DCF Mexico

[arianak 0]

Jilly, you rule. Congratulations and thank you so much for all this fresh info! I hope you've picked up the visa by now.

I forgot all about pictures, how many? passport size? And at this point, all documents are originals, no tranIastions? I need to review the list of what we turn in at the interview.

Marisol, your letter is coming! You are just 2 weeks behind me, so in the next 2 weeks you should have it! The 2-3 month letter was just to keep us from bothering them.

[LaGringa 0]

That's great news, Jilly! Congratulations!! And thanks for the detailed review!

[EsperanzaXMyS 0]

Good Morning Everyone!

Just a quick question...what form of payment was required when filing in DF?

Thanks

[LaGringa 0]

Hi!

You need a cashier's check. Lia792 wrote about it on page 3.

[arianak 0]

Hi Esperanza, what we did was pull out cash at the ATM a block down from the embassy (on the same side of the street) then across the street from the Embassy is a check place, it's small and a few locales up from the starbucks. Just bring the info about how the check is supposed to be made out, and get it there. You can make a copy a few doors down, then walk in for the appt. (We of course were not as timely...so we left once we had our number and went and did it real fast!) Anyway, I think that is easiest, and then you aren't walking around with the check.

Good Morning Everyone!

Just a quick question...what form of payment was required when filing in DF?

Thanks

[Jilly and Danny 0]

I'm soooooo happy for both of you! Congratulations on the end of your visa journey! May both of you enjoy the rest of your US Journey ahead!

Your account of what happened was great. Glad you were posting in the moment. I know afterwards it's like a blur.

Just 2 questions for future reference:

1. Did you get your husband's birth certificate translated to English before?

2. Did he get his photos taken in CDJ or did you find a place in your city that would do them correctly?

1 - We had everything translated but they didn't ask for any translations.

2 - We had them taken in Merida, just to have everything ready. However, every place there prints on matte paper, and they want glossy. I was lucky and had some of my own photo printer paper that was extra glossy and we took that and they printed it on my glossy paper, but in general NO ONE prints on glossy paper (at least in Merida).

[Jilly and Danny 0]

Hi Everyone!

Well we are FINALLY 100% done here in CJ. We are waiting for our flight to go back to Merida.

The DHL packet was ready by 1:35, but they hadn't updated their website until...you guessed it...2:00. The shuttle took us to DHL and then to the border to cross. You have to walk across, and they charge you 5 pesos per person to walk across the bridge. We didn't take ANY money so we had to borrow from another person in the same shuttle...

Anyway you walk across and then you get in long for another long wait. It took my husband 2 hours of waiting in line to get to the front. He had to turn in his unopened packet and his passport (returned to him in the DHL package). Then he had to sit down and wait another half hour for another immigration officer to open the packet and stamp his passport. And that was it. We called for the shuttle and came back to the hotel.

The only thing you end up with at the end is the Mexican passport with the visa stamped in it. I think we were expecting some paperwork or something to come with it. In the end we thought...how much money and how much time and effort was put into nothing more than a measly stamp in the passport! But a very important one. We are so happy and very relieved to be able to move on now with the rest of our lives.

Thank you to everyone for your support and help and advice. You have most certainly made this process more comprehensive for us and for those going after us, please feel free to ask away. I'd really like to return the favor to someone else!!

Happy Immigration Filing to all!

[Marisol73 0]

Hi !

Thanks for all the information. It's really very helpful.

And congratulations again !

I agree with you. All process is expensive, stressful and long !.. but is necessary.

Good luck with your moving to USA !.. at what city will you live??.. Im plannng to live in Houston; TX

Hi Everyone!

Well we are FINALLY 100% done here in CJ. We are waiting for our flight to go back to Merida.

The DHL packet was ready by 1:35, but they hadn't updated their website until...you guessed it...2:00. The shuttle took us to DHL and then to the border to cross. You have to walk across, and they charge you 5 pesos per person to walk across the bridge. We didn't take ANY money so we had to borrow from another person in the same shuttle...

Anyway you walk across and then you get in long for another long wait. It took my husband 2 hours of waiting in line to get to the front. He had to turn in his unopened packet and his passport (returned to him in the DHL package). Then he had to sit down and wait another half hour for another immigration officer to open the packet and stamp his passport. And that was it. We called for the shuttle and came back to the hotel.

The only thing you end up with at the end is the Mexican passport with the visa stamped in it. I think we were expecting some paperwork or something to come with it. In the end we thought...how much money and how much time and effort was put into nothing more than a measly stamp in the passport! But a very important one. We are so happy and very relieved to be able to move on now with the rest of our lives.

Thank you to everyone for your support and help and advice. You have most certainly made this process more comprehensive for us and for those going after us, please feel free to ask away. I'd really like to return the favor to someone else!!

Happy Immigration Filing to all!

[EsperanzaXMyS 0]

Thanks! Is the $ in dollars or pesos??

Hi Esperanza, what we did was pull out cash at the ATM a block down from the embassy (on the same side of the street) then across the street from the Embassy is a check place, it's small and a few locales up from the starbucks. Just bring the info about how the check is supposed to be made out, and get it there. You can make a copy a few doors down, then walk in for the appt. (We of course were not as timely...so we left once we had our number and went and did it real fast!) Anyway, I think that is easiest, and then you aren't walking around with the check.

