Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an immigrant visa and a nonimmigrant visa?
What is the DS-260? How do I fill one out?
What is the Information Window and when is it open?
How do I get my invoice number?
Who falls into the F4 immigrant visa category?
My immigrant visa petition has been pending for quite some time. How long will the process take?
Can family members, friends or my attorney accompany me to my visa interview?
What do I do if I can't attend my scheduled appointment?
Should I get a lawyer to help me with my case?
My visa was refused. Why did this happen, and what do I do now?
What is a waiver, and how do I apply for one?
I applied for a waiver but haven't heard back. What can I do?
What is the principal beneficiary of a petition and what is a derivative beneficiary?
What does the Child Citizenship Act do?
What happens to the derivative beneficiary's case if the principal beneficiary dies?
Where can I get information about adoption?
If I receive legal permanent residency, will I be required to perform U.S. military service?
Why do you have to take my fingerprints and how much does it cost?
I was arrested in the past. What should I do?
How do I contact the National Visa Center?
How can I get further information on immigrant visas?
I still have immigrant visa questions. How can I find more information?
What is an immigrant visa?
An immigrant visa is a document issued by the U.S. State Department that allows you to travel to the United States to apply for admission as a legal permanent resident (LPR). The Department of Homeland Security makes the final decision as to whether or not to admit you as an LPR. Once you are admitted as an LPR, you generally have the right to live and work in the United States permanently. The Department of Homeland Security will mail your permanent resident card (often called a “green card”) to your new address in the United States, usually within three months of your entry into the United States. Please see the Department of State website for information on applying for an immigrant visa.
What is the difference between an immigrant visa and a nonimmigrant visa?
An immigrant visa entitles you to apply for permanent residency upon entering the United States. A nonimmigrant visa, on the other hand, is generally for short-term visitors to the United States. Some nonimmigrant visa categories allow the holder to live or work in the United States for a specified amount of time and purpose.
Who falls into the F4 immigrant visa category?
F4 beneficiaries are the brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who have filed immigrant visa petitions on their behalf.
What is the DS-260? How do I fill one out?
The DS 260 is the online immigrant visa application. For instructions on how to complete the form and access to the form itself, you can visit the DS-260 (FAQs) page in the Department of State website.
What is the Information Window and when is it open?
The Immigrant Visa Section offers information and document collection at the "Information Window."
When: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Monday-Friday except holidays and administrative days. See the Consular Calendar for the list of closures.
Where: Visa Section, U.S. Embassy Mexico City, 305 Reforma.
How do I get my invoice number?
You may contact National Visa Center website for your invoice number.
My immigrant visa petition is about to become current. How will I know whether my interview will take place in Mexico City or Ciudad Juarez?
Only applicants in the F4 and adoption categories will have their interviews in Mexico City. The Department of State’s National Visa Center will contact applicants with current immigrant visa petitions and provide instructions on their interview location and the requirements they must fulfill before their interviews.
Will applicants who will have their immigrant visa interview in Mexico City have to travel to Ciudad Juarez for the medical exam?
No, those applicants will be able to complete their required medical exams in Mexico City.
I would prefer to have my IV interview conducted at the Embassy in Mexico City even though I do not fall into the F4 or adoption categories. Can I have my appointment moved from Ciudad Juarez to Mexico City?
No. The Department of State has authorized the Embassy in Mexico City to process visas only in the F4 and adoption categories. The Embassy will be unable to process visas that fall outside of these two categories. Interviews in all other immigrant visa categories will continue to take place at the Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez.
I would prefer to complete my required medical exam in Mexico City even though my immigrant visa interview will take place in Ciudad Juarez. Can I schedule my exam in Mexico City?
No. The panel physicians’ office in Mexico City will be staffed to handle only the F4 and adoption workload for the Embassy. Applicants in all other immigrant visa categories must go to the panel physicians in Ciudad Juarez for their exams.
My immigrant visa petition has been pending for quite some time. How long will the process take?
Pending petitions, particularly in the F4 category, may remain at the National Visa Center for many years. F4 is one of the family preference categories. There are legal limits on the number of visas that can be issued annually in each of the family preference categories. In these categories, waiting lists have been established based on the priority date, which is the date your sponsor filed your petition. Cutoff dates established by the Visa Office determine when your petition will be ready for processing. Your petition can only become current and thus ready for further processing when the cutoff date in your visa category has advanced to your priority date. Neither the Embassy nor the National Visa Center can predict when a case will become current. You should monitor the movement of the cutoff dates as announced by the Visa Office to learn when your priority date has been reached. For information on the cutoff dates, please contact the State Department Visa Information line at 202-663-1541 or refer to the
I have a pending immigrant visa to the United States. How do I find out which immigrant visa category I fall into and the status of my petition?
Mexican citizens who wish to check the status of a pending immigrant visa petition or their visa category may contact the National Visa Center via e-mail at: NVCInquiry@state.gov
Can family members, friends or my attorney accompany me to my visa interview?
Due to space restrictions, only applicants are allowed into the Embassy. Exceptions are made in the case of minor children or for elderly or disabled applicants. Under no circumstances are applicants’ attorneys or other representatives allowed into the Embassy. Family members should not wait for applicants outside the Embassy.
What do I do if I can’t attend my scheduled appointment?
For general information, for the status of your visa case, or to make or change an appointment, you may contact our call center.
Should I get a lawyer to help me with my case?
The decision as to whether to hire a lawyer or other representative is yours alone. We cannot tell you whether or not to obtain representation, nor can we recommend specific lawyers. Do not believe any lawyer or representative who tells you that they are “recommended” or “authorized’ by the Embassy.
