US Visa

HelpTeam helps you to make an appointment for a U.S. visa, fill out forms, apply, and provide on-site translation services.

You can apply for a B-2 U.S. tourist visa for travel, entertainment, visiting friends and relatives, medical treatment, attending conferences, going to exhibitions, handling personal affairs, etc. The B-2 U.S. tourist visa is valid for 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years and permanent, and the number of entries is also valid for one or more entries. International students who go to the U.S. usually apply for a Class B (B1 business visit, B2 personal visit) visa, which allows multiple trips to the U.S. within one year, and after getting a Maple Leaf Card, they can expect to obtain a 10-year multiple-entry U.S. visa. The U.S. has embassies or consulates in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Halifax, and you can choose any of them for an interview. It does not matter if you travel from Canada to the U.S. (and do not go to a third country) and return even if your mini-visa has expired, you only need proof of legal status in Canada (e.g. Study Permit, Work Permit, etc.).

To apply for a U.S. visa, you need to fill out a DS-160 form, make an appointment online for an interview and pay a $160 application fee. On the day of the interview, you will need to prepare any documents that may be required, such as a letter of acceptance, Study Permit, proof of enrollment, existing transcripts, etc.

To enter the U.S., you need to apply for an I-94 (small white card, stapled to your passport), which is usually given for a period of 6 months, indicating that it is legal to stay in the U.S. for up to 6 months. You can return the I-94 from the U.S. to Canada or not. If you do not return it, you can use the I-94 to enter the country next time, and it does not matter if your U.S. visa expires. So theoretically, if you enter the U.S. on the last day of your visa, you can extend your 1-year visa for 6 months.