| Visiting the US has never been my dream, maybe | | | | you currently live and indeed, some consulates have |
| because many of my friends wanted to go there so | | | | more appointment vacancies than others do. The fee |
| desperately, and I do not like to go with the | | | | for the interview is a non-refundable $8.40 CAD, |
| mainstream, maybe because I have heard numerous | | | | payable by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. |
| stories from friends how difficult it is to secure an | | | | U.S. visa appointments are scarce and are booked as |
| appointment for a US visa and the amount of | | | | soon as they become available. Generally, it can take |
| documents one has to submit to the US embassy. | | | | anything between 6 to 10 weeks to obtain an |
| This autumn, however, my sister is due to give birth to | | | | appointment at one of Canada’s U.S. Consulates. |
| a baby girl after 10 years of trying to get pregnant and | | | | Depending on the type of visa, you will need to fill out |
| I felt I had to be one of the first people to take a peak | | | | application forms also known as DS -156, DS-157 and |
| at my little niece. Therefore, I braced myself and | | | | DS-158 forms. In addition, you may be required to |
| searched the net for information about getting a | | | | submit a passport-sized photo, proof of legal in status |
| non-immigrant visa to the US. | | | | in Canada and your valid passport for at least 6 |
| If you live in Canada, but you are not a permanent | | | | months and an application fee. Again, these documents |
| resident, and you intend to visit the USA on | | | | vary depending on what kind of visa you are applying |
| a short-term stay, you will need to obtain a visa, | | | | for. |
| except if you are a citizen of a country in the US Visa | | | | You can go through this procedure yourself and that is |
| Waiver Program. The visa you need to apply for | | | | what I tried to do at first. However, I found the |
| will depend on the purpose of your visit and the length | | | | procedure to be too time-consuming and sometimes |
| of time you plan to stay there. If you plan to stay for | | | | confusing, so I decided to hire professionals to help me |
| up to 6 months, then you have to apply for a | | | | with the appointment and the documents. |
| non-immigrant visa. The purpose of your visit can vary | | | | I got my visa appointment in Toronto in November and |
| from tourism to business or study course. | | | | I plan to travel to the land of unlimited opportunities for |
| The United States embassy and consulates in Canada | | | | the Christmas holidays and say hello to my US-born |
| will only issue non-immigrant visas after a successful | | | | niece. Now that I have gone through the process, I |
| face-to-face interview. You can schedule the | | | | wish I had braved it earlier and had a nice and warm |
| interview in the U.S Embassy in Ottawa, and selected | | | | Florida vacation in August. |
| Consulates General in Canada regardless of where | | | | |