|
|
Juarez, Mexico | Review on March 20, 2019: | Logan & Eli
Rating: | Review Topic: General Review
We arrived in Juarez on March 14 and stayed through Tuesday, March 19. We ended up having to stay 5 nights total because, with the interview on a Tuesday and the timing of other appointments, our first appointment was Friday morning. My wife and I stayed in the Mesaluna hotel; like many of the hotels in the area, it's nice, affordable, and conveniently located relative to the consulate and anywhere else you have a visa-related interview.
Friday, March 15 - Medical Exam: My wife's medical exam with ClÃnica Médica Internacional was at 9:15am and we arrived at around 8:45am. I wasn't allowed to pass with my wife and was asked to wait in the general waiting area. My wife had to present her passport, our interview letter from the consulate, and her appointment confirmation for the medical exam. She was then taken to a counter where they registered her, took her picture, and scanned her fingerprints, she then went on to do an eye exam. After the eye exam, she was transferred to another building where they did a urinalysis and a blood test along with a chest x-ray. The men and women are separated and then you're asked to get naked to be checked for tattoos. They asked about drug usage and tattoos and looked over her body to make sure everything was ok. Afterward, she was transferred over to get vaccinated and had to get a couple new vaccines. I was then brought over to the building to pay for the exam and the vaccines and then we were given a time to pick up our results so we left and wandered around the Las Misiones mall across the street. We went back to pick up the results at 1:30 and waited until about 2:45 to get the results. There seemed to be an issue with getting the results timely from the doctors doing the exams so we were in the very last group to receive results.
Saturday, March 16 - ASC: My wife's ASC appointment was at 8:50am. We arrived at 8:30 and that was a mistake. It was really cold in Juarez and we had to wait outside for my wife to be called inside. Once inside, my wife was asked for her DS-260 confirmation, her interview appointment letter, and her passport. Once inside, they took my wife's fingerprints and her picture, checked to ensure she had an interview, and gave her some information regarding tracking the visa. It was a quick and easy process and we had the rest of the day to relax.
Sunday, March 17: We had Sunday free and wanted to get out and explore Juarez a bit because we were tired of spending time in the hotel room and the mall. We went with the Juarez Touribus (it's right by the Starbucks in a little strip mall) and we had an incredible time. It was $140MX/person and was a great value. The tour started at 11am and lasted until about 3pm; they take you to parks, museums, a market, and to visit Juan Gabriel's house. The guides were great and it really helped us to feel more comfortable in Juarez while also giving us a good distraction from the impending interview.
Monday, March 18: My wife and I love going to the movies, so we spent Monday morning reviewing paperwork and then spent the afternoon and evening in the movies. We just found several movies that we wanted to see and found a schedule where we could see multiple in a row. This was a good distraction for a reasonable price (especially if you're used to movie prices in the US).
Tuesday, March 19 - the Interview: My wife's interview was at 8:15am and we arrived at about 7:15am and they let my wife line up and head inside. (PSA - don't take pictures of your loved ones in front of the consulate. While it may seem like a good photo-op, you will get escorted away by security, they will search your phone, they will question you and fill out a security form about you, and they will delete the pictures javascript:emoticon('') ) Once inside the building, you go through a security checkpoint and they give you a piece of paper with a number and your arrival time. You then go into a waiting room. Once there's room, they'll take everyone from the waiting room together and organize you by the number on your paper. You'll go to a window where they'll ask you for your documents. After giving your documents you'll be sent to a specific set of chairs (green, black, or blue). My wife was sent to the blue chairs and was told she would be called through the PA when it was her turn. She waited about 2 hours before she was called over the PA and went to do her interview. She had to pledge she would only say the truth and was asked the following questions:
- Who is petitioning for you?
- When did you get married?
- Where does your husband live (just looking for a city, state)?
- How did you first meet?
- When did you first meet?
- How many times has your husband visited you in Mexico?
- What does your husband do for a living?
- Does your husband own a house or rent?
- Do you want to work in the US?
- What do you do for a living?
- Have you ever been to the US?
After the questioning, my wife was approved and given a green piece of paper explaining how to track our visa. My wife was happy with her experience in the consulate and felt that, overall, the workers were pleasant and helpful. Even when I got detained and escorted to security for taking pictures, everyone was very nice with me as well javascript:emoticon(''). The consulate was pretty organized, but it took my wife about 4 hours to get through. Otherwise, no complaints.
| |
|