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| Juarez, Mexico |  Review on February 25, 2008: |
rugbydude05
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
so we got to Juarez on Tuesday, February 19th. We had to travel all the way up from Tehuacan, Puebla (fiancée´s hometown) so we were pretty tired when we got in. We stayed at the Hotel Lucerna, right on Paseo Triunfo de la Republica and Lopez Mateos (street the consulate is on). I recommend this hotel because its close to the consulate and its very good- especially for mexican standards. The hotels adjacent to the consulate are more budget-oriented, and to be honest for an extra 20-30 bucks per night, it was nice being in a clean, secure hotel. You can get good deals online for the Lucerna and Holiday Inn Express and they both have excellent locations right in the Pronaf area.
Wednesday morning we got in line for the medical exam at about 6:45. It really wasnt that cold, but I would advise to take a jacket or sweater in the winter because it is kind of windy. My fiancée Kari was let in within 10 minutes of lining up and was given a number. From what i could tell it really isnt worth getting there any earlier than about 6:30 becuase most people get out around the same time anyway- between 10 and 11 AM. From what Kari told me the medical exam wasnt too bad and involved questions about her medical history and if she had any tatoos. They also took a chest x-ray to check for TB. We went back to the hotel, paid the $1450 peso fee at the Banamex which was luckily right next to the hotel, and then went back to pick up the results at 3:00. Line up in the back entrance and try to get toward the beginning of the line so you dont have to wait all afternoon. That night we went out to eat and just relaxed.
Thursday morning we arrived to the consulate around 7:00 AM and there were already hoards of people clogging the streets just like any other morning. We were told to get in like 5 different lines by 5 different security guards (common in Mexico) but eventually were let in entrance #2. My advice for this is just to ask around as much as possible and tell the security guards its an open appointment. Unfortunately, the US fiance isnt allowed inside with his/her Mexican partner. Anyway, I wandered around Parque Chamizal for a few hours and shortly after I got back to the hotel, Kari came back with visa in hand.
Looking back, everything went very smoothly. Kari said her consul was a great guy and talked more about his law career than asking her questions. He didnt even ask to see any evidence of ongoing relationship. Just be sure all your paperwork is put together nicely and completely and you should have nothing to worry about. Patience is also a virtue in this process- you can spend a long time waiting. Juarez really isnt that bad of a city despite its reputation, and we are really glad that the experience turned out well for us.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #2512