H1B Stamping trip to Nuevo Laredo with new born baby
Nuevo Laredo is a border city just across the Laredo city in the Southern Texas. I decided to go there for my 7th year H1B renewal stamping. After several attempts I got an appointment in Nuevo Laredo Consulate on a Friday. This was the most ideal place for me to go for stamping from Austin, TX. It is around 250 miles from Austin to Laredo, TX. I drove from Austin to Laredo with my family including my 2 months old new born baby.
I had booked a room at Red Roof Inn in Laredo after reading the ratings from some websites. We reached there by 8 pm on Thursday and checked in the hotel. The quality of the hotel was not up to my expectation. I would definitely go to some other place if I have to go one more time.
My appointment was on Friday at 9.30 AM. I asked hotel reception for a taxi to go to Nuevo Laredo consulate. Receptionist immediately called a taxi. We checked out and waited for the taxi in the reception. It took 30 minutes for the taxi to arrive.
Taxi driver was a lady and she told me to avoid keeping any valuables in my hand including my cell phone. Security at consulate will not allow taking any thing inside. I asked her if there is any storage available at or near by the consulate. She said there is nothing available in her knowledge. You will have to throw away your stuff outside if you take any thing with you. I put all my stuff back in the car including my cell phone and stroller. I locked my car and parked in the hotel's parking lot.
We started around 8.30 from the hotel. She told me that it would take nearly 30 minutes to get there from Laredo. We crossed the US border in about 10 minutes through bridge 2. At the Mexican side of the border immigration/police officer asked the driver in Spanish about the trip. Driver told them in Spanish that we were going to US consulate. They didn't ask anything else and let us proceed.
It is not required to get a Mexican Visa or permit to go to Nuevo Laredo. We reached at the US consulate in another 15 minutes. She told me Mexican time is 1 hour behind the US CST so the time is only 8.00 am in Mexico. I couldn't believe it so she stopped in front of the consulate and asked the security about the time. They told her that Mexican time will be changed to CST by next week. Taxi driver charges me $45 for the ride. There was a big line in front of the consulate. We approached a security officer who was standing near the line. He told us to stand on the line. I told him my appointment is only at 9.30 so is it ok to stand on the line so early?. He again asked me to stand on the line.
Big joke is that even the security guards in the US consulate don’t know English. After some time another person came to the people standing on the line to check their appointment letter and documents. I told him about my appointment time, he told me don’t worry stay on the line. I showed him my appointment letter and DS forms. He revised it and gave it back. He told me it is not allowed to take any stuff including unprepared baby food inside. I had an infant car seat and a small bag of diapers, wipes, two small feeding bottles and a bottle of water. All my documents were kept separate in a folder. You can only take a diaper and a bottle of prepared milk for your child along with you nothing else including bottle of water he said. I asked about the infant seat, he told me that it was allowed.
I had to find a place to keep my stuff including my belt. I walked to the pharmacy just across the street and asked about keeping my bag and personal stuff there for a while. They allowed me to keep it there.
There is a Banamex bank just next to the consulate. If you have appointment after 9.00 am go there without doubt you can go and make payment in that bank.
There was an x-ray and metal detector screening at the security check point. After the checking we were allowed to go to a hall where two people were checking all our docs and appointment letter. Immediately after seeing me officer asked me are you Mr. X and family? Yes sir I replied. He took a separated paper from his table that had only the appointment information of me including my family. (I was the only one applicant from India for visa other than Mexicans in that consulate,). He checked DS forms, I797, passport, payment slip etc and arranged it in the proper order. He asked me to go to the next hall where the consular officers interviewing visa applicants.
There were some people waiting for their turn for interview and some people waiting on the line to take their finger print. Security officer asked us to stand on the fingerprint line. Very soon my number was called. Officer took our finger prints and photographs and entered all DS form information and passport details in the computer. We were asked to sit on the line where people were waiting for their interview. In less than 10 minutes my number was called. I went to the counter where a lady was sitting at the other side of the glass screen.
