H1 and H4 revalidation for 7 year in Mexico
- Thread starter envy450
- Start date
H1/H4 stamping experience at US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Hello Gentlemen,
Just to give you the background. On Feb 28th, I and my wife applied for the H1/H4 Visa at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and after going through all the papers and asking few questions about my employment the officer said everything looks fine but i have a issue with your application form. She said give me a minute i need to talk to my supervisor and she came back and gave me a orange slip and told me to go and pay $85 and give my fingerprints. I paid the fees and went for the fingerprints in the next building. It took 2 1/2 hrs to take my fingerprints which also includes the wait time.
The guy who took the fingerprints gave me a white slip and told me to approach the VO again next day. Next day again we went for the visa interview. The same VO call our names and told me that my name is on hold and it takes 4-6 weeks to get it cleared based on the response they get from the Department. We had a valid H1/H4 visa stamped on our passport. But the VO cancelled that visa and kept our latest H1/H4 (I-797) approval notice. She told me that till they won't get our security clearance we cannot enter US. She said the immigration officer will stop us at the port if we try to enter in US. Also she said that we can't stay near the consulate. This was just insulting. I told her that from day one in US my status is legal i was never out of job. But she did not listen to me. Staying in Mexico for 4-6 weeks was impossible for me with a 7 months old son. Anyway came out of the consulate contacted my Manager/Attorney/HR. They gave me an assurance that they will pull me out from Mexico but thank to Victor Garcia he advice me to go to the port and explain them what happened with me at the consulate and tell them they have asked me to come back. I went to the ELPaso US border check post and met with an immigration officer and told my story. God bless him he was very helpful. He told me to wait and he consulted with his supervisor and later gave me a temporary I-94 card valid for two months and allowed me to enter US.
Later from US i started calling the US consulate once in a week to find out if they have received any response from DOS on my case and from the other end my company attorney was bugging them. At last exactly after six weeks, on 11 April I got a call from the consulate and stated that they got my clearance from DOS and ask me to come next day for the interview. To this I told them that i cannot come next day and took the appointment for 19th April. We went to the consulate on 19th April. I was very tense but confident. The Visa officers call my name. Thank God this time it was a different lady. She asked me following questions....
1. Where you waiting for the response? Yes.
2. When did you get a call from US consulate? 11th April
3. Where were you? I said i was in US.
4. She ask did they let you in? Yes
5. For whom you work for? My company name
She took out a white slip and wrote $50 each and told me to go and pay the H1/H4 fees. I paid the fees and got the Passports back with visa stamp in it.
Wow this time it was very easy
.
Hello Gentlemen,
Just to give you the background. On Feb 28th, I and my wife applied for the H1/H4 Visa at the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and after going through all the papers and asking few questions about my employment the officer said everything looks fine but i have a issue with your application form. She said give me a minute i need to talk to my supervisor and she came back and gave me a orange slip and told me to go and pay $85 and give my fingerprints. I paid the fees and went for the fingerprints in the next building. It took 2 1/2 hrs to take my fingerprints which also includes the wait time.
The guy who took the fingerprints gave me a white slip and told me to approach the VO again next day. Next day again we went for the visa interview. The same VO call our names and told me that my name is on hold and it takes 4-6 weeks to get it cleared based on the response they get from the Department. We had a valid H1/H4 visa stamped on our passport. But the VO cancelled that visa and kept our latest H1/H4 (I-797) approval notice. She told me that till they won't get our security clearance we cannot enter US. She said the immigration officer will stop us at the port if we try to enter in US. Also she said that we can't stay near the consulate. This was just insulting. I told her that from day one in US my status is legal i was never out of job. But she did not listen to me. Staying in Mexico for 4-6 weeks was impossible for me with a 7 months old son. Anyway came out of the consulate contacted my Manager/Attorney/HR. They gave me an assurance that they will pull me out from Mexico but thank to Victor Garcia he advice me to go to the port and explain them what happened with me at the consulate and tell them they have asked me to come back. I went to the ELPaso US border check post and met with an immigration officer and told my story. God bless him he was very helpful. He told me to wait and he consulted with his supervisor and later gave me a temporary I-94 card valid for two months and allowed me to enter US.
Later from US i started calling the US consulate once in a week to find out if they have received any response from DOS on my case and from the other end my company attorney was bugging them. At last exactly after six weeks, on 11 April I got a call from the consulate and stated that they got my clearance from DOS and ask me to come next day for the interview. To this I told them that i cannot come next day and took the appointment for 19th April. We went to the consulate on 19th April. I was very tense but confident. The Visa officers call my name. Thank God this time it was a different lady. She asked me following questions....
1. Where you waiting for the response? Yes.
2. When did you get a call from US consulate? 11th April
3. Where were you? I said i was in US.
4. She ask did they let you in? Yes
5. For whom you work for? My company name
She took out a white slip and wrote $50 each and told me to go and pay the H1/H4 fees. I paid the fees and got the Passports back with visa stamp in it.
Wow this time it was very easy
.