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Re: [StanfordIndians] H1-B Stamping Vancouver.

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Pranav Dandekar

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Nov 14, 2009, 2:18:46 PM11/14/09
to Rohan Khara, stanfor...@yahoogroups.com, Somik Raha, Daman Grewal
 

Hi Daman,


I am not sure to what extent is your plan flexible, but here's my $0.02 based on anecdotes and personal experiences from my time at Amazon in Seattle: in the last few years, Amazon and MSFT have started discouraging their employees to get their first H1-B stamping done in Canada. There have been multiple cases of people being detained for 3-4-5 weeks for background checks and/or because the person's name popped up on some terrorist list (a particularly egregious case was when the person's name was "Karthik" :). These issues with visa stamping in Canada are a result of some combination of the following:
- An increase in the number of people going to Canada stamping; they don't have the infrastructure to handle the volume.
- An increase (at least pre 2008) in the number of people applying for H1 via IT consulting/body-shopping companies, which had been brought to the notice of USCIS and they were tightening t heir processes/background checks (I was myself asked about body-shoppers during the visa interview in Calgary in 2005).
- (Perception of) terrorism threats.

So if it is possible, I'd recommend going to India to get your visa stamped. If your plans are already made (and specially if you have friends/family in Canada who can put you up in case of an extended stay), then you should probably go ahead. 

Good luck!
Pranav

On Nov 14, 2009, at 11:03 AM, Rohan Khara wrote:


Daman,
 
1) Yes, you def. need to get a visitor visa in order to get into Canada. You will not get the visa at the border. I had undergone the same procedure last year & i had to get a visa.
 
2) Regarding address in Canada, just gve the address of the hotel where you plan to stay. I did the same & there was no issue.
 
Best,
Rohan

Rohan Khara 
Windows Live Product Management
Microsoft
 
--- On Sat, 11/14/09, Somik Raha <somikr@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Somik Raha <somikr@gmail.com>
Subject: [StanfordIndians] H1-B Stamping Vancouver.
To: stanfordindians@yahoogroups.com
Cc: "Daman Grewal" <damangarry@yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 12:46 PM

 


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Daman Grewal <damangarry@yahoo. com>
Date: Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Subject: H1-B Stamping Vancouver.
To: Somik Raha <somikr@gmail. com>


Somik......can you post the below message on our sia-mailing list? For what ever reason I'm unable to post.. Thx
 
All,
 
I'm planning on going to Vancouver for my H1-B visa stamping, do I need to get a canadian visitor visa before going or can I take it at the border if I'm driving from Seattle?? As per the DS-160 visa form they need me to provide a residential  address in canada where they will mail me the passport, what if I'm staying in a hotel? Processing Times / delays etc?
 
Any thing else you guys can share would be great.
 
 
Thanks a lot.
-Daman.





-- 
Somik Raha
Doctoral Candidate
Decision and Risk Analysis
Dept. of Management Science & Engg.
Stanford University
(650) 450-8246
somik@stanford. edu
http://www.stanford .edu/~somik/

************ ********* ********* ********* *********
The essence of the moral reformer and of the creator in the field of art lies in not adjusting to the predominant norms or tastes, but unfurling the flag of what "ought to be" over and above people's preferences.
-- Risieri Frondizi, in "What is Value?", Pg. 30 (1971)
************ ********* ********* ********* *********



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Karthik Raghunathan

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Nov 14, 2009, 4:46:52 PM11/14/09
to Pranav Dandekar, stanfor...@yahoogroups.com
 


----- "Pranav Dandekar" <ppd@stanford.edu> wrote:

| Hi Daman,


|
|
| There have been multiple cases of people being detained for
| 3-4-5 weeks for background checks and/or because the person's name
| popped up on some terrorist list (a particularly egregious case was
| when the person's name was "Karthik" :).

WHAT ??!!

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Pranav Dandekar

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Nov 14, 2009, 4:55:51 PM11/14/09
to Karthik Raghunathan, stanfor...@yahoogroups.com
 

:) That was exactly my reaction when I heard the story. If you name is Mohammad Atta, then I can see why you'd end up on some terrorist list, but this friend of mine named Karthik was detained because apparently his name popped up somewhere. Go figure. 


I guess you can chalk that one up to the collective incompetence of the great American Homeland Security bureaucracy.

Pranav


On Nov 14, 2009, at 1:43 PM, Karthik Raghunathan wrote:

There have been multiple cases of people being detained for 3-4-5 weeks for background checks and/or because the person's name popped up on some terrorist list (a particularly egregious case was when the person's name was "Karthik" :).
 

WTF????

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