H1B Visa Stamping - Tijuana

H1B Stamping Experience

2009-09-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

I got this update from Ajay on Sep 5th, 2009 who emailed me his recent experience in Tijuana about H1B Stamping. Here is his experience in his own words. Ajay, thanks for your update and sharing your experience with others

Just wanted to mention that I had a successful stamping in Tijuana yesterday and give you a overview of how things went.

My appointment was at 9:30 in the morning of September the 3rd, 2009. Parked the car at the border, took a taxi to the consulate. I reached the consulate at 8:30 - the rush at the consulate was mediocre, but started building up later in the day. I was able to get in for the security check at 9:30 and finally had the interview at around 12:30 or 1:00 in the afternoon. The interview was pretty straightforward - lasted for a about 4-5 mins i think. Will brief the questions asked...

me and VO: Pleasantaries exchanged.

VO: What visa are you applying for?

me: Renewal of my H1B visa.

VO: Where do you work and can i see an employee verification letter?

me: company xxx and hold the title xxx. Gave him employee letter and original appt letter.

(He crosschecks my annual salary too)

VO: What does you company do?

me: Briefly explained it.

VO: What are my main responsibilities, job description

me: explained what i do etc.

VO: You application has been approved - please come and collect your passport at 3:00 tommorow.

me: thank you.

I did send an email to consulate asking for PIMS verification and received a confirmation email from them. This was a couple of days before my appt. I heard that Tijuana consulate have stopped issues visas the same day. They are asking everyone to come the following business day. It could be becuase of the rush too i guess. But ppl going to get there visa stamped or renewed must be prepared to stay 1 day atleast. I stayed at Hotel Real Del Rio just behind the consulate. Its about 75$ a night. A nice hotel with courteous staff. Checked out TJ downtown Revolution that evening. Went to consulate in the morning to check out if they have started issuing the passports, but no luck, went back at 3:00 and collected my passport. Crosschecked my info on the visa stamp and took a taxi back to the border. Got my I-94 and headed back into US at about 6:00 or so in the evening.

This was my experience. Please use it to update your blog - if it is helpful to others.

Thanks

Ajay

Hope this helps.

H1B Stamping Experience - PIMS Delay

2009-01-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

I got this update from Amit on Jan 3rd, 2009 who emailed me his recent experience in Tijuana about H1B Stamping. Here is his experience in his own words. Amit, thanks for your update and helping others.

Our Visa stamping experience in Tijuana, Mexico.
Key words: Bad experience Tijuana Mexico embassy consulate H1B visa stamping PIMS delay border

Initially I was very apprehensive about my wife going to Tijuana or anywhere in MX for her H1B renewal stamp. But after reading on various sites, official and blogs and talking to a few people, I thought the stamping in Tijuana and the related processes and logistics are smooth and well streamlined. Even after going through some 25 - 30 postings about the stamping there, not a single one had anything negative about it. A few of them talked about the new PIMS verification. Please read about it and understand it.

Everything seemed allright. So she took an appointment for 18th Dec 08, a Thursday morning. We were hoping for it to be a daylong affair but it turned out to be a 5-day ordeal. Here's the summary of how things work there.

- You drive to the US border. It's around 15 - 20 mi from the San Diego.
- If you are driving, park your car on the US side of the border. To drive into Mexico, you need some special insurance.
- There are 2 revolving doors. You walk through them, along with 50 - 100 others and HOLA!!!, you are in Mx.
- There are cab drivers, yellow cabs, right at the border and they know you are there for the visa. Your first stop is Banamex and they'll take you there for 5 - 6 bucks. The bank location has changed recently, so it'll help if you take the right address. My wife was dropped at the old one and she ended up running to the new one, 15 mins before her appointment.
- After paying the fees, walk to the consulate. It's around a 10-minute walk.
- Around your appointment time, you are asked to be in a specific line. They call you in, ask for a couple of docs. May be a few questions and you are done in 5 mins.
- Make sure you are not carrying anything metallic. Cell phones are old story. My wife was asked to remove the hook on the security badge she has to wear to work to get access to various buildings. The badge was in her folder and apparently she could have caused some serious damage to the security personnel and others there.
- Unless you are missing documents or there is something special about your case, you are asked to collect your passport around 3.00 pm.
- IF, again IF, you get your passport back, you can take one of those yellow cabs back to the border for 8 - 10 bucks.
- There you get into a separate line to get a new I-94, which might take upto 2 - 3 hrs sometimes.

