| U.S.
Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs |
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| U.S.
Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs |
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Border Countries - Canada and Mexico
Special Notice: Following 9/11 interviews and special processing requirements are now required for nonimmigrant visa applicants. These requirements may lead to a significant delay in visa issuance. Apply well in advance of anticipated travel to the U.S. Please see important information below about the exclusion from automatic revalidation of a nonimmigrant visa that may affect visa applicants.
Who from Canada and Mexico, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?
How To Apply For a Visa at a Border Post If You Are a Third Country National Present In The United States Or Visiting Canada
Appointments are required
Who can be issued a visa at a border post
Hours of operation
Additional information
Exclusion from automatic revalidation of a nonimmigrant visaWho from Canada and Mexico, Needs a Nonimmigrant Visa to Enter the United States Temporarily?
Canada
- foreign government officials (A);
- officials and employees of international organizations (G),;
- NATO officials, representatives and employees if s if they are being assigned to the U.S. (as opposed to an official trip).
- treaty traders (E-1) ;
- treaty investors (E-2);
- fiance/es (K-1);
- children of fiancees (K-2);
- U.S. citizen's foreign citizen spouse, who is traveling to the U.S. to complete the process of immigration (K-3);
- children of a foreign citizen spouse (K-4) described above;
- spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-1) traveling to the U.S. to reside here while they wait for the final completion of their immigration process.
- children of spouses of lawful permanent residents (V-2) described above.
Mexico
Select U.S. Embassy/Consulate to go to Consular Sections in Canada and Mexico for more information about getting your nonimmigrant visa.
Also to learn more about U.S. entry requirements from Canada and Mexico, select Foreign Visitors Entering the U.S. from Canada or Mexico to go to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
How To Apply For a Visa at a Border Post If You Are a Third Country National Present In The United States Or Visiting CanadaAny third country national (TCN)* present in the United States and visitors present in Canada who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at any of our border posts in Canada or Mexico must make an appointment for an interview. U.S. Consular offices are located in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Ciudad Juarez, Matamoros, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana.
* Please note that Border Posts can no longer accept applications from non-resident TCNs who are nationals of the seven countries currently designated as state sponsors of terrorism. For more information, please see the Notice: Special Visa Processing Procedures Pursuant to Section 306 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002.
Appointments by Telephone: If you are in the United States and you wish to schedule an appointment, you should call 1-900-443-3131; in Canada you should call 1-900-451-2778. Callers from the United States or Canada wishing to charge the cost of the call to a credit card may schedule an appointment by calling 1-888-840-0032. Unlike the 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; a push-button rotary phone will not work.
Appointments by Internet: Applicants can also book appointments via the Internet at http://www.nvars.com. Each appointment costs $10.00 Canadian, which will be charged to a major credit card. Applicants are advised to have their credit card information handy.
After your appointment is scheduled, you will be mailed an application form (DS-156) and an information sheet for the post where you will be applying. Please DO NOT call an individual post directly to request an appointment. They can only be scheduled by calling the appropriate 1-900 or 1-888 telephone number or by using the Internet.
Who Can be Issued a Visa at a Border Post
Individuals who have ever been out of status in the United States because they overstayed their visa or their I-94 are not eligible to apply at a border post. In other words, if you have remained in the U.S. longer than the period authorized by the immigration officer when you entered the U.S. in any visa category, you must apply in the country of your nationality. If you are not certain about your status, check with the nearest U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (BCIS) office.
Individuals seeking appointments should be aware that applicants may be more likely to encounter difficulties at the time of interview when they apply for a visa outside of their home district. Consular officers at border posts will deny visas whenever they believe there are fraud indicators present, or their lack of knowledge of local conditions and familiarity with documents in the applicant's home country prevents them from properly adjudicating the case.
None of the border posts will accept applications for "E" visas from from third country national applicants who are not resident in their consular districts.
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. The Internet system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Applicants who are unable to attend their scheduled appointments must cancel them two full working days prior to the appointment by calling toll-free to 1-888-611-6676.
Visa applicants should take their appointment letters to the interview. They may be admitted without one, but absence of the letter could cause delays.
Certain nationalities require visas from Canadian authorities in order to enter Canada.
Would-be applicants who do not need a visa to remain in the United States may find it more convenient to apply for a visa elsewhere in conjunction with their next foreign travel. Those who plan to visit Canada, Mexico or, in the cases of students and exchange visitors, adjacent islands, may re-enter the U.S. within thirty days on expired visas as long as they possess a valid I-94 form unless they are excluded from automatic revalidation, as noted below.
Exclusion from Automatic Revalidation of a Nonimmigrant Visa
The U.S. Government has undertaken a variety of efforts since September 11 to enhance border security and ensure that only individuals eligible to enter the United States are allowed entry. Effective April 1, 2002, aliens who have applied for and been refused visa issuance while outside the U.S. are prohibited from returning to the United States, even if they are in possession of a valid I-94 form. The revised regulation also prohibits aliens who are citizens of countries on the State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism from re-entering the U.S. using solely an I-94 form if their visa has expired.
The previous regulation allowed individuals whose visas had expired but whose I-94 forms remained valid to re-enter the U.S. without obtaining a new visa. The previous regulation made limited distinctions among citizens of various nationalities, and aliens who applied for and were denied a new visa were nonetheless permitted to re-enter the United States. The changes we are now implementing enhance border security by requiring that aliens from state sponsors of terrorism obtain a new visa (and thus go through a new set of interviews, computer checks, etc.) before re-entering the United States, and by ensuring that people who were found by one of our overseas embassies or consulates to be ineligible for a visa cannot get around such a finding by re-entering the U.S. using solely their I-94 form.
The exclusion from automatic revalidation will apply to aliens who attempt to re-enter the United States on or after April 1, 2002, regardless of whether their application for a visa was filed prior to that date.
Revised July 2003