On average, there are over 20 million overseas visitors from Canada to the United States every year. According to the US Embassy & Consulate in Canada, most visitors to the United States enter the country on nonimmigrant visas as tourists, business persons, students, and temporary foreign workers. Are you also planning to travel to the US from Canada and wondering how to schedule your US visa appointment Toronto, Vancouver or any other parts of Canada? This article gives you a breakdown of all your need to know about visa US visa appointment in Canada.

How to apply for a US Visa Appointment in Canada

Visa requirements for entering the US from Canada vary, depending on each applicant’s status in Canada. If you are a citizen, except in a very few cases, you don’t need a visa to enter the United States. In most cases, Canadians do not need business, visitor, or transit visa to enter the US. But if you are going as a treaty trader or investor (E2 visa) or as a foreign citizen fiancée (K-1 visa), you will need to get a visa. Other Canadian applicants that need a US visa include people traveling for work as well as employees and officials of international organizations going to the US for a permanent or temporary assignment.

As a permanent resident or non-permanent resident in Canada, you will need a visa to enter the US, irrespective of your purpose of visit. The only exceptions are those whose countries of origin have a visa waiver agreement with the United States. So, whether you are going to the United States as a citizen or other status, the first thing is to determine if you will need a visa or not. If you qualify for the US Visa Waiver Program, you will need to obtain authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). If you don’t, then you must obtain a visa before you can enter the United States.

Steps Required for a US Visa Appointment in Canada

If required to get a visa to enter the US, then the first thing is to determine the type of visa required in your case. There are various categories of US visas for nonimmigrant travelers. Your purpose of travelling to the US will determine which visa you will need. You can get the full list of all nonimmigrant US visas on this US Dept of State webpage and then choose accordingly.

US Visa Appointment in Canada:  DS-160 Form

The DS-Form 160 is a US Government online form that must be completed by all nonimmigrant applicants whose cases require a visa to enter the US. This is the very step of your US visa appointment Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, or anywhere you are in Canada. To fill the form, visit the Consular Electronic Application Center webpage and click on DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. Follow the instructions and provide all the required details.

Form DS-160 Documents Checklist

The required documents for DS-160 Form may vary, depending on each applicant’s travel purpose. For instance, as a student, your certificates, transcripts, and information regarding your program in the US will be required. And as a worker, documents showing your job offer and your credentials may be required. When processing your visa, whether you are to make US visa appointment Toronto, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, Winnipeg, the embassy or consulate in charge of your case will let you know the required items for your application. However, the generally required DS-160 documents for all nonimmigrant applicants include: 

• A valid Passport
• Photographs that meets these specifications. 
• Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements
• Dates of your previous trips or visits to the US or other country(s), if you have embarked on international travel before either to the US or other somewhere else.
• CV or Resume
• Other information – which may be based on your specific visa classification.

Keep in mind that the DS-Form must be filled in English and all items written in a foreign language(s) must be translated to English. Most questions in the form are mandatory. Once you are done filling the form, you will be shown a Confirmation Page. Make sure you save or print this page as it will be needed for your visa appointment.

US Visa Appointment in Canada: Find the Nearest US Embassy or Consulate

Apart from the US embassy in Ottawa, there are about 7 other US consulates where you can book your visa appointments. They include Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal, Quebec, and Winnipeg. Visit this website to choose the embassy or consulate nearest to you. The consulates or embassy have the details of the requirements each applicant must fulfill to schedule an appointment. Whether you are scheduling your US visa appointment Vancouver or in Toronto, it is very important to follow the information on the consulate’s website to the letter. You will also need to pay a non-refundable application fee. Once you have completed all the requirements on the website, you should be able to schedule your visa appointment.

How to Schedule a US Visa Appointment in Canada

If you have completed all the above requirements, you shouldn’t find it difficult to schedule a US visa appointment Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, or other US consulates in Canada. On the websites there are visa appointment wait times, indicating the estimated time to receive an interview appointment for your nonimmigrant visa category. You will need to choose a date that you think is most favorable according to your travel plans. It is best to schedule your interview appointment as early as possible to avoid delays in your travel plans. In fact, it is officially recommended that applicants commence their US visa application process about 3 months before their intended travel date. 

Attend Your US Visa Appointment in Canada

Your US visa appointment in Canada will be done at the consulate or embassy you have chosen earlier. The interview is the last process of your visa appointments and it is a very significant stage which can determine your visa application success or otherwise.

You should attend the interview with your Form DS-160 confirmation page and your application ID number on it as the consulate will need it to retrieve your application. Depending on your visa category, you will also need to go with other documents, which you must have been informed of while booking the appointment. US visa appointment Toronto, Calgary or any other consulate usually last for about 15 to 20 minutes.

It is very important to get the venue at least 15 to 30 minutes before the scheduled time to complete the preliminary screenings and settle down before the interview. It is also very important to dress decently. Find out more about questions and wait time

There are three possible outcomes from a US visa appointment in Canada. Your visa application may be approved, subject to administration processing (delayed), or denied. If your visa is approved at the time of your interview, you will be told by the official. If the consular officer thinks you don’t merit a visa, he may deny your application and inform you accordingly after the interview. In some cases, the application may be subject to administration processing. This means the embassy or consulate needs more time to decide on the case. In such a scenario, you may be required to provide more information.

Visa Approved: Pick Your Passport and Visa

If your visa is approved, the embassy or consulate will tell you when and how you would get your passport and visa. This usually takes a few days after your interview. Once you have gotten your visa and passport, you can start making travel arrangements to travel from Canada to the US.

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