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prmjcm

Feb 6, 2010, 10:21 AM

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visa for wife

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My wife is a mexican national and we were married in mexico, she has a mexican passport what does she need to travel NOB with me (visa, or what), and where do I get it.

Thanks Pat Moore

mazbook1

Feb 6, 2010, 10:35 AM

Post #2 of 17 (4590 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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Yes, to enter the U.S., even if only in transit to somewhere else, she must go to the nearest U.S. Consulate (NOT Consular Agency) or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and apply for a U.S. visa. It is not easy to get, but somewhat easier for the spouse of a U.S. citizen. Of course, now she must have a Canadian visa for entry into Canada (I don't know about the transit thing), which she can ONLY get from the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City. See their website for all the details.

gpkgto

Feb 6, 2010, 11:11 AM

Post #3 of 17 (4578 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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She can apply for a visa in Guadalajara also. She can call ahead for an appointment which saves time. I think the US Embassy website has all the information she will need. The US officials generally do not treat visa applicants well, so she should be prepared to be insulted and you (if you are from the US) should be prepared to feel like crap because of the way your wife was treated. I am sure there are exceptions to the bad treatment issue, but most of my Mexican friends have horror stories about the process, and I personally fought (through emails to congressmen, senators, embassy officials, and the white house) to get a second interview for a friend's mother after she was denied without having her application even looked at by the visa official in Guadalajara. After they agreed to "let" her PAY FOR and have a second interview immediately, she declined to go because she said it was too humiliating.

(This post was edited by gpkisner on Feb 6, 2010, 11:32 AM)

see saw sallie

Feb 6, 2010, 11:28 AM

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Re: [gpkisner] visa for wife

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Glad none of my Mexican relatives ever had that problem.

Maritsa

Feb 6, 2010, 12:56 PM

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Re: [gpkisner] visa for wife

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When my Mexican boyfriend called the embassy for an appointment, they told him to be there on a certain date at 9 am. We realized when we arrived that about 1,000 people all had the same appointment, so we stood in line all day. He was inside for a good 5 hours, and I had to wait outside. He came out shaking his head. They absolutely denied him a visa, saying that if he had been in the US illegally, he was banned for 10 years. Period. As far as I understand, being married doesn't mean much anymore as far as getting permission to enter the US. The day we were in line, there was a young lawyer in line also, and we talked as we waited. He came out before my boyfriend, and he was denied a 1 week visa to go to a lawyers' convention of some kind NOB. So, even being a professional didn't carry much weight it seems.

Papirex

Feb 6, 2010, 1:41 PM

Post #6 of 17 (4529 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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Mazbook1 is right, she must go to The US Embassy or a US Consulate to apply for a US Visa. Having an American spouse does not grant any special considerations for a Mexican citizen to get a US Visa. It isn't easy to get one, and applicants are frequently rejected arbitrarily and no reason is given for the rejection. The fees paid for the application are forfeited when that happens.

A rejected applicant may apply again after something like 30 days, but new fees must again be paid with each application. One of my wifes' aunts had a US Visa renewal rejected for no reason a few years ago, but it was approved a month later. No reason was given for the rejection, it was for a renewal, not a first time visa. Her husband and she own a very profitable import business in México City, they own their own home, and they have daughters in a Mexican university, etc. There is no probability that she would try to overstay any visa.

This is not a racist or denigrating comment, but it should be remembered that most of the employees at The US Embassy are Mexican citizens and they work like any Mexican government official anywhere. When my wifes' aunts' first visa renewal request was refused, it meant that she missed attending a family wedding in The State of Maryland. When she demanded an explanation of why her visa renewal was refused the first time she applied, she got no answer, but the Mexicana clerk at The US Embassy did laugh in her face.

It is unpredictable what your experience may be. My suegra had to renew her US Visa a couple of years ago. It took about an hour to do it, and her new US Visa is good for ten years. My Mexican wife and I were married in The US. She was up there legally on a visa and we were able to get a “Green card” for her when we lived up there. We have met all of the requirements so that her “Green card” never expires. No visa problems for her.

Good luck, Rex
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

Bethie

Feb 6, 2010, 1:41 PM

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Re: [Maritsa] visa for wife

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Maritsa, even though he was illegally NOB, he can file for a waiver. It is not just that someone comes NOB EWI (entering without inspection) that bans someone, it is the time NOB. Over 180 days triggers the ban. However, when you file for a visa thru USCIS, pay the fees, etc. your paperwork is sent to the National Visa Center, more forms are required and more fees, you go for your Visa interview and are denied, then you find out if you are eligible to file for a waiver of inadmissability. You then must prove that it is and "EXTREME" hardship if you, a US citizen would have to move to Mexico to be with spouse. Extreme hardships include health reasons, caring for parents, education, etc. I suggest anyone wishing to go thru the process check out this website www.smf.juarez-mexico.com they have a section called Immigration for Dummies, in english and espanol. It is a long and hard process, you must be strong...it is alot of information to digest. I hope this helps anyone contemplating this process.
Bethie.