Coming back to our case, after her interview of 5 mins, we thought her visa was approved and all they had to do is print the stamp and return the passport. In the mean time, you can hang out at the mall opposite the banamex. It was a pretty crowded place and looked safe as well. She returned at 3.00 ish and waited till 5.00. They told her, along with a few others, that her visa wasn't stamped because, and I quote "It's stuck in the system, or the system is down. Hence it won’t print".
When I received a call from her, I booked a room at Camino Real (http://www.caminoreal.com/espanol/index.html ), It's a good hotel, a little pricey but it's less than 10 mins walking distance from the consulate and area seemed safe, atleast in day light. Though you might hear a lot of police/ambulance sirens throughout the day. For around $110, we booked a room there. The next day she called them at 9.00 and was told that it's "Still stuck in the system" and that she should call at noon. She then made a huge mistake of calling them at 11.45 instead of noon. She was reminded, firmly, that she was asked to call at noon and not 11.45 am. People are very rude, but then that's true about almost all people working in a US consulate anywhere in the world.

Nothing at noon, and nothing at 3.00 and still nothing at 5.00 pm. Every time she asked for details, all she was told is "It's stuck in the system. If you ask any more questions, they'll point to the board, which says, the whole process may take up to 24 - 48 hours. They even refused to let us talk to the officer who, they claimed, was working on her case.

We live in the SF bay area. I had already flown into San Diego and once it was clear that it wont happen even Fri evening, I went to Tijuana and extended our stay at the hotel. Since I had heard there was a lot of gang activity in Tijuana, we decided to take a cab next morning to Rosarito, which is around 30 - 60 mins by cab, (~$20 - 25). Another option was Real Del Mar, a town 15 - 30 mins drive south of Tijuana. Rosarito is a popular beach destination in summer and hence a lot safer than Tijuana.

After a forced weekend vacation, we came back Monday morning to Tijuana. We got the same answer when we called them at 9.00 am. During the weekend, we had noted down some phone numbers in the US like the INS, Visa and Passport authority etc. I managed to talk to someone (after a 12 - 15 mins hold time). This person was able to answer all our questions. He pulled up her record based on her 797-receipt number. He said that having a 797 and the morning interview at the consulate does not mean your visa is approved. The following is how it works and this is solely based on my best understanding of the limited explanation this rep gave me on the phone.
- When one applies for a visa, the consulate sends approval requests to 3 - 4 departments.
- Only after all of them have approved the request, the consulate people are able to print the visa. In her case, one of them had not approved it yet. He refused to give us the reason for the delay (some security reason) but assured us about someone in the background working on it.
- He also mentioned that if we ask for the passport back, they HAVE TO return it immediately. Though without the renewal stamp, she can only go back to the country of her citizenship, India in our case. Or wait for a few some more time in MX.
- When asked about how much time it'll take, he said he didn’t want to speculate coz it might take 5 mins, a week, a month or more. As unpleasant as it sounded, we atleast had some answers.

We started looking for tickets to India at some Internet cafe in that nearby mall. If we didn’t get the visa that day and the next, the consulate might be closed for a day or 2 for Christmas. So we prepared ourselves for the worst.
It was only around 11.50 am and we DARE NOT call them a minute before noon. Else they might use their SPECIAL powers vested in them by the INS to cause us unimaginable harm. Well, at least they seem to think that way from the way they behave. So after waiting for all the hands on the watch to get into perfect vertical alignment, and a minute more we called them again. Though this time, we heard what we wanted to. She picked up her passport and we rushed back to the border. As I said above, she got into a separate line for a new I-94, which meant we could skip the normal line, a couple of miles long. After around an hour or so, we walked back into US.

Our poor planning, and the expectation of the best case scenario, was going to hurt us further more. The car rental , which was to be for a day but had to extended to 5, cost us $200 total for that. She had parked the car at some mall very close to the border. What we didn’t know is that the cars left there overnight are towed. So we paid another $400 to get the car back. And then book one-way tickets from SD to SFO. And given the way things turned out for us, our return tickets were a LOT MORE than $60.

