Well,
After a long time, now had a chance to write the part of the visa process. Why I walked so short of time is a matter for another post. Meanwhile, here we go:
Disclaimer (of new):
This is my experience to make the process a tourist visa for the United States. Or guarantee that the procedure is always the case, nor that I have said it must be so. Preferably Take away all the documentary evidence they can, it is easier to carry two kilos of paper to be a cap on the wall was missing a document.
Similarly, I am not affiliated with, compromised, threatened, subsidized, supported, advised or anything like that by the Embassy of the United States in Mexico. This text is simply to make known my experience with the procedure and to serve a little guide for those who will make his first step.
that is not "nobody told me."
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Part I: Online
[Caution: This part is rather a guide and is a bit long. Depending on your patience may skip to point 2 to read more.]
I have a passport already, fine, but for my trip to Korea, the plane stops in San Francisco, so I have to have the visa U.S. to ir a zapatear a la más austral de las dos Chinas, Alicia Machado dixit . Yeeey. Igual que con el pasaporte, la visa formaba parte de un wishlist que se convirtió en un must (ando muy internacional hoy, goeeei). Así que para no variar, mi búsqueda empezó preguntándole al tío Google qué sabía al respecto. Una búsqueda de " visas mexico " me mandó derechito a la página del Servicio de Visas de los Estados Unidos para México , que se ve descuadradísima, sin estilos y toda despanzurrada. Quién sabe cómo se me prendió el foco y pregunteme si no tenía que ver con que estaba usando Chrome. Abríla entonces Explorer and as if by magic, the elegant and structured site appeared before my eyes.
This is an important step children, because later there features that do not work outside of IE. So, to begin with, the recommendation is to open the site U.S. Visas in Mexico with Internet Explorer ( go figure). It says there that Firefox 3 + is good too, but for me the fire fox I do not like.
We came to the home page. Bottom right is a boy in Indian and Japanese with a lap that says "Click here ". Let her case and spent the next page, where we have to register to make the process, including our passport numbers. You MUST , do not repel.
Click on the first option on the left. To get the visa needed, according to the site, passport number, payment of the visa application and the confirmation number on-line application form. Let Parts:
- The passport is necessary because the visa is ultimately a gummed paper with relief that sticks in one of the last pages of passport (Coat of Yucatan to be exact). What? Or how they thought it was a visa?
- The application fee visa is USD $ 140 for a tourist visa ($ 1,625.54 MXP by Google on April 23, 2011). We need the payment confirmation to continue the process at some point. The price varies depending on the type of visa they need.
- varies, too, online application form is needed to fill according to the type of visa. For the tourist (B1/B2) is the DS-160 form .
What
first we have to do is fill out a visa application. NOTE: This part is lengthy and can be very frustrating, according to your internet connection, so I recommend it when they have too much free time (less than two hours ) and a good connection.
More importantly, all this part is in the language of Chéicspierr, so if you do not have much idea tráiganse your aunt or the guy who knows nerd ( ducked ) for help. Placing the mouse over the text rarely gives a translation into English, but would prefer to translate it a human.
For tourist visa (the DS-160), the address of the page where you fill the application is https: / / ceac.state.gov / genniv / . We click there and as I said, get a site in English. We click and leaves another page where we have to show that beautiful part of this globalized world we visit them and click "Start application." Appears in a red recuadrito an Application ID we have to score. Seriously. It is important for later. Also security is a question of choice and a box for typing. LIFETIME OF GOD MARK BOTH ... the need the next two hours.