Marlene

Feb 6, 2010, 2:40 PM

Post #8 of 17 (4505 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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prmjcm wrote:

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My wife is a mexican national and we were married in mexico, she has a mexican passport what does she need to travel NOB with me (visa, or what), and where do I get it.

You won't be able to get it for her, she will be on her own for doing that. You can certainly help her prepare, though. The application form my husband filled out said it had to be completed in English with no help from anyone (I take it that meant one of those paid services that aren't to be used).

Make the appointment by calling the number they give you to call in Mexico City. It is like a 900 number so costs money. They will give her the time and date to arrive, and will instruct her what she needs to bring. Bring that and more! Anything that can prove she has permanent roots in Mexico and there can be no doubt she will return. If they suspect otherwise, the visa will be denied. You likely will not be permitted to go inside the building with her for this process.

If the appointment date is 2 months away, call from time to time to see about cancellations. My husband did that and was able to reschedule. It´s not a cake-walk (and ends up being quite stressful from worrying about getting denied), but if you have all ducks in a row, and answer questions honestly, in a straightforward manner, it should be fine. Being married to an American citizen doesn't pull any weight for a Mexican applying for a tourist visa, so I recommend not playing that up during the interview. They will see that fact on the application form and ask the questions they need to.

My husband was treated respectfully. His processing agent was in Hermosillo, Sonora, and was an American woman. He said a lot of people in line with him were denied. We know people who have been denied and others who have had no problems. Their circumstances here in Mexico seemed quite similar, but the US Govt. dealt with them differently, so who knows.

Reefhound

Feb 6, 2010, 4:02 PM

Post #9 of 17 (4482 views)

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Re: [Marlene] visa for wife

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Not only does being married to a U.S. citizen not help, I've heard it can actually be detrimental. One of the primary criteria in granting a visitor visa is proving the applicant intends to return to Mexico and does not intend to immigrate. Some officials may consider the marriage inherently as intent to immigrate.

My own experience with Mexican family supports the theme of this thread that the visa process is a difficult and mysterious one. Visas are granted or denied arbitrarily and they do not tell you why or listen to reasoning. In one case, our 16 yr old niece was granted a visa and spent a month with us one summer. The next year her mother was denied a visa despite being married, owning a home, and having three kids in school there. We had hoped she could be with us for a few months for my wife's second child birth. I tried all I could to resolve it and only found dead ends. A lot of family members would like to visit but don't even want to bother with it.

sparks

Feb 6, 2010, 4:48 PM

Post #10 of 17 (4463 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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Difficult I would say. Probably be better to apply for a Fiance Visa if you both plan to live in the US. Temporary travel is difficult.

Also a Mexican marriage means nothing (unless long term) for a Fiance Visa

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

see saw sallie

Feb 6, 2010, 7:59 PM

Post #11 of 17 (4436 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] visa for wife

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Quoted by Reefhound:
'Visas are granted or denied arbitrarily and they do not tell you why or listen to reasoning.'

I have had several family members get a visa...10 year ones....and never once were they based on a marriage to an American citizen. And if lack of education or an older age were reasons to weed out people, then my mother-in-law never would have gotten her 10 year visa. Makes me then wonder if Reef was once again right when he mentioned that being married to an American might be detrimental. The only thing we ever worried about was money in the bank for proof of income during that visa application. That meant the applicant had to find other means of income while allowing their full salary go to the bank for 3 months so to build it up and make it look like they had a decent job in Mexico thus reason to return. Now, this is not to say any of them have been denied...they have, but applied again and got in another time. No one in this family is a professional (aside from me, but I'm not Mexican) nor has huge assets. Farm people...and every one of them have that 10 year visa. Wish I could help in letting you know why it works for some and not others. Also, I do not help or go to the office to apply/interview with anyone applying. I offered once and was told it is better that I don't because they found that it makes for more questions later.

Never were any of them mistreated or laughed at when applying. Not in Mexico nor in USA (greencard for one). If anything, I have been impressed with the level of professionalism each of them were dealt. Now on the other hand, I have been mistreated and asked for a bribe by a Mexican agent when renewing MY visa to live in Mexico, so I know it does exist. Toss of the coin.

bammazmx

Feb 7, 2010, 1:59 PM

Post #12 of 17 (4372 views)

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Re: [prmjcm] visa for wife

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My wife went through this 5 years ago.

First of all, if your wife has a steady history of employment, a house in her name, bank accounts (that have existed for a significant period of time) etc, etc. She should be fine. Her marriage to you should have no factor whatsoever.

However if she does not qualify on her own the next normal situation would be for her to qualify off of her husbands credencials. In this case, as somebody mentioned it can actually hurt your wifes chances of recieving a VISA because she is married to an american.

This is because she now has to convince the embassy personal that "you" are her garentee that she will return to Mexico. Since you are a US citizen they view this as highly suspicous.

Here is how it went with us.......

We went to Hermasilla for her appointment... like others said , many people ...blah, blah, blah.... No I was not welcome to enter the building for her interview.

My wife was NOT able to qualify for a Visa on her own merits (and we knew this) so she had besides the application.... proof of her employment status ( but she was employed for less than 6 months)..... our marriage certificate.... my Mexican bank accounts, my title for our house (at that time in a trust)... etc.

