Isi

I HAVE DECIDED THAT,

1. I WILL CALL CIUDAD JUAREZ TODAY...TO SEE IF THEY HAVE SENT THE OFFICIAL LETTER/PACKAGE 3

2. NOVEMBER WILL BE A VERY HOLIDAY FILLED MONTH......AND SO THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER FROM 2-6 LOOKS ALRIGHT, I WILL CALL JUAREZ TO KNOW WHAT DAYS THEY WILL BE CLOSED FOR THAT MONTH.

3. I AM PREDICTING/ASSUMING THAT THE LETTER WILL PROBABLY GET TO ME/US SOME TIME THIS WEEK.......IF NOT, THEN.....

4. MOST LIKELY, I WILL RESERVE HOTEL AND FLIGHTS TO ARRIVE IN CIUDAD JUAREZ ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST. IF I DON'T HAVE THE LETTER, THEN I WILL ASK FOR IT AT THE WINDOW (CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO GO EXACTLY ABOUT THIS? WHAT TO SAY? ETC?).

5. I MIGHT JUST WAIT FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9-14.

IT WILL JUST DEPEND ON HOW THINGS GO.

SEE YA GUYS,

ERNESTO

Ernesto,

You just go to the information window and ask them to print it out. I think I will be doing this as soon as they give me the green light. I was hoping I could go either the week of the 9th or 16th.

I called NVC today and they said Juarez still has not received my paper work. I am starting to get depressed and I am trying not to lose faith but it is hard. I just want to scream

I hope I hear good news soon.

Andrea

Andrea,

I know is hard but be patient, you will get news soon ... good news.

6 days and counting...suddenly I am very calm...maybe it's the calm before the storm. Trying to get things together now...ie: clothes and things like that...I am wondering if I should take my laptop with me...just so I can have it in the hotel room with me...I think I read on their website that there is WIFI. If anyone knows let me know.

Sandi

Hi Sandi,

If you are talking about Holiday Inn las Misiones yes, they have that service for free.

What about you Andrea ... any news?

Isi,

Hi how is the US treating you? No, no news I called DOS today and they said Juarez is still processing . I figured either tomorrow or sometime next will I will call Juarez and see what they tell me.

Quick question how did you fill out question #11 on I-134? I looked at the example here but I wanted to make sure people who have went to Juarez did the same thing.

Andrea

Don't worry, you will get news soon ...

I'm doing fine getting used to food, weather, people eeeeverything ... and reading about getting SSN and driver license processes.

My bf filled that form and he signed INTEND and then he just write PLANNING TO GET MARRIED ... hope this helps.

What about you Andrea ... any news?

The letter arrived in about a week.

DHL delivered the visa this morning and Ale picked it up at 9:30, I booked all of our flights, and we are out of here!!!

Which will be your POE?

Everything will be easy from now!!

Congratulations again.

Yes!!! She got it!!! She was back to the hotel at 9:50 am, I couldn't believe it, I thought there must be a problem.

Now we just need to wait for DHL, which by the way you need to take cash into the consulate for, as they don't accept all types of debit cards. Luckily I gave her 100 pesos, I think it was like 102 pesos for DHL.

So I suppose we need to take a taxi somewhere to get the visa?

CONGRATULATIONS GUYS ... :dance: :dance:

You don't need to pay for a taxi to get it, Holiday Inn has that service for free.

Keep tracking DHL web site and when you see an update you need to reserve a car with receptionist ... even when they say service is just to take you to the place they can also pick you up ... request a supervisor if they don't want reserve that.

She got into the consulate at like 7:50, i'm not sure when i should go back down there. I was thinking to walkt back around noon, and then every 90 minutes or so. I don't want her walking back alone, especially being all dressed up in a suit.

That sounds good ... lot of people waiting to get in?

Chinman,

How is everything going so far?

Thanks everyone! We are ready, and that's all we can do is prepare. We practiced all the questions, and I have everything organized in a binder, with divider pockets, we also practiced finding the documents they will be asking for.

Just wanted to mention that they told her to come back at 2:00 to get the medical results, but we got there at 1:30 and they are already started to let people go around back to get their results.