So here are the things we learnt from those 5 days and I hope it helps others plan it better than we did.
- For most of the people it does happen in a day, but NOT FOR everyone. Apart from my wife, I met 2 other desis who were stuck. Another guy with her got it Fri afternoon. And she also mentioned seeing another Asian girl there since Thursday. So that's almost 10 - 15% of the people who applied. Hence a contingency plan, about what to do if you are in that 15%, will help a lot.
- For precisely that reason, renting a car and parking at the border is not the best idea. There is a Jack-in-the-Box where you can park for $5 a day. May be they'll let your car be there until you are back. But the mall will definitely get it towed if it's parked there overnight.
- I don’t know if that was the main reason for the delay, but make sure your PIMS verification is done prior to your arrival at the consulate. I did call the consulate asking them to send her data for PIMS verification and she said she did. You can get some information here. http://www.murthy.com/news/n_pimsvu.html
- If possible, try taking an appointment in the earlier part of the week. That’ll reduce the chances of a spending a weekend there.

This piece was not intended to scare anyone, but just to get you better informed and help you plan a little more thoroughly that what we did.

No change of Status in Tijuana, Mexico

2008-12-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Tijuana, Mexico and most other US Visa consulates no longer process Visa Status Changes. For example, if you are in F1 and now have an approved H1 visa and need stamping on your passport, you will have to go back to your native country for stamping. Even H4 to H1 is no longer processed. So no change of visa status stampings are processed.

It is just not Tijuana, Mexico. Most other consulates don't process change of status anymore.
Tijuana, Mexico only accepts extensions or renewals. Also when you go there it is better to go before your I94/stamping expires so that if something goes wrong, you can come back based on your valid I94/stamping. Keep checking updates.

If you need more details check this Murthy Bulletin Link.

H1B Stamping Experience by a recent visitor

2008-10-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

I got this update from Chirag on Oct 2nd, 2008 who emailed me his recent experience in Tijuana about H1B Stamping. Thanks Chirag for your update and helping others. Here is his experience in his own words.

First of all I would like to thank for your wonderful post. Its really helpful.

The Banamex bank is moved and now it is just 2 blocks from the consulate. The best way to confirm the bank location is the person should be able to see the Abram Lincoln’s statue from the bank's entrance. Also, the fees is US $135.00. (I paid US $270 for my h1 and my wife's h4).

Once done at Banamex, go on the road (Lincoln’s Right Hand side and right side of the road). The consulate is at the end of the road. (You will see few photo and copy shops before consulate). At consulate their are few guards, ask them can you go inside, because sometimes they allows entering even half an hour before you appointment.

There were about 9 h1b (8 indian, 1 chinese) peoples on the same day. There is no any separate line for H1b persons, all are called in sequence, and the day we go there (wednesday) it looks like busy. It almost took 1:30 hour. Everybody's interview goes smooth except mine. The consular who took my interview looks like strict. He take almost 45 minutes for the every person's who go to his window, while other consular just take like 5 or 10 minutes. During my interview he told me to seat and wait until he call me back, and he return after 45 - 50 minutes, then he told me to come back at 3:00 to get my passports with visa. (during that 45 minutes he called my company to verify its existence. he also told the accountant who picked up the phone, that they will not issue me the visa if my company doesn't give the financial documents immediately, but no body had sent those documents - I didn;t even know about this things until next day when I go back to my work, so I think they just call my company to confirm the company's existence and my position).

Also, usually they returns passport early even they tell us to come at 3:00. I get my passport at 2:30.

At the border, as soon as you pass the rotating door you will see a building (Border Security) on right hand side, go there for new I-94, and pay US $6.00 (They issue me I-94 with the same exact information which I had on I-797 bottom part, I don’t think that I is required but I looks like the officer which check my documents are under training so they process them again and issue me i-94 (white card)). and then go ahead there you will see lots of people in queues, and join them. Here officer will just verify information again.

Pretty much it was a good experience except that 45 minutes waiting time at consulate. The information you give such as directions, parting lot, crossing border, taking taxi to banamex, banamex to consulate, consulate to border, and processing at border, are really worderful help.