She was flat out denied... came out of the building in tears after being there for 5 hours.... told me the lady that interviewed spent about 30 seconds looking at all her papers, then asked her... why is this application filled out in english?... she said because there was two options of applications to download ... she spoke english... so she thought that was best. Question #2 .... Your husband is a US citizen? she said yes.
The next thing the inteviewer said was " DENIED " ... My wife said she asked why she was denied... the answer was "We dont have to give you a reason" .... NEXT

Well we took a walk for about 1 hour.... talked about it... then I decided ...this is bull%$#@.

I went into the embassy by myself... explained what happened to the clerk.....asked for a supervisor... I was told one would be with me shortly. If I remember correctly his name was Christian... and he arived withing 5 minutes... I explained the whole situation about my wifes interview, I explained to him that yes I am a US citizen but Mexico is my perminant home... I own nothing in the US.... everything is here... we want to be able to visit familly in the US.....blah, blah blah.

He immediatly went to find my wifes file... looked it over.... Here is what he told me.... There are me a two other full time supervisors here... there are about a dozen "interviewers" that rotate in for short abounts of time....they have a checklist of things to look for in general.... Everybody that is trying to obtain a Visa is viewed as a "suspect" one checkmark on the list and the person is denied. The reason your wife was denied was because you are a US citizen... the way we look at this situation "IN GENERAL" is that your wife should be applying for a US "residency" card, NOT a Visa.

My next statement to him was since I dont even have a US address, a US bank account... nothing... How am I supposed to do that. His answer.... You prabally cant.... you just kind of fall into a "grey" area.

He then spent about 10 minutes asking me questions about myself, my wife, her family, my family etc. taking notes the whole time. He then said.... ok.... if you are telling me the truth.... "I believe that your wife was unfairly denied" .... "unfortunatly" ...."unfairly and "incorrectly" are not the same things" .... "I can NOT overturn the interviewers decition because technically she followed procedures, but I can interview you wife personally at 9am tomorrow morning"

At 9 am the next morning he spent about 1/2 hour talking to my wife I was allowed to be present but could not speak... he went alll over all the same questions that he asked me the previous day.... things about me, my family, herself, her family... sometimes asking the same question in a different way, looking for inconsistancies in our story. (which luckily for us was the truth). The guy was being very nice but he took his job serious!!!!!

Of course we had to pay another $100, stay in hermosilla an extra night... but all ended well....Once he checked his notes he said looks like everything you told me yesterday matches to what you wife told me today... I believe your story.... Sorry about all the problems yesterday. I am approving a 10 year Visa... she can go get her photo and prints right now and you can both be out of her in about 20 minutes!!!!!

UUUUUUUUFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!

Good luck Pat

Reefhound

Feb 7, 2010, 7:36 PM

Post #13 of 17 (4326 views)

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Re: [bammazmx] visa for wife

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What a refreshing story! Sounds like you got lucky to talk to someone who was willing to spend time with you, actually listen to your story, and empathise with your situation.

Hound Dog

Feb 8, 2010, 7:25 AM

Post #14 of 17 (4278 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] visa for wife

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It was a story that ended well thanks to a compassionate person but for everyone of these there are thousands of denials for "no reasons".

mazbook1

Feb 8, 2010, 9:27 PM

Post #15 of 17 (4190 views)

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Re: [sparks] visa for wife

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"Probably be better to apply for a Fiance Visa…"

sparks, getting a visitor's visa or a 10 year lazer visa is a snap (NOT) compared with getting a fiancée visa. Not only do you first have to pay to get permission from Homeland Security to even go to Ciudad Juárez (yep, that's the one and only place in México that issues them) for your interview (both my now wife and I were interviewed separately, she in English, which she does not speak, and I in Spanish which at that time I spoke poorly…even though we both requested that we be interviewed in our native languages), then after several months, during which we managed to get some ridiculous extra documentation for them, they notified my fiancée that she could come back up to Juárez and that neither I nor the children needed to come again, only she had to bring the children's passports. She flew up there, stood in line with all the others, went into the holding pens (2, just like cattle), after 6 hours went in for another "interview", pushed the passports through the security drawer (like a drive up bank) and the person looked at them, read her papers and denied the visa because she thought we were trying to commit "visa fraud".

My senator (who I know personally, even worked on his first campaign years ago) couldn't help at all! I had to wait several months for my lady to cool off, then we got married in Mazatlán, and since I had sufficient time in residence in México, I applied for Mexican citizenship and got it. If you think losing a deposit for the application for an ordinary visa is hard, this whole fiasco cost us thousands, non-refundable, naturally. How Mexican citizens are treated in the Ciudad Juárez Consulate is truly a crime against humanity. It's horrible AND humiliating.

(This post was edited by mazbook1 on Feb 8, 2010, 9:31 PM)

Reefhound

Feb 8, 2010, 9:45 PM

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Re: [mazbook1] visa for wife

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And it just encourages people to sneak across the border, marry in the U.S., and file for an Adjustment of Status.

see saw sallie

Feb 8, 2010, 10:25 PM

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Re: [Reefhound] visa for wife

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Which many are being denied that too.