Juarez Interview Tips

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Hi

My husband & I just finished and completed his case now we are just patiently waiting for his interview day. Our process started in January of 2015 and thank god it's finally almost over. To be totally honest I am scared to go with him because of all the stories people say about how dangerous Juarez is. Does anyone have any tips as far as staying there, where to go to eat where not to go or be around . Which clinic is the best ? How early my husband should go to his interview? What to bring ? What kind of questions do they ask? Please someone help.

[Maritah 101]

Hi,

Usually the CDJ Consulate zone is safe in the normal hours, just for be more safe, don't go out of your hotel after 6 pm. Really close you can find restaurants and hotels there and a convenience store.

We were in the Quality Inn hotel (good one) that it's really close to the consulate and the ASC office for my biometrics, because we had the same worries as you, my now husband had to travel from NC to El Paso Airport and took a shuttle service (Amigo shuttle) from there to the hotel, he got there a day before me safe and without problems.

For my medical we went to Medicos de Visas, we had a good service and price, plus Medicos de Visas have a shuttle that go to your hotel to pick you up and give you back to the hotel If you call them asking for it (it's not so far away from the hotel, but is more safe If you take it If you don't know the consulate zone. My medical was faster and I got my results the same day.

Hope this info help you.

Best regards.

M.

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Thank you!

Yes I've been reading a lot and my husband has been told to stay at The Ibis but I've seen bad reviews for that and have most recently seen great reviews for the Quality inn. I'm glad they have shuttle service . I'm just trying to get all my knowledge on what to do how to get to places where to eat ... I don't want to have to ask questions because you never know who you're talking to. How many days total would you say the whole process in Juarez took? From the time u did ur first item to the day you got ur visa?

[Maritah 101]

Yes, Ibis hotel got very bad reviews since I was doing research to go to CDJ in 2014.

I got in Ciudad Juarez Monday Dec 8, 2014 and the timeline of my process there as it follows:

09/Dec/2014-- 10am.- Medical appointment// 2pm.- Results medical appointment ready// 3.30pm.- CAS appointment.

11/Dec/2014-- 7.15am.- Interview in the consulate.- VISA APPROVED!!!

16/Dec/2014-- 4.30 pm- Visa in hand.

17/Dec/2014-- 7.am- POE- Zaragoza bridge- El Paso, Texas- 10pm (EST)- In home!!!

Regards

M.

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Question?

For those of you who have gone to your interview, how many days do you think you stayed in Juarez in total?

How much do u estimate you spent

Medical, biometrics, hotel, food , etc. just trying to be prepared

[acajim 16]

I just went through the consular processing. The Quality Inn is very close to everything and you wouldn't need the shuttle, just walk. I didn't stay there, I stayed at Ibis and also the City Express Junior, they're not bad, just not great. I didn't have any issues. If you book ahead of time, you can get the Ibis really cheap, around $25/night through Hotels.com, I was told that if a person books directly through their website, the breakfast is included (I don't know if the prices are as low as $25). The City Express is about $40/night, and breakfast is included, don't expect a fancy menu, and they also include transportation to the airport/bus station, DHL office, Bridges Zaragoza and Cordova, and Walmart. There is a vending machine, washer and dryer, computers and WIFI (very slow at times). The other advantage is that you can walk to the shopping center very easily, as it is on the same side of the street.

Choosing the hotel will be based on your needs, The Quality Inn looks like a very nice hotel and I hope somebody else can give a personal opinion, I chose the Ibis and the City Express because I wanted to save money.

I went to "Servicios Medicos de la Frontera", I knew they closed at 11am, so I arrived at 10:50, I was the only person there. I was out by 11:20. One of my friends went to the same clinic 5 weeks before me, he arrived before 7am and took him 4 hours to get out. Bring his medical and his immunization records if possible, also all medicine info if he's taking any.

The whole area is safe, if you live in Los Angeles, you're OK to go to Juarez. I see you name as Gilbert (English) and "husband", are you a same-sex couple? Don't take me wrong, I'm a same-sex couple myself and I thought the area was safe. There is a restaurant right in front of the Ibis Hotel, I don't remember the name, but is the only one there, It is nice, clean and cheap. There is a food court in the mall, Sanborns has a restaurant too, and is located in the mall as wall. There is a Dennys, and other fast food around.

You can schedule the medical in the morning and the fingerprints in the afternoon. You'll receive a letter stating the documents you need to bring. Hopefully you can bring the most recent income tax (2016). The questions will be based on his case, if he entered without inspection, most likely the questions will be how many times he's entered, where, when and how (same goes when the applicant has DUIs, arrests, etc). I think the letter says something about not being more than 30 minutes earlier than your schedule appointment, but I met few guys that their appointment was around 10-11am, they went around 7am and they got in right away.

Do not bring any chewing gum, headphones, cellphones, electronic devices, scissors, knives, etc. If they find any of these items, he will need to get out of the consulate, toss it outside and then wait in line AGAIN.

