H1B Stamping experience at Ottawa - 25th August


bhavesh.mca

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I think it’s time to pay back.

 

Appointment Date: August 25th at Ottawa @ 7.45 AM

Passport received: August 27th at Brampton morning @ 10.00 AM

 

Background:

·         4th Stamping – First other than India

·         Extension after 6+ years on H1B

·         FTE

·         H1+H4 with two Kids one US Citizen

 

Preparation:

·         Get Canada visitor visa by applying here

o   http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/mycic.asp

o   Get multiple visa as now a days Canada give visa up to your passport validity

·         Take a passport picture (use following links for really inexpensive option)

o   http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/passports/FIG_cropper.swf

o   https://www.epassportphoto.com

·         Fill DS 160

·         Create profile on:

o   https://usvisa-info.com/en-ca/selfservice/ss_country_welcome

·         Pay Visa fees

·         Schedule appointment

 

Interview Preparation:

·         Gather all possible documents suggested on this forum

·         Make sure passport has 6+ month validity

·         Print out of DS 160 and Appointment letter

 

Crossing USA-Canada Border:

·         Relax as Canadian CBP is really friendly

·         They might ask you to go into the office to get your passport stamped for arrival date and may ask for your visa interview conformation letter and they will say “Welcome to Canada!” with smile

 

PS - I already drove to Canada with my expired visa in July-2014, no question asked at USA border just asked for I-797 and came back via Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls.

 

o   Here is the AVR link in case if you are wondering

§  https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1218/~/automatic-revalidation-for-certain-temporary-visitors

 

Where to Stay:

·         I preferred to stay at Courtyard Marriot just 2 minutes from US embassy as it’s really easy but it’s your personal choice. Room rent is around USD 155.00 per night. Really nice hotel if you want to enjoy downtown during night time, and really live downtown too on Sunday night!

·         You can Park just opposite to embassy and I saw a sign $2.00 for 6.00 AM to 11.00 AM parking on York St. and plenty of street parking too on the same street

 

Interview:

·         We had appointment at 7.45 am so arrived there at 7.15 am. Don’t arrive more than ½ hour

·         Initial security scan outside embassy

·         Detail security check inside embassy

o   They have locker if you have brought cell phone or anything by mistake

o   BTW really quite embassy in the morning

·         We were third in the waiting queue at 7.35 am

·         Nice young girl came at the  counter around 7.40 am and started calling people by their time slots

·         Now a “funny tragedy” before our turn. I was having a look at all documents before our turn and I found that I filled DS 160 for Toronto embassy and due to earlier availability I booked my appointment at Ottawa, Bam!!! So I have Toronto listed on my DS-160 and I am in Ottawa embassy, and as usual started sweating like anything! The girl called people from our time slot and I was the first, very nervously I asked her as I was certain she will turn us down and will ask for updated DS 160 but wait, she smiled and told us don’t worry as the embassy is within Canada, we are good as they can access local data from other embassy. I was really joyed after hearing this. But make sure you don’t do the same mistake. Finally, she checked 797 and and asked us to go to window # 7

·         Window # 7 lady was nice too, she gave us a token number and a note to read and took our passports and 797.

·         Waited for 15 minutes before they called us for finger printing at window # 6

·         Around 8.05 Visa officer on window # 3 called us, I was the first in H1b group and until my interview no other H1b candidates were there. Only Canadian PR people applying for US visitor visa.

·         I started with Good Morning and VO replied same with smile

·         VO was quite for 2-3 minutes

·         After that he asked where I work. And what is the product of my company and what was my previous job

·         VO asked where we live and he started chatting with my son about local NFL and NHL teams, I don’t know whether that was cross check or just like that. My son answered very well as he is big fan of local NFL team

·         And then golden words, “You are good to go, your visa has been approved”. You will get you passport soon and gave me tracking details handout. (I was still nervous due to DS160 bizarre!)

 

After Interview:

·         Drove back to Mississauga to my sister’s house as I didn’t want to wait at Ottawa and I didn’t need to pay for hotel obliviously!

·         25th evening check my application status at

o   https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

o   And showed “Administrative Processing”

·         26th morning again check status and showed “Issued” around 9.00 am

·         26th evening around 6.00 PM got emails from Loomis with waybill number

·         27th morning check status on Loomis “Passport delivered”

o   Went to Loomis Brampton office around 10.30 am, collected all passports

·         27th afternoon around 3.00 PM came back to USA via Peace Bridge, Buffalo, NY

 

 

Hope this detailed experience share would help other H1B friends on this forum. Please reply to this post with any question and I’ll try my best to answer.

 

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Thanks so much for your detailed experience in Ottawa.

How was the weather in Ottawa, do we need any jackets? Do they allow jackets inside the embassy?

What kind of dress code?

 

Thanks

Weather was nice, in 80's on that day. I didn't need jacket due to nice weather so I am not sure, Any formal dress would suffice. 

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Bhavesh,

 

          I made the same mistake that you did.  

 

        i have appointment @Ottawa on Sept 10th.  I filled my DS 160 in July with location as Toronto. , Toronto dates are available on October ending. when i changed location to Ottawa, i saw dates available in Sept, so without thought i took the appointment.

            So in this case what are my options,  

               Can i fill new DS 160 and take it along with me. When vo asks can i give new ds 160  (or)

                Can i explain the reason stating the above. will this work out?

 

    i would appreciate  any suggestions on this.

 

 

--kk

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Bhavesh,

 

          I made the same mistake that you did.  

 

        i have appointment @Ottawa on Sept 10th.  I filled my DS 160 in July with location as Toronto. , Toronto dates are available on October ending. when i changed location to Ottawa, i saw dates available in Sept, so without thought i took the appointment.

            So in this case what are my options,  

               Can i fill new DS 160 and take it along with me. When vo asks can i give new ds 160  (or)

                Can i explain the reason stating the above. will this work out?

 

    i would appreciate  any suggestions on this.

 

 

--kk

As I said in my post, my Toronto DS 160 was accepted by officer at Ottawa and VO didn't ask me for the updated 160.

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