Before clicking ( still there! ) recommendations. What is coming is a tortuous guest of many (about 200 ) questions about his life. Paranoid and efficient as are the gringos, the questionnaire has an active session 30 minutes, sometimes just enough to change the page. If you happen to pass the time there is such a problem: answering the security question (who scored that if I ignored ) will return to the screen where they left off but with all white. What I did was to save at least every 15 minutes I stay where I stayed. It tediosísimo, I know, but it is better to get stuck and then blow one (or two or three ) pages again. If they goes out or the cat off the cable nothing happens when saved, can refresh the bearing entering the home page of the application by choosing "Load application " and entering the Application ID arribita I asked them to write down here.
also need to have on hand to answer the following information: dates of entry and exit from the U.S., address of where to go, name / address / phone of a person conozcan en EEUU (si tienen), dirección y fechas de ingreso/salida a la universidad, direcciones y fechas de ingreso/salida de los trabajos a donde han ido. Vayan, aquí los espero.
¿Ya listos? Perfecto. Las siguientes dos horas son de ustedes, yo no me vuelvo a parar por ahí . En serio, acá afuerita me encuentran de salida.
Una última recomendación: cuando lleguen a la parte " Security and Background information " asegúrense de contestar que NO cuando les pregunten si han sido traficantes de drogas, o de blancas, o han lavado dinero, o forman parte de una guerrilla activa. Verídico, preguntan eso. ¿No me creen? Véanlo . ¿Alguien alguna vez contestará que sí? ¿Qué pasaría en ese caso?
...
¿Cómo? ¿Ya? ¿Tan rápido? ¿Ya tenemos el número de confirmación y todo? Perfecto. Anoten ese también y pasemos de regreso a la página del servicio de visas donde se registraron la primera vez.
Aquí las cosas se me ponen borrosas ( la edad, ya saben ), pero estoy casi seguro que el orden es como sigue:
De regreso a la página de beginning to appear on the guest confirmation number of death within the general in the blue box. If not, get out and re-enter. No? Mmm ... then after that will inform, not to lose sight.
Since we were interrogated, the remainder is paid and make an appointment ( Praise! )
Go to the part where it says "Schedule an appointment " and we clicked. There is a box where menucito choose the type of visa you need. We give clicks where appropriate and where we choose the consulate interviews with officials and also the address of the branch Where DHL will collect your passport and visa yet attached ( that take him ).
Then comes the ugly part to pay duty according to the type of visa. I had originally printed sheet to go to make payment in the bank (Banamex or Scotiabank only) but I got the nerve and did my best online payment.
careful here: A friend had to pay double for your first payment (online) went to the limbo of the proceedings when the page is dropped. I had no problem but I leave for you to consider. If you pay online printed confirmation (we will use in Part II). If you pay at the window, you enter the payment details in the appropriate place on the page and save proof of payment.
comes the good, choose the dates and times of appointments. Wait ... "S quoted ?
Yes appears to reduce waiting times now made a separate appointment at another place that is not the embassy to the collection of biometric data . It sounds very poson, but in reality is to make you take a picture and fingerprints.
Back to the subject, MUST appear calendars to make appointments in both the embassy and in the CAS (Service Center Seekers). If they are not there to check the settings of the Explorer game trials to stay in " medium-high." This should suffice. I was lucky enough to be able to make appointments for two weeks after the date in which I requested, but people who had an appointment six months later. Try not to schedule appointments around holidays because, as everyone wants to go there many many people doing the paperwork. Also, preferably, the embassy's appointment must be done VERY early, you'll see why in Part III of this melodrama of romance.
Once selected the dates and times, what remains is print the email confirmation they send dates (which also will use in Part II) and ready. The most tedious part of the visa process is complete.
After so much chaos is just that we have a more relaxed, so without further we move to ...
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Part II: The CAS
The CAS is located in Hamburg # 213 in Colonia Juarez (Zona Rosa aka ). Not jotería side, but rather across Florence, between Warsaw and Oxford. Nothing says the U.S. is building except the guys who are outside the blue shirt in response to the applicants. The day I touched my appointment at 1:50 pm but as he was running to request a recorded work in my company spent about 1:15 to see if I attended, and yes. We must bring proof of payment and confirmation appointment, and go through one of the guys mentioned that you are out to review the papers and before you put a stamp in entering the building. To spend your cash register and electronic everything, if you are asked to bring cell turn it off And you remove the battery. The cop is pretty stupid, so not worth discussing ( are also higher orders).