My visa was refused. Why did this happen, and what do I do now?
U.S. consular officers are only allowed to issue immigrant visas to those applicants who qualify under the law. Some applicants who do not qualify for a visa may be allowed to apply for a waiver. If you are eligible to apply for a waiver, the consular officer will give you detailed instructions on what to do next.
What is a waiver, and how do I apply for one?
A waiver is a special authorization granted by the United States Attorney General through the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) that in essence waives a visa ineligibility. If a waiver is granted, the applicant may be issued a visa despite the ineligibility. Some visa ineligibilities can be waived, while others cannot. If you qualify to apply for a waiver, the consular officer will provide you with instructions on this process.
I applied for a waiver but haven’t heard anything back. What can I do?
The decision to approve or deny a waiver is made by United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). The process can take up to several months depending on workload and the complexity of your case. If more than several months have passed, you may request an update on the status of your waiver by contacting visas_mexico@state.gov.
What is the principal beneficiary of a petition and what is a derivative beneficiary?
In a family-based immigrant visa case, the principal beneficiary of a petition is the person on whose behalf the petition was filed; that is, the person listed on the right side of the front of Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative). A derivative beneficiary is the spouse or child of the principal beneficiary. A preference family-based case may have many derivative beneficiaries in addition to the principal beneficiary, and all of the beneficiaries (principal and derivatives) share the same petition and the same case number. There are no derivative beneficiaries in immediate relative family-based cases, which means that each applicant must have his or her own petition and individual case number.
What does the Child Citizenship Act do?
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 is a law that amended Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to confer automatic U.S. citizenship upon certain categories of children born abroad upon their admission to the United States as legal permanent residents. If the consular officer determines that the Child Citizenship Act applies, we will give the applicant our Child Citizenship Act Information Sheet.
The person who filed the petition on my behalf is not working. Does he or she still need to submit an Affidavit of Support?
Yes. If you are subject to the I-864 (Affidavit of Support) requirement, as almost all immigrant visa applicants in Mexico are, the petitioner must submit an I-864 for you. Otherwise, the consular officer will not be able to issue you a visa. This requirement applies even if the petitioner is not working or is working but does not earn enough money to support you. In these circumstances, your petitioner may find a joint sponsor who is willing to file an I-864 for you, or he or she may have a household member who is willing to file an I-864A (Contract between Sponsor and Household Member). Remember that every I-864 and I-864A must be accompanied by proof that the filer is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident, as well as the most recent U.S. tax form as of when the I-864 or I-864A was signed. If the petitioner is not working, he or she must state this on the I-864. If the person has not filed a U.S. tax return, regardless of the reason, he or she must provide a written explanation of their failure to do so.
What if I get married after I receive my immigrant visa, but before I am admitted to the United States as a legal permanent resident?
If you are issued an immigrant visa under a category that requires you to be unmarried, and you marry after receiving the visa but before being admitted to the United States, you will be subject to exclusion from the United States.
What happens if the petitioner dies before the principal beneficiary has immigrated to the United States?
If the petitioner dies before the principal beneficiary has immigrated to the United States, the petition is automatically revoked pursuant to 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3). This means that the consular officer will not be able to issue a visa to any of the beneficiaries of the petition and will be required to return the petition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If there are compelling humanitarian circumstances, the consular officer may recommend that DHS reinstate the petition. Alternatively, the applicant may contact the DHS office that approved the petition to request that it be reinstated for humanitarian reasons. If DHS reinstates the petition, the Consulate will contact the applicant(s) soon thereafter.
What happens to the derivative beneficiary's case if the principal beneficiary dies?
If the principal beneficiary dies at any time before the derivative beneficiary immigrates to the United States, the consular officer will not be able to issue a visa to the derivative beneficiary. Humanitarian reinstatement does not apply in such a case.
Where can I get information about adoption?
If you are adopting or have adopted a foreign-born child and want general information on immigrant visas for adopted children, please visit adoption.state.gov.
If I receive legal permanent residency, will I be required to perform U.S. military service?
Though required military service is unlikely, every male alien between the ages of 18 and 26 must register under the provisions of the Military Selective Service Act within thirty (30) days of entering the United States, except for an alien admitted as a nonimmigrant. Aliens who have been admitted as permanent residents or who have acquired permanent residence status after admission are also required to register. For additional information, you may contact the National Headquarters, Selective Service System, 600 E. Street NW, Washington, D.C. 23435.
Why do you have to take my fingerprints and how much does it cost?
A strict background check is required for all visa applicants. As part of this check, we routinely take electronic fingerprints of all ten fingers for ages 14 and older on the day of the visa interview. There is no additional charge for this service.
I was arrested in the past. What should I do?
If you have ever been arrested for any reason, at any time and in any country, you must tell the consular officer during your immigrant visa interview. Question 31 of Form DS-230 (Application for immigrant Visa and Alien Registration) asks whether you have ever been arrested. You must answer these questions truthfully, and you must explain the details of your situation. Bring to your visa interview all documentation concerning any and all arrests, even if the charges were dropped or you were acquitted, pardoned, or given amnesty. In addition, you must provide a copy of the statute under which you were arrested and a translation of the statute into English. The consular officer will review the evidence and make a decision as to whether you are eligible for a visa.
How do I contact the National Visa Center?
Information on contacting the National Visa Center is available on the following National Visa Center website.
How can I get further information on immigrant visas?
Further information on the immigrant visa process is available at the State Department page for Inmigrant visas.
I still have immigrant visa questions. How can I find more information?
Information on applying for a visa can be found online at travel.state.gov. For general information, the status of your visa case, or to make or change an appointment, you may contact our call center.
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