American Consulate General
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Texas State Bar Updates
April 2003

American Citizen Services

* Ciudad Juarez will be receiving in the current fiscal year upgraded software to be used for passport processing.  Electronic transmission of data from Post to the National Passport Center means quickness and efficiency, reducing waiting time from date of application to pickup from two to one week. 

* Additionally, the namecheck database used to crosscheck passport
applicants' information has been upgraded, now containing information such as, non-payment of child support and fugitive/arrest warrants that may result in passport denials. 

Non-Immigrant Visa Services

* Effective May 2003, Consulate General Ciudad Juarez (CDJ) will
consider out-of-district (i.e., Third country Nationals residing in the U.S. only -- TCNs) visa renewal applications providing the initial visa was issued in the applicant's home country, i.e. F1 to F1, H1B to H1B, etc. 

* As a rule, CDJ will not entertain changes of status from B to any
other category, either at the time of application in Juarez or those who have already changed from a B to another category in the U.S.  The exception will be changes of status in the U.S. by DHS  (formerly INS) in cases where the original visa issued in the applicant's home country bore an annotation indicating the applicant's intention to change status (e.g., prospective students).  The original visa must be presented at the time of the interview.

* Applicants who have approved Homeland Security (formerly INS)
changes of status while in the U.S. from other categories will be accepted,
i.e. F1 to H1B.  

* Ciudad Juarez will not accept out-of-district E visa applications
(i.e., from TCN living in the U.S. or in any other country).  Applicants who reside or work in Consulate General Ciudad Juarez' district who wish to apply for an E visa should contact the consulate directly at 011-656-52-611-3000 ext. 2211 between 10 am - 12 pm.  The district is composed of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

• Appointments can be made at nvars.com or by calling the MINACS service.
• Please contact MINACS: 1-900-443-3131
  Hours of operation:  

Monday-Friday 7:00a.m.-9:00p.m.
Saturday-Sunday     9:00a.m.-3:00p.m.
(Eastern Time)

• You may also make appointments via the internet at the following
  website http://www.nvars.com (24-hour service) 

Immigrant Visa Services

* Ciudad Juarez has been chosen as a pilot post for a ten-print live
scan machine.  CDJ will be receiving the ten-print machine in the June-July timeframe.  In the initial phase, the ten-print scanner will dedicated primarily to immigrant visa cases.

* This new technological capability will allow CDJ to receive
fingerprint results in a 24-48 hour time period versus the normal 4-8 week waiting period.  The need for a ten-print machine is imperative, as new data sharing between departments has increased the necessity for fingerprinting applicants.  Initially only the FBI NCIII hits will be processed on the ten-print scanner.  Depending on the ten-print scanner's capability CDJ will include fingerprinting for waivers of ineligibility, reducing waiting time for waiver approvals. 

* As of March 3, 2003, The K-1 (fiancée) and /K-3 (spouse of a U.S.
citizen) I-129F petitions which have typically been filed with the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Services (BCIS/INS) district offices and forwarded to Ciudad Juarez will now be forwarded by BCIS to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire following normal application procedures. 

* By July 2003, Ciudad Juarez will have caught up with the V visa
backlog and processing new V visa applications within a two-month time frame.

* Mexican applicants who have adjusted to V status in the U.S. and
wish to travel to visit family members in Mexico will need to obtain the V visa MRV at the consulate.  Applications are by appointment only, no walk-ins will be permitted.