rajivkamath
New Member
Successfull Stamping in Tijuana Nov 21st 2006
Hi Guys /Gals
First of all thanks to all you previous bloggers that I had enough knowledge of the Tijuana trip even before I stepped out of my house. I appreciate you guys taking time and putting forth some good information. And now it’s my turn to do the same.
On Nov 20th, 2006, I and my wife both had appointments to get my H1-B 4th year stamped and my wife's H4 stamped. I had a solid 2 year of employment without any "break". But last year around Nov end I had switched my employer and this new H1-B I was using to get my Visa approved. List of things that I took with me
1) Appointment Letter
2) Application form ( DS 156/157)
3) I-797
4) I-129
5) Employment Letter from HR, Offer Letter
6) Pay Stubs
7) Tax statements for 2005
8) Original Degree and Transcripts
9) Marriage Certificate
10) Bank Statement
11) Resume
I live in Costa Mesa, CA and the Mexican border is about 1.5 hours from here. So we started at 5:30 am from our house to reach to the border. It took us about 2 hours to reach as we got some San Diego traffic. Use I-805 instead of I-5 if you guys decided to drive down. Get a Google Map to reach 721 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Ysidro, CA 92173. This is the address of the "Jack in the Box". There is nice parking lot behind Jack in the Box that charges $5 for eight hours. This is the best place as the entry and exit to Mexico is very near. If you need to take a Bio break please do it before you reach San Ysidro. All the rest rooms at the fast food place in San Ysidro are a mess
We crossed over the border using the pedestrian bridge. You can ask any police officers there if you cant figure out the entrance to the bridge. You start getting a familiar India like stench. Car exhaust mixed with drainage. Deja Vu. Any how we crossed the border. Not a single soul that looks like authority in and around the bridge. So we crossed over without a Mexican Visa and a smile that we save $134 by 2 by not getting the visa. On the other side you will see lots of Taxis drivers waiting for you. Please take the Yellow cabs. These Cabs are better and most of taxi drivers speak decent English which I am sure you will appreciate through out your stay in Mexico. They pretty much know where to go, but just in case they don’t understand tell them you need to go to Tapachula Banamex bank.
The Bank and Consulate are just a stone throw away from each others. The Taxi driver will show you where the consulate is also. Now first go the consulate and verify our appointment. In our case when we reached the consulate, it was closed. Why? It was national holiday for Mexico and their online reservation system didn’t block that date. So we had “Fun” in a downtown Tijuana Motel. If you Miss India, please visit downtown Tijuana. You will feel right at home. But not recommended. The area where the consulate is a little upscale area. I sure you will be puzzled about the upscale-ness but when you go downtown Tijuana you will appreciate this place.
Anyhow as I mentioned please verify your appointment. It’s best to take a 8:00 am appointment. The lines for the interview are made as per appointment time slots. None of the lines go inside by the set appointment times. So even if you are late and you stand in the 8:00 am line say by 9:15 you will still be ahead of the 9:00 am appointment guys. Very similar to Southwest boarding line if you know what I mean. Doesn’t matter when you come and stand in line, Zone A always boards before Zone B. Once you verify you appointment. Go get your Banamex receipt. The bank tends you pay change in Mexican currency so please take exact change. They asked me $108 but the person next to me they asked $107. So take lots of dollars bills.
Please check the weather before you head out as there will be a long wait, if you are not in the 8:00 am appointment. Most of the Mexican don’t file the form properly so they usually slow down the lines. Please keep all electronics and anything thats not important for the interview outside. There are shops that will graciously keep your stuff for $5. Once inside it’s a swift job. First you go to counter where your DS 156 is scan. Please make sure you keep the printout is in a good state as if the scanner can’t read the barcode on your DS 156 form, you will be sitting and seeing the lady type your application out again. This is where they do finger printing and photo for the visa also. Next you stand in line for the actual interview. This I believe is the easiest and peaceful process. Nice smiling “American Faces”. This was my interview
CO. Good Morning
Me. Good Morning
CO. Application please
Me. I gave the forms as how the previous finger printing lady had given.
CO. Did you change your employer?
