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| Juarez, Mexico |  Review on April 27, 2017: |
kcrb
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Our interview was scheduled for April 27th at 8:45am. We originally planned to say and wait for the visa in Cd. Juarez but we decided to have it mailed to a DHL location by her house. We flew into the airport at Cd. Juarez on April 24th from Monterrey. If you are flying with a non-mexican US citizen, the USC needs to have an FMM (Mexican Immigration form) otherwise you will have problems flying to and from Cd. Juarez, even if you are on a domestic (Mexican) flight. We originally booked a room at the Ibis Hotel because of its location, but the room was horrendous, and whatever they use to clean the room gave me some type of allergic reaction, so we had to switch to the Quality Inn down the road. I would highly, highly recommend the Quality Inn, and I wouldn't recommend the Ibis, it was hands down the worst hotel room I have ever set foot into. The Quality Inn was similarly priced and much, much better. If you have children, the Quality Inn has a very nice pool area to keep them entertained during the day. Do not stay at the Ibis.
Medical: we had the medical done at Servicios Medicos de la Frontera, arrived there around 5:50 am on April 25th, and she was the 9th person in line, and she was done exactly an hour later. She had to get one vaccine, so our total came out to $316. Even if you use the other clinic, I would advise getting there as early as possible, it makes it much more smooth. There is a waiting room for people who accompany the applicant, the chairs are a little stiff but it was sufficient. They have complementary coffee and a vending machine, and TVs with shows on them. We were told to come back at 3:00 to pick up the results. They give all the results for the day in alphabetical order at 3:00. Prepare to be here for about a half an hour. DO NOT OPEN THE RESULTS!!
Biometrics: We scheduled the biometrics for 7:20am, April 26th. We arrived at 7 am, and they line you up outside by 10 minute appointment increments. There is no need to arrive more than 15 minutes in advance, because all you can do is stand to the side until your appointment time is called. The appointment itself only took 10 minutes, just make sure you have your appointment letter and the cover of your DS 260/160 confirmation sheet, as well as your passport. They put the DHL sticker on the back of your passport, so make sure you have it. There are several things you cannot bring into the building, so make sure to take a look at that before going. I ended holding a strangers stuff so she could go to her appointment because she was there alone. At the end, they staple a piece of paper to the appointment letter, immigrant visas are blue and non immigrant visas are green. You need to have this version of the appointment letter to enter the consulate on the day of your interview.
Interview: the big day! Her appointment was scheduled for 8:45am, she arrived at 8:15 exactly, and got in line to enter the consulate. She was inside the consulate from 8:15 to about 10:30. When you arrive at the consulate, a security guard will tell you which line to get in based on the type of visa you are applying for. They will then scan the sticker on the back of your passport that was put on at the biometrics appointment. Once inside the door, you go through security, almost like the airport. Don't bring in anything you don't need. No phones. Once through security, a number is printed for you, and it is stapled to your appointment letter. The guards will guide you from there, and you sit down until it is time for you to go further into the consulate, think of this as a waiting room, she estimates that she waited between an hour and an hour and a half. The guards will lead you into the next room and will tell you what window to go to, where they will ask for the documents relevant to your case/visa and ask you some confirmation questions about the information in your documents. He also asked if I was present in Cd. Juarez, and I was. She was then instructed to sit in the black chairs and wait to be called for the interview. She was told to go to x window, and this is where the interview would take place. She was interviewed by a middle-aged man, and she said it felt more like a conversation, less like an interview. The first questioned he asked was in regards to why she was denied at the border in 2015, she answered the question honestly and he moved on. Next he asked who was petitioning for her, what I did for a living, what she did for a living in Mexico, if she has ever broken US immigration laws, if she had any tattoos, if she has had problems with the police, how/where we met, where we got married, and that was about it. The interview switched from Spanish to English once she told him that she taught English in Mexico. He started typing a lot, and then he asked if she had a valid US visa (her B1/B2 border crossing card) and she said yes and handed it to him, and then he said congratulations, you are approved, you will receive your visa in one to two weeks. She was in total shock, but we are absolutely ecstatic!
Between flights, hotels, food, and medical, I probably spent between 1k and 1.5k, but it could have been less. There is a lot to do around the consulate, many restaurants and a nice mall, where we spent a lot of downtime. We never felt unsafe and it was not a bad experience in the least. It was very stressful from start to finish, but it was all well worth it!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #21731