IUPUI

Applying for a Visa in Canada or Mexico

APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED

Any person who is not a citizen or legal resident of Canada or Mexico wishing to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at an embassy or consulate in Canada or Mexico must make an appointment for an interview. U.S. Consular offices are located in the following cities:
Canada: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver.
Mexico: Ciudad Juarez, Matamoros and Tijuana.

Appointments by Internet: Applicants can make appointments via the Internet at http://www.nvars.com. Each appointment costs $6.25 Canadian, which must be charged to a major credit card. Applicants are advised to have their credit card information handy. The Internet system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Appointments by Telephone: From the United States, call 1-900-443-3131; in Canada, call 1-900-451-2778. To charge the call to a credit card, call 1-888-840-0032 from either country. Unlike 1-900 numbers, which are blocked from most hotel, office or pay telephones, the credit card line can be accessed from virtually any telephone. The appointment system requires a touch-tone phone. Operators are available from 7 A.M. to 10 P.M. Eastern Time. Callers may have difficulty getting through if they call during the peak times of 7 A.M., 11 A.M., 2 P.M., 4:30 P.M. and 7 P.M. Eastern Time. Appointments for border posts outside the Eastern Time Zone can only be made after it is 7 A.M. in the post's time zone.

Since conditions and requirements for travel can change from day to day, we recommend that you contact the consulate or review information from their website before traveling for the visa interview. Most consulates have helpful websites that you can link to through http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/embassies/embassies_1214.html. After your appointment is scheduled, you will be mailed an application form DS-156 (and DS-157 for some male applicants) and an information sheet for the consulate where you will be applying. Visa applicants should take their appointment letters to the interview. They may be admitted without one, but absence of the letter could cause delays.

Please DO NOT call an individual consulates directly to request an appointment. Applicants who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments must cancel them two full working days prior to the appointment by calling toll-free 1-888-611-6676.

The Department of State also advises that once the visa appointment has been made, you should still wait five days before making travel plans to Canada or Mexico to apply for the US visa. This is to make sure that your appointment will not be cancelled because you were not considered eligible to apply for the visa. Finally, you should keep in mind that just because your visa appointment was not cancelled is no guarantee that you will be granted the visa.

Certain nationalities require a visa from Canadian or Mexican authorities to enter those countries. See Travel to Canada or Mexico for more information.

WHO CANNOT APPLY FOR A US VISA IN CANADA OR MEXICO?

Individuals who were or are out of status in the United States because they overstayed their visa must apply for a visa in their home country.

Males between ages 16 to 45 from these 27 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

WHO FACES POTENTIAL RISK IN APPYING FOR A VISA IN CANADA OR MEXICO?

Applicants from Cuba or North Korea and females from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Syria must pass special security clearances before being issued a visa and should expect additional delays of 1-2 months.

Any applicant not from Canada or Mexico (other than the countries listed above):

Applicants holding B-1 or B-2 statuses: If you are not a citizen or legal resident of Canada or Mexico, it is generally not advisable to apply for the student or scholar visa. You should be aware that a denial in Canada or Mexico will most likely require returning to your home country to apply for the visa since applying for a change of status in the US would no longer be a recommended option. Persons needing to change their visa status should consult with an Office of International Affairs advisor to learn about their options.

For all applicants (not just B-1 or B-2 statuses): It is often difficult for applicants not from Canada or Mexico to convincingly demonstrate their strong ties and reasons for returning to their home country to a consular officer in Canada or Mexico. The consular officials may not be familiar with local conditions in or documentation from the home country. If this is a problem, applicants are advised to apply for visas in their home countries or countries of permanent residence.

WARNING!
If you are in one of these risk categories listed above, your I-94 may be confiscated if your visa is denied at the embassy/consulate, and you will not be able to return to the US.

CONSEQUENCES

If the visa is approved, be prepared to return to use one of the entries to reenter the US.

If the visa is denied, be prepared to return to your home country to apply for the visa.

If you have an alternative valid visa, discuss your options with an Office of International Affairs advisor.

Contact the IUPUI Office of International Affairs
Please make an appointment with an advisor in the Office of International Affairs to be sure you have all the necessary documentation for your visa application before traveling or if you have questions about the visa process.