As a reader of Siskind's Immigration Bulletin, you probably are somewhat comfortable with the Internet. After all, this newsletter is only produced for distribution by e-mail and on the Visalaw web site at http://www.visalaw.com. That being the case, our readers will probably be very interested in the new web-based appointment booking system being utilized by US consulates in Canada and Mexico for nationals of countries other than Mexico or Canada.

The system was tested on a pilot basis by several law firms including Siskind, Susser, Haas & Devine and the results were very good. In fact, very few changes appear to have been made between the tested version and the one now available to the public at http://www.nvars.com. To make an appointment, one must have a Passport handy and a major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, SEARS Canada, Diner's Club /Carte Blanche). The fee for the web booking service is $30 - well worth it not to have to deal with the 900 number telephone booking system.

After providing basic background information, the applicant will be taken to a list of consulates in the US and Canada. The applicant can then choose a consulate and see a monthly calendar listing the number of appointment slots available each day at that consulate. It is very easy to take a quick look at each consulate to find which ones have slots available. Some of the consulates have hundreds of appointments available each month - Vancouver comes to mind - while others are nearly impossible - Toronto, for example. The web booking system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For those who wish to book appointments through the touch-tone telephone system instead, the tolled telephone service is still available. If you are in the US, call 900-443-3131. People in Canada should call 900-451-2778. Your telephone bill will be charged for each minute you are on the line. If you wish to bill the call instead to your credit card, call 888-840-0032. This may be needed if your telephone line is blocked from calling 900 numbers. The phone system operates between 7 am and 10 pm Eastern Time. Callers can expect to have difficulty getting through during the peak times of 7 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 7 pm Eastern Time. Appointments for border posts outside the Eastern Time Zone can only be made after it is 7 am in that consular post's local time zone.

Following the booking of an appointment by web or telephone, the applicant will be mailed the nonimmigrant visa application form (Form OF-156) and an information sheet for the post where the appointment is scheduled. That paperwork should be taken to the interview. If the paperwork does not arrive before the interview, go to the interview anyway. However, expect delays as a result.

Remember not to book an appointment at a US consulate in Mexico or Canada if you are from another country AND have overstayed the expiration date on your I-94 Form. Students and others with Duration of Status (marked "D/S" on the I-94) are normally not barred from processing in Canada or Mexico even if they are not in valid status because their I-94s do not have finite expiration dates. If this bar on processing potentially covers you, you should consult with an immigration lawyer. Also note that persons seeking "E" visas must normally process in their home countries.

To cancel an appointment, call 888-611-6676 at least two working days before the scheduled time.

Finally, be sure to check with a Canadian consulate to find out if you need a visa to enter Canada. To find out about how to contact the closest Canadian consulate to you, go to http://www.embassy.org/embassies/ca.html.