Applying for a
US B1/B2 visitor visa from within Canada (interview at a US consulate such as Vancouver or Toronto), members shared this practical advice:
- Hotel bookings aren't required. Staying with a friend and listing their address in the DS-160 is fine — no need to fabricate hotel reservations.
- Documents to carry: DS-160 confirmation, passport, Canadian PR card, and two photographs. Financial documents and employment letters are usually not requested at B1/B2 interviews, but bring them as backup — and do not volunteer any document until the officer asks.
- Prepare your story, not your paperwork. The consistent advice: officers mainly probe why you want to visit the USA. Have a clear, honest purpose ready.
- A submitted DS-160 cannot be edited. If your circumstances changed after submission (marriage, new status, etc.), fill out a new DS-160, then tell the officer at the interview that you've submitted an updated form and ask them to link it — members reported officers usually do.
- Timing tip for the DS-160: complete the profile sections but hold off on final submission until close to the interview, so late changes don't force a re-file.
- Consulate location mismatch: one applicant selected one city early in the process but booked the appointment in another; the thread treated attending the consulate where your appointment is booked as the operative detail.