Canada · U.S. immigration counsel
U.S. Immigration Lawyer Serving Canada
A practical starting point for families, professionals and employers coordinating a U.S. immigration matter from Canada.
HLG is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Remote U.S. immigration services; no HLG office in Canada.
Richard T. Herman, Esq.
Founder of Herman Legal Group · More than 30 years in U.S. immigration law · Co-author of Immigrant, Inc.
Meet Richard · Why trust Richard T. Herman?
How can HLG help with a case connected to Canada?
Herman Legal Group can assess the U.S. immigration category, legal risks, evidence and next procedural step. Start with the applicant’s actual citizenship and residence, the U.S. petitioner or employer and the complete immigration history. A location does not establish eligibility for a particular category.
Choose the location guide that fits your case
The guides below explain preparation connected with particular cities. A city guide is not an HLG branch listing and does not determine the government office that will handle the case. Follow the actual case notice.
- Alberta — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
- Windsor — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
- Calgary — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
- Vancouver — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
- Montreal — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
- Toronto — local preparation, document and appointment guidance.
Windsor: the local preparation details
Where a Windsor applicant’s case may be handled
The Department of State currently lists Toronto for nonimmigrant visas and Montreal for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Other Canadian posts also provide specified services. The appropriate post and procedure depend on the visa category, residence or nationality rules, appointment availability, and current government instructions. For a Montreal immigrant-visa case, follow the Department of State’s Montreal interview instructions and the directions issued for the individual case.
After admission, a traveler who receives an electronic arrival record should check the class and authorized period shown in the CBP Form I-94 record. A mismatch should be addressed promptly rather than discovered during a later petition, extension, or border crossing.
The starting questions are citizenship, purpose of travel, intended activity, and immigration history—not simply where a person lives. The U.S. Department of State says Canadian citizens generally do not require a nonimmigrant visa, but it identifies category-specific exceptions. Past status violations or possible inadmissibility can also change the analysis. Review the government’s current requirements for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Canadian permanent residence is not Canadian citizenship. A permanent-resident card does not itself provide the visa exemption available to Canadian citizens or create TN eligibility. The traveler’s citizenship, passport, intended activity, and any other applicable travel authorization must be evaluated separately. Even when no visa is required, the traveler must qualify for the requested U.S. status and admission.
Gather passport and citizenship information, Canadian status documents, the precise purpose of U.S. travel, any employer or family-sponsor records, prior U.S. immigration filings, and anticipated travel or interview dates. These details help distinguish a visitor question from a work-authorized classification, immigrant-visa case, or admissibility matter.
Book a consultation with Herman Legal Group to discuss a Windsor-related U.S. immigration question.
Information checked September 4, 2026. This page provides general information about U.S. immigration law and is not legal advice or Canadian-law advice. Government procedures can change. Viewing this page or contacting HLG does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no result is guaranteed.
For a Canadian immigrant-visa police record, use the State Department’s specified fingerprint-based RCMP check rather than assuming a Windsor police certificate will qualify. Bring the record requested for your particular case and the complete residence history.
Alberta: the local preparation details
Alberta preparation, Calgary appointments and Montreal immigrant interviews
The State Department directory lists Calgary for nonimmigrant visas and Montreal for immigrant processing. Follow the assigned post and category. An Alberta address does not turn an immigrant case into a Calgary interview.
Use the Calgary city guide for Calgary-specific preparation and the Montreal interview guide for assigned immigrant cases. This page covers the province rather than duplicating a Calgary office listing.
The Montreal immigrant-visa checklist lists an approved physician in Calgary. Confirm the current provider through the official list. An ordinary examination in Edmonton or elsewhere is not a substitute for the designated medical.
Register each applicant for the linked courier service, gather originals and copies, and complete the required CEAC uploads for electronic cases. Montreal’s checklist calls for professional English translations of documents not in English. Organize medical, registration and interview tasks before planning travel.
The Canada civil-document schedule identifies acceptable provincial birth, marriage and other records. For the immigrant-visa police check, it specifies fingerprint-based RCMP Personal Use, subtype Other, searching the National Repository Entire Holdings. Provincial or city police certificates are not accepted for that requirement.
Keep Alberta civil records, proof of citizenship, Canadian status documents and employment qualifications in separate groups. Include records from earlier countries of residence and explain name changes or prior marriages. Identify missing documents early so they can be reviewed before the interview or filing deadline.
Montreal: the local preparation details
Montreal immigrant-visa processing
The State Department’s visa-post directory lists Montreal for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Use the official Montreal immigrant-visa instructions for a case assigned here. Check the interview venue, security rules and category instructions on the current notice.
Applicants preparing elsewhere in Canada can also use our Vancouver and Calgary guides to organize local medical and document work before travel.
Start with the post’s full checklist. Register each applicant’s appointment with the linked courier service, arrange a consulate-approved medical examination and assemble the required originals and copies. For electronic cases, upload the required records to CEAC before interview; the post says it will not upload them for you.
The approved medical list includes TELUS Health Care Centres in Montreal. Confirm its current appointment details through the official list. The instructions say medical results can take up to a week; follow the post’s direction if results remain pending, including its instruction to attend the scheduled interview.
This is an orientation, not a substitute for the category-specific checklist. A fiancé, employment or family case can have different required evidence.