One more thing is PIMS.
They don't verify the details when you email them, it is better to call the consulate between 3:00 PM and 4:00PM (if you call any other time they will tell you to call at this time) and they will ask for you I-797 petition number. I called about 3 times and it was verified before 3 days of my appointment. I suggest starting calling them before 2 weeks. (The guy which also was there for H1B told me that he just called them once before 2 days of interview and his PIMS was verified, so I think consulate does this for all the petitions, but all want us to call them and verify this before going for interview, so its better to call them before 3 days)

Thanks again for this post.
Chirag

I hope this post helps everyone.

PIMS in Tijuana

2008-05-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Update: Looks like the consulate at Tijuana has stopped replying about PIMS verification. But you are still required to fax them them prior to your appointment.

PIMS verification has been officially commenced for a while now. It is very crucial to verify PIMS before you go to the consulate otherwise you could get stuck for three days. Though I have not experienced PIMS myself, this is the collective information about PIMS in Tijuana. (Source: http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/petition_based_visas.html and http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/niv.html )

You might ask, what is PIMS?
Consular officers may no longer accept Form I-797 as sufficient evidence for visa adjudication. Petition approval and visa eligibility must be confirmed in the Department of State's Petition Information Management Service (PIMS) database.

How Long does it take?
PIMS verification takes on average 24-48 hours to complete. A visa will not be authorized in the interim.

What should I do?
If you scheduled an appointment at the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana previously, we recommend that you fax a copy of your approved I-797 to the NIV section at least 72 hours prior to your interview date (fax: +52-664-634-3069). Please include the date and time of your appointment, as well as the confirmation number given to you by the appointment call center. Consular staff will determine whether your petition is registered in PIMS, and if it is not, will request that the petition be verified and added to the database. Please note that we are able to verify petitions in PIMS only for individuals applying at the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana. If you have scheduled an appointment at a different U.S. consulate or embassy, please contact NIV staff there directly with any questions you have regarding processing your petition-based visa.

Also from some other sources I have found that you could verify PIMS using the contacts below.
E-Mail ID of Consulate : tijuanainfo@state.gov
Tijuana U.S. Consulate Fax Number's:
+52-664-634-3069 - Mexico Number

Tijuana U.S. Consulate Phone Number's:
+52 664-634-3045

Following is the Generic email format for PIMS verification.

Dear Consulate Officer,

I am XXXXXXX (Your Name), working as a XXXXX (Your Designation) on H1B with XXXXXX (Your Company). I scheduled an appointment at Tijuana Consulate, Mexico for getting my H1-B visa stamped on XXXXX(Appointment Date) and my confirmation number is below:

Confirmation Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I would like to know if my PIMS check is already cleared for my I-129 petitions. I am attaching scanned copy of approval of I-797 and appointment letter as PDF file to this mail.

Attachments:
1. I-797A.pdf
2. Visa Appointment letter. PDF

Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards, XXXXXXXX (Your Name)

You would get an email confirmation from the consulate and your PIMS verification.

After you have done this, you are all set to go for Stamping.

Hope this post helps. If you experience anything different please let me know and I will update here. Thanks.

Tijuana - H1B Stamping Experience

2007-06-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had a pleasant experience with my second H1B visa stamping in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico on June 7^th 2007. Me and my wife (H4-visa) drove down from Los Angeles, CA to the US border the same morning of my appointment and arrived at the border around 8AM. We parked the car behind the Jack in the Box restaurant for $5 per 8 hrs. The Jack in the Box address is ~~402 W SAN YSIDRO BLVD, San Ysidro, CA, 92173~~ 721 E SAN YSIDRO BLVD, San Ysidro, CA, 92173 Ph: 619-428-4679. Look at the FAQ more info on getting there and parking info.

We walked from there to the border using the bridge. If you are not able to spot the entry to the bridge ask some officers for guidance. Visa is not mandatory as no one will check. We saved around 200 bucks by not getting the Mexico visa.