If Juarez wasn't on the news for violence (don't turn on the news when you're here) I would swear I was in Monterrey, to walk to the consulate and back is not bad, and we went to the mall across the street a couple times today, so just go where you need to go, be alert, and you'll be fine!

I'm sorry that he is still waiting for DHL, how come some people get it the same day?

That is a DHL issue, I'm pretty sure his visa was ready since friday or yesterday because was weekend ... DHL guy told me the process and admited that sometimes they have "little delays" to pick them up from Consulate ... unfortunately we don't have choice or way to know where the visa is.

Do you guys know if we can pay extra at DHL to get the Visa delivered faster....in other words, if DHL offers different delivery options?

Is this DHL the same DHL we know here in the U.S.?

Thanks much,

Ernesto

As far as I know, no options ... we are not that special!!

Thanks everyone! We are ready, and that's all we can do is prepare. We practiced all the questions, and I have everything organized in a binder, with divider pockets, we also practiced finding the documents they will be asking for.

Just wanted to mention that they told her to come back at 2:00 to get the medical results, but we got there at 1:30 and they are already started to let people go around back to get their results.

If Juarez wasn't on the news for violence (don't turn on the news when you're here) I would swear I was in Monterrey, to walk to the consulate and back is not bad, and we went to the mall across the street a couple times today, so just go where you need to go, be alert, and you'll be fine!

I'm sorry that he is still waiting for DHL, how come some people get it the same day?

That is a DHL issue, I'm pretty sure his visa was ready since friday or yesterday because was weekend ... DHL guy told me the process and admited that sometimes they have "little delays" to pick them up from Consulate ... unfortunately we don't have choice or way to know where the visa is.

Hey Chinman ... good luck tomorrow, let us know how is everything going!!

Isi,

Everyone, (receptionists, cab drivers, random people in the lobby and even the Immigration officer that gave the interview) keeps insisting to Roberto that he needs to go to the bridge once he gets his visa from DHL. I just want to confirm one more time that he doesn't go to the bridge because he is flying back to Merida and his POE will be Atlanta in a few weeks. Is that correct and is there somewhere on the juarez website or other USCIS website where I can find it to put Roberto at ease?

Genny

Hi Genni,

He doesn't need to go to any bridge, at DHL he needs to check his passport and visa information are correct ... passport number match with one is on visa, lastnames ... everything.

Haven't heard any recently changes on K-1 visas like going to the bridge or something, I asked the Consul at the end of my interview and he told me that JUST if I was ready to travel from Juarez "walking" through the bridge must have for the bridge my DO NOT OPEN YELLOW ENVELOPE has (comes with your visa and passport)

Once I had my visa traveled back to DF and after 2 months came to US ... my POE was Dallas and everything was fine, they didn't asked me for a sign or something like that ... just my yellow envelope, my passport with K-1 visa, few questions about my bf, myself ... That's all.

OMG so sorry Isi, I didn't see that you had responded. What you said is what i thought I just wanted to double check because all day everyone keeps telling him he must go to the bridge. I don't think anyone else he has met has a K1.

Genny

That is the problem ... people there are going through very different processes than us so we get confused with all the stories, most of them have been illegal in US.

Isi,

Everyone, (receptionists, cab drivers, random people in the lobby and even the Immigration officer that gave the interview) keeps insisting to Roberto that he needs to go to the bridge once he gets his visa from DHL. I just want to confirm one more time that he doesn't go to the bridge because he is flying back to Merida and his POE will be Atlanta in a few weeks. Is that correct and is there somewhere on the juarez website or other USCIS website where I can find it to put Roberto at ease?

Genny

Hi Genni,

He doesn't need to go to any bridge, at DHL he needs to check his passport and visa information are correct ... passport number match with one is on visa, lastnames ... everything.

Haven't heard any recently changes on K-1 visas like going to the bridge or something, I asked the Consul at the end of my interview and he told me that JUST if I was ready to travel from Juarez "walking" through the bridge must have for the bridge my DO NOT OPEN YELLOW ENVELOPE has (comes with your visa and passport)

Once I had my visa traveled back to DF and after 2 months came to US ... my POE was Dallas and everything was fine, they didn't asked me for a sign or something like that ... just my yellow envelope, my passport with K-1 visa, few questions about my bf, myself ... That's all.

