The U.S. Department of State (DOS), which operates the U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, prefers that applicants apply for visas in their home countries.  However, U.S. consulates or consular posts located in Canada and Mexico – often referred to as “border posts” – will entertain an application by a "Third Country National" (TCN) applicant who makes an advance appointment.  The possibility always exists that a U.S. consulate in Canada or Mexico will not grant a visa because it believes that only the U.S. consulate in an applicant’s home country is equipped to make a visa issuance decision. 

Any third country national (TCN)* present in the U.S. and visitors present in Canada or Mexico who wish to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the Embassy or consulates in Canada or Mexico, must make an appointment for an interview. U.S. Consulates are located in Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Vancouver, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Matamoros, Merida, Mexico City, Monterrey, Nogales, Nuevo Laredo and Tijuana.

You can find information about “How to Apply for a Visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate if you are a Third Country National Present in the United States or Visiting Canada” at the DOS website locatat: http://travel.state.gov.

Applicants who wish to apply for their U.S. visa in Canada must visit http://canada.usvisa-info.com/ to obtain information about how to start their application for a U.S. visa at a consular section in Canada.  Applicants will be required to pay their visa application processing fee prior to scheduling an appointment.  Please see the website for additional information.

Applicants who wish to apply for their visa in Mexico must visit http://www.usvisa-mexico.com to obtain information about how to start their application for a U.S. visa at a consular section in  Mexico.  Applicants will be required to pay their visa application processing fee prior to scheduling an appointment.  Please see the website for additional information.

The U.S. consulates located in Mexico impose more limitations on who may re-apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate.  Only the following TCN applicants may apply for a visa renewal at a border post in Mexico:

• Applicants seeking to renew a visa in any category, except B visas, if the initial visa was issued in the applicant's home country.

The following TCN applicants may NOT apply for a visa at a U.S. consulate in Mexico:

• Applicants for B (visitor) visas, including renewals, who are not residing in Mexico;
• Applicants who entered the U.S. with a visa issued in their home country, changed status in the U.S., and now seek a new visa in the new visa category;
• Applicants who entered the U.S. in one visa category and seek to re-enter the U.S. in a different visa category;
• Applicants who entered the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program;
• Applicants who obtained their current visa in a country other than the country of their legal residence;
• Applicants who have been out of status in the U.S. having violated the terms of their visas or having overstayed the validity indicated on their I-94s; and
• Applicants who are subject to the National Security Entry Exit Registration (NSEERs) system or are a national of North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, or Iran.

If you travel to a U.S. consulate located in Canada, you probably need to apply for a Canadian visitor visa to enter Canada.  The Canadian government requires many foreign nationals to apply for a Canadian visitor visa before applying for admission to (or entry into) Canada.

You can find a list of countries whose citizens must obtain visas to visit Canada at http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/visit/visas.asp.  You can find Canadian visa application information at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp.

If you are required to obtain a Canadian visitor visa, the Canadian consulate will ask you to produce the Form I-797 “Approval Notice” that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued to your employer, if you hold U.S. visa status for which a Form I-797 was issued..  The Canadian consulate may also ask to see the appointment letter you will receive after you make your U.S. visa appointment.

Below is a list of Canadian consulates in the United States that issue Canadian visitor visas. There are other Canadian consulates and trade offices in other U.S. cities, but only the Canadian consulates listed below issue visitor visas.  More information about the various Canadian consulates can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/missions.asp

If you decide to travel to a U.S. consulate located in Mexico, you might need to apply for a

Mexican tourist visa to enter Mexico.  The Mexican government requires many foreign nationals to apply for a Mexican visitor visa before applying for admission to (or entry into) Mexico.

You can find information at the website of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC – see https://mexico.visahq.com/ This information includes the many Mexican consulates located throughout the United States.  In addition, the Mexican consulate in Atlanta has valuable information posted to its website and is worth visiting both for the information posted there and for some of the links that are available.  Please visit http://www.consulmexatlanta.org/ and click on the “Visa Department” link at that website.