Experience and Tips for Renewing an H-1B Visa in Canada

Most people usually choose to go back to their home country to apply for an H-1B visa, but the author really didn't want to endure a flight of over ten hours, so they decided to go to Canada instead. The travel time is shorter, and they could also do some sightseeing in Canada!

The author had previously applied for F1 and H-1B visas in their home country, with no history of denial or administrative processing. The timeline for this trip to Canada was as follows:

• Wednesday: Interview at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, Canada.

• The following Monday: Received an email stating the visa was ready.

• Tuesday: Received an email notification to pick up the passport at the post office.

I also browsed many netizens' experiences with third-country visa applications online, mostly in Canada and Mexico. Denials are very rare, but some netizens encountered administrative processing (check), which would require staying in Canada for several extra weeks. Therefore, going to Canada for H-1B processing also carries some risk. If you plan to apply for a U.S. visa in China, please refer to this article.

Confirm Passport Information

The passport must be valid for 6 months. If your passport is about to expire, you can renew it in the United States; see this article.

Apply for a Canadian Tourist Visa

Applying for a Canadian visa is relatively easy; no interview is required. You can submit application materials online or deliver them in person at a Canadian Visa Application Centre (note: not a consulate, but an agency that assists with visa processing). There is one in Los Angeles and one in New York. Since I happened to live near New York, I went to the New York Canadian Visa Application Centre to submit my materials in person.

The New York visa centre I visited at the time, as well as the Los Angeles visa centre at that time, both closed in November 2018. Please click here for the addresses and contact information of the two new visa centres. I briefly browsed the new visa centres' official website; the information is clear and straightforward. If I have time, I may consider writing another article about applying for a Canadian visa.

Prepare Photos and Complete DS-160

Photo specifications: taken within the last six months, color with a white background, 51mm x 51mm, no headwear or glasses. Please click the official link for detailed requirements. If you want to DIY your photos, you can refer to our article here.

Open the DS-160 page on the U.S. Department of State website and fill in each item as required. For detailed instructions on how to complete the DS-160 form, please refer to this illustrated guide written by Derek. U.S. consulates in the following Canadian cities can process visas: Calgary, AB; Halifax, NS; Montreal, QC; Ottawa, ON; Quebec City, QC; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; click here to check appointment wait times.

Schedule the Interview

• Open the official U.S. visa appointment website for Canada and register an account as required.

• After activating the account via email, the webpage will redirect to the applicant information page, where you fill in your passport number, DS-160 confirmation number, etc.

• After completing the applicant information, the webpage will redirect to the courier page, where you need to select the passport pickup location. You also need to fill in your name and address. When picking up the passport, you must bring an ID such as a driver's license, and the information on the ID must exactly match what was provided during the appointment. Of course, you can pay extra to have the passport mailed to your home, but this option didn't suit the author. The author chose to pick it up at the post office closest to the consulate.

• Next is the payment page. The visa fee varies by visa type: B1/B2, F, J and other visas cost 160 USD; H, L, O and other visas cost 190 USD. For more visa fees, see the official website information. Three payment methods: Cash; Visa/Mastercard; Interac.

• After payment is completed, you can proceed to schedule an appointment.

My Experience

The author's first choice for the interview was Ottawa, but upon entering the appointment interface, they were completely baffled: the earliest available appointment was in Toronto, in January 2019. After refreshing several times, the situation remained the same.

I immediately made several calls to the visa centre to confirm the system was fine, but I also learned something: in the second step of scheduling an interview, the last question on the page is: Are you traveling from another country to apply for a U.S. visa in Canada? The staff told me that if I answered "no" to this question, the available appointment slots shown would be much more numerous than if I answered "yes," because they reserve more slots for local residents.

I verified this myself: it is indeed the case. But I still honestly chose "yes." I saw online that some people encourage choosing "no," but I think it's risky because the staff mentioned that if you answer "no" to this question, you need to prepare proof of Canadian residency for the interview, and the staff will check it.

As mentioned at the beginning, I eventually secured a Vancouver interview in mid-September. How did I get it? There's really no trick. Canada's appointment system allows changing the interview time and location. I persisted for two weeks, logging into the system every morning, noon, and evening. I successively found slots for January 2019, December 2018, November 2018, and finally a slot for September 2018. On Douban, many netizens also did the same—logging into the appointment system daily for a period and eventually finding a satisfactory time slot.

You might ask: what if the U.S. consulate with a suitable time slot is not the one filled in on the DS-160? No problem—first update the DS-160, then update the DS-160 confirmation number in the applicant information in the appointment system. The appointment system allows direct modification. To update the DS-160, there are two ways: fill out a new one; or, like me, modify based on the old DS-160. The steps are as follows:

• Open the DS-160 page on the U.S. Department of State website.

• Fill in the consulate information and captcha, and click 'Retrieve an Application'. Note that you must select the new consulate with the available time slot, not the one you originally chose.

• Enter the old DS-160 number, answer the security verification question, and click 'Retrieve Application'.

• The webpage will pop up two options: 1. View the DS-160 confirmation page; 2. Create a new application. Choose 2.

• The webpage will open the DS-160 form with most information already filled in; only a small portion needs to be supplemented.

• Complete the remaining required fields and submit the application.

• After submission, you will see the DS-160 submission confirmation page, including a new confirmation number.

• Finally, update the DS-160 number in the appointment system.

Prepare Interview Documents

Regardless of the visa type, the following documents are required and must be original:

• Passport (with the most recent U.S. visa)

• DS-160 confirmation letter

• Interview appointment confirmation letter

• One visa photo

• For family applications, spouses must provide a marriage certificate, and unmarried children under 21 must provide a birth certificate.

• Proof of legal status in Canada; in the author's case, it was a Canadian tourist visa.

Some visa types require additional supporting documents. For specific requirements, please click here.

Consulate Interview

The author went to Vancouver for the interview. Before entering the consulate, you need to line up twice:

• First, line up to get a barcode (also used for domestic interviews, a white strip stuck on the back of the passport). While in line for the barcode, staff will check whether you have all required documents. If you are missing photos or documents that can be resolved by a quick trip to a print shop, get the barcode first before going to get them. Otherwise, you'll have to line up again when you return. The author didn't bring photos this time and fell into two traps: first, as just mentioned, they went to a print shop for photos before getting the barcode and had to line up again upon return; second, staff directed them to a nearby print shop where they spent 35 CAD and waited over ten minutes for two paper photos (electronic version cost extra), when in fact there was a self-service photo booth right next to the consulate's preliminary document review area.

• After getting the barcode, line up for security screening. Large wallets, handbags, and backpacks are not allowed inside, and the consulate does not offer storage for them. Small items like phones, keys, and smartwatches can be stored at the consulate.

After entering the consulate, there is another security check. Then you can queue for preliminary document review, fingerprinting, and receive an interview number. Next, staff will take everyone by elevator to another floor for the interview. During my interview, only the most basic questions were asked, and it was done in a few minutes. No need to be nervous during the interview; just answer all questions calmly and truthfully.

Pick Up Passport

The passport is picked up at a Canada Post office, similar to USPS in the U.S. When picking up your passport, prepare your ID (such as a U.S. driver's license) and the email notifying you to collect your passport. After the postal worker confirms the information, they will retrieve your passport. Remember to check that all information is correct after receiving it!