When you enter TJ, there will be a bunch of cab drivers waiting and they know you are there for your Visa. So depending upon where you want to go, either to Banamex or to the Consulate just let them know and they charge will $5 to take you there. Banamex is no more next to consulate like before in Tijuana. They moved few blocks away from the consulate. Click here for directions on how to go from Banamex to the Consulate. Also check my FAQ blog. One thing you have to keep in mind is that the entry for the Banamex is from the parking lot behind. You will see a lot of people standing over there in a line. They open at 9 AM and I had an appointment at 10AM. So I had enough time to catch up. Just mention to the bank officer that you are here for the visa and give them your passport and money. They will give you a receipt after they process it.

Now you can walk to the consulate. When you arrive at the consulate you will see a whole lot of people standing in the queue. Talk to the security guards and let them know that you are for your H1B visa stamping and then depending on your appointment time they might either let you in or will make you wait in the line.

They let me inside right away which was pretty cool. Just as soon as you enter the building there is a small window where they ask you for your appointment letter and passport. Here they will there give you a token number. So next is security check. They don’t allow any electronic items or big bags inside the consulate. So if you have stuff with you, just put those things in one bag and there are stores next to the consulate that hold your bags for $3.

After you pass the security, there was a man who asked me if I was for an H1B visa. I said yes. So he told me to ignore the token number as they are having some special line for H1B people, which was some real good news. He directed me to that special line where one Mexican lady checks the documents. She will make sure all information is correct. The bar code you print should be very clear otherwise she will have to re-enter it all over again. Check my FAQ on bar code information. Click here for list of documents you have to carry.

After this I was asked to go to a line for interview which was specifically meant for H1B applicants. Then the visa interview began. I gave him my Passport, DS-156 and DS-157. Then I was requested to provide I-797, I-129, LCA, pay stubs and work confirmation letter. Then he started to shoot some questions.

What do u do in the company?
What does that software do?
How many employees does the company have?
How long are you planning to stay in United states?
How many programming languages do you know?
How many languages do you speak?
Where are you from in India?

For question number, 4 make sure you tell him the year mentioned on your I-797 expiry date. After these questions he told me that the visa is approved and should come back at 3PM same day to get the visa. He gave me a token which I need to show when I collect my passport.

I was out of the consulate by 10:15AM. So now we had to kill some time. I had researched before as to what places I should go and visit in Tijuana, to kill time. There are two places that we went to. Revolucion (Pronounced as revolution) and Plaza Rio. I have included some information about these places in my FAQ. We spent some nice time at these places.

Came back to collect my passport at 2:45 PM and found that they have already started to issue the visas. But I found out that my passport is not ready yet and they have some trouble with their computer and I will have to wait inside.

So we waited inside with few other people for around 45 minutes and one lady announced that the computer problem is not resolved yet and we might have to wait till 4:45PM and if that is still not resolved by then, we will have to come again the next day after 12 Noon. This worried me because it was not safe to leave my car at some parking lot at the border and moreover we didn’t know what to do that evening and where to stay. So I advise people to be prepared to stay till the next day as a worst situation and also if you go on Friday, you may get stuck there for the whole weekend.

Then I got lucky at 4:15 PM when our passports came ready with the visa. I verified my name and other details and left thanking them.

We came out of the consulate and took a cab back to the border for $6. He dropped us to the border and we saw a big line of people standing to go to the US. It took us around 40 minutes in the line to get to the immigration officer. The visa officer looked at the visa stamping and its validity. Without asking even a single question he let us in and there we arrived inside US without any problems. We walked to the parking lot and took our car back home.

Overall it was a pleasant experience. I recommend Tijuana for H1B visa stamping as it very easy.

Good Luck to you all for your visa and have safe trip.

Banamex to Consulate Directions

2007-06-08T22:19:00.001-07:00

Banamex to Consulate Directions. Approximate time of walk is 10 minutes.

Banamex is in Del Los Huroes.

Update: Thanks to Ajay for sending us the updated map about BanAmex. BanAmex has moved. See the map below and for its exact location. After you come out of the bank walk towards the right hand of Abraham Lincoln Statue. If anyone finds that the map below is wrong please email me. Thanks.

Sample DS-156

2007-06-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

You need to print an electroic copy of DS-156. You cant fill it out by hand. Fill up the form and submit it to should generate a bar code. Instructions to fill out the form at http://evisaforms.state.gov . Fill out the DS-156 from at ~~http://www.visa-usa.com.mx/VisaForms.aspx~~ . Fill up the blank spaces as either None or NA. I have attached the sample DS-156. Use it at your own risk.

