hey folks
just got my visa stamped in Nogales. im goin to share my entire experience here.
I flew from memphis to phoenix on the 7th and took a rental car. just outside the phoenix airport there will be rental shuttles which will drop you off at the rental center. the guys over there gave me a dodge durango which was a hugee suv so half of my problems was how to keep that damn thing between the lanes. anyways i took a room in phoenix stayed overnight there and started my journey to nogales at 5 am. i made a hugeee mistake by taking directions from the motel owner and he screwed me over. i followed his directions and for half an hour kept going and going before realizing i was heading in the opposite direction. so i stopped at a gas station and they put me on the right track.
anyways the journey to nogales is a breeze other than the fact that i had to keep myself from desperately falling asleep at the wheel. it takes 2 1/2 hrs to nogales. keep driving till you see a Mc Donalds. beside the Mc donalds there is a parking lot. they charge 4$ for the whole day. i gave the guy 5$ and asked him to keep the 1$. a little bit of good Karma will help
.
I just walked across the border through the revolving gate. NO PERMIT OR NO MEXICAN VISA is needed. if you want to waste money please mail it to me . Once you reach there other side there will be Taxi drivers shouting at you for attention. I just got into one and asked him to take me to the banamex and consulate. the trip was 8$ but i gave him 10, once again good Karma .
my visa appointment was at 8 but banamex opens at 9(Dont worry about the time), i just waited outside for 30 mins and when it opened took a token and waited for my turn and when it came i just said to the lady at the counter 'Visa'. she said 108 dollars, i paid it and took the receipt(KEEP the receipt).
after paying my visa fee i took a taxi(you can walk, its very close) again to the consulate. i just took the taxi to beat the other desis to the line outside the consulate and succeeded. A list of all the disallowed items will be kept in front of the line, I had a couple of items. if you have any items that need to be left out there is a garage like place a few yards away with a green fencing outside it. a mexican couple inside this garage will take care of your things for 4$. I left my items there and went back to the line. This is the place where the VISA process starts. a couple of ladies will come to you while you are standing in the line and check if you have all the three forms ds 165, 157 and 158. After i got my forms checked i was let inside and behind another line. after a while i was led inside to get searched Airport style. after passing through that I stood in another line where my form 794 or 795 or whatever it was, my banamex receipt and my passport was taken ckecked and i was given a token and proceeded into the main hall. they have counters over there for both fingerprinting and interviews side by side. i waited for my token number to be called for fingerprinting and photo. this will not take long. after this i waited for my turn to get interviewed. i was no 99 so had to wait almost 2 hrs. there were three counters open. two ladies and one guy. there were some desis ahead of me and all of them got approved. then my turn came. it was the guy.
VO: hey how are you
Me: Im good how about yourself?
VO: <gave a sigh> doing ok
I handed him the banamex receipt, application forms(156, 157 and 158) passport.
VO: this is your first time for H1
me: yes
VO: so why did you come to nogales?
I was shocked, didn't expect this from him.
Me: My vacation did not get approved so i could not go to india.
VO: but why nogales, there are other consulated closer to memphis
I had to come up with something.
Me: i had an appoinment in tijuana but cancelled it cuz i moved to memphis.
(Stupid answer luckily VO changed topic)
VO: So what do you work as?
Me: Software developer
VO: what do you do?
Me: build, Test and Maintain Coldfusion apps.
VO: you work for <company name>?
Me: yes
VO: can i see letter from your employer or offer letter or anything like that
Me: <handed him the letter from employer> Do you want the offer letter too?
VO: No its ok
VO: I see here that you did your masters in CS in <this> univ is that correct?
ME: yes
VO: and you graduated end of 2004
Me: yes
VO: when did you join this company?
Me: <told him the date>
VO: did you work during OPT
Me: worked parttime as a Graduate Assistant in my uni for a couple of months
VO: can i see your H1 package
Me: <handed him over the package>
VO: what projects did you work for
Me: i worked for the department of corrections state of california and now am working for a Tracking application for a Transportation company
VO: Interesting. what sort of applications are they contracting for?
me: <explained to him>
VO: so its kinda like management logistics kinda thing
Me: yes
VO: <typed something on his machine>(he was typing all the time)
VO: Ok i am approving your visa, I am instructed to tell you to come back after 3 days which is the monday but ckeck back at 3 it might be ready by then. show them this slip <hands me the slip> and they will let you in. I will return your 794 along with your passport. have a good day
Me: thank you, you too.
I came outside, went to carls jr behind the consulate had a sandwhich. met a desi couple, hung around the mall and walmart for a couple of hrs. then at 3 pm stood in line again to get my passport back.
then took a taxi back to the border, all the H1b holders were taken upstairs for some additional finger printing and photographing. then a fee of 6$ was charged, the new I94 was attached to the passport and we were sent on our way.
Once back inside usa, i went to mc donalds got a soda and drove back to phoenix. had a good sleep friday night and flew back to memphis.
Long read but deal with it.
