H1B Visa Renewal, Tijuana Mexico.

[infoboy]

Hi,
I have visa appointment on Feb 3rd and 4th in Tijuana, Mexico. Please let me know if anyone have the interview on the same date so that We can share any information. My email is **************@gmail.com. Thank you.

[pank54]

how did your interview go?

[infoboy]

Hello Guys, 

Thank you very much to you all and Murthy Forum for sharing your experience and information on Visa stuff and it was very helpful to me. We (I am on H1B and my wife H4) have attended Visa interview together in Tijuana, Mexico on Feb 4th 2015. Mine was H1B 1st renewal stamping.

 

Questions asked by the Visa officer:

 

1) who is your employer?

2) Who is your client

3) where is the client location?

4) do you have kids?

5) what are your job responsiblities or what do you work on?

6) who is your supervisor at your employer and how do you report to him? (told my supervisor's name at my employer company and explained how I report my work to him...like by providing weekely activity report, through phone meetings etc)

7) How many years have you been working with your client?

8) How many years have you been working with your Employer?

9) Where do you live in US? 

 

Below information is for people who are planning to go to Tijuana, Mexico for Visa stamping:

 

Tranportation: We were flying from Bay area in the early morning and landed at Sandiego airport at 9:15 am. took 992 bus, right outside the airport and got down at American Plaza (airport to American plaza journey- around 10 mins, cost: exact change $2.50). 

               From American plaza, We took blue line trolley (dont get confused with the color of the trolley, its name says blue line but it is not in blue color and it is in Red color and it has blue line written on it). You can see the trolley ticket machines which accepts credit/debit cards. Charge: $2.50. boarded trolley and got down at the last stop which is san ysidro, journey time: around 40 mins. Once you get down at san ysidro, you will see boards with signs to cross border to mexico for pedesterians. Follow those pedestarian boards and also you will see lot of people walking towards the border. Then you will basically cross a bridge and you are in Mexico! After crossing the bridge, you will see yellow cabs. We took the cab to our hotel which was 5 mins away and reached around 11:00 am. We stayed at holiday inn. Hotel was decent and it has restaurant too. Cabs in Tijuana are less expensive, They charged us in between $5-$11 depending on the distance and they take cash. So keep enough change of dollors or mexican pesos. At other places like malls or restaurants in mexico, I-94 fees at immigration, they accepts credit/debit cards.                

   

ASC:           Got freshup, had home packed food and walked to ASC for finger prints and photo by 12:00 noon on the same day. It was about 1 mile from our hotel to ASC center. Take DS-160, passport and appointment confirmation/fee receipt with you. We were allowed in and we have given finger prints and photo.               

 

Interview:     Next day after ASC, We had interview appointment at 11:00 am, We took cab to US consulate and it took about 10 mins to reach from our hotel. We reached there an hour earlier but they allowed us  only 10 mins before our appointment time. We waited in an adjacent open waiting area with seating.

 

During day time, We went to Rio Plaza shopping mall, Caesars restaurant, Revolution street while we were in Tijuana.

              

Immigration:   next day after the interview, We collected the passports and returned to border. You will see multiple lines while entering the immigration. you need to stay in the right line and look for the board  which has Permits or I-94 written on it and Follow that line. Make sure you are in the correct line and avoid wrong lines to save time. pay I-94 fee which is $6. Good luck!!

[infoboy]

Hello Guys, 

Thank you very much to you all and Murthy Forum for sharing your experience and information on Visa stuff and it was very helpful to me. We (I am on H1B and my wife H4) have attended Visa interview together in Tijuana, Mexico on Feb 4th 2015. Mine was H1B 1st renewal stamping.

 

Questions asked by the Visa officer:

 

1) who is your employer?

2) Who is your client

3) where is the client location?

4) do you have kids?

5) what are your job responsiblities or what do you work on?

6) who is your supervisor at your employer and how do you report to him? (told my supervisor's name at my employer company and explained how I report my work to him...like by providing weekely activity report, through phone meetings etc)

7) How many years have you been working with your client?

8) How many years have you been working with your Employer?

9) Where do you live in US? 

 

Below information is for people who are planning to go to Tijuana, Mexico for Visa stamping:

 

Tranportation: We were flying from Bay area in the early morning and landed at Sandiego airport at 9:15 am. took 992 bus, right outside the airport and got down at American Plaza (airport to American plaza journey- around 10 mins, cost: exact change $2.50). 

               From American plaza, We took blue line trolley (dont get confused with the color of the trolley, its name says blue line but it is not in blue color and it is in Red color and it has blue line written on it). You can see the trolley ticket machines which accepts credit/debit cards. Charge: $2.50. boarded trolley and got down at the last stop which is san ysidro, journey time: around 40 mins. Once you get down at san ysidro, you will see boards with signs to cross border to mexico for pedesterians. Follow those pedestarian boards and also you will see lot of people walking towards the border. Then you will basically cross a bridge and you are in Mexico! After crossing the bridge, you will see yellow cabs. We took the cab to our hotel which was 5 mins away and reached around 11:00 am. We stayed at holiday inn. Hotel was decent and it has restaurant too. Cabs in Tijuana are less expensive, They charged us in between $5-$11 depending on the distance and they take cash. So keep enough change of dollors or mexican pesos. At other places like malls or restaurants in mexico, I-94 fees at immigration, they accepts credit/debit cards.                

   

ASC:           Got freshup, had home packed food and walked to ASC for finger prints and photo by 12:00 noon on the same day. It was about 1 mile from our hotel to ASC center. Take DS-160, passport and appointment confirmation/fee receipt with you. We were allowed in and we have given finger prints and photo.               

 

Interview:     Next day after ASC, We had interview appointment at 11:00 am, We took cab to US consulate and it took about 10 mins to reach from our hotel. We reached there an hour earlier but they allowed us  only 10 mins before our appointment time. We waited in an adjacent open waiting area with seating.

 

During day time, We went to Rio Plaza shopping mall, Caesars restaurant, Revolution street while we were in Tijuana.

              

Immigration:   next day after the interview, We collected the passports and returned to border. You will see multiple lines while entering the immigration. you need to stay in the right line and look for the board  which has Permits or I-94 written on it and Follow that line. Make sure you are in the correct line and avoid wrong lines to save time. pay I-94 fee which is $6. Good luck!!

[slad]

@infoboy - how long does it take to get the passport. Also, when scheduling appointment on website it is asking for DHL location so you have option to pick it up yourself? Do you have to mention that choice to someone?

 

Thanks!