Traveling to Canada to Obtain a Visa  

Third country nationals wishing to apply for a visa in Canada must call the following number: 1-900-443-3131 to make an appointment at any one of the Consulates. Be prepared, it is very difficult to get through and the cost of the call is about $4 per minute. Calling early in the morning will get you the best results. Alternatively, you may apply for an appointment "on-line" at: http://www.amcits.com/nvars.asp Once scheduled for a visa appointment you can expect the following at particular consulates.

MONTREAL

It takes approximately 3 business days to get the visa. You must show up, in-person, in the morning, at the U.S. Consulate in Montreal to make an appointment for the following day. On Day #2, you have your appointment and turn in the application and required documentation. You are asked to return the next day (Day #3) to pick up his visa and other documents. The phone number of the U.S Consulate in Montreal is (514) 398-9695; the fax number is (514) 398-0973. Address: 1155 St. Alexandre Street, Montreal.

OTTAWA

Students applying in Ottawa must call the consulate well in advance to make an appointment. The consulate only accepts appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You should schedule the appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, you submit your application and documentation and are asked to return to the consulate at 3:00 p.m. on the following day to pick up the visa and documents. The phone number for the U.S. Consulate in Ottawa is (613) 238-5335, ext. 301. The fax number is (613) 234-2094. Address: 85 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario.

QUEBEC CITY

The U.S. Consulate in Quebec City accepts walk-in applications on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. You must submit your application and documentation and return in two days to pick up the visa and documents. Therefore, if you apply on Monday, you may pick up your visa on Wednesday; if you apply on Wednesday, you may pick up on Friday. The phone number for the U.S. Consulate in Quebec City is (418) 692-2095; the fax number is (418) 692-4640. Address: 2 Place Terrasse Dufferin C.P. 939, Quebec.

TORONTO

They state that it should take 5 business days to process an application, usually too long for many students (and could be longer if the student has to apply late in the week and stay over for the weekend). Recently, students have been able to get their visas in 3 days; so it really depends how busy they are. Students should arrive at the consulate EARLY in the morning (like 6:00 a.m.) to stand in line. Many students arrive before 7:00 a.m. and have been very far back in line. We recommend that you call so as to see what is recommended by the consulate. Applications are accepted between 8;30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Phone: (416) 595-0228; Fax: (416) 595-0051. Address: 360 University Avenue, Toronto.
 

In all cases, you should call ahead of time to make sure the consulate will be open and that the procedures have not changed. Another reminder, you must stay in Canada until a decision is made on the application because you must submit, as part of your application, your passport, Form I-20, Form I-94, and copies of financial documentation. There is also a 900 number for visa information for all U.S. Consulates in Canada. If you are calling within the U.S. the number is 900-656-2222. If you are calling from Canada the number is 900-451-6330 (recording) or 900-451-6663 (live voice).