I gave my PP, DS forms and I797 to her. She looked over the forms and asked my pay stub, I129, employer letter etc. She told me my employer letter doesn’t say about my job description. I said I129 has the job description. She turned the pages of I129 and replied- yes there it is. She picked up some key words from job description and asked me about that. She asked me do you have bachelors in Computers, I replied yes.
Why do you need a visa now?
My family is planning to go to India with my new born child, so they need a visa for them to come back.
Questions and answers lasted for around 10 to 15 minutes. She told me; ok you can collect your passport at 4.30.
It was around 9.45 am we came out of the consulate collected my stuff from the Pharmacy, now we have plenty of time. Where to go with my baby? I walked to the Crowne Paza hotel and asked for a room only for the day because we had to feed the baby and also need to take some rest. Receptionist called the manager and spoke to him in Spanish. Then she gave me a room on the 6th floor. A staff accompanied me to the room and he carried our small bag in his hand. He told me to let him know if we need any help. I gave him $2 tip.
After a while he came back and knocked the room and gave me the file that I forgot in the lobby. It had all my documents including my credentials. My $2 tip worked more than its worth. Hotel rooms are very spacious and comfortable. It would definitely cost around $200 for a day in the US side. They charged me $65 for the room. I regretted for not coming to this hotel for overnight stay.
We went to the restaurant to see if anything available for us to eat. It looked a very cozy restaurant but no vegetarian dishes were available. The receptionist called the Domino pizza and ordered pizza for me. They delivered it to the hotel.
At 4.30 I walked to the Consulate and collected my passport. I found only 6 or 7 people there to collect their PP. I checked out from the hotel around 5.30 pm. They arranged a taxi for me to go back to Laredo. We used Bridge 1 to cross the Border. There was huge traffic in the bridge. We took almost an hour to cross the border. At the immigration there was a big line but the officer put me on the front of the line so I could come out with my new I-94 without much delay. We continued to our hotel in the same taxi and we reached there by 7.30. Taxi driver charged me $50 for that ride.
Nuevo Laredo is a border city just across the Laredo city in the Southern Texas. I decided to go there for my 7th year H1B renewal stamping. After several attempts I got an appointment in Nuevo Laredo Consulate on a Friday. This was the most ideal place for me to go for stamping from Austin, TX. It is around 250 miles from Austin to Laredo, TX. I drove from Austin to Laredo with my family including my 2 months old new born baby.
I had booked a room at Red Roof Inn in Laredo after reading the ratings from some websites. We reached there by 8 pm on Thursday and checked in the hotel. The quality of the hotel was not up to my expectation. I would definitely go to some other place if I have to go one more time.
My appointment was on Friday at 9.30 AM. I asked hotel reception for a taxi to go to Nuevo Laredo consulate. Receptionist immediately called a taxi. We checked out and waited for the taxi in the reception. It took 30 minutes for the taxi to arrive.
Taxi driver was a lady and she told me to avoid keeping any valuables in my hand including my cell phone. Security at consulate will not allow taking any thing inside. I asked her if there is any storage available at or near by the consulate. She said there is nothing available in her knowledge. You will have to throw away your stuff outside if you take any thing with you. I put all my stuff back in the car including my cell phone and stroller. I locked my car and parked in the hotel's parking lot.
We started around 8.30 from the hotel. She told me that it would take nearly 30 minutes to get there from Laredo. We crossed the US border in about 10 minutes through bridge 2. At the Mexican side of the border immigration/police officer asked the driver in Spanish about the trip. Driver told them in Spanish that we were going to US consulate. They didn't ask anything else and let us proceed.
It is not required to get a Mexican Visa or permit to go to Nuevo Laredo. We reached at the US consulate in another 15 minutes. She told me Mexican time is 1 hour behind the US CST so the time is only 8.00 am in Mexico. I couldn't believe it so she stopped in front of the consulate and asked the security about the time. They told her that Mexican time will be changed to CST by next week. Taxi driver charges me $45 for the ride. There was a big line in front of the consulate. We approached a security officer who was standing near the line. He told us to stand on the line. I told him my appointment is only at 9.30 so is it ok to stand on the line so early?. He again asked me to stand on the line.
