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VISAS

How To Apply

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 Merida:


- Click here for Average Appointment Wait Times to learn how long you will have to wait between your telephone call and the actual appointment.


- Average Time to Receive Tourism/Business Visa After Interview: 7 - 10 days.


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 U.S. Embassy 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).


To make an appointment in Mexico, you can now click on the following to access the new Internet Visa Appointment Service.


Or, if you prefer, you can use the telephone system that has been in operation for the last several years. Please call:



  • Phone: (01)(900) 849-4949 From anywhere in Mexico, including Merida [a charge will appear on your telephone bill]

  • Phone: (01)(477) 788-7070 [you will be charged a service fee, plus a long-distance fee through your credit card]

  • Phone: (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: (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:


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 (Note: the passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of the appointment, so it should be valid for about a year from the date of the telephone call). The appointment service operator will also explain how to pay IN PESOS the $131 U.S. nonrefundable application fee at any BANAMEX branch, and will give you a time and date for your appointment.

PREPARE YOUR VISA APPLICATION(S) BEFORE COMING
You will not be allowed to enter without completely filled out application(s).
Apications filled out on the Internet are required.

To fill-in your General Visa Form via Internet, please use Form DS-156


Supplementary application form for males between 16 and 45 years of age: DS-157

To verify the status of your visa delivery, you may call toll-free to Pegaso Express: (01)(800) 3473-4276 or visit: Pegaso-Express.com.mx (Note: contract number required)


Arrive on time to your VISA interview at the U.S. Consulate.


Only visa applicants applying for a visa are allowed into the Visa Pavilion. 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 Embassy too early.


Have your passport, application, and supporting documents ready for your interview with the vice consul.


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 Pavillion.


VISA FEES


Each applicant for a visitor visa must pay a non-refundable application fee −currently $131 US− paid in PESOS. 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 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.


As of May 11, 2009, the consular rate of exchange is $14.50 Mexican pesos to the American dollar.  While the dollar amount of the non-refundable application fees did not change, the application fee for adults and children 15 and older changed to $1,900.00 pesos, while the fee for children under 15 (who do not apply for a visa valid for 10 years) changed to $189.00 pesos.

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 Embassy 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.

VISA CATEGORIES


Citizens and permanent residents of Mexico generally must have a nonimmigrant visa or Border Crossing Card. The Border Crossing Card, Form DSP-150 is a biometric, machine readable, visitor B1-B2 visa/Border Crossing Card that may be used to enter the U.S.


There are several types of visas for temporary visitors to the U.S. The type of visa needed is defined by immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. Certain types of visas may involve an issuance reciprocity fee.



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.