I'll let Ale tell the story, but we got to the medico at 5:30 and we were number 51 in line, probably another 30 or so got in line after we got there. She went in at 6:05 and got out at 8:30.

LLegamos a la Clinica Medica Internacional alrededor de las 5:30 ya habia como unos 50 personas antes que nosotros (encontramos en la calle muchas personas que te ofrecen sus servicios para hacer todos los tramites, pero ninguno de ellos es parte de la clinica o del consulado, asi que no confien ni les muestren ningun documento simplemente sigan).

Una vez que llegas te formas, te dan un no. en un post-it y te toman la temperatura (en este momento puede estar contigo alguna persona que te acompane) una vez que abren a las 6:00 a.m. te revisan tus doctos y solamente pasas tu, te preguntan si es la primera o la segunda vez que vienes (te conviene decir que es la segunda porque sino te dejan esperando hasta que pasen la mayoria de los que van por segunda vez) haces fila para pasar a unas ventanillas donde te revisan tus documentos, te colocan una pulsera para que posteriomente pases a hacer tus examenes medicos.

Para los examenes medico primero te pasan para sacarte sangre donde te impirmen una hoja y un codigo de barras con el que pasaras a pagar a caja al final por lo que no debes perderlo. Una vez que te toman muestra de sangre te pasan a hacer otra fila para hacerte examen de la vista, posteriormente te envian a otra fila para hacerte el examen medico final (son doctoras para revisar mujeres y doctores en el caso de hombre) te dan una bata debes desnudarte completamente y oolocarte la bata, te pesan, te revisan el cuerpo aunque no te tocan para cerciorarse de que no tengas marcas o tatuajes, te preguntan si tienes algun tipo de cirugia estetica, si te han realizado transfusiones de sangre, etc.

En el caso de nuestra visa K1 la doctora me comento que me podia ella enviar al sicologo si lo consideraba necesario y por tal motivo mis resultados no estarian el mismo dia sino un dia despues, pero no me envio por lo que mis doctos estaran el mismo dia.

Cuando estuve dentro escuche comentar que si tienes algun tatuaje o piercing te envian directamente con el sicologo.

Por cierto termine mis examenes a las 8:30, relamente es tedioso pero las personas que te atienden son muy amables

Hi guys!

Glad everything went fine with the medical part, as you said is kind of boring but they are very organized and polite.

What you said about psychological examination it's a little deeper, they evaluate your behiavior even when you are waiting but most important the way you answer to their questions ... not all tattoos or piercings are red flag for psychological examination.

What I can say is that tattoos and piercings ARE red flag for other drugs tests ... I have 3 tattoos and when the Dr. saw them she focus on drugs questions in very different ways, to me was kind of funny because was too obvious and when she finished she sent me to get an urine test and just then was able to paid and no psychological examination ... no extra charge for urine test by the way.

Chinman,

Glad to read you made it safe.

Before 5 to medical?? I got there almost 7:00 and everything was fine, there is a lot of people outside but is very organized.

Are you at Holiday Inn?

Take care and just like Genni did you will get it!!

Here is what Roberto writes about his interview day:

Mi experiencia fue de la siguiente manera:

Fue tardado y tedioso todo el proceso de la visa. Al decir lo anterior es en función a la espera ya que en si la entrevista, la entrega de documentos y la toma de huellas fueron rápidas. Cuando llegué al consulado hice una fila en donde me preguntaron qué tipo de visa iba a tramitar. Me pidieron que no lleves cosméticos, cámaras, celulares, usb, ipods, cortaúñas, tijeras, etc, etc. Una vez que entré personal del consulado me pidió el pasaporte, el pago bancario y la carta de la entrevista. Una vez que ubicaron que mi caso es un K1 me pidieron una copia del formato DS-156, que es el único documento del que tenía que traer copia, de lo demás no me pidieron copia.

Ya que me revisaron los documentos me permitieron el acceso al consulado en donde entré a un punto o filtro de seguridad en donde me revisaron, de nueva cuenta, para permitirme entrar. Una vez pasado esto me canalizaron con una persona que me preguntó, de nueva cuenta, qué tipo de visa iba a tramitar. Una vez que ya le dije a que iba, ésta misma persona me asignó un número que debía conservar durante toda mi estancia dentro del consulado. Este número me sirvió para que una vez que entré a las salas de espera pude ver las pantallas donde sale el número de la persona y el módulo al que se debe de dirigir para hacer el papeleo.