Me. Yes
CO. When?
Me. Last year around the same time
CO. Question about my Job
Me. Answered it with slight humor.
CO. Laughingly, You have your pay stubs
Me. showed here the pay stubs
Co. Your Visa’s are approved. Have a Good Day
Me. You too.
Done
Only one lady I know who got rejected. She had a EE background and now working in Bio-Med. So they told that she needs a background check and can’t work. Luckily she can re-enter US. So she was okay.
You are free now to do anything till 3:00 pm. Some of the fellow Indians were told to go to a restaurant called “Cintamani”. Please for God sake don’t go there. It’s not an Indian place. It’s run by a Mexican family who follow Hare Ram Hare Krishna philosophy and serves Veggie Mexican food. It’s like eatting Veggie in Taco Bell. Please don’t do that to yourself unless you are an Vegetarian. Your best bet is the take a cab to a nice shopping area called “Plaza Rio”. Yellow cab would charge $8 for that. Please when it comes to taxi set the charge before you sit in the cab. In Plaza Rio, you have McDonald and Burger King and there are lots of cheap Mexican shops. I got my wife a nice hand bag for $15, pure leather. Kill you time till 2:45 pm and take a cab back to consulate. Wait behind the consulate till they call your name. Mexican citizens gets 1st preference. Be ready to wait for long time. Pay close attention as they sometime cant pronounce Indian names properly. Once you get the Passport take a cab and go to the border. Share the cab if you can. Save some $$.
Now as you start walking towards the border you will see San Ysidro building. This building has blue tiles decoration on outside. You need to go there and get your port of entry stamped. They might tell you that everything is okay, but tell them that you need the port of entry stamped. Now they do not issue a new I-94. The bottom end of your I-797 is your new I-94. So all you need is the stamp. Then proceed to cross the border. You go through a line where the Custom Officer will ask why you went to Mexico blah blah blah. Just answer them and they will let you go. One of our Nigerian friends was told to wait back but I am sure he made it without much issue. As you walk out you notice this exactly where you entered Mexico and your car is right there.
I hope this long blog help. Please feel free to ask any questions.
Hi Guys /Gals
First of all thanks to all you previous bloggers that I had enough knowledge of the Tijuana trip even before I stepped out of my house. I appreciate you guys taking time and putting forth some good information. And now it’s my turn to do the same.
On Nov 20th, 2006, I and my wife both had appointments to get my H1-B 4th year stamped and my wife's H4 stamped. I had a solid 2 year of employment without any "break". But last year around Nov end I had switched my employer and this new H1-B I was using to get my Visa approved. List of things that I took with me
1) Appointment Letter
2) Application form ( DS 156/157)
3) I-797
4) I-129
5) Employment Letter from HR, Offer Letter
6) Pay Stubs
7) Tax statements for 2005
8) Original Degree and Transcripts
9) Marriage Certificate
10) Bank Statement
11) Resume
I live in Costa Mesa, CA and the Mexican border is about 1.5 hours from here. So we started at 5:30 am from our house to reach to the border. It took us about 2 hours to reach as we got some San Diego traffic. Use I-805 instead of I-5 if you guys decided to drive down. Get a Google Map to reach 721 E San Ysidro Blvd, San Ysidro, CA 92173. This is the address of the "Jack in the Box". There is nice parking lot behind Jack in the Box that charges $5 for eight hours. This is the best place as the entry and exit to Mexico is very near. If you need to take a Bio break please do it before you reach San Ysidro. All the rest rooms at the fast food place in San Ysidro are a mess
We crossed over the border using the pedestrian bridge. You can ask any police officers there if you cant figure out the entrance to the bridge. You start getting a familiar India like stench. Car exhaust mixed with drainage. Deja Vu. Any how we crossed the border. Not a single soul that looks like authority in and around the bridge. So we crossed over without a Mexican Visa and a smile that we save $134 by 2 by not getting the visa. On the other side you will see lots of Taxis drivers waiting for you. Please take the Yellow cabs. These Cabs are better and most of taxi drivers speak decent English which I am sure you will appreciate through out your stay in Mexico. They pretty much know where to go, but just in case they don’t understand tell them you need to go to Tapachula Banamex bank.
