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| Juarez, Mexico |  Review on August 3, 2023: |
Irina and Chris
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Planning - Goal was to get in and out of Juarez asap.:Our consular interview was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8am. We arrived Monday night flying in from BJX - Bajio/Guanajuato having already completed the AOS Biometric and Medical appointments the week prior in Mexico City. We reserved the hotel for 2 nights and bought flexible airline tickets via VivaAerobus. Since our Consulate appointment was on a Tuesday morning we opted to do AOS/Medical in Mexico City in order to minimize the amount of time we would spend in Juarez. Medical can take 2 days as you will have to await your package until the following day. We possibly would have had to come to Juarex the previous Thursday or Friday, spend the weekend.. Juarez was 100 degrees hot, squalid and there really wasn't much to do there besides enjoy the hotels AC. Imagine being in Iraq or Afghanistan. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott walking distance to the consulate which we highly recommend. They have an airport shuttle and they will even drive you to the consulate or the mall across the street, (we walked). There are plenty of good, newish hotels nearby however. After arriving and getting our bearings, we again went through all the paperwork and discussed potential issues, questions and possibilities. We went out for dinner at a 'Gastropub Cantina' called Lakuria nearby with quite good food. We then prepared the pile of necessary documents and our book of all other docs before bed.
Day 1 - Awoke at 5am and left the hotel at approximately 6:45. Was in line by 6:57 for an 8am appointment. Arriving early pays off. She was 6th in line and processed quickly.. Initial appointment was only a document examination and drop off. She was asked for and we did not have a divorce decree. Luckily the agent found it in the original I-129 application. As fastidious as we had been organizing our documents, we had missed this one. Would have been nice to have had a copy handy. She and K2 were out by 8:30 where we returned to the hotel and had a great breakfast buffet We only ventured out to dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant, Barrigas. Can't recommend it.
Day 2 - Awoke 5:30 and out the hotel by 6:45. Was in line just before 7am and again it paid off. They exited approximately 1:15 later with the green visa pickup instruction paper in hand. Felt surreal after 670 days. Walked back to the hotel, had breakfast, arranged the flight back that night and late check-out. Status was changed Day 2 to Application Received. One day later, as I write, its changed to Issued.
Review - Once inside the consulate, the movement and operations were very well managed and efficient. There are many helpful agents assisting applicants as to where to go. Groups were arraigned in blocks and lines very well organized. As we had read in other reviews, they communicate through a window with an intercom. Everyone hears everything that's said. The typical questions are asked, all easy. It was all non-confrontational and polite. Overall we have a good impression. There was some fear and foreboding prior to the experience but it was found to be unfounded.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #32328