Entonces ya me asignaron mi número. Después me mandaron a una sala de espera que tiene pantallas, ahí tenía que esperar un buen rato hasta que apareció mi número.... Fue cansado y tedioso, en mi caso, esperé casi dos horas hasta que vi mi número. En todo ese tiempo tenía que estar atento a la pantalla para que no perdiera mi oportunidad.

Apareció mi número en la pantalla y junto al número salió el cubículo al que debía de ir. Entonces fui al sitio indicado. En este primer punto me pidieron todos mis documentos. El personal del consulado me pidió que primero entregara todos los formatos que baje del internet, mis fotos, los demás documentos y al finalmente los documentos que respalden los ingresos económicos de mi prometida Esto fue rápido como tenía preparada mi documentación no tardé más de cinco minutos.

Posteriormente me mandaron a la sala de espera para que otra vez estuviera al pendiente de las pantallas y esperando que aparezca de nueva cuenta mi número. Ahora mi espera fue para la toma de huellas, esto es rápido. Me tomaron las huellas y me mandaron otra vez a la sala de espera para que ver las pantallas para saber a qué módulo me mandaron para la entrevista. Esta es la parte más tediosa de todo el proceso, ya que tuve que esperar más de cuatro horas y uno cae en ciertos niveles de desesperación ya que veía que van saliendo números, pasa la gente, pasan las horas y no te llaman, y lo peor es que no hay nadie que te de una explicación clara de lo que está pasando. Si bien te va uno de los guardias te dice que sí ya te tomaron las huellas debes de esperar " un poco más de lo normal". Y así pasan las horas y uno se siente cansado, aburrido, ignorado, etc, etc. Hasta que de repente vi la pantalla, salió mi numero y prácticamente, sin pensarlo dos veces, me dirigí al módulo 72 y ahí ya me esperaba con todo mi expediente una chica, un tanto irónica y grosera, quien pregunto cosas como: cómo me llamo, dónde nací, cómo se llama mi novia, los nombres de mis suegros, me preguntó cuando nos íbamos a casar, cómo nos conocimos, me pidió que relatara como nos conocimos, desde cuándo somos novios, etc, etc

Después de unos 10 minutos me indicó que tenía que pasar al módulo de DHL, que está dentro del consulado, para pagar el trámite para recibir mi visa y aquí empieza otro viacrucis porque no te lo entregan inmediatamente. Me dieron un número para verificar, en internet, si el paquete ya había llegado a la oficina de DHL en Juárez. Entonces tengo que esperar que en DHL me digan si ya llegó o no y éste trámite, de acuerdo con DHL el trámite puede durar de uno a cuatro días.

Wow ... 6 horas de espera en total???!!! Yo estuve como 3 y pense que eran muchas

Por lo de DHL no te preocupes que las visas K son mas rapidas de entregar y mas siendo "blanco" tu historial ... la mia estuvo ese mismo dia a las 5 de la tarde solo que no pude ir por ella porque desafortunadamente la actualizacion del web site es muy tardada pero creeme, de todo el tiempo de espera este es el mas dulce!!

Congratulations Genni, are you flying back today?

I'm so happy for you guys ... which will be the POE?

CONGRATULATIONS GENNI!!!

Happy Birthday Isi! So glad it was a good one.

Roberto is in the consulate. They didn't let me in. We went right at 8:00. Last night when we were going through all of the papers we took out the second copy of the DS 156. The first thing they asked us for even before he went into the building were the two copies of the DS 156. So we came back to the hotel and got the other copies. When we got back to the consulate there was a new person at the gate and they didn't let me go in. I'm going to wait here at the hotel and thing very happy thoughts. Perhaps I'll even start the AOS paperwork. Isi did you start AOS yet? Did you get the shots here or there?

Genny

Thanks Genni!

We are going to marry in a month so haven't started the AOS paperwork and also because we had lots of expenses and since I'm not working is going to take a little bit more.

Tried to get the shots in Mexico but after several times going to the clinic with no response I quited ... heard that here are quite expensive right?

Genny,

Glad to hear you experience is going good so far. Keep us posted and best of luck.