Update: The new website for accessing this information is http://www.usvisa-mexico.com Thanks for the user who informed me. In this website you may have to change the language to English by clicking on the top icon.

Update: On the top RHS corner of DS-156 you will find Expiration date. Make sure this date is after your appointment date. If not resubmit DS-156.

Documents to Carry

2007-06-08T15:23:00.001-07:00

Below are the documents I carried for H1B Stamping. I have compiled this list to the best of my knowledge and use at your own risk.

1. Passport*
2. ~~$108~~ $135 fees for each applicant.*
3. Photographs 2x2 inches. Check photograph requirement here. *
4. Appointment letter from consulate.*
5. Filled out ORIGINAL DS156 and 157 application form (electronic copy).*
6. I-797 (H-1 approval from INS) - top and bottom part in ORIGINAL.*
7. Employment verification letter from your employer.*
8. Offer Letter.*
9. Pay stubs last few months.*
10. Copy of I-129 (petition filed by your lawyer on your behalf).*
11. Copy of LCA (Labor Condition Approval).*
12.Latest Resume.*
13. ORIGINAL master’s degrees' certificates/transcripts.*
14. ORIGINAL bachelor's certificates.*
15. Copies of tax returns.*
16. Social Security Card.
17. Driving License.
18. Business Cards.
19. W2s.
20. I20.
21. Latest bank statement showing enough money to survive.*
22. OPT - EAD Card.
23. Marriage Certificate.
24. Marriage Invitation Card.
25. pictures of workplace.

Some of the documents listed above came straight from the Mexico consulate website.

Apart from this list check my FAQ for more information that I might have to provide you.

My H1B Stamping FAQ - Tijuana

2007-06-08T15:20:00.001-07:00

Q. More info about Consulate?
A. Some visitors of my blog have commented that there are two different consulates in Tijuana. My understanding was that the old one is closed....Anyway, you will have to go to one that gives you H1 Visa. The address should be on your appointment letter. Show the Taxi driver where you want to go. If still not sure, refer to the map that I have posted.

Q. How do I book for an appointment for visa stamping in Tijuana US consulate.
A. Go to http://www.visa-usa.com.mx/SelfServiceLogin.aspx to book the date. Create a login for $10 and you can schedule. Go through the website before you book the appointment.

Q. Do we need separate appointments for Husband (H1-B), Wife and kids on (H4) visa?
A. No. One appointment is enough. Add wife and kids as dependents who want to come for visa stamping along with you while booking the appointment.

Q. DS-156?
A. This is required for all applicants one for each.

Q. DS-157?
A. Required for all male applicants.

Q. When will the consulate return the passport after stamping?
A. For me they returned the passport the same day. You might have a different experience. I have heard people getting stuck for a weekend because of some technical problems. Also, if you are working for some defense related company you might be requiring some security clearance which could take even a week or so. So be prepared depending on the situation but for most people passports are returned the same day. Look at some comments that are posted to see other peoples experience.

Q. How many times can I generate DS-156 bar code?
A. Any number of times you want.

Q. Can I handwrite DS-156?
A. Better not. You can only sign and date by hand. But can submit DS-156 again and generate a bar code.

Q. Can you provide sample DS-156?
A. Yes. Click here.

Q. What is LCA?
A. It is labor conditioning approval. Ask your employer to provide a copy of this before you go for the stamping. This is a mandatory document to carry.

Q. What is I-129?
A. This is one of the H1B Petition application. Ask your employer to provide a copy of this before you go for the stamping. This is a mandatory document to carry.

Q. Bar code Information?
A. Bar code should be clearly visible on DS-156 on page 1 and 3. The bar code in page 3 is very important and if that couldn't be scanned then information will have to be typed all over again. So make sure Bar code is printed clean and complete.

Q. Do we need DS-158?
A. Tijuana consulate does not require this form. I didn't take it. Other forms might be required. This might change time to time. Check the website at the time of booking your appointment .

