the most confusing website evaaaaar

[paojack 41]

i will look for them...may take me a bit i am in packing frenzy

oh no worries, I actually think I found them. thank you very much!

[Kimchimex 8]

Can I add my two-cents here? When you all go to Juarez, be very careful while waiting in the line to go in. Also, there will be a very long line. Do not wait in this line. Tell the guard that you are there for a fiance Visa. I do not know if they do this all the time, but the guards allowed us to pass through their barriers to a waiting area much shorter than the other. Very official people in uniforms walk up and down the lane, saying that they work for the consulate and that they are there to make sure that all your papers are in order. Do not trust them. They are there to steal from gullible desperate people, who would do almost anything to go to the United States. One other thing, do not bring anything with you, including nail clippers, your purse, not anything, or you will not get to pass through. I can't remember if we brought the baby stroller, but you get the idea.

Most hotels will have a shuttle that will drive you to where you need to go, usually this is paid with your hotel bill. Do not trust any type of public transist, including most taxi's. If you need a taxi, ask the front desk at your hotel. No guarantees but it is less risky.

One more thing. When you get your medical packet and CD disk, do not open it. Do not open it. And, when you get your approval packet from DHL delivery, do not open it. Do not open it. Take it to the port of entry that you will be using to cross into the United States.

Oh thanks for your 2 cents I love every hint you can give us!

Question;the approval packet from DHL will have passports & visas right? so we should not look? We have mom & 2 kids do you think they will put all 3 in same packet?

Question; can she bring in a big 3 ring folder? this is how we are organizing all the papers...you know the metal clip type?

Question:What about a small purse with money?

oh no worries, I actually think I found them. thank you very much!

cool!

[Sarah&Michael 2]

Can I add my two-cents here? When you all go to Juarez, be very careful while waiting in the line to go in. Also, there will be a very long line. Do not wait in this line. Tell the guard that you are there for a fiance Visa. I do not know if they do this all the time, but the guards allowed us to pass through their barriers to a waiting area much shorter than the other. Very official people in uniforms walk up and down the lane, saying that they work for the consulate and that they are there to make sure that all your papers are in order. Do not trust them. They are there to steal from gullible desperate people, who would do almost anything to go to the United States. One other thing, do not bring anything with you, including nail clippers, your purse, not anything, or you will not get to pass through. I can't remember if we brought the baby stroller, but you get the idea.

Most hotels will have a shuttle that will drive you to where you need to go, usually this is paid with your hotel bill. Do not trust any type of public transist, including most taxi's. If you need a taxi, ask the front desk at your hotel. No guarantees but it is less risky.

One more thing. When you get your medical packet and CD disk, do not open it. Do not open it. And, when you get your approval packet from DHL delivery, do not open it. Do not open it. Take it to the port of entry that you will be using to cross into the United States.

Hey Richard, did you wait in Juarez for her visa? if so, for how long and when? Thanks, I hope you don't mind me asking more questions later

[Sarah&Michael 2]

Hey Richard, did you wait in Juarez for her visa? if so, for how long and when? Thanks, I hope you don't mind me asking more questions later

I already have one more Where did you stay? Do you recommend that one or do you think it would have been better to stay at another one? and when you call to schedule your interview, how soon can you do have it from the moment you call? Well, more than one actually...

[Richard-Y-Abigail 18]

I will try to answer your questions. The Visas are pasted into your passport. It will feel weird giving them to the American Consulate, but have no fear. You will get them back. DHL has a desk area right there near the interviewing windows inside the consulate. Pay them immediately. You will be paying for each Visa packet. You will be receiving a DHL envelope for each passport/Visa. The yellow envelope that DHL provides, I believe, can be opened. Also, I believe that it HAS to be opened there at the office, to compare your identification to the documents inside. Make plans to arrive at the DHL office early. People will line up early. You will know when your documents will be delivered, because DHL will give you a tracking number. I do not remember what the address is to the office, but it will not be at the office, inside the consulate.

