A statement from the US Consulate General, in Vancouver, Canada, states that applications made for non-immigrant visas will now be accepted from third country nationals hoping to get their first H-1B visas. Third country national is the term used to describe foreign nationals who have the legal right to stay in the US but who are putting in applications for a non-immigrant visa.
The announcement ends the prior ruling, which banned third country nationals from applying for this type of visa at Vancouver’s US Consulate General. The US government says that the change is to assist foreign nationals in saving money and time, rather than making them go home so that they can file an application for an H-1B US visa, as it is easier and cheaper to fly to Canada than have to travel beyond North America.
The only minor drawback to the new arrangement is the limited number of appointments and that they are only released for particular periods of time. Employers are encouraged to use the online appointments system to track the release of these appointment times.
The website of the US Consulate says that the Department of State website can be used to check the estimated waiting periods for interview appointments. Employers and third country nationals are also urged to check other US consular posts in Canada, such as those in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.