I went to a reception, I reviewed the stamp in and made me move to a clean room waiting chairs and windows with bulletproof glass. Since there were so many people, I went directly to one of the windows where I received the documents for the third time, I asked the reason for my visit and I sat in front of a white screen to take my picture. Then I took the tracks in a gadget with an LCD screen and reminded me of my next appointment at the embassy. That was all . I ten minutes throughout the procedure and that exaggerating a little.
Maybe I was lucky, because you can see by the number of seats expected that there may be many people waiting. A friend told me he made a time line, so I recommend a half an hour before the appointment and if they can get out earlier.
And finally, men, women and children who are with us, comes the last part:
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Part III: The Embassy
The part we all dread. On which have the worst urban legends. ESA which then decides if the U.S. considers you worthy to enter or not. To make life more enjoyable (or less traumatic, as) I will tell you that I spent all kinds of tips to dress ( not suit, Pandrosus, not the shirt, if not with tennis shirt, nothing too ostentatious) but I ended up bringing me to the clothes that I normally go to work, ie, khaki pants, white shirt and brown jacket and sweater. Very relaxed, well ... I guess the idea is that you look comfortable and does not appear to want more.
My appointment at the embassy was at 7:30 am I asked my dad to let me please take me to the embassy at six and did not want to come so early or so late, then arrived at 5:45 am and to my surprise he had about 30 people before I made on the Danube River.
passed a man with plastic stools for rent, at $ 10 each. With the cold for several decided to rent one for at least become more ball and resist airecito. At little while later his wife selling pens to sign in black ink. I took mine so I did not need, but there is always who is forget the little things , as I said Serrat. Also got a very skinny girl selling American coffee, cappuccino, chocolate, $ 15 pesos (With that cantaletita, I swear) and as much as I would have liked to buy one I did not take much money. No way.
At that hour (close to 6:15), surrounded by strangers and surrounded by cold frankly there is not much to do but pay attention to what you talk about, and I did: The old men in front of me came from Veracruz and return as soon ended up the process, the lady back and his family would go to breakfast Chapultepec, two places behind the boy was handsome ... good, but said nothing as he caught my eye.
People kept arriving and by 6:30 the line came to reform. At that time did a guy from the embassy to divide the row between the appointment at 6:30 and at 7 and 7:30, so the cute guy went to the row that was already happening. While they were advancing, was getting people clueless and running with a kind of wet dog came straight to your appointment without waiting in line . Grrrrr.
They just pass by 6:30 and call all of the 7 to go by another row. In line by 7:30 there were eight people ahead of me, and did not know what was the procedure I was hoping not to go out as late as I had been warned. At the 6:30 they had gone straight to a stable structure as a foil which is attached to the building from where they were instructed heard aloud, but to those of the 7 were in the lanes near from the stable so that they were going under the blade structure was vacating.
just passed those of the 7 ( including another round of clueless filthy hopefully that landed straight to the appointment ) Now if they call us. The guy who directed traffic we reviewed the stamp in that set us on the CAS and sent us to the rails I say, from there you see what happens in the stable: It is the people in line (again!) when a cop gives them instructions and two boys were reviewed papers ( again! ).
Until we move into the stable (decorated with paintings by the coats of the U.S. states) Yeah well we now learn what happens. Poly recited aloud (perhaps too) security measures to move the building: no gels, no sprays, no food, no electronics, not run, do not cry, do not push. For electronics the same poly (I guess that by dint of being the authority of the stable poly felt THE) had to leave ziploc Blackberries, cell phones, Ipods, Iphones and the like in exchange for a stunt, such as parcels of super. The laps were petitioning your just shtick. The guys who were checking the papers reviewed NEW the stamp in the date / time of appointment and proof of payment. What they do not communicate?
