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Visa
Visa Stamping from Canada/ Mexico
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Experience - L1 Renewal in Guadalajara, Mexico
I did not see significant # of entries for a Mexico stamping experience so here goes my own
> Background: L1A blanket renewal - first time in Mexico (original L1 issued outside India)
> Why Mexico?
a) I realized during my research on the renewal/stamping that Canada is an oft chosen place for these renewals and most of the visa appointments are exhausted till April/May 2020. Given upcoming international business travels, i did not want to wait that long for getting the renewals in place
b) Mexico doesnt need a visitor visa. They allow current H1/L1 and i heard F1 too....holders to get across for visa renewal/stamping provided your existing visa is valid for you to reenter the states. Since most of the visa stamping processes happen between a week & a months' time, if your current visa is valid for a month from the appointment, you are good to enter Mexico
c) There are multiple places across Mexico and many of them are apparently pleasant & easy to get an appointment with. I went to Guadalajara due to my employers recommendations. There are better places if you can make a choice - Monterrey, Nogales, Motomaros to name a few. If it was my individual choice i would have chose one of these but i went with Guadalajara & honestly it was a good experience
11th Feb - Flew in from my current US location into Guadalajara, Mx because from where i live in CA, it is a shorter flight. Checked into one of the Marriott properties and waited for the next 2 days
12th Feb (Wed) - Biometrics at 730 AM. It is in a place which is like our VFS collection centers in India. Away from the consulate, a local bank branch type ground floor setup. I reached at 710 AM, stood in the line for 15 mins before being ushered into the center. You CAN CARRY your mobile phone inside as long as it is switched off. There is a small reception which checks your DS 160 & the Passport (you dont need anything else) & sends you off to another line for your photograph/biometrics. The process is standard and i was out by about 8 AM. Rest of the day was spent waiting for the next day! :)
13th Feb (Thu) Morning - Personal appearance at 815 AM. The consulate is in a semi-residential area and is not as fancy as certain other consulates one might have seen in other countries including India. I reached the area around 740 AM. Since i was alone for this stamping (my family is going for it later), i took my phone for the appointment just to see where i can keep it. I was clear that the worst case scenario is that i will have to pay some $$ to some storekeeper near the consulate and have it in safe custody. Thankfully there is a LOCKER FACILITY right adjacent to the consulate which charges 40 Mexican Pesos for a day. It is a clean, simple, professional service that you can rely on. The line to the consulate is a SINGLE FILE line which doesnt consider when you came in, so i was somewhere in the 75 to 100th position given people were standing from possibly 7 am! The Consulate opens at 8 AM. By the time i was let in it was about 845 AM but they reassured me in their hesitant english that it was fine & i can get in anytime of the day for the appointment (so much for the appointment selection :))
13th Feb Morning: Inside the consulate - It looks like a large patio in front of a house or a better example is a "shamiana setup inside the gates of a large bungalow" except that this was with a tin/asbestos type roof! It is a large area where you see the 10 to 11 interview counters behind the protective glasses to your left, a seating & area for lines to queue up & the bathrooms/vending machine/water & a cashier counter before you exit out on to the right. Simple setup which looks like ONE LARGE HALL/BALL ROOM, out in the open!