Big joke is that even the security guards in the US consulate don’t know English. After some time another person came to the people standing on the line to check their appointment letter and documents. I told him about my appointment time, he told me don’t worry stay on the line. I showed him my appointment letter and DS forms. He revised it and gave it back. He told me it is not allowed to take any stuff including unprepared baby food inside. I had an infant car seat and a small bag of diapers, wipes, two small feeding bottles and a bottle of water. All my documents were kept separate in a folder. You can only take a diaper and a bottle of prepared milk for your child along with you nothing else including bottle of water he said. I asked about the infant seat, he told me that it was allowed.
I had to find a place to keep my stuff including my belt. I walked to the pharmacy just across the street and asked about keeping my bag and personal stuff there for a while. They allowed me to keep it there.
There is a Banamex bank just next to the consulate. If you have appointment after 9.00 am go there without doubt you can go and make payment in that bank.
There was an x-ray and metal detector screening at the security check point. After the checking we were allowed to go to a hall where two people were checking all our docs and appointment letter. Immediately after seeing me officer asked me are you Mr. X and family? Yes sir I replied. He took a separated paper from his table that had only the appointment information of me including my family. (I was the only one applicant from India for visa other than Mexicans in that consulate,). He checked DS forms, I797, passport, payment slip etc and arranged it in the proper order. He asked me to go to the next hall where the consular officers interviewing visa applicants.
There were some people waiting for their turn for interview and some people waiting on the line to take their finger print. Security officer asked us to stand on the fingerprint line. Very soon my number was called. Officer took our finger prints and photographs and entered all DS form information and passport details in the computer. We were asked to sit on the line where people were waiting for their interview. In less than 10 minutes my number was called. I went to the counter where a lady was sitting at the other side of the glass screen.
I gave my PP, DS forms and I797 to her. She looked over the forms and asked my pay stub, I129, employer letter etc. She told me my employer letter doesn’t say about my job description. I said I129 has the job description. She turned the pages of I129 and replied- yes there it is. She picked up some key words from job description and asked me about that. She asked me do you have bachelors in Computers, I replied yes.
Why do you need a visa now?
My family is planning to go to India with my new born child, so they need a visa for them to come back.
Questions and answers lasted for around 10 to 15 minutes. She told me; ok you can collect your passport at 4.30.
It was around 9.45 am we came out of the consulate collected my stuff from the Pharmacy, now we have plenty of time. Where to go with my baby? I walked to the Crowne Paza hotel and asked for a room only for the day because we had to feed the baby and also need to take some rest. Receptionist called the manager and spoke to him in Spanish. Then she gave me a room on the 6th floor. A staff accompanied me to the room and he carried our small bag in his hand. He told me to let him know if we need any help. I gave him $2 tip.
After a while he came back and knocked the room and gave me the file that I forgot in the lobby. It had all my documents including my credentials. My $2 tip worked more than its worth. Hotel rooms are very spacious and comfortable. It would definitely cost around $200 for a day in the US side. They charged me $65 for the room. I regretted for not coming to this hotel for overnight stay.
We went to the restaurant to see if anything available for us to eat. It looked a very cozy restaurant but no vegetarian dishes were available. The receptionist called the Domino pizza and ordered pizza for me. They delivered it to the hotel.
At 4.30 I walked to the Consulate and collected my passport. I found only 6 or 7 people there to collect their PP. I checked out from the hotel around 5.30 pm. They arranged a taxi for me to go back to Laredo. We used Bridge 1 to cross the Border. There was huge traffic in the bridge. We took almost an hour to cross the border. At the immigration there was a big line but the officer put me on the front of the line so I could come out with my new I-94 without much delay. We continued to our hotel in the same taxi and we reached there by 7.30. Taxi driver charged me $50 for that ride.
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