TravelSmart: Renewing your H1b Visa in Toronto

Looking to renew your H1b? Low on vacation time and don't want to spend the money and time to go to your home country? Considering Toronto/Canada for renewal? I'm here to help mate!

1. Go here and apply for your visa and get your appointment date. File the application form online, pay the $150 fee online and also submit your photos digitally. I took my photos myself.

2. Get an appointment date about 3 weeks in advance so you have time to buy your flight tickets (plan for around 7 business days in Toronto), prepare documents and apply for a Canadian visa if necessary. Consider also that Toronto is a big city and the DHL pickup locations and the consulate are not close to each other and so make considerations for travel time and planning.

3. Go to Canada for your interview and on approval the visa will be stamped in your passport and sent to a DHL office for pickup.

Other notes assembled from frequently asked questions:

Employee vs. Contractor

I’m a full-time employee (not contractor), so that affects experience. Contractors/consultants need to prove the vendor-client relationship. Most employers give employment letters for only 3 months out and it worries the consulate to approve a 3 year visa on a 3 month employment guarantee. But it's all the documentation you have. Take photos and letters to prove employment and length of actual projects and engagement. Just be prepared, that's all you can do.

Documents

As for documents they only asked for my previous passport with the old h1b stamp. They didn’t ask for any other documents (I had bank statements, wage records, tax records, offer and employment letters, performance reviews, office photographs, all old passports and visa stamps)

Immigration Clearance on Return to US

When entering the US (immigration) they asked for the old passport, h1b stamp and company letter and a lot of the same questions asked during the interview.

Interview

(my responses shortened and in bold)

1. Tell me about your employer and your job. Petition says address of home company, you say you work in SF. Explained

2. What degree do you have. EE. How is this relevant to your current job. Explained my current roles and how the degree helps me in my daily job

3. Tell me about your previous H1b and employer. Talked about previous job and why I left it for this job and how they are related.

4. Asked about life in San Francisco and how it is to work for employer continued to chat about life and work

--He issued me a provisional visa.

Timing

Visa interview was on Monday, issued visa on this day (no PIMS). Sent to DHL office on Thursday, I picked up on Friday. They recommend 7 business days from interview to receipt. In the case of PIMS nothing is certain.

Many people think you need to renew H1b in your resident country. While it is preferable especially for your first H1b stamping, you actually don’t have to. I did my first H1b in London (was a resident there) and the second in Toronto. My home country is Sri Lanka.

I’ve been hearing though that depending on your home country and city consulate the success rates may be different. Some people who have gone back to India have not been able to come back. Toronto is a tough consulate. Vancouver and Tijuana (I have heard) are easier. London definitely was easier. Essentially there was a time when it was easier to renew in the home country. It isn’t the case anymore. It’s fair chance wherever – you just need to have your documents. It is cheaper to renew at a border consulate (Canada or Mexico) vs. India because of the cheaper flight cost.

The end to end time in Toronto from interview to Passport receipt was 5 business days (can be sometimes 7 days). In Mexico it is around the same. I am hearing it is much longer in India.

Source(s): my experience

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