Process:
1) Pre-screen: A small table with 3 or 4 folks is setup as soon as you come out of the security screening and enter the large hall. These folks receive your documents & in my case gave a small handwritten token number and asked me to sit in one of the green chairs behind them. I saw multiple lines of people (around 300 of them) all going to the different interview counters
2) Verification: Another gentleman came & asked for the document set. They dont care what your company has sent or what you have put together, all they needed from me were 3 sets of the first 8 pages of the I129 and the employer letter which is like a cover letter/offer letter/deputation letter whatever is your case. He asked me to wait right there & came back in about 10 minutes asking me to head to the right side counter (explained earlier) to pay the fees with a cashier
3) Payment: The cashier was a friendly woman who engaged in chit-chat & i ended up paying the fees. She mentioned that they see about 1500 people on most days and anyday if it falls below 1000, it is a light day! :)
4) Biometric Verification: Post payment, i was asked to join the snaking line on Counter 10 or 11 (i was given a choice) & it went to the front where essentially a lady scanned your DS160 barcode & asked you to register your handprints. Once done, she asked me to join the other snaking line that was now getting to the actual interview counters. Remember - counters 10 & 11 when i was there were purely for biometrics & one HAS TO go through that verification before joining the other line which takes you to the visa officer
5) The Interview: After waiting in the line for about 10-15 minutes, appeared in front of the visa officer. The questions in my case were pretty standard including whether i do the same job, whether i came for this stamping & why i didnt choose an in-country renewal & the likes. The officer was very friendly which was a surprise because just before my reaching the counter, I saw the earlier person being chided at the counter & got her visa refused :-O
6) The (not a big) Surprise: The officer mentioned that as part of the STANDARD PROCESS, i will receive a set of questions that i should answer as soon as possible for the officer to process the visa further. The officer did say that everything seemed in order in my case & it should not flag anything up but once i answer/everything goes through, i can collect the passport in 3 or 4 days. I was asked to confirm the email id of choice which i did
7) Close & exit: I was given the signed/dated I129 with the extension approved on the document but the passport still with the consulate. I was told to track it online in the MX Visa website. I thanked the officer & exited the consulate
Time of exit: 10:15 AM
Post Interview:
13th Feb AFTERNOON - reached back at the hotel & waited for the mail from the consulate. It eventually turned up in my inbox pretty soon - around 1130 AM local time with the from address that did say 221g, so dont be surprised if you receive it after your interview. It is a 221g & it is Administrative Processing
I responded to that with details - there were 28 questions & in my case it was a PAIN because i have done extensive travels, lived out of different countries, worked with different employers - over the last 15 years. It took a lot of time for me & i sent the reply by 330 PM local time
13th Feb EVENING - checked the status online & found that it was listed as "Application Received" or something to essentially say that you can schedule an interview and if your interview is over, wait for a couple of days to get an update
14th Feb MORNING - around 1030 AM, the status changed to "Administrative Processing" with some very uncomfortable text which i believe is standard. It said things like the processing can take multiple months & if it is approved will come through in 7 to 10 days & so on. Essentially very discouraging words to see except that it has moved to the next stage
14th Feb MORNING - around 1100 AM, i refreshed again just to see if there is any chance of getting anything. Presto, the status got changed to ISSUED with a message that i should await an update from DHL on my courier status
!4th Feb - rest of the friday went in trying to refresh the Mexico visa page to check if DHL updated anything. There was NONE
15th Feb - Since i had chosen a thursday for the PA and the visa technically got issued on friday, i had very little hope that i would receive the passport on saturday. I had anyways done the return booking for monday evening
15th Feb/16th Feb - Roamed around Guadalajara to an artisan village, some food, some basic sightseeing etc. I am not big on taking in the sights so if you are interested, you can spend a couple of days looking around places. If you have pointed questions, just send a message!
17th Feb - Around 10 AM, status got updated as PICKED UP by DHL. Now the rest of the day was spent in hounding DHL local office & landing around 4 PM to collect it from them before heading to the airport for the return flight
In summary,
The Good - Mexico is a beautiful country and its around 80 degrees F around this time, so if someone likes the heat & wants to see some sights, book yourself into a stamping experience there. There are no visa constraints & people are friendly. The food options are very diverse and their cuisine cannot be complained about (unless you are a vegan/vegetarian in which case - good luck, yo!)
The Bad - Guadalajara is like the size of Faridabad or mini-Pune if that even makes sense. It is like a category B/C city in India for reference purposes in terms of how the infrastructure is. Apparently it is a medium risk place & my travel flagged security advisory within my company. I am an Indian, made of stuff other nationalities might not have seen but i sincerely adhered to their advise! :). The UBER rides which i used were reliable & safe but none of them put the aircon up so it is a sweaty ride at all times & dusty too! There arent too many places to take your family to if you get there as multiple people....the hotel though nice is not somewhere where you can stay holed up for multiple days!
The Weird - The 221g is likely to happen in 90%+ of the cases, so be prepared when you get there. Be ready with your responses & details like your 15 year emails, phone numbers, addresses you lived & travel outside your country of residence including short trips/dates. These take the maximum time & you should not be spending too much time in responding to it when it comes. Ensure that you factor additional time into the schedule for staying there. If you have a child or medications that you consume, plan your supplies accordingly. If it works for you, take up a Residence Inn type property so that you can take care of the stay based on your preference. Also, if you are the one for adventure, plan those additional days to possibly go to Puerto Vallarta or Tequila etc so that it eases your mind from waiting for the passport delivery
Use Uber, stay in a decent hotel, carry Mexican pesos for small expenses ($200 to $300 equivalent without any side holiday plans) & dont roam around in the late evenings outside of places like say city center/where there is population, stay aware & vigilant of your valuables/documents
Viva Mexico! Long Live the USA! Jai Hind :))
> Background: L1A blanket renewal - first time in Mexico (original L1 issued outside India)
> Why Mexico?