The Canada civil-document schedule specifies the fingerprint-based RCMP check: Personal Use, subtype Other, with a search of the RCMP National Repository Entire Holdings. It lists local or provincial police certificates and certain other check types as unacceptable. Use the current instructions when requesting the record.
A Canadian address does not eliminate possible records from other countries. Prepare a full residence history, previous passports and any court records for counsel to review.
Vancouver: the local preparation details
Vancouver temporary visas and Montreal immigrant interviews
The visa-issuing post directory lists Vancouver for nonimmigrant and K visas and Montreal for immigrant processing. Follow the assignment and category instructions on the case rather than treating all family cases as the same process.
For an immigrant case assigned to Montreal, use our Montreal preparation guide and the official post checklist. A local medical or record collection does not change the interview venue.
The Montreal immigrant-visa instructions list an approved physician in Surrey, British Columbia. Confirm the current approved provider and appointment details through that list before arranging an examination. A routine examination from an unlisted doctor does not replace the required medical.
For the Montreal interview, complete courier registration and the applicable document preparation, including required CEAC uploads and originals. Plan local preparation and travel as separate stages; allow room for additional medical or document follow-up.
Review the Canada document schedule for acceptable British Columbia civil records and the specified RCMP police certificate. Keep proof of Canadian citizenship or status separate from evidence needed to qualify for a U.S. category.
Organize earlier U.S. entries, refusals, employer records and changes in family circumstances. If records originated abroad, identify the issuing country and required form before assuming a Canadian copy or translation resolves the requirement.
Calgary: the local preparation details
Calgary temporary visas and Montreal immigrant processing
The State Department’s visa-post directory lists Calgary for nonimmigrant visas and Montreal for immigrant processing. Follow the category’s current instructions and the actual assigned venue.
For an immigrant interview in Montreal, consult the Montreal guide. For a case involving preparation on Canada’s west coast, the Vancouver guide explains the distinction between local preparation and another city’s interview.
The Montreal immigrant-visa instructions list an approved physician in Calgary, Alberta. Use the current official list to confirm the provider and appointment requirements. Do not substitute an ordinary medical or an examination approved for a different country’s immigration process.
Before traveling for interview, complete courier registration and check required originals, copies and CEAC uploads for the case. Keep the medical and interview dates in one plan, including time for results and possible follow-up. The consular instructions govern what to do if the medical remains pending.
The Canada document schedule identifies accepted Alberta civil records and the required fingerprint-based RCMP police certificate. Bring a residence history covering Canada and other countries so counsel can identify which additional records may require review.
Keep citizenship and Canadian-status evidence, qualifications, employment records and the U.S. case file organized separately. Identify name changes, previous marriages, court records and inconsistent prior answers early rather than waiting until travel is booked.
Toronto: the local preparation details
Identify the assigned visa post before planning visits
For cross-border work, distinguish temporary business visits from productive U.S. employment. Review the proposed activity, nationality, employer and category before traveling. U.S. entry and the right to work are separate questions, even for frequent travelers.
Use the State Department’s post directory and current case notices. A standing checklist is procedural guidance, not confirmation of appointment availability.
Montreal is the Canadian immigrant-visa post. Applicants with an assigned Montreal case should use its registration, approved-medical and document instructions. A temporary-visa appointment in Toronto and an immigrant interview in Montreal are separate processes.
Official reference: Montreal immigrant-visa instructions. Read the complete category checklist and current operational notices before arranging visits.
Use the Canada reciprocity schedule for the police-certificate type and civil records required in the case. A record check obtained for a job may not be the correct immigration certificate. Include earlier countries of residence and all passports used in prior U.S. applications.
Match the legal service to the real objective
Families and spouses
Review the petitioner’s status, relationship history, civil evidence, earlier marriages and sponsorship. Marriage immigration and NVC preparation involve different government stages. A petition approval is not a visa decision.
Employers and professionals
Prepare the proposed U.S. duties, employer evidence and qualifications. A corporate transfer requires analysis of the foreign/U.S. relationship and work abroad. Explore H-1B, L-1 or O-1 services according to the actual facts.
Refusals and complex history
Bring the submitted application and refusal notice, not only a summary. Administrative processing and temporary-intent refusals are different issues. Review prior stays, criminal history and any inconsistent answers before a new application.
Use official resources for current instructions
- Nonimmigrant visa appointment wait times — select the actual post and category; estimates are not guarantees.
- Immigrant interview scheduling status — a separate tool that does not promise an individual appointment.
- Canada civil-document and reciprocity schedule — confirm accepted issuing authorities and record formats.
- Visa-post directory — check post roles and current mission notices separately.
Government operating conditions and nationality-based restrictions may affect a case even when a checklist is published. Check applicability, exceptions and actual case messages before paying for travel. Do not assume that residence changes nationality-based rules.
Prepare for a useful consultation
Bring passports, prior applications, receipts and decisions, a complete travel/status timeline, civil records and any deadline. Identify the decision you need to make now and which evidence is already available. Consultation by phone or video is separate from attendance at a government interview; discuss any required in-person appearance and its scope.
For a prepared packet, consider Document Review. Representation begins only after the firm accepts the matter and agrees to the scope and terms.
Contact HLG or call +1 216-696-6170.
General U.S. immigration information, not individual legal advice. Government procedures can change. A consultation or page visit does not guarantee an outcome.