Oh yeah quick question is there any other hotels next to the Holiday Inn that look decent. I jut want to see what my options are.

From what I am told the interview can be done in Spanish.

Andrea

Hi Andrea, how are you doing?

There are 2 on the same street, Microtel next to Holiday Inn and Quality Inn that is on the other side of the Consulate.

If you look at the pics I posted you can see both ... Quality Inn is all the way back.

Isi,

I am doing good. Is your transition going smoothly?

Are the other two hotels good? I looked online and Microtel is cheaper so I was considering it, but I am not sure if it is a good idea.

Andrea

Is going pretty good, can't complain my first birthday here was great ... now I have new puppy!!

Well ... Microtel might be cheaper but when I was there didn't see a lot of movement not even from the people supposed to work there, was able to see from my room window and in 4 days just saw 2 cars ... at least in Holiday Inn you can recognize faces and a lot of staff inside and outside.

I wouldn't reserve there ... my opinion.

Genny,

Glad to hear you experience is going good so far. Keep us posted and best of luck.

Oh yeah quick question is there any other hotels next to the Holiday Inn that look decent. I jut want to see what my options are.

From what I am told the interview can be done in Spanish.

Andrea

Hi Andrea, how are you doing?

There are 2 on the same street, Microtel next to Holiday Inn and Quality Inn that is on the other side of the Consulate.

If you look at the pics I posted you can see both ... Quality Inn is all the way back.

Thanks so much. We are a little nervous but we feel like we are half way there. We got the results for medical. It only took five min to pick up. Isi was right Roberto just went around back of the clinic and picked it up. Then we went across the street to pay at the Banamex (ouch). We will go tomorrow at 8:00 to the line in front of the counsel. Isi do you think we should go before 8:00? The paper says between 8-10.

Thanks so so so much for everyone's messages of encouragement.

Genny

No Genni, I got there before and they sent me back. Get there at 8, you will get in very fast because there is a special line for K visas.

Once again, good luck you guys will get it!!!

GOOD LUCK GENNI ... I'M SURE YOU GUYS WILL GET IT!!!

Roberto just got out of medical it only took 1.5 hours. They do it all in Spanish, they take blood, It cost $181 dollars or $2400 pesos. At the entrance it tells how much each vaccine costs they were all over 300 pesos. You don't need them for K1 (of course) but we had considered getting them here. And he had a female doctor. They asked him CONSTANTLY if he used drugs. And he has NEVER used drugs but they kept asking in different ways.

It was so fast! He gets his results at 2:00.

Great!!

Getting the results is faster, they lead you to the back side of the building and they will call you by lastname.

You can keep the cd at hotel and remember DO NOT OPEN THE BLACK ENVELOPE.

Isi:

Quick question..do they do the interview in english or spanish?

Sandi

They speak spanish, but for example in my case my bf does not speak spanish and that information was on our file so the Consul asked how we communicate ... that was a red flag for him so he asked me to continue the interview in english.

He wanted to clear that red flag but don't worry if your bf needs a spanish interview, consul will ask.

We are here. Victor the taxi driver that Sandi suggested picked me up at the airport (it went smoothly and he only charges $45). We are at the Holiday Inn. Roberto wanted to go to the clinic today but he got here at noon. You can only go to the clinic between 6-11. We just ate next door at Barrigas, that food isn't bad but it is a little expensive.

There are two clinics. One next to Wendy's and another one. One is called Examenes Medicos Consulares and the other is called CME. Does anyone recommend one over the other?

We are going to go to the clinic tomorrow at 6:00. We have heard lots of people here in the lobby that have been waiting for days for DHL to deliver the visa. I sure hope we don't have to wait too long.

Please let me know if you have an opinion about which clinic to go to.

Genny

Hi Genni!!!

Glad to read you made it with no problems ...

Remember the picture I posted here? I went to that clinic (blue sign on the picture) service was good and quick and in case you can not make your examination there they send you to the other (which is close to the old consulate) but you don't have to pay taxi because they have a bus to take ONLY the person who will be extaminated and when finish, same bus takes you back ... go to the one next to the hotel (CMI brown building)

Keep us updated!!

Oh, forgot to tell you ... they have room service from applebees and other restaurants, cheaper and better ... ask the recepcionist she/him will give you a list.