a) I realized during my research on the renewal/stamping that Canada is an oft chosen place for these renewals and most of the visa appointments are exhausted till April/May 2020. Given upcoming international business travels, i did not want to wait that long for getting the renewals in place
b) Mexico doesnt need a visitor visa. They allow current H1/L1 and i heard F1 too....holders to get across for visa renewal/stamping provided your existing visa is valid for you to reenter the states. Since most of the visa stamping processes happen between a week & a months' time, if your current visa is valid for a month from the appointment, you are good to enter Mexico
c) There are multiple places across Mexico and many of them are apparently pleasant & easy to get an appointment with. I went to Guadalajara due to my employers recommendations. There are better places if you can make a choice - Monterrey, Nogales, Motomaros to name a few. If it was my individual choice i would have chose one of these but i went with Guadalajara & honestly it was a good experience
11th Feb - Flew in from my current US location into Guadalajara, Mx because from where i live in CA, it is a shorter flight. Checked into one of the Marriott properties and waited for the next 2 days
12th Feb (Wed) - Biometrics at 730 AM. It is in a place which is like our VFS collection centers in India. Away from the consulate, a local bank branch type ground floor setup. I reached at 710 AM, stood in the line for 15 mins before being ushered into the center. You CAN CARRY your mobile phone inside as long as it is switched off. There is a small reception which checks your DS 160 & the Passport (you dont need anything else) & sends you off to another line for your photograph/biometrics. The process is standard and i was out by about 8 AM. Rest of the day was spent waiting for the next day! :)
13th Feb (Thu) Morning - Personal appearance at 815 AM. The consulate is in a semi-residential area and is not as fancy as certain other consulates one might have seen in other countries including India. I reached the area around 740 AM. Since i was alone for this stamping (my family is going for it later), i took my phone for the appointment just to see where i can keep it. I was clear that the worst case scenario is that i will have to pay some $$ to some storekeeper near the consulate and have it in safe custody. Thankfully there is a LOCKER FACILITY right adjacent to the consulate which charges 40 Mexican Pesos for a day. It is a clean, simple, professional service that you can rely on. The line to the consulate is a SINGLE FILE line which doesnt consider when you came in, so i was somewhere in the 75 to 100th position given people were standing from possibly 7 am! The Consulate opens at 8 AM. By the time i was let in it was about 845 AM but they reassured me in their hesitant english that it was fine & i can get in anytime of the day for the appointment (so much for the appointment selection :))
13th Feb Morning: Inside the consulate - It looks like a large patio in front of a house or a better example is a "shamiana setup inside the gates of a large bungalow" except that this was with a tin/asbestos type roof! It is a large area where you see the 10 to 11 interview counters behind the protective glasses to your left, a seating & area for lines to queue up & the bathrooms/vending machine/water & a cashier counter before you exit out on to the right. Simple setup which looks like ONE LARGE HALL/BALL ROOM, out in the open!
Process:
1) Pre-screen: A small table with 3 or 4 folks is setup as soon as you come out of the security screening and enter the large hall. These folks receive your documents & in my case gave a small handwritten token number and asked me to sit in one of the green chairs behind them. I saw multiple lines of people (around 300 of them) all going to the different interview counters
2) Verification: Another gentleman came & asked for the document set. They dont care what your company has sent or what you have put together, all they needed from me were 3 sets of the first 8 pages of the I129 and the employer letter which is like a cover letter/offer letter/deputation letter whatever is your case. He asked me to wait right there & came back in about 10 minutes asking me to head to the right side counter (explained earlier) to pay the fees with a cashier
3) Payment: The cashier was a friendly woman who engaged in chit-chat & i ended up paying the fees. She mentioned that they see about 1500 people on most days and anyday if it falls below 1000, it is a light day! :)
4) Biometric Verification: Post payment, i was asked to join the snaking line on Counter 10 or 11 (i was given a choice) & it went to the front where essentially a lady scanned your DS160 barcode & asked you to register your handprints. Once done, she asked me to join the other snaking line that was now getting to the actual interview counters. Remember - counters 10 & 11 when i was there were purely for biometrics & one HAS TO go through that verification before joining the other line which takes you to the visa officer
5) The Interview: After waiting in the line for about 10-15 minutes, appeared in front of the visa officer. The questions in my case were pretty standard including whether i do the same job, whether i came for this stamping & why i didnt choose an in-country renewal & the likes. The officer was very friendly which was a surprise because just before my reaching the counter, I saw the earlier person being chided at the counter & got her visa refused :-O
