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Today, as in the past, most travelers to the U.S. must obtain a visa. The process still includes application forms and interviews as well as the collection and cross-checking of names in a highly sophisticated U.S. Government database. As a visa applicant today, it is important that you recognize that these name-checking and registration processes are necessary and crucial elements helping to protect our citizens and our visitors. Because of this process, many visas take at least several weeks to process. Therefore, please allow sufficient time to apply for and receive your visa. While individual experience may differ, here are the basic steps you should follow and what you can expect throughout the process.
Visa Appointments in Mexico:
- Click here for Average Appointment Wait Times to learn how long you will have to wait between your telephone call and the actual appointment.
All applicants should be aware that the times given above are AVERAGES,
and that the processing time of a specific case can vary due
to individual circumstances and other special requirements.
Getting an Appointment
Make an appointment to visit the Visa Section well ahead of
your planned travel (keeping in mind the above-mentioned appointment
wait and delivery times, that the visa section is closed on
holidays and
demand is higher during the months preceding Christmas, Easter
and summer holidays).
Or, if you prefer, you can use the telephone system that has been in operation for the last several years. Please call:
Phone no: 01-900-849-4949
From anywhere in Mexico, including Mexico City
[a charge will appear on your telephone bill] | Phone no: (01-477) 788-7070
[you will be charged a service fee, plus a long-distance fee through your credit card] | Phone no: 01-800-112-8500
[provided you have bought a PIN at Banamex
More information] | Complaints: 01-800-719-2525 (Toll-free call) |
To make an appointment from the U.S., please call:
Phone no: 011-52-477-788-7070
Your telephone company will bill you for the
long-distance call and a service charge will be
billed through your credit card |
Call Center Hours of Operation (Central
Time): |
Operators are available: |
• Monday through Friday | from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. |
• Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. |
The caller must have information from the applicant’s passport available,
as the appointment service operator will ask for the full
name and number in the passport.
VISA FEES
Each applicant for a visitor visa must pay a non-refundable
application fee paid in PESOS of $131 US.The
fee can be paid at any
BANAMEX branch prior to the appointment. You will be asked
to present the receipt during the processing and at the interview
window.
All Mexican citizens under age 15, who are applying for a
B-1/B-2 Border Crossing Card (BBBCC), if a parent or legal
guardian has or is applying for a BBBCC or has a Machine Readable
multiple-entry B-1/B-2 visa, may pay the peso equivalent
of $13.00 US to apply for a laser visa that expires in ten
years or on the child’s 15th birthday, whichever comes first.
If the full fee is paid ($131 US), the child may apply for
a visa valid for ten years.
For more information on visa fees please go to the Department
of State web site.
Please be sure to consult the Visa
Reciprocity Tables to find out if you must pay a visa
issuance reciprocity fee. Reciprocity fees must be paid at
the Visa Section on the day of your interview. These fees
apply to various categories of visas and differ by nationality
and the number of years the visa is valid for. They may be
paid in dollars, pesos or with a credit card.
Prepare your application form(s) before coming.
You will not be allowed in if your application forms are not
filled out in full.
| Fill out form DS-156 on the Internet
as instructed in the "documentation" link to the left. |
Delivery: once approved, most visas are
delivered to your house by a delivery service.You
will also save time at the Visa Section by filling out the
form online by following the instructions in the
"documentation" page.
Arrive on time to your VISA interview.
Only visa applicants applying for a visa are allowed into
the Visa Section. Minors (up to 20 years of age), elderly
and handicapped applicants can be escorted.
Please note that you will not be allowed to enter more than
30 minutes prior to the time of your appointment so there
is no advantage to arriving at the Visa Section too early.
Have your passport, application,
and supporting documents ready for your interview with
the visa officer.
Plan on waiting 2-4 hours while your information is processed.
For reasons of security, please be advised that no food or
drink will be allowed into the Visa Section.
A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the United States port-of entry, and request permission from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. immigration inspector to enter the United States. A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States.
The Department of State must periodically adjust fees, whether for visas
or other services provided, to comply with United States federal
legislation requiring it to recuperate the costs of services
through fees charged directly to the users of those services.
Advances in security, information processing systems and inflation
have increased processing costs for both immigrant and non-immigrant
visas, as well as for certain services provided to U.S. citizens.
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