As far as the 3-ring binder, that is a tough one. The consulate does have an X-ray machine like you will find at any airport. We received a list of do's and don't's at the consulate, but that is because I waited for about 3 to 4 hours at the information window. The Information waiting line is entirely different from the line of people waiting for their Visa interviews. Tell the guards that you want to wait in the line to obtain information, and you will be able to pass. Once again, if you arrive early enough, you will not have to wait as long as we did, but still, arriving at 4:30 a.m., and waiting outside the consulate, to me, is unsettling. Since you will be entirely focused on getting through the Visa process, waiting just seems to be a part of it. One other thing that I want to mention is that you will have a pre-interview at the same time/day that you have your entry interview. The person at the first window will look over your documents to make sure that you have everything in order. It was a great help.

You can bring money. In fact, inside the consulate you will be waiting outside in the first waiting area until they call your number. There they sell soft drinks and snacks. Whether you bring a purse or not, personally, I would bring some money, especially for the kids. In this situation, less is better, and I would not bring the purse. I might even decide to leave the 3-ring binder at your hotel also. There are other alternatives, and too many unknowns.

As far as how long we waited for the Visas to arrive at the DHL office, I believe it was just a couple of days, but the delivery service has to wait on the consulate to do their part. Believe me, IF it would only take ONE day, it would still feel like an eternity. It was for us! Be prepared to wait longer, especially if DHL receives your packets on, or near the week-end. Many people had to wait longer because of this.

Before you go into the American Consulate, make sure that you have paid for each Visa. I reccommend that you pay for it in American dollars. There is a Banamex Bank inside the mall, accross the street from the consulate. You can pay for your Visas there, and they will give you a recipt. The guards in front of the consulate will ask to see the reciepts, or you will not be allowed to pass. By the way, the mall is very American, and modern. It was a good place for my wife, and I, and our children to eat. You can walk there from the consulate. If you have brought anything to the consulate that you should not have, there may be a Paqueteria in front of the parking lot, accross from the consulate. Bring water, or something to drink and eat, but you cannot take it into the consulate. Also, only the beneficiary, and the K-2 applicants can enter into the consulate for the interview. I went in with Abi, but we had the three children, and it would have been very difficult for Abi to control them, and still focus on the interview. In the end, it was serendipitous that I went in. We still lacked a few documents, and they allowed me to leave, with a pass to re-enter, to get the documents, and return quickly; I was also interviewed at the second window, which I believe was more positive proof that we were genuine in our determination to get married when we entered into the United States.

As far as lodging. We arrived there by bus, and took a cab to a Hostel. They are located near the consulate. We stayed at the hostel, because we felt that since we did not have our "official" welcoming packet, that we would be there longer than we planned, also we still needed to obtain everyone's passports. There are near-by hotels, some close enough to the consulate that you can walk. Remember, the hotel may include transportation with your paid room, this can include shopping for food, going out to eat, obtaining and copying forms, etc...

Finally, you asked about the date of the interview. Most people are unaware, but K-1 Visa applicants do not need to have a interview date or time. It is an open interview, and no appointment is necessary.

You didn't ask, but I want to talk to you a little bit about the Health Physical. Get there early. Bring your health card (cartilla de salud) with a list of all your vaccinations. It will do you no good because their attitude is that ALL health cards are fakes, and you will HAVE to pay for all new vaccinations. It doesn't help to get mad at this. This is where I had the most grief. The women's physical is very thorough. Be prepared to remove your clothing. The kids will also have an exam. You will not be given all the vaccinations that are necessary, (you will get more vaccinations in the US, which I reccommend. This way you can be more confident in the quality of vaccinations that we have here in the United State), but you will be given a TB skin tests, in which case you will need to wait about 72 hours before they can read the results. Keep in mind, we entered on a Fiance Visa, and therefore were not excluded from crossing the border, even with a positive skin results. In fact, only the children were given TB skin tests. Abi was not given one. Tuberculosis is no longer a requisite to deny a Visa. If the tests are positive, they will give you so many days to deal with it in the United States. Your care will be free, and you will be cured of TB. It is a truly invasive process to eliminate tuberculosis, but it is well worth it, and it is against the law to deny medical help concerning tuberculosis.

So, be prepared for the un-known, and always expect the unexpected. Every Visa case is different. If I can answer any more questions, feel free to ask. I will check VJ again, later. And as my mother always said, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

[Sarah&Michael 2]

I will try to answer your questions. The Visas are pasted into your passport. It will feel weird giving them to the American Consulate, but have no fear. You will get them back. DHL has a desk area right there near the interviewing windows inside the consulate. Pay them immediately. You will be paying for each Visa packet. You will be receiving a DHL envelope for each passport/Visa. The yellow envelope that DHL provides, I believe, can be opened. Also, I believe that it HAS to be opened there at the office, to compare your identification to the documents inside. Make plans to arrive at the DHL office early. People will line up early. You will know when your documents will be delivered, because DHL will give you a tracking number. I do not remember what the address is to the office, but it will not be at the office, inside the consulate.

