H1B Visa renewal approved in Tijuana today! E-C Model..

[hemanth810]

Thanks for everyone in the forums. I attended the interview today morning and my visa is approved. They asked me to collect my passport tomorrow at 2 pm.

ASC Appointment: Yesterday May 21st at 11:30 am.

Consulate Appointment: Today May 22nd at 10:00 am.

"Before sharing my experience I would like to let everyone know that you can come down to Mexico even if your previous visa was from mexico. there is a mis conception that we need to have atleast one stamp for the Visa we are applying for from the home country. Thats not true. My first h1b Visa stamp was from Matamoros mexico and now from Tijuana."

My Experience:

Came down on 20th May - Sun , landed at San Diego airport at 3pm, boarded 992 bus ($2.25) to 11th Ave and Broadway, boarded Blue line ($2.50) to San Ysidro International Border crossing station. reached the border around 4:45 pm. walked across the foot bridge and crossed the two turnstiles... and I am in Tijuana. taken a cab ($6) to Real de rio and checked in for three night stay.

Asc appointment: - Next Day - 5/21

Breakfast in the restraunt at the hotel.

Cab ride to ASC ($4) by 10:30 , joined the line and entered into the asc building aroung 11:15, verified documents, taken finger prints and confirmed the appointment for next day. please note no cellphones, electronics allowed. Checked on google maps for the location of the asc center before I left so, I came back walking around 2km....

Walk to the Mall ,Had lunch at Burger King,visited Cinepolis area which is two to three blocks away from the hotel.came back to the hotel by 7 pm.

Consulate appointment- Next day -5/22:

Breakfast in the restraunt at the hotel.

cab ride to consulate ($10) by 8:30 joined the line. They wont check the appointment time and will be giving us a token number at the entry. after the security check they will let us sit for around 15-20 mins at the lobby and will let us in. I am at the interview center around 9:15. at 9:50 they called in to verify my I797 petition, receipt of payment and appoinment confirmation.

After this I was asked to join the line for finger prints verification. After Finger prints were done, I was asked to be seated along with other applicants.

After a long wait at around 11:00 am I was called in by a Visa officer. He verified and asked me if I am applying for H1B. I said yes and he transferred me to the Visa officer at the other window. VO has taken all the documents and asked me to be seated and said that she need to verify the documents I provided. 14 mins wait and I was called in for the interview.

Where is the company location? and where are you physically located?

how long have you been woking with the company?

Are you working for a client?

Who do you report to?

who will supervise your work at client location?

how often and how will they supervise your work?

when was the last time you updated the status reports?

asked me to be seated one more time. I was like nervous and she called in after 10 mins hen the golden words ..."Your visa is approved and you can collect passport and Visa here tomorrow at 2pm". I am done with the interview by 11:30.

I will pickup passport tomorrow and will update the details.

[charan]

Hello Quill

Can you please provide the answers to the questions they asked you in the interview...

This will be helpful for everybody.

Regards

Charan

[aruns4]

"Before sharing my experience I would like to let everyone know that you can come down to Mexico even if your previous visa was from mexico. there is a mis conception that we need to have atleast one stamp for the Visa we are applying for from the home country. Thats not true. My first h1b Visa stamp was from Matamoros mexico and now from Tijuana."

This used to be but not anymore. US consulates in Mexico accepts only renewals.

[hemanth810]

@aruns: I was talking about the statement below on their website. (Tijuana Consulate).

Who Cannot Apply in Mexico:

· Applicants who obtained their current visa in a country other than that of their legal residence.

This might confuse some people who already had a stamp from Mexico. To clear this.. No matter where you had the previous h1b stamp you were eligible for a renewal in mexico. And you were right that mexico accepts applicants with renewals only.