[EsperanzaXMyS 0]

Hi Jaremedios...would you mind sharing your format with me also?

glad to know all went well (except for the check part). glad my format helped you too! keep us updated for when you get your approval.

[czmjacq 1]

Thanks! Is the $ in dollars or pesos??

You are very lucky to have a place to get a US dollars (has to USD) Cashier's check. There was not one bank or casa de cambio in Cozumel that even had any idea of what a US funds Cashier's check was -- so I had to get my dad to get one from the US and send it to someone to bring it to Cozumel!!

[czmjacq 1]

Hi Everyone!

Well we are FINALLY 100% done here in CJ. We are waiting for our flight to go back to Merida.

The DHL packet was ready by 1:35, but they hadn't updated their website until...you guessed it...2:00. The shuttle took us to DHL and then to the border to cross. You have to walk across, and they charge you 5 pesos per person to walk across the bridge. We didn't take ANY money so we had to borrow from another person in the same shuttle...

Anyway you walk across and then you get in long for another long wait. It took my husband 2 hours of waiting in line to get to the front. He had to turn in his unopened packet and his passport (returned to him in the DHL package). Then he had to sit down and wait another half hour for another immigration officer to open the packet and stamp his passport. And that was it. We called for the shuttle and came back to the hotel.

The only thing you end up with at the end is the Mexican passport with the visa stamped in it. I think we were expecting some paperwork or something to come with it. In the end we thought...how much money and how much time and effort was put into nothing more than a measly stamp in the passport! But a very important one. We are so happy and very relieved to be able to move on now with the rest of our lives.

Thank you to everyone for your support and help and advice. You have most certainly made this process more comprehensive for us and for those going after us, please feel free to ask away. I'd really like to return the favor to someone else!!

Happy Immigration Filing to all!

Great info once again! Seems like most people VISA are ready around 2pm. I wonder if since my husband's appt is at 1015am instead of the afternoon if there is any chance that it would be ready earlier than 2pm. I think Lia's husbands was ready at 2pm too. Were there other people on the shuttle with you going to DHL and the border? Nice that they wait for you at DHL and take you on to the border...a definite plus for that hotel!

Was there any reason you decided to go ahead and cross that day to get the VISA done? My husband is planning a trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving and I heard you could get it "done" within 6 months of the date they give it to you... at any Immigration office. I suppose since he will have the time (the next flight that leave CJ after 2pm is 640am the next morning) so if others are going, it would make sense for him to take care of it then since he won't have anything else to do.

And... since you said you didn't take any money with you (Very Smart) did you feel safe leaving $$ at the hotel? Did they have a room safe?

Thanks for all your info and once again.... Congratulations for your new little stamp that means SOOO much.

[arianak 0]

Hi everyone. Does anyone know of/remember anyone paying the $404 interview fee BEFORE the interview? If so, how and where? Someone mentioned that is faster....(ps czm, I had heard that they are more profiecient in activating greencards at the border than in airports...but it would be interesting to confirm if that's why everyone does it there)

[arianak 0]

It's in dollars, but you can pay it in pesos and they will draw it up in dollars.

Thanks! Is the $ in dollars or pesos??

[Jilly and Danny 0]

Great info once again! Seems like most people VISA are ready around 2pm. I wonder if since my husband's appt is at 1015am instead of the afternoon if there is any chance that it would be ready earlier than 2pm. I think Lia's husbands was ready at 2pm too. Were there other people on the shuttle with you going to DHL and the border? Nice that they wait for you at DHL and take you on to the border...a definite plus for that hotel!

Was there any reason you decided to go ahead and cross that day to get the VISA done? My husband is planning a trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving and I heard you could get it "done" within 6 months of the date they give it to you... at any Immigration office. I suppose since he will have the time (the next flight that leave CJ after 2pm is 640am the next morning) so if others are going, it would make sense for him to take care of it then since he won't have anything else to do.

And... since you said you didn't take any money with you (Very Smart) did you feel safe leaving $$ at the hotel? Did they have a room safe?

Thanks for all your info and once again.... Congratulations for your new little stamp that means SOOO much.

I really don't know if the visa might be ready earlier or not. The DHL website was updated at 6:55 the day of the interview as having received the request for a package, and then the package was "picked up" from the consulate's the following day at 1 and ready for pickup by 1:30. I don't know if they wait and log all of them at the end of the day or if they do it in shifts. My husband was out of his interview around 5...

Yes, there were lots of people going to pick up their DHL packages at the same time. When we crossed, we crossed with a father and adult son and a father with two young boys. We also saw other people arrive at the bridge after us from the hotel.

We crossed simply to have the whole thing over with. We weren't leaving until the next day anyway so we had the time. I had no idea the wait though...we are moving back to Iowa in a couple of weeks, and we almost always get routed through Houston. After an hour, talking to one of the other people there, we would have been better off time wise doing it later. But considering we had nothing else to do...

There was no safe in the room and I wouldn't say I was comfortable leaving it there. What I did was hide it in the dresser under my clothes and we didn't have any problems.

And thank you. We were just saying today how nice it is to not have the constant black cloud of the visa hanging over our heads and dictating our future plans. :-)