The Bank and Consulate are just a stone throw away from each others. The Taxi driver will show you where the consulate is also. Now first go the consulate and verify our appointment. In our case when we reached the consulate, it was closed. Why? It was national holiday for Mexico and their online reservation system didn’t block that date. So we had “Fun” in a downtown Tijuana Motel. If you Miss India, please visit downtown Tijuana. You will feel right at home. But not recommended. The area where the consulate is a little upscale area. I sure you will be puzzled about the upscale-ness but when you go downtown Tijuana you will appreciate this place.
Anyhow as I mentioned please verify your appointment. It’s best to take a 8:00 am appointment. The lines for the interview are made as per appointment time slots. None of the lines go inside by the set appointment times. So even if you are late and you stand in the 8:00 am line say by 9:15 you will still be ahead of the 9:00 am appointment guys. Very similar to Southwest boarding line if you know what I mean. Doesn’t matter when you come and stand in line, Zone A always boards before Zone B. Once you verify you appointment. Go get your Banamex receipt. The bank tends you pay change in Mexican currency so please take exact change. They asked me $108 but the person next to me they asked $107. So take lots of dollars bills.
Please check the weather before you head out as there will be a long wait, if you are not in the 8:00 am appointment. Most of the Mexican don’t file the form properly so they usually slow down the lines. Please keep all electronics and anything thats not important for the interview outside. There are shops that will graciously keep your stuff for $5. Once inside it’s a swift job. First you go to counter where your DS 156 is scan. Please make sure you keep the printout is in a good state as if the scanner can’t read the barcode on your DS 156 form, you will be sitting and seeing the lady type your application out again. This is where they do finger printing and photo for the visa also. Next you stand in line for the actual interview. This I believe is the easiest and peaceful process. Nice smiling “American Faces”. This was my interview
CO. Good Morning
Me. Good Morning
CO. Application please
Me. I gave the forms as how the previous finger printing lady had given.
CO. Did you change your employer?
Me. Yes
CO. When?
Me. Last year around the same time
CO. Question about my Job
Me. Answered it with slight humor.
CO. Laughingly, You have your pay stubs
Me. showed here the pay stubs
Co. Your Visa’s are approved. Have a Good Day
Me. You too.
Done
Only one lady I know who got rejected. She had a EE background and now working in Bio-Med. So they told that she needs a background check and can’t work. Luckily she can re-enter US. So she was okay.
You are free now to do anything till 3:00 pm. Some of the fellow Indians were told to go to a restaurant called “Cintamani”. Please for God sake don’t go there. It’s not an Indian place. It’s run by a Mexican family who follow Hare Ram Hare Krishna philosophy and serves Veggie Mexican food. It’s like eatting Veggie in Taco Bell. Please don’t do that to yourself unless you are an Vegetarian. Your best bet is the take a cab to a nice shopping area called “Plaza Rio”. Yellow cab would charge $8 for that. Please when it comes to taxi set the charge before you sit in the cab. In Plaza Rio, you have McDonald and Burger King and there are lots of cheap Mexican shops. I got my wife a nice hand bag for $15, pure leather. Kill you time till 2:45 pm and take a cab back to consulate. Wait behind the consulate till they call your name. Mexican citizens gets 1st preference. Be ready to wait for long time. Pay close attention as they sometime cant pronounce Indian names properly. Once you get the Passport take a cab and go to the border. Share the cab if you can. Save some $$.
Now as you start walking towards the border you will see San Ysidro building. This building has blue tiles decoration on outside. You need to go there and get your port of entry stamped. They might tell you that everything is okay, but tell them that you need the port of entry stamped. Now they do not issue a new I-94. The bottom end of your I-797 is your new I-94. So all you need is the stamp. Then proceed to cross the border. You go through a line where the Custom Officer will ask why you went to Mexico blah blah blah. Just answer them and they will let you go. One of our Nigerian friends was told to wait back but I am sure he made it without much issue. As you walk out you notice this exactly where you entered Mexico and your car is right there.
I hope this long blog help. Please feel free to ask any questions.
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