American consular posts in Canada temporarily suspended visa processing for non-Canadians from June through the end of August. The American Immigration Lawyers Association shared this information from the US Department of State on June 3, 2014.
American consular posts have jurisdiction to process visa applications for individuals who have resided within their jurisdiction for at least 6 months. Posts also have discretion to accept jurisdiction for non-local individuals.
The American consular posts in Canada (and many in Mexico) have long had a policy to accept visa processing appointments for non-locals. This was very helpful to many groups, including foreign nationals granted visa petitions during temporary trips to the US. The policy gave them the option to avoid a long and expensive trip to their home country by processing in Canada.
The US State Department explained that the seven American consular posts in Canada are increasingly busy with applications from Canadians. The suspension of service to others is temporary and only for the summer months. The consular posts in Canada offer increased appointment availability during non-peak business periods, such as October, November, and January through May.
Of course, appointments can still be requested in the applicant’s home country or in other countries, including Canada.
