Ottawa Successful Stamping Experience

[delhiboy320]

I wanted to share experience at Ottawa Embassy for H1-B visa stamping, to express my gratitude to all those who have posted here before me and provided valuable incite into the H1 process.

Here we go:

I got there, went through security etc etc..

and then.

As soon as I walked in someone collected my passport, I-797 and DS-160 confirmation printout.

Next I was sent to another window where the guy verified that I had paid and gave me a token.

5 mins later I was called to another counter and fingerprinted and asked to wait for the interview.

Waited about 15-20 mins.

Was then called for the interview:

VO: Good morning! How are you doing?

Me: Great! and you?

VO: Good!

VO: Can I please see you most recent pay stub?

Me: (Handed it over) Do you need more, I have all of them since I started worked here.

VO: No, one is fine.

VO: (Started typing away on his computer.) How long have you worked here?

Me: Replied

VO: (Still typing away) - What do you do for them?

Me: Started describing my job responsibilities - (Don't think he was listening.)

VO: (Cuts me off.) - So your visa is approved. - (Then he gave me instructs on how to collect my passport. He told me it'll take 2-3 working days, to get my passport back)

Me: Thank you!

VO: Have a good day.

The entire interview lasted about a minute or less and I was in and out of the embassy in 25-30 mins. Everyone I interacted with at the embassy was very courteous and friendly.

And by the way. I got my passport back the next morning, in less than one working day.

Some background:

I have done all my H1 stampings in Canada. I was educated in the US. Both Bachelors and masters (non-IT). I am a permanent FT employee for a fortune 500.

I really wanted to post my positive experience on this forum. It seems that almost everyone who post here talks only about their negative experience; I don't mean to disparage their very genuine anguish but want everyone to know that a negative outcome is not the default outcome of this process.

In the days preceding my visit to Ottawa, I did visit this forum and got very depressed (and even had a nightmare). I want people to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Especially if you meet the criterion for the H1 visa - check with a competent immigration lawyer .

I think a lot of people on this forum and others, are collateral victims of sketchy firms filling fraudulent visa applications, using antics like misrepresenting the employee's actual work experience or by lying about the employees status as a direct FT employee (Check out the Neufeld Memo - H1b is meant only for direct FT employees not contractors etc), and such.

This will be my last visit to this forum for the foreseeable future - so good luck to all of you.

PS: wrote this in a hurry, plz excuse the typos.