At the end of the line, and to enter (in groups of five), THE cop told us that to pass through the scanner we had to take off our sweaters / bags and belts, and have on hand. And with that cold! Only saved the old folks and children, who could take them off inside, where we go first to a reception desk.
there on the table ... guess. Yes, you reviewed papers, but also fast if you ask the first time or renewal, and what is the reason for your visit. You assign a number, I stapled cucamente to the confirmation page and now I will send to the scanner. Your things happen in a tray.
While getting dressed, in a table There are many travel magazines placed in the United States who have recommendations from all regions. The magazines are written in the American style ( full of very loud adjectives and descriptive, in the passive voice, direct to the point ) and translated into English American. Yes, is not the best option but take a , by God, which is needed in there.
Because we are a guy who explains what is the procedure: At the bottom there are cubicles with number, and the electronic board above us is our number will appear in the cubicle next to which we must enter. My number was 108 and just went on the 50-plus , so I sat and waited ... and I realized how valuable were the magazines at that time.
ran the minutes and finally my turn I saw on the screen. I spent a bit nervous when I played cubicle and to my surprise I saw again the little device for fingerprints and a camera. Is not for that there is a CAS and the new appointment? I only reviewed the documents and sent me to another row, but thinking a bit about the people who come from elsewhere than the DF not think they have time to come to an interview extra. In any If there should be some kind of control that we already have the seal of the CAS not go through this extra review ... and more for the next row is for OTHER document review (if other) before they send me to sit in some waiting room, with the same system carnisalchichonería antics, interviews with consular employee.
I am sure that this part of the process is designed to, if not terrifying, less intimidating. In the background are the windows, without divisions between them, where they interview while you're standing and they will ask you to ask questions and documents behind a glass bullet through a microphone. As is through a microphone and a speaker will hear some of the questions that make people and curious as I am got a bit of attention. Calling cards, bills, birth certificates, invoices, receipts, records and ask, invariably, the reason for the visit to the U.S. and what you do for good in life. They spent an elderly lady, a family of five, the lords of Veracruz, a cute guy who looked like an employee (Esperen. .. is it not out there? ), a paunchy gentleman, a father and son combo style And the Cheyenne Apa? "and many more people before I play happen to me.
When my turn came on the board I felt as if somebody called me to negotiate my freedom, or hearing, or audition to be free o. .. well, you know what I mean (I hope ). I got up very plump, calm and walked with small steps with security gave the passport and good morning in English with a smile at the boy who served me.
The employee (his thirties with short hair and green eyes Chinese imported from across the border), which gives the lazy routine of interviewing dozens of people a day, I was only FIVE questions in English with strong American accent, including I put up, "he turned to his computer and took several clicks. A minute later pulled out a slip of a card and gave it to me as I said (speaking as gringou Imagine that ) " Your visa is approved. Please go to pick from seven to 10 business days.'s All, good day. "
not even let me answer . I was going to take my tianguis willing, to fight for my visa and seduce if necessary ( and if it was not necessary but also warranted ) stayed with me all my desire to take litigation and a strange feeling between "What ? Already? "and" A egg! "chest. So much so that just turn around I dropped the folder where my papers brought echoing throughout the room blessed. Neither the sight of all those who sat to bear seeing the smile I have removed got the visa in record time ... eh? HOW MUCH?
It was 9:15 am when I left. The process in which I lost the whole morning had taken two hours and would, without much trouble, I work at 10 am. Moreover, I still had time to go make a deposit at the bank. I thought about going to home to sleep as I desmadrugué and show up for work at three in the afternoon, but I chose to come early and leave early. What is certain is that for the nine left, THE cop was giving out instructions, but now seemed pilgrimage of so many people ... I suppose that this does apply for visas at the "early bird By God helps."
And what helped: My visa (I picked up along with the passport five days later) said that expires in 2021, which gives me a chance to step on U.S. soil more than just transit for Korea South. We hope to use next year.
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Hearing: Yellow Yesterday - And so
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Hearing: Yellow Yesterday - And so