--naveen
just got my visa stamped in Nogales. im goin to share my entire experience here.
I flew from memphis to phoenix on the 7th and took a rental car. just outside the phoenix airport there will be rental shuttles which will drop you off at the rental center. the guys over there gave me a dodge durango which was a hugee suv so half of my problems was how to keep that damn thing between the lanes. anyways i took a room in phoenix stayed overnight there and started my journey to nogales at 5 am. i made a hugeee mistake by taking directions from the motel owner and he screwed me over. i followed his directions and for half an hour kept going and going before realizing i was heading in the opposite direction. so i stopped at a gas station and they put me on the right track.
anyways the journey to nogales is a breeze other than the fact that i had to keep myself from desperately falling asleep at the wheel. it takes 2 1/2 hrs to nogales. keep driving till you see a Mc Donalds. beside the Mc donalds there is a parking lot. they charge 4$ for the whole day. i gave the guy 5$ and asked him to keep the 1$. a little bit of good Karma will help
.I just walked across the border through the revolving gate. NO PERMIT OR NO MEXICAN VISA is needed. if you want to waste money please mail it to me
. Once you reach there other side there will be Taxi drivers shouting at you for attention. I just got into one and asked him to take me to the banamex and consulate. the trip was 8$ but i gave him 10, once again good Karma .my visa appointment was at 8 but banamex opens at 9(Dont worry about the time), i just waited outside for 30 mins and when it opened took a token and waited for my turn and when it came i just said to the lady at the counter 'Visa'. she said 108 dollars, i paid it and took the receipt(KEEP the receipt).
after paying my visa fee i took a taxi(you can walk, its very close) again to the consulate. i just took the taxi to beat the other desis to the line outside the consulate and succeeded. A list of all the disallowed items will be kept in front of the line, I had a couple of items. if you have any items that need to be left out there is a garage like place a few yards away with a green fencing outside it. a mexican couple inside this garage will take care of your things for 4$. I left my items there and went back to the line. This is the place where the VISA process starts. a couple of ladies will come to you while you are standing in the line and check if you have all the three forms ds 165, 157 and 158. After i got my forms checked i was let inside and behind another line. after a while i was led inside to get searched Airport style. after passing through that I stood in another line where my form 794 or 795 or whatever it was, my banamex receipt and my passport was taken ckecked and i was given a token and proceeded into the main hall. they have counters over there for both fingerprinting and interviews side by side. i waited for my token number to be called for fingerprinting and photo. this will not take long. after this i waited for my turn to get interviewed. i was no 99 so had to wait almost 2 hrs. there were three counters open. two ladies and one guy. there were some desis ahead of me and all of them got approved. then my turn came. it was the guy.
VO: hey how are you
Me: Im good how about yourself?
VO: <gave a sigh> doing ok
I handed him the banamex receipt, application forms(156, 157 and 158) passport.
VO: this is your first time for H1
me: yes
VO: so why did you come to nogales?
I was shocked, didn't expect this from him.
Me: My vacation did not get approved so i could not go to india.
VO: but why nogales, there are other consulated closer to memphis
I had to come up with something.
Me: i had an appoinment in tijuana but cancelled it cuz i moved to memphis.
(Stupid answer luckily VO changed topic)
VO: So what do you work as?
Me: Software developer
VO: what do you do?
Me: build, Test and Maintain Coldfusion apps.
VO: you work for <company name>?
Me: yes
VO: can i see letter from your employer or offer letter or anything like that
Me: <handed him the letter from employer> Do you want the offer letter too?
VO: No its ok
VO: I see here that you did your masters in CS in <this> univ is that correct?
ME: yes
VO: and you graduated end of 2004
Me: yes
VO: when did you join this company?
Me: <told him the date>
VO: did you work during OPT
Me: worked parttime as a Graduate Assistant in my uni for a couple of months
VO: can i see your H1 package
Me: <handed him over the package>
VO: what projects did you work for
Me: i worked for the department of corrections state of california and now am working for a Tracking application for a Transportation company
VO: Interesting. what sort of applications are they contracting for?
me: <explained to him>
VO: so its kinda like management logistics kinda thing
Me: yes
VO: <typed something on his machine>(he was typing all the time)
VO: Ok i am approving your visa, I am instructed to tell you to come back after 3 days which is the monday but ckeck back at 3 it might be ready by then. show them this slip <hands me the slip> and they will let you in. I will return your 794 along with your passport. have a good day
Me: thank you, you too.
I came outside, went to carls jr behind the consulate had a sandwhich. met a desi couple, hung around the mall and walmart for a couple of hrs. then at 3 pm stood in line again to get my passport back.
then took a taxi back to the border, all the H1b holders were taken upstairs for some additional finger printing and photographing. then a fee of 6$ was charged, the new I94 was attached to the passport and we were sent on our way.
Once back inside usa, i went to mc donalds got a soda and drove back to phoenix. had a good sleep friday night and flew back to memphis.
Long read but deal with it.
--naveen