I got my Change of Status from H-4 to F-1 Approved in April and now want to visit Canada for pleasure. I believe I could also get the stamping done.
Is this not advisable since I recently processed my Change of Status Application? Also, how many days in advance does the visa appointment booking open in toronto or Montreal? can I go for the stamping with my spouse(H1B) in the same interview?
It should not really matter. You can go for F1 visa stamping. Please check the consular websites of Toronto or Montreal for correct information on booking appointment, etc. You can. If you want to avoid confusion, you can attend seperately as well.
The FAQs which my attorney gave me after the Visa approval stated that short trips to Canada or Mexico (<30 days) do not require a stamping if you do not apply for a stamping interview in any of the consulates.
You can re enter with a previous Visa stamp(In my case F1), and an approval letter, and i94. You have to make sure you do not surrender your current i94 while going.
Please check with your attorney, but I am confident that this was the rule, since that was the sheet my attorney gave me and it explicitly mentioned this rule
Thanks Kumar. Well, Since I did a change of status, that is why I was concerned about the stamping in a third country. I will check availability, dates etc and then take a decision.
That is correct, we do not require stamping if the stay is less than 30 days. However, I wish to get my approved visa stamped.
I’m only concerned since my case is a change of status and this is the first stamping after the approval.
Thanks! Well, I do not have a valid stamp and so cannot enter. So was thinking of getting my F-1 stamped by visiting the US consulate. Any thoughts? I am hearing random stuff about 221g and 214. Sounds scary to me!