• Evidence of landed immigrant or any other legal status in Canada.
• Visa application DS-156, fully completed online, printed and signed.
  • One separate DS-156 must be submitted by each visa applicant, regardless of age or gender, even if applicants share a single passport.
• Bank receipt for payment of Visa Application Fee by each visa application, regardless of age or gender, even if applicants share a single passport unless traveling on diplomatic passports
  • Must be paid at any branch of Scotia Bank within Canada in advance of visa appointment. See below for instructions.
• Passport valid for travel to the U.S.
  • The passport must have an expiration date at least 6 months beyond the intended duration of the visit.
• One current (less than 6 months old) photo of each visa applicant, regardless of age or gender, even if applicants share a single passport, 50mm x 50mm (2 inches x 2 inches), full face, without head covering, against a white background, see Detailed Visa Photo Requirements.
• DS-157: Supplemental Non-immigrant Visa Application, with complete information, street addresses and telephone numbers where required, from:
  • All male visa applicants, aged 16-45, if applying at the U.S. Embassy Ottawa or any U.S. Consulate in Canada except for Toronto
  • All visa applicants, regardless of age or gender, if applying at the U.S. Consulate Toronto
  • All visa applicants, regardless of age or gender or location of visa application if a national of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria
• All applicants for student (F or M) or exchange visitor (J) visas must submit:
  • a completed DS-158
  • receipt for payment of the SEVIS fee
  • for student visas (F-1) a SEVIS-generated I-20 or for exchange visitor visas (J-1) a SEVIS-generated DS-2019
  • evidence of funds to pay living and educational expenses in the U.S.
  • Any appropriate supporting documents, such as proof of employment or studies; home ownership or other commitments in Canada; any U.S. immigration related documents; if arrested in any location written disposition of the case and extract of the law relating to the offense; and evidence of any prior travel to the U.S.
• All applicants for temporary worker (H) and and intracompany transfer (L) visas should submit a copy of the notice of approval I-797 and the underlying petition I-129, which will be electronically confirmed by us, a process that may take several workdays or more
• All documents not in the English language must be accopanied by a printed English translation, signed and dated by the translator.
• Visa application does not guarantee visa eligibility. Each application will be considered on its own merits in accordance with U.S. law. There is no same day issuance of visas. While most visas are ready within two days following the interview, all eligible visa applicants must be prepared for processing to take from several workdays to several weeks or more before receiving their visas.

All U.S. Consulates in Canada require that visa fee payments be deposited to any branch of Scotia Bank in advance of the appointment. Bring two copies of your stamped deposit slip - the bank will retain the third copy. Detailed instructions appear on the page for each of the U.S. Consulates.

• Download the deposit slips for printing - French
• Download the deposit slips for printing - English

Passports and visas will be returned to the applicants with Canadian addresses by Canada Post, generally within three to five business days after the visa is approved. In person pick up will be available only in a legitimate emergency (as determined by the Consulate).

Applicants must go to a Canada Post office and buy an Express Regional mailer before coming to the consulate. These are not available at the Consulate. Approximate cost is CDN $7.

Each case is different, and only the interviewing officer can make the decision to give or refuse a visa. There is no way to predict ahead of time your chances of receiving a visa.

Please do not call the Embassy or Consulates with questions. For additional information by telephone, please use these numbers:

1-888-840-0032 from either the U.S. or Canada - you will be asked to provide your credit card number. CA$1.59/minute
1-900-451-2778 from within Canada - you will be charged CA$1.89 per minute
1-900-443-3131 from within the U.S. - you will be charged US$1.89 per minute

Many office phones and all pay phones are set to block calls to 900 numbers. If the 900 telephone service is not available to you, please use the 888 number above.