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I am an Indian national working in USA on a H1B visa. I need to visit Belgium for business purpose but since this will be my first time getting out of the country after getting the H1B approved, I need to get the visa stamped on my passport while in Belgium, in order to be able to re-enter USA after my work trip is done. (The other option is to go to my home country, India, get it done and then come back to Belgium but that option is too time taking for my employer).

So I would like to get it stamped at the American embassy in Belgium. Can someone let me know if this is an option and I can indeed apply for stamping at the American consulate in Belgium.Thank you.

DavidRecallsMonica
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Ally
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1 Answers1

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Yes, it is an option. People with valid status but without a valid visa routinely travel from the US to Mexico or Canada to get new visas. The trick is to make sure you're planning to be in Belgium for a long enough time to get the visa issued. If you're near a US consulate in Canada or Mexico, it might be worth comparing the processing times, since such applications will be more common in Canada and Mexico than in Belgium. But doing it in Belgium is definitely an option.

phoog
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  • Wait time for a visa appt in Canada and Mexico is crazy long. There's zero logic in taking a separate trip to do this. – Doc Feb 25 '20 at 16:10
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    @Doc i just checked the consulate in Tijuana, and the wait time there is 25 days for visitor visas only. For all other nonimmigant visa types, including H-1B, the wait time is one day: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html. For someone who lives in southern California, it might indeed make sense to do that. – phoog Feb 25 '20 at 16:13
  • @Doc furthermore, if someone needs to take a very short trip abroad in a few months' time, there will be ample time to wait for an appointment in Vancouver, for example, where the wait time is 45 days. If the traveler's schedule does not allow for a longer stay in Belgium, and travel to Vancouver is convenient, it would make sense to go to Vancouver. It's not necessary to be in Canada while waiting for the appointment. – phoog Feb 25 '20 at 16:23
  • The state.gov website does not give accurate information for visa appointment times, especially for 3rd party nationals (which have different availability, especially in Canada). Right now, there are no appointments available in Tijuana at all for a 3rd party national. – Doc Feb 25 '20 at 16:43
  • @Doc what's your source for that claim? – phoog Feb 25 '20 at 16:44