Consulate Review: Juarez, Mexico
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
January 20, 2013 |
| Embassy Review : |
Our Visa Journey Consulate Review
First of all, thank you to visajourney.com and this community…
This review is well overdue, and I apologize in advance for not writing one sooner. I hope our experience will help others reach their goals.
I am the US Petitioner (Husband) for Mexican Beneficiary (Wife and Step-daughter)
We started our journey almost one year ago on January 17th, 2012.
Interview Date:
My wife and stepdaughter’s appointment at the consulate in Cd. Juarez on August 17th. They arrived several days early on the 12th so that my step-daughter could have enough time to complete her medical exam since see had to have a TB test.
Medical Exam:
On Monday, August 13th they arrived at the Clinica Medica Internacional around 5:25 but were told that it was full and were instructed to go to the Servicios Medicos clinic next to the other clinic. They asked for my wife’s DS-260 confirmation, invitation letter and passport. The same for my stepdaughter. My wife’s medical exam went well. As others have mentioned here, they do ask that you remove your clothes for the exam. Although my wife had received her vaccines in her hometown about 6 to 8 weeks earlier, the clinic did not accept her vaccine record, and she was required to have them again. As for my stepdaughter, since she had received her vaccinations in her hometown three weeks earlier, the clinic told her that she would have to wait a week before she could come back for her exam. The excuse was that the results of the TB test and other tests would not be accurate. The cost for my wife’s medical exam was about $340. That afternoon my wife and stepdaughter went back to pick up her medical exam results which consisted of a sealed black plastic envelope, a CD and paper. The doctor at the Clinic told her that she needed to take only the plastic envelope to her interview and not to open it.
Blood test, Ttap, MMR and varicela (chicken pox).
ASC (CAS) Appointment:
On Tuesday, my wife and stepdaughter went to the ASC (CAS), which is in a strip plaza between the Consulate and the Quality hotel to have their fingerprints taken. They said it went very quickly and were finished with 20 to 25 minutes. The staff at the ASC asked for the same documents that they had to show for the medical exam. He said they looked at his paperwork and passport (same stuff as at the Medical clinic). Their appointment time was at 1:15pm, but they were seen a little earlier at 1:00pm.
Airport / Hotel Information:
I arrived in Cd. Juarez the day before the interview on August 16th. I flew from Atlanta to El Paso, Texas. Through different forums, I found the name of Victor Garcia as a recommended driver that transports people from the El Paso airport to Cd. Juarez. If you would like his number, please contact me. He charges less than the border taxis. He charged me about $50.
We stayed at the Quality Inn. We paid about $62 a night. I made the reservations ahead of time. The hotel was clean with a friendly staff, pool, cold and hot breakfast. At the pool, there is a bar/grill that serves food and drinks. There is a pharmacy (Benavides) located behind the hotel if needed.
Appointment Interview (Wife):
On Friday, August 17th, my wife, step-daughter and I arrived at the consulate’s waiting room were we presented the DS-260, I-797 Approval Notice, birth certificates, passports, affidavit of support, and biometrics with photos. While my wife and stepdaughter went to the appointment, I waited in the waiting room next to the Consulate. You are not allowed to stand outside of the Consulate area. The security guards will ask you to keep moving. My wife took the required documents along with some a couple of photo albums just in case they asked to see actual photos.
http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/iv_steps2.html
Even though my stepdaughter had not completed the medical exam, we were told that sometimes they allow children in with their parents and go through the interview process with the requirement that they will have they vaccines in the US.
After about an hour, my stepdaughter came to find me in the waiting room o say that she was not allow to continue with the interview process. After about another hour my wife came to tell me that they did not accept her passport port pictures, even though we had followed the passport photo guidelines provided at http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotoreq/photoexamples/photoexamples_5300.html They wanted my wife’s hair pulled all the way back. We went to the nearest photo shop, in the same strip mall at the ASC. My wife was allowed back in to the Consulate.
Around 2:00pm my wife showed up at the waiting room with the news that her visa has been APPROVED.
During the interview, the Officer asked the for the following documents and following questions:
1. They asked for the standard documents, birth certificate, divorce certificates, affidavit of support, medical exam, passports and passport size photos. They kept the documents while my wife returned to the waiting area.
2. After waiting for her turn to be called again, the asked a series of questions.
a. If my wife was married to me.
b. If I was the petitioner.
c. If the address was…
d. If my wife had tried to obtain a visa before.
e. If the name [blank] was a family member. My wife said it was her mother’s name
f. If we have children together.
g. How many children do I have.
h. How many children does my wife have.
i. Since the staff had not let my stepdaughter into the interview with my wife, the Officer asked my wife why she wasn’t petitioning for her daughter. So my wife explained about the medical exam and the vaccines.
j. If my wife had a bad police record.
k. When did we meet each other.
l. How we met.
m. When was the first time we met in person
n. What day did we get married?
o. If my wife had any evidence of our relationship
The Officer entered in the information into the computer.
Then the Officer said: “Congratulations! Su visa ha sido aprobada (your visa has been approved)!”
From Cd. Juarez to El Paso:
I had to return on August 18th. I was able to use Victor Garcia’s transportation service to go back across the border. I used a taxi located at the hotel to go back across the border. The taxi driver took me to the border, where I walked across the bridge. The cost to cross the bridge is a quarter. There were three lines at the bridge, one for US citizens, one for new visas and one for people that already have visas. After going through the immigration/customs building, I walked a block and hailed a taxi at the corner. The cost for the taxi ride from the border (US side) to the airport was about $23.
Medical Exam – Take Two (My Stepdaughter):
On Wednesday, August 22, my wife and stepdaughter returned to the Servicios Medicos clinic so that my stepdaughter could take her medical exam. My wife told me that things went well, and that my stepdaughter had to have the vaccines plus the TB test. They were told to return on Friday to pick up the results, which they did without any problems. The cost of the vaccines for my stepdaughter was roughly $280.
ASC (CAS):
My wife and stepdaughter return to the ASC to make a new appointment for my stepdaughter. She was given a new interview date for Monday, August 27 at 9:30am.
Interview Date (Stepdaughter)
On Monday, August 27th my stepdaughter went to her rescheduled interview. She was asked to present the same documents as my wife except for the divorce documents.
During the interview, the CO asked my stepdaughter the following question:
1. Asked what address she was going to live at in the US
2. If she was excited to go live in the US and go to a new school.
3. What school grade she was in?
4. What her father’s name is?
After the CO asked all of the questions, he told her that her visa was approved.
The next day, August 28th, my wife and stepdaughter took a flight back to their home to pick up their visas there.
My wife picked up her visa package from the local DHL office on August 29. According to the DHL website, my stepdaughter’s visa package was in route. My wife went to check about it at the local DHL office on Saturday, September 1, but was told it had been delivered to the wrong city and was being sent back to the processing center in Mexico City. My wife waited until Tuesday, September 4th when we saw on the DHL website that my stepdaughter’s visa packaged had been delivered.
Point of Entry (POE)
On September 7th I flew to Mexico to pick up my wife and stepdaughter, and to spend a couple of days with my in-laws. On September 9th, we flew from Mexico City to Atlanta. We arrived in Atlanta around 11pm. After we deplaned, we went to the customs area, where my wife and stepdaughter presented their visa package. The process took about 15 minutes, and we were on our way to pick up our luggage and make our way home.
I hope this summary isn\'t so detailed that it bored you, but yet detailed enough to help you on your journey and the planning for your interview at the Consulate in Cd. Juarez.
Let us know how we can help. You can contact us through our profile or check out our blog for more information.
(updated on January 20, 2013) |
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