As far as the 3-ring binder, that is a tough one. The consulate does have an X-ray machine like you will find at any airport. We received a list of do's and don't's at the consulate, but that is because I waited for about 3 to 4 hours at the information window. The Information waiting line is entirely different from the line of people waiting for their Visa interviews. Tell the guards that you want to wait in the line to obtain information, and you will be able to pass. Once again, if you arrive early enough, you will not have to wait as long as we did, but still, arriving at 4:30 a.m., and waiting outside the consulate, to me, is unsettling. Since you will be entirely focused on getting through the Visa process, waiting just seems to be a part of it. One other thing that I want to mention is that you will have a pre-interview at the same time/day that you have your entry interview. The person at the first window will look over your documents to make sure that you have everything in order. It was a great help.

You can bring money. In fact, inside the consulate you will be waiting outside in the first waiting area until they call your number. There they sell soft drinks and snacks. Whether you bring a purse or not, personally, I would bring some money, especially for the kids. In this situation, less is better, and I would not bring the purse. I might even decide to leave the 3-ring binder at your hotel also. There are other alternatives, and too many unknowns.

As far as how long we waited for the Visas to arrive at the DHL office, I believe it was just a couple of days, but the delivery service has to wait on the consulate to do their part. Believe me, IF it would only take ONE day, it would still feel like an eternity. It was for us! Be prepared to wait longer, especially if DHL receives your packets on, or near the week-end. Many people had to wait longer because of this.

Before you go into the American Consulate, make sure that you have paid for each Visa. I reccommend that you pay for it in American dollars. There is a Banamex Bank inside the mall, accross the street from the consulate. You can pay for your Visas there, and they will give you a recipt. The guards in front of the consulate will ask to see the reciepts, or you will not be allowed to pass. By the way, the mall is very American, and modern. It was a good place for my wife, and I, and our children to eat. You can walk there from the consulate. If you have brought anything to the consulate that you should not have, there may be a Paqueteria in front of the parking lot, accross from the consulate. Bring water, or something to drink and eat, but you cannot take it into the consulate. Also, only the beneficiary, and the K-2 applicants can enter into the consulate for the interview. I went in with Abi, but we had the three children, and it would have been very difficult for Abi to control them, and still focus on the interview. In the end, it was serendipitous that I went in. We still lacked a few documents, and they allowed me to leave, with a pass to re-enter, to get the documents, and return quickly; I was also interviewed at the second window, which I believe was more positive proof that we were genuine in our determination to get married when we entered into the United States.

As far as lodging. We arrived there by bus, and took a cab to a Hostel. They are located near the consulate. We stayed at the hostel, because we felt that since we did not have our "official" welcoming packet, that we would be there longer than we planned, also we still needed to obtain everyone's passports. There are near-by hotels, some close enough to the consulate that you can walk. Remember, the hotel may include transportation with your paid room, this can include shopping for food, going out to eat, obtaining and copying forms, etc...

Finally, you asked about the date of the interview. Most people are unaware, but K-1 Visa applicants do not need to have a interview date or time. It is an open interview, and no appointment is necessary.

You didn't ask, but I want to talk to you a little bit about the Health Physical. Get there early. Bring your health card (cartilla de salud) with a list of all your vaccinations. It will do you no good because their attitude is that ALL health cards are fakes, and you will HAVE to pay for all new vaccinations. It doesn't help to get mad at this. This is where I had the most grief. The women's physical is very thorough. Be prepared to remove your clothing. The kids will also have an exam. You will not be given all the vaccinations that are necessary, (you will get more vaccinations in the US, which I reccommend. This way you can be more confident in the quality of vaccinations that we have here in the United State), but you will be given a TB skin tests, in which case you will need to wait about 72 hours before they can read the results. Keep in mind, we entered on a Fiance Visa, and therefore were not excluded from crossing the border, even with a positive skin results. In fact, only the children were given TB skin tests. Abi was not given one. Tuberculosis is no longer a requisite to deny a Visa. If the tests are positive, they will give you so many days to deal with it in the United States. Your care will be free, and you will be cured of TB. It is a truly invasive process to eliminate tuberculosis, but it is well worth it, and it is against the law to deny medical help concerning tuberculosis.

