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Visa Services

Non-Immigrant Visa General Information (does not apply to "A" and "H2" Visas)

We are committed to making the visa application process as clear and open as possible. Please read more in our Customer Service Statement to Visa Applicants (Información del Servicio al Cliente para los solicitantes de visas).

 

Today, as in the past, many travelers to the U.S. must obtain a visa. The process includes the need to complete application forms and interviews with a consular officer as well as the collection and cross-checking of names in a highly sophisticated U.S. Government database. As a visa applicant today, it is important that you recognize that these name-checking and registration processes are necessary and crucial elements helping to protect our citizens and our visitors. Because of this process, some visas take several weeks to process. Therefore, please allow sufficient time to apply for and receive your visa.

NOTE: APPLICATION PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED, SEE BELOW.  THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO “A” AND “H2” VISAS, AND APPLICANTS SEEKING EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS.

To start your application process, you must first schedule an appointment by telephone or Internet.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, CLICK HERE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR NON-MEXICAN VISA APPLICANTS.

RECENTLY CHANGED APPLICATION PROCESSING PROCEDURES:
  • After making their visa interview appointment, applicants will be prompted to schedule an appointment for data collection, which will be one to seven days before the visa interview.  Data collection will take place by appointment only at the new Applicant Service Center (ASC).  Customer service representatives at the ASC will enroll visa applicants and capture biometrics (photographs and fingerprints) prior to the visa interview at the Consulate. 
  • Visa applications are now to be completed online at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ .  BE SURE TO PRINT OUT THE VISA APPLICATION CONFIRMATION PAGE.  You only need to print out the confirmation page, nothing else. 
  • The following procedures apply to all visa classifications, with the exception of A and H2 visas and emergency appointment applicants.  Visa applicants must now submit their fingerprints and be photographed at the ASC by appointment only, located at Calle Peru 4210, Colonia San Rafael, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, C.P. 88200.  
  • The ASC is open Monday through Friday, 10am-8pm and Saturday 12pm-5pm.

EACH APPLICANT MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING WHEN THEY ARRIVE TO THE CONSULATE FOR THEIR INTERVIEW:
  • Valid passport
  • Receipt showing payment of the US$131 visa application fee. The fee, which can only be paid in pesos, may be paid at any BANAMEX (Banco Nacional de Mexico) branch in Mexico.
  • CEAC confirmation sheet (which must also be presented at the ASC).  https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

Only persons applying for visas or parents accompanying young children applying for visas are allowed into the visa unit.

Additional Information on Visas and Visa Requirements

If you forgot to return your I-94 form (Arrival/Departure Record) when you exited the U.S., please visit this link for instructions on how to report your travel in the U.S.: http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/


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    Notice to Applicants

    Immigrant Visas, Fiancé Visas, and "V" Visas for Mexico are processed ONLY at the US Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez.
    Click here to go to their website.

    IMPORTANT!!

    In order to maintain a visa process that is fair and equitable to all, applicants need to know the following facts:

  • No fee paid to anyone will guarantee the issuance of a visa.
  • The application form is free of charge.
  • Visa application fees can only be processed through Banamex.
  • Presenting false or altered documents or someone else’s documents as your own, will very likely result in a permanent visa denial for yourself and possibly for your family.
  • No person can influence a consular officer’s decision.
  • Be truthful during the interview; don’t accept advice to mislead the consular officer. Misleading or lying could result in a permanent visa denial.

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