The time you'll spend in Juarez depends on your appointment date and the availability of the services. Remember you have to go to the medical exam and the fingerprints, and the clinics are not open Sat or Sun. If he passes his medical exam, he will continue to the actual interview. If everything goes well, he will receive his passport and visa at the DHL location that you select before the interview. I saw some people getting the package the same day, while the average was 2 days, but I also met a person who had been there for a week already and my friend met a person who had been waiting for almost 2 weeks.

Good luck, book a hotel as soon as you can, find a website and a rate that you can cancel if needed (some rates are final, no changes allowed).

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Thank you so much for all the info.

As you can tell I'm super nervous to go to Juarez, specially because we are a gay couple. We are praying that everything goes out smooth and there is no problems. We just want to go and come back safe.

Question how did u arrive to Juarez?

We want to fly to El Paso from lax but we're not sure if we will have any problems if he uses his Mexican passport which he recently got here

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Sorry I'm asking so many questions but I want to be really informed.

For his medical exam & fingerprints in Juarez am I allowed to go with him?

I know he's not allowed to take his phone in the Consulate but what about the medical and fingerprints ?

I just want to be in constant contact with him even if I'm just in the hotel waiting which will be more nerve wrecking

Sorry I'm asking so many questions but I want to be really informed.

For his medical exam & fingerprints in Juarez am I allowed to go with him?

I know he's not allowed to take his phone in the Consulate but what about the medical and fingerprints ?

I just want to be in constant contact with him even if I'm just in the hotel waiting which will be more nerve wrecking

[Maritah 101]

Hi,

I suggest you go with him. In the fingerprints office you will wait in the entrance only your partner get access there. Not cell phones allowed or big backpacks, only the documents that you need. Get there at least 10 min before, not big lines because they call to the appointments in the right time. Don't get too much worry about your partner, the ASC office is small and not gonna take more of 15 minutes for the biometrics.

In Medicos de Visas, you are allowed to get into the building, but you need sit in the waiting area with the rest of the people that go with their relatives, you can have your cell phone but they will ask the applicant have their cell phone off cause the doctors need that the applicant be focus about the questions and the physical exams.

Just take note that your partner will get a physical inspection (naked) to find tattoos or another kind of unhealthy signs, don't worry the doctors do a professional job.

Hope this info helps.

Regards.

M.

Edited January 13, 2016 by M@rita

[mrskvelasco 30]

You guys will be fine - don't stress about it too much!! You will find a lot of useful information by reading through the Juarez consulate reviews on VJ.

Good luck!!

[acajim 16]

I took a plane to El Paso and a taxi from the airport all the way to the hotel in Mexico, that was expensive, $80. I wanted to just take a taxi to the bridge, walk across and then take a Mexican taxi on the other side, but I was carrying a lot.

As it was mentioned before, you can go with him to the fingerprints (small shopping strip) and you can wait outside. The call in by the time of the appointment. It's very quick. The clinic has a waiting area, so you can wait there too. Don't go early in the morning, everybody goes at once around 6:30-7:00am, hotels and casa de huespedes bring truckloads of people at the same time. Go late before they close and you'll have the VIP pass. Juarez is safe now, if you've been to Alvarado, Huntington Park, Santa Monica & Western, San Fernando, you're ok, Juarez is like that....the whole city. I went to the bank, about 3 miles away and came back running (I like to run), I also rode the buses (6 pesos), I walked to Costco, Walmart and Home Depot.

Reserve the hotel as soon as you can. I divided my stay in segments, I knew the DHL office closed at noon on Saturdays, so didn't make sense for me to stay longer if I had received the package by that time, and I could cancel the rest of the stay if needed. That make sense? Let's say his appointment is on a Tuesday, you'll arrive Sunday, go to Medical in the morning and fingerprints in the afternoon (a little tight, I know, but it can be done), go to the interview the following day, hopefully will be granted, you could receive the package late Tue, Wed or Thur, before 6pm, so you'd need to pay for Thur night too, since checkout is around noon, but in case you don't receive it, you could pay for Fri night as well, separately, knowing that the DHL should have your package before noon, and if you don't get it, then you'll have to stay until Mon at 6pm, so you'd have another reservation for Sat & Sun, hoping you get it early Monday....and so on. The reason to have so many reservations? to be able to cancel the days you don't need and you'll get a refund for the services not used.

Do you have your email registered with the NVC? I had less than 4 weeks notice for my appointments, and if I had waited for the physical letter to get home, that'd be only 3 weeks....and if I had waited for the lawyer to let me know, that'd have been only 2 weeks. I hope you can call the NVC and ask to add your email addresses, if you haven't received your appointment letter yet.

[acajim 16]

Hello guys, have you received the appointment date yet?

[Gilbert Godoy 91 16]

Hey.

I still have not received any reply. My husband had his biometrics appointment here in LA on February 22 and since then I've yet to hear back from them... Nerve wrecking praying for the best