So, be prepared for the un-known, and always expect the unexpected. Every Visa case is different. If I can answer any more questions, feel free to ask. I will check VJ again, later. And as my mother always said, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

So you DID take kids on a K2 visa?? Fantastic!!! Kim and I have been searching for this info as there don't seem to be many people who have done this. We want to know, in order to schedule our interviews, what the actual time is to get results for the kids, let's say we have the medical on Monday, when for sure will we get them? And did you hear people had been waiting a long time for their visas, like a week or so? Now, Richard, believe me I will be making lots of questions since you are the person we were looking for! haha

[Sarah&Michael 2]

So you DID take kids on a K2 visa?? Fantastic!!! Kim and I have been searching for this info as there don't seem to be many people who have done this. We want to know, in order to schedule our interviews, what the actual time is to get results for the kids, let's say we have the medical on Monday, when for sure will we get them? And did you hear people had been waiting a long time for their visas, like a week or so? Now, Richard, believe me I will be making lots of questions since you are the person we were looking for! haha

No appointment necessary?? Are you sure??? when did you have your interview?

[C_María 6]

I will try to answer your questions. The Visas are pasted into your passport. It will feel weird giving them to the American Consulate, but have no fear. You will get them back. DHL has a desk area right there near the interviewing windows inside the consulate. Pay them immediately. You will be paying for each Visa packet. You will be receiving a DHL envelope for each passport/Visa. The yellow envelope that DHL provides, I believe, can be opened. Also, I believe that it HAS to be opened there at the office, to compare your identification to the documents inside. Make plans to arrive at the DHL office early. People will line up early. You will know when your documents will be delivered, because DHL will give you a tracking number. I do not remember what the address is to the office, but it will not be at the office, inside the consulate.

As far as the 3-ring binder, that is a tough one. The consulate does have an X-ray machine like you will find at any airport. We received a list of do's and don't's at the consulate, but that is because I waited for about 3 to 4 hours at the information window. The Information waiting line is entirely different from the line of people waiting for their Visa interviews. Tell the guards that you want to wait in the line to obtain information, and you will be able to pass. Once again, if you arrive early enough, you will not have to wait as long as we did, but still, arriving at 4:30 a.m., and waiting outside the consulate, to me, is unsettling. Since you will be entirely focused on getting through the Visa process, waiting just seems to be a part of it. One other thing that I want to mention is that you will have a pre-interview at the same time/day that you have your entry interview. The person at the first window will look over your documents to make sure that you have everything in order. It was a great help.

You can bring money. In fact, inside the consulate you will be waiting outside in the first waiting area until they call your number. There they sell soft drinks and snacks. Whether you bring a purse or not, personally, I would bring some money, especially for the kids. In this situation, less is better, and I would not bring the purse. I might even decide to leave the 3-ring binder at your hotel also. There are other alternatives, and too many unknowns.

As far as how long we waited for the Visas to arrive at the DHL office, I believe it was just a couple of days, but the delivery service has to wait on the consulate to do their part. Believe me, IF it would only take ONE day, it would still feel like an eternity. It was for us! Be prepared to wait longer, especially if DHL receives your packets on, or near the week-end. Many people had to wait longer because of this.

Before you go into the American Consulate, make sure that you have paid for each Visa. I reccommend that you pay for it in American dollars. There is a Banamex Bank inside the mall, accross the street from the consulate. You can pay for your Visas there, and they will give you a recipt. The guards in front of the consulate will ask to see the reciepts, or you will not be allowed to pass. By the way, the mall is very American, and modern. It was a good place for my wife, and I, and our children to eat. You can walk there from the consulate. If you have brought anything to the consulate that you should not have, there may be a Paqueteria in front of the parking lot, accross from the consulate. Bring water, or something to drink and eat, but you cannot take it into the consulate. Also, only the beneficiary, and the K-2 applicants can enter into the consulate for the interview. I went in with Abi, but we had the three children, and it would have been very difficult for Abi to control them, and still focus on the interview. In the end, it was serendipitous that I went in. We still lacked a few documents, and they allowed me to leave, with a pass to re-enter, to get the documents, and return quickly; I was also interviewed at the second window, which I believe was more positive proof that we were genuine in our determination to get married when we entered into the United States.

