much for your inputs swan0206!

We did not decide anything yet due to these confusions. We wanted to plan based on options available.
His office is not in Detroit but Cinncinati, Ohio (currently working remote) which is why we thought of travelling every weekend. Weekly commute from Canada to US is also not possible due to security reasons. Since this is not an option now, we cannot consider this.
Right now, the only option we have is to plan for a soft landing, come back to US and move at a later point in time when the mandatory quarantine is removed.

People commute once in a month too and little far from border. Its not a problem of 4 hours drive once in a week or few weeks. Not sure what security reason you are quoting here. Its your plan hence whichever works best you can proceed with.

We dont know when the pandemic will end and when the quarantine will be removed. Reason: Hardly 70% will get vaccinated(since rest dont want to) and the spread will exist for 2-3+ years as per my thinking hence not sure when there will be prepandemic days without any restriction. For working in US, there is no quarantine/testing and you dont need more than this. If you want to have complete normal borders then i see that this requirement is irrelevant for you to seek for commuting since commuters are exempted from test as well as quarantine.

Also, with daily commute, we were worried if he will be questioned at US POE for not having a visa stamp.

Few might ask but tell that consulate is not yet giving appointment and you have already booked appointment and waiting for the appointment day.
During commute on I94, try to reduce the number of times so that you are not sent to secondary inspection often. But other than that there is no issue.

Not sure how much time left to move but its manageable without stamping as people nowadays commute on I94 since there is no widespread visa being issued(hardly few candidates are getting the emergency appointments approved).