Mr.P.

deal all,

I am a Sri Lankan national, currently living in Sweden. In about six weeks I will
finish my PhD thesis here, and will be moving to the USA to take up Graduate
medical training ( Residency training ) in psychiatry. The Hospital that I will
be working will sponsor my application, and I will very likely receive the
clearance from the INS towards the end of May.

I had intended to go to the USA on a B1 visa, and then go to Canada or Mexico to get
the H1B visa stamped. This is the most practical solution for me right now, because I
am constrained by money as well as time.

However, I have been told that the US embassies in Canada and Mexico have stopped
processing H1B applications, particularly for nationals of certain countries.

Is this information accurate? Is it likely that I will be asked to go back to my home
country to obtain the visa? Does anyone know how this works out?

I still have not retained a lawyer formally, but I am in contact with someone
suggested by the hospital. I still have not asked him about this, because formally,
he still is not my attorney.

can some kind soul please help me on this?

/Priyantha

Ranjini

Hi Priyantha, I'm Sri Lankan also. Married to an US citizen and living in the US. It
used to be possible to do what you are talking about. But there is a possibility that
there is some grain of truth in what you have heard. They will quite possibly look
more closely at your application now, depending on which region you are from. And as
for the INS, nothing is written in stone. They make up there rules as they go along.
You were right to post here, in the hope that someone who has some experience with
such a situation in the aftermath of 9/11 will enlighten you. Couldn't the Embassy in
Sweden do the same thing for you? Would that be any different to going back to Sri
Lanka to get your visa? Best wishes, Ranjini

"Mr.P." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    >
    > deal all,
    >
    >
    > I am a Sri Lankan national, currently living in Sweden. In about six weeks I
    > will finish my PhD thesis here, and will be moving to the USA to take up
    > Graduate medical training ( Residency training ) in psychiatry.
The
    > Hospital that I will be working will sponsor my application, and I will
very
    > likely receive the clearance from the INS towards the end of May.
    >
    >
    > I had intended to go to the USA on a B1 visa, and then go to Canada or Mexico to
    > get the H1B visa stamped. This is the most practical solution
for
    > me right now, because I am constrained by money as well as time.
    >
    > However, I have been told that the US embassies in Canada and Mexico have stopped
    > processing H1B applications, particularly for nationals of certain countries.
    >
    > Is this information accurate? Is it likely that I will be asked to go back to my
    > home country to obtain the visa? Does anyone know how this works out?
    >
    > I still have not retained a lawyer formally, but I am in contact with someone
    > suggested by the hospital. I still have not asked him about this, because formally,
    > he still is not my attorney.
    >
    > can some kind soul please help me on this?
    >
    >
    > /Priyantha
    >

Sylvia Ottemoel

Mr.P. wrote:

    > I am a Sri Lankan national, currently living in Sweden. In about six weeks I
    > will finish my PhD thesis here, and will be moving to the USA to take up
    > Graduate medical training ( Residency training ) in psychiatry. The Hospital
    > that I will be working will sponsor my application, and I will very likely
    > receive the clearance from the INS towards the end of May.

    > I had intended to go to the USA on a B1 visa, and then go to Canada or Mexico to
    > get the H1B visa stamped. This is the most practical solution for me right now,
    > because I am constrained by money as well as time.
    >
    > However, I have been told that the US embassies in Canada and Mexico have stopped
    > processing H1B applications, particularly for nationals of certain countries.
    >
    > Is this information accurate?

Yes.

Is it likely that I will be asked to go back
    > to my home country to obtain the visa?
    > Does anyone know how this works out?

It's hard to say how likely it is. There are generally two reasons you may not be
able to obtain a visa in Canada or Mexico.

1) The consular post may not *agree to accept* your appointment. You have to
actually make the appointment and wait (5 days or so) to see if the post cancels
the appointment.

The actual list of countries is not confirmed by the State Department, but you will
find in the links below the list of 26 countries which are thought to be on the list.
Sri Lanka is not included.

2) The consular post agrees to accept your appointment, and you appear and apply
for the visa, but the post decides to deny your visa application, or simply
refuse the visa application because it thinks it cannot properly decide on all
the issues.

In that case, you will have to proceed directly from that country to your home
country, and you cannot get back into the U.S. as you used to be able to do. You
will not be eligible for automatic visa revalidation because you will have applied
for a visa.

http://www.usvisanews.com/memo1645.html http://www.usvisanews.com/memo1637.html
http://www.oiss.ucsb.edu/Newsletters...ber162001.html (#6)
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/interna...anuary2002.htm
(toward the bottom) http://www.nafsa.org/content/Profess...onalResources-
/ImmigrationAdvisingResources/PA2001E.htm

    > I still have not retained a lawyer formally, but I am in contact with someone
    > suggested by the hospital. I still have not asked him about this, because formally,
    > he still is not my attorney.

For heavens' sake, ask him! Why would you hold back on that?

    > can some kind soul please help me on this?