6) The (not a big) Surprise: The officer mentioned that as part of the STANDARD PROCESS, i will receive a set of questions that i should answer as soon as possible for the officer to process the visa further. The officer did say that everything seemed in order in my case & it should not flag anything up but once i answer/everything goes through, i can collect the passport in 3 or 4 days. I was asked to confirm the email id of choice which i did
7) Close & exit: I was given the signed/dated I129 with the extension approved on the document but the passport still with the consulate. I was told to track it online in the MX Visa website. I thanked the officer & exited the consulate
Time of exit: 10:15 AM
Post Interview:
13th Feb AFTERNOON - reached back at the hotel & waited for the mail from the consulate. It eventually turned up in my inbox pretty soon - around 1130 AM local time with the from address that did say 221g, so dont be surprised if you receive it after your interview. It is a 221g & it is Administrative Processing
I responded to that with details - there were 28 questions & in my case it was a PAIN because i have done extensive travels, lived out of different countries, worked with different employers - over the last 15 years. It took a lot of time for me & i sent the reply by 330 PM local time
13th Feb EVENING - checked the status online & found that it was listed as "Application Received" or something to essentially say that you can schedule an interview and if your interview is over, wait for a couple of days to get an update
14th Feb MORNING - around 1030 AM, the status changed to "Administrative Processing" with some very uncomfortable text which i believe is standard. It said things like the processing can take multiple months & if it is approved will come through in 7 to 10 days & so on. Essentially very discouraging words to see except that it has moved to the next stage
14th Feb MORNING - around 1100 AM, i refreshed again just to see if there is any chance of getting anything. Presto, the status got changed to ISSUED with a message that i should await an update from DHL on my courier status
!4th Feb - rest of the friday went in trying to refresh the Mexico visa page to check if DHL updated anything. There was NONE
15th Feb - Since i had chosen a thursday for the PA and the visa technically got issued on friday, i had very little hope that i would receive the passport on saturday. I had anyways done the return booking for monday evening
15th Feb/16th Feb - Roamed around Guadalajara to an artisan village, some food, some basic sightseeing etc. I am not big on taking in the sights so if you are interested, you can spend a couple of days looking around places. If you have pointed questions, just send a message!
17th Feb - Around 10 AM, status got updated as PICKED UP by DHL. Now the rest of the day was spent in hounding DHL local office & landing around 4 PM to collect it from them before heading to the airport for the return flight
In summary,
The Good - Mexico is a beautiful country and its around 80 degrees F around this time, so if someone likes the heat & wants to see some sights, book yourself into a stamping experience there. There are no visa constraints & people are friendly. The food options are very diverse and their cuisine cannot be complained about (unless you are a vegan/vegetarian in which case - good luck, yo!)
The Bad - Guadalajara is like the size of Faridabad or mini-Pune if that even makes sense. It is like a category B/C city in India for reference purposes in terms of how the infrastructure is. Apparently it is a medium risk place & my travel flagged security advisory within my company. I am an Indian, made of stuff other nationalities might not have seen but i sincerely adhered to their advise! :). The UBER rides which i used were reliable & safe but none of them put the aircon up so it is a sweaty ride at all times & dusty too! There arent too many places to take your family to if you get there as multiple people....the hotel though nice is not somewhere where you can stay holed up for multiple days!
The Weird - The 221g is likely to happen in 90%+ of the cases, so be prepared when you get there. Be ready with your responses & details like your 15 year emails, phone numbers, addresses you lived & travel outside your country of residence including short trips/dates. These take the maximum time & you should not be spending too much time in responding to it when it comes. Ensure that you factor additional time into the schedule for staying there. If you have a child or medications that you consume, plan your supplies accordingly. If it works for you, take up a Residence Inn type property so that you can take care of the stay based on your preference. Also, if you are the one for adventure, plan those additional days to possibly go to Puerto Vallarta or Tequila etc so that it eases your mind from waiting for the passport delivery
Use Uber, stay in a decent hotel, carry Mexican pesos for small expenses ($200 to $300 equivalent without any side holiday plans) & dont roam around in the late evenings outside of places like say city center/where there is population, stay aware & vigilant of your valuables/documents
Viva Mexico! Long Live the USA! Jai Hind :))
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