From: marby@laura.harvard.edu (Craig Marby)
Newsgroups: alt.visa.us
Subject: Entry from Canada -- was F1 Multiple denied in Ottawa!!
Date: 20 Nov 92 21:03:42 GMT
Organization: Chemistry Dept., Harvard University
In-reply-to: nestor+@cs.cmu.edu's message of 20 Nov 92 15:08:50 GMT

>>>>> On 20 Nov 92 15:08:50 GMT, nestor+@cs.cmu.edu (Nestor F Michelena) said:
>> Nntp-Posting-Host: isl1.ri.cmu.edu

>> In article <1992Nov18.161046.19414@newstand.syr.edu> rahul@npac.syr.edu (Rahul Bhargava) writes:
>
>> INS' logic doesn't make any sense to me. We are already in the US and can
>> re-enter the US from Canada without a visa. There is no way they (wherever
>> you apply for a visa) can verify strong ties to your home country. They
>> had to read your mind! This is a hassle. What should we do if we want
>> to travel to a third country (for a conference, for example)?

The rule about not actually needing a visa to re-enter the US from
Canada is best left untested. I recently had my passport stolen
together with J-1 visa and I-94. Replacing the passport was relatively
easy (and quick -- about 2 weeks from British Embassy , Wash D.C) INS
was another story. For one thing they now want $50 to replace the
I-94. Though this is free if you re-enter the US from overseas.  I
travelled to Canada without my I-94, but with enough paperwork to
confirm my story and also valid visa paperwork. At the Canadian side
they queried my story, but allowed me to cross into Canada, but said I
should check that I would be able to re-enter subsequently to US.  I
want back to the US side and spent an hour making phone calls etc.
Even though they confirmed I had a valid I-94 they INSISTED that I HAD
to get a visa from the US Consulate in Montreal. This was not on my
itinerary! This was the Wednesday before Columbus day and the
Consulate said it would take until Tuesday to issue the visa. Well I
still went to Montreal and had a wonderful time apart from the time I
spent on US soil). They treated me like S**T (and that's putting it
VERY politely). My mother who was travelling with me burst into tears
and had a pretty miserable time. She is in no hurry to come and visit
me in Boston. Next time we'll probably meet in Quebec. At the
consulate I was all but kicked out on the Thursday and they REFUSED to
listen to me (at all) despite the fact I had to return to Boston on
Saturday to catch a flight, because I did not have an appointment. On
Friday after several hours I did get to see someone who said a visa
could be issued. Previously I had been told it was impossible to issue
a visa the same day because of the computer -- it REALLY annoys me the
way computers are now being used as excuses like this -- it removes
the human element, NOT that these people bore much relationship to
humans. So eventually I got a visa -- which in theory I didn't need.
Anyway this saved me $70 for my troubles as I no longer had to renew
my IAP-66.  The MEGA-HASTLE was not worth it. My opinion of the US has
been irrevocably harmed. I REFUSE to believe that any British Embassy
would have acted in a similar manner. And I wasn't treated as badly as
some. For example the ~9 year old daughter of a family was refused
entry to the consulate and after the parents had gone in she was sent
out of the building to go and wait in a cafe. And there were various
other intimidatory tactics that the embassy staff and security had
obviously been trained in. I come from Great Britain. I now see very
little that is great about the United States. I did not appreciate
being treated like this. In London getting a visa was over and done
with in a morning without any of the agro or the bad atmosphere. I
could go on.  You've heard more than enough. The moral is beware of
the US Consulate in Montreal if you want a visa (or if you are not
a US citizen).


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    __o         
  _ \<,_       Craig A. Marby    marby@layla.harvard.edu
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