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CONSULAR FOCUS: TORONTO, CANADA
Telephone Numbers: 416/595-0028 (voice) * 416/595-0051 (fax)
Address: 360 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario MG 1S4
Nonimmigrant Visas
The consulate normally only considers applications from residents of Canada. However, the consulate will accept applications from residents of third countries by appointment. To apply for an appointment, one should appear at the NIV office between 8:30 am and 10:30 on Monday morning (or the first day after the end of a holiday weekend). The consulate will then distribute appointment tickets which are usually for times within two or three days of the issue date of the ticket. F, H, J, L and M visas take about a week to process. Canadian residents do not need appointments.
The NIV office accepts applications during its first two hours of operation and issues visas on the afternoon of the following day. If the consulate does not issue the visa, there is no restriction on how soon the applicant can apply again, nor is there a limit on how many times a person may apply for a visa. In a recent year, the consulate had an NIV approval rate of about 85%.
If an applicant is applying for a visa which has been previously approved by the INS, the applicant should bring an original I-797 Notice of Approval accompanied by a copy of the original petition submitted to the INS. A letter from an employer confirming all of the contents of the application would help as well.
As of March 1, 1995, all E Visa applications for Canada are to be processed in the Toronto consulate. The Consulate will not accept E visa applications from third country nationals. Applications submitted before March 1st at other consulates will adjudicated to their conclusion at those consulates. The other US consulates in Canada will continue to provide information on E visa applications (a new information packet which includes the E visa questionnaire should be ready soon), but the applications must be submitted directly to the Toronto consulate. Applications can be submitted by mail. However, the consulate may, in some cases, request a personal appearance by the applicant. The consulate suggests budgeting three to four weeks for the E visa application.
Immigrant Visas
[SPECIAL NOTE: THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THAT IT WILL CLOSE THE IMMIGRANT VISA UNIT AT TORONTO, CANADA. THIS DECISION HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AND PERSONS CONSIDERING FILING HERE SHOULD CHECK WITH THE CONSULATE FIRST]. Immigrant visa applications are accepted between 9 am and 1:30 pm at the Consular Information Unit. The day the visa appointment is scheduled usually begins with an interview at 8:30 am followed by a several hour adjudication period. The visa is issued during the afternoon. The immigrant visa approval rate was 75% in a recent year. 
Canadian birth, death and marriage certificates should be obtained from the Registrar General of the applicable province. Long-form birth certificates containing the names of the parents must be provided.
Medical examinations are conducted at the consulate’s medical facility on the day prior to the visa interview. The address of the facility is 1 Front Street West.