As far as lodging. We arrived there by bus, and took a cab to a Hostel. They are located near the consulate. We stayed at the hostel, because we felt that since we did not have our "official" welcoming packet, that we would be there longer than we planned, also we still needed to obtain everyone's passports. There are near-by hotels, some close enough to the consulate that you can walk. Remember, the hotel may include transportation with your paid room, this can include shopping for food, going out to eat, obtaining and copying forms, etc...

Finally, you asked about the date of the interview. Most people are unaware, but K-1 Visa applicants do not need to have a interview date or time. It is an open interview, and no appointment is necessary.

You didn't ask, but I want to talk to you a little bit about the Health Physical. Get there early. Bring your health card (cartilla de salud) with a list of all your vaccinations. It will do you no good because their attitude is that ALL health cards are fakes, and you will HAVE to pay for all new vaccinations. It doesn't help to get mad at this. This is where I had the most grief. The women's physical is very thorough. Be prepared to remove your clothing. The kids will also have an exam. You will not be given all the vaccinations that are necessary, (you will get more vaccinations in the US, which I reccommend. This way you can be more confident in the quality of vaccinations that we have here in the United State), but you will be given a TB skin tests, in which case you will need to wait about 72 hours before they can read the results. Keep in mind, we entered on a Fiance Visa, and therefore were not excluded from crossing the border, even with a positive skin results. In fact, only the children were given TB skin tests. Abi was not given one. Tuberculosis is no longer a requisite to deny a Visa. If the tests are positive, they will give you so many days to deal with it in the United States. Your care will be free, and you will be cured of TB. It is a truly invasive process to eliminate tuberculosis, but it is well worth it, and it is against the law to deny medical help concerning tuberculosis.

So, be prepared for the un-known, and always expect the unexpected. Every Visa case is different. If I can answer any more questions, feel free to ask. I will check VJ again, later. And as my mother always said, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Actually many things have changed recently so I have highlighted the things that are incorrect at this time.

Your visa fee now includes the DHL fee and can be paid at the bank, over the phone or over the usvisa website. You do not pay the fee inside the consulate. Also on the website you sign up for the DHL location.

Because the website is new they may or may not give you a tracking number right away.

When you pay by phone or internet you will be given a confirmation number that you are required to present at the consulate.

K-1 visas are no longer open interviews. An interview must be scheduled beforehand along with your ASC (or biometrics/fingerprint) appointment. Additionally you will need to fill out the DS-260 online and bring the confirmation receipt with bar code.

Vaccinations are not required for K- visas. You can bring your medical records or pay for vaccines and ask that they be put in your record to be used later for your AOS but you may still need to redo them in the US.

[paojack 41]

great info guys, thanks!

[Richard-Y-Abigail 18]

Abi and I are busy looking forward, that we did not know that the rules have changed. We crossed in June, 2009. The rules must have changed since then. I am glad that we did not need an appointment. As far as paying the bank ahead of time, we would then have to pay DHL ahead of time, not knowing if we would be approved? As far as the kids, I can't remember the age at which it is required that children must attend the interview. Above a certain age, it is obligatory. Check the web site, (what's the web site VJ'ers), or maybe someone here knows the ages. When we went, our youngest was the only one not required to be at the interview.

Time wise, arrive in Juarez four days before your interview. This will allow 72 hours for the TB test results to be read. We went to the interview the same morning that we got our medical packets, and the TB test results. Depends on your interview time. As far as the vaccinations, it is true. We did not get vaccinated until we arrived in the United States, but I was trying to answer both postings. One is a K-1 visa, and the other is a mother and two kids. However, once the K-1's are married and go to apply for their AOS, all vaccinations will need to be completed by a doctor chosen by the federal government, ?Civil Surgeon?

Once the interview is done, you will usually be told right then and there if you will get your Visa. As far as how much time will pass between the approval and the delivery of your DHL packet, I can't say. Expect anything. Not much help I know.

Thanks C_Maria for your help. With this kind of up-to-the-date information, I will always be a disciple of VisaJourney.com

One other thing, we had the biometrics done at the same time of the interview. When we left Mexico at the point of entry, they checked Abi's fingerprints again, with another scanner.