The U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada has recently confirmed that it will process H-1B nonimmigrant visa applications for nationals of third countries (countries other than Canada), including first-time H-1B visa applicants whose educational documentation originates from a country other than Canada.
Long time clients of Nankin & Verma PLLC know that our long-standing guidance has been to discourage third-country processing in Canada under such circumstances, due to the risk of extraordinary delays and/or denials of the H-1B visa, which would prevent an applicant from returning to the United States. With the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver now confirming it will process such cases, an avenue has opened up for our clients to obtain their visa stamps from a location more convenient than their home countries.
Please note that the other U.S. Consulates and the Embassy in Canada have not yet confirmed they will process such cases, and nonimmigrant appointments in Vancouver must be planned for and secured in advance of any anticipated travel to Canada, due to limited such appointment availability. You can check appointment availability here.
Nankin & Verma PLLC welcomes this common sense and convenient processing option, and hopes that other U.S. Consulates and the Embassy in Canada soon follow suit.
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