Q. I have lost some documents you have mentioned, what do I do?
A. Some of the documents are very much required and some are optional which may be asked to provided at the time of Interview. The required documents are mentioned in the website (http://www.visa-usa.com.mx). You will have to create an account and click on "NON IMMIGRANT VISA INFORMATION" on home page to access this information. These are the most important ones. If you don't have the required documents which are mentioned in this website then you might be in trouble. So be careful. Other documents that I have mentioned is optional and may be requested by the visa officer. You never know. Better be safe than sorry.

Q. Is it safe to ride a Taxi?
A. Yes, I believe so. I think taxi drivers are very helpful in fact. Your experience might differ. Be alert. One word of caution is that you should always fix the price before you ride the taxi.

Q. More information on how to go to the border or Jack in the Box for parking?
A. When you drive I805-south, take the exit which mentions "Last USA Exit" go 0.3 miles. Turn left on "Camino de la plz" go 0.3 miles. Turn right on E San Ysidro Blvd and you will see Jack in the Box immediately. There you will find number of parking spots. There is $8 parking as soon as u take right on San Ysidro Blvd. If you want $5 parking take left on the first light(signal) after you take right on San Ysidro. You will there see a sign for parking $5. If you still not sure then park some where around and the border is very near.

Q. What suppose I miss the exit?
A. If u miss the "Last USA Exit" don't panic. You will get a chance to make a U-Turn and to make the U-Turn be on the left side of the Free way and will probably have to take the exit. If you still miss this then you will be welcomed to Mexico in your car ;)

Q. How much does the Taxi ride cost?
A. Border to Banamex: $5
Banamex to Consulate: Walking distance
Consulate to Border: $6
Consulate to Plaza Rio: Walking distance (this place is opposite to Banamex)
Consulate to Revolucion: $5

Q. Does the bank accept US dollars?
A. Yes, US dollars are widely accepted all over Tijuana and just not bank. So you don't need to convert your money to pesos.

Q. How far is Banamex from the Consulate?
A. Banamex is about 10 minute walking distance from the consulate. For walking directions click here.

Q. Can I carry my bag inside the consulate?
A. Yes, you can carry a small bag containing all your documents. No electronic devices allowed what so ever. If you have items with you that are not allowed then you can leave your items in some shops next to the consulate. They will hold your stuff for $3.

Q. Do I need a new I-94 on arriving at the border?
A. In my case I knew I didn't needed because the date on my I-94 was as per my new I-797. If the date on I-94 is expiring I think you need a new I-94. It is better ask the Visa officer or the immigration officer if you are not sure. If you need a new I-94 just let the immigration officer know at the border.

Update: If you need a new I-94 card you will have to go get this card from adjacent building (outside building with 3 flag poles) and as per people experience this might take couple hours. So instead of waiting in the line that actually gets you into US, you will have to go this line which issues new I-94. If you are not sure where to go just ask some officers there and they might help. So it is very helpful to know if you need a new I94 or not. Otherwise your experience might be frustrating.

Q. Do you need a Mexican visa to enter Mexico?
A. Technically yes, but there is no one to check while you are entering Mexico. So it is not mandatory. This is true only when you are crossing the border by walk. But you might need a Mexican visa if you are flying by air and arrive at an Airport. Find it out yourself.

Q. What are good places to visit in Tijuana?
A. We visited two places Revolucion (pronounced as Revolution) which is mainly downtown Tijuana and Plaza Rio which is very close to the consulate.

Q. More information about Revolucion(Revolution)?
A. Revoucion is in downtown Tijuana. You will have to take a Taxi($5) from the consulate to get here. There a big arch there. You will find more information when you google it. I have included some pictures here. It is not a pretty place but it is place to kill some time. But this place is not nice to hang around with kids. Its a Sin place. Lots of shops with Bars, Clubs and adult places. When you shop, do it wisely. They will always demand some ridiculous prices. Some of them quote five times the actual value. So be wise. You can always bargain. This place has nice food joints. You will even find KFC, McDonald's andBurger King at his place.

Q. More information about Plaza Rio?
A. This is decent place to hang out as it is in much upscale community. It is on opposite side of Banamex. So it is 10 minute walk from the consulate. It like a mall with lot decent shops. It has Burger King if you are hungry. Lot of people hang out here.