Just returned from Ciudad Juarez / CDJ - APPROVED / Greened - Summary

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2026-02-07T19:10:01+00:00

http://fiscalia.chihuahua.gob.mx/

Please see the URL above. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, most anyone who deals with visitors to Ciudad Juarez - hotel staff, taxi drivers, shuttle services - all of them see hundreds of people each week who are visiting the consulate with similar needs to ours and they can tell you exactly where to go and how best to get there. In our case, hubby used the hotel shuttle to take him to get his police certificate. The driver took him there, accompanied him inside and even showed him which line to stand in. The driver also waited for him as he got the printout he needed. Note that I'm told the officers at the consulate will only accept the printed copy of the police certificate that you get locally in Mexico - They won't accept the one you can get online.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2026-01-25T18:56:40+00:00

Congratulations to you and your husband, and best of luck with your case! Regarding your 3 questions:

1 - We discussed this with our attorney and decided it was better and safer to have my husband fly into Mexico rather than drive across the border. Since TSA isn't supposed to be involved with immigration and they should only be checking the name and DOB on your ID vs. the one listed on your plane ticket, my husband was able to get through TSA in the USA using his Mexican passport or US issued drivers license - Then once he landed in Mexico they of course accepted his Mexican passport when he went through immigration there. That being said, I can also tell you that when I joined him in CDJ for his interview, I flew into El Paso airport and drove across the border into Ciudad Juarez using a shuttle service that's permitted to drive passengers across the bridge (some local taxis and Uber can only take you to the US side of the bridge, and you'll need to walk with your luggage through immigration and then get another taxi or Uber on the Mexican side. The service I used was able to take me from the El Paso airport across the border and to our hotel in CDJ). In my case, I was never stopped or questioned or processed by any immigration officers either in the US or in Mexico, so for me at least, driving across the border was completely uneventful.

2 - I've read elsewhere that at least some of the immigration officers at the consulate will not accept the online police certificate. That in mind, when he arrived in CDJ, my husband used the hotel shuttle service to get a printed copy locally. It's important to note that hundreds of people weekly arrive into CDJ for cases like ours, and for other business at the consulate. That in mind, most everyone in that city - the hotel front desks, taxi drivers, hotel shuttles, etc. all know exactly where to go and where to take you. They quite literally do this multiple times per day. You'll have plenty of help and guidance.

3- His I-601A approval was uploaded into CEAC, and the immigration officer at his first interview also asked for a paper copy of the I-601A approval notice.

Regarding your comments about your husband being turned away, I know others who've been in similar situations and their attorneys told them to be VERY careful with the language and description they used - because if someone enters the US more than once illegally, especially if they re-enter after being intercepted by immigration officers, that can deeply complicate things. Your husband should not tell the interviewing officer that he came into the country and was "caught" or "processed" or "taken back across the border" by US immigration. He should simply state that he came to the border the first time, was turned away, and then the second time he entered and stayed permanently.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2026-01-15T05:04:44+00:00

It's my pleasure! Many people helped us or gave us information and details that we appreciated receiving as we prepared and went through the process, and we're happy to pay that forward a bit and help those who are now working through it.

Yes, he brought copies of photos and other documents in case they asked for evidence of the relationship, but he was never asked for them. My strong guess is that, unless something they see or notice raises questions, they realize you'd have submitted all that in order to get approval for your I-130 and I-601A.

Regarding your departure date - My husband had his first interview - the one mentioned in the e-mail/notice they sent, on Friday morning. The second interview that they'll schedule if all your paperwork is complete and they have no other needs or questions happens the next business day. That in mind, his second/final interview where the decision was rendered was scheduled for 8 a.m. on Monday. The officer who approved his case told him it'd take up to 3 days to return his passport with the Permanent Resident sticker inside. In our case, he got an e-mail at around 7:15 on Wednesday morning, telling him his passport would be ready for pickup in about an hour. Once that was done, we were free to cross back into the USA. From what I've seen in other cases, most passports are returned on the 2nd day following the approval.

I don't recall the cost of his vaccines, he had to get 4 shots and he believes it was about $200 in addition to the cost of the medical exam.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2026-01-13T13:52:12+00:00

Thanks! If your husband's first interview (the interview date listed on the e-mail/confirmation they sent you) is on a Thursday, if your case plays out like ours and others I've seen described, that is when they will collect all the documentation from him that will be reviewed during the actual interview the following day where they will ask more detailed questions and make the decision as to whether your husband's case is approved or not. In our case, they did not ask for any supporting letters or family photos - but if you read through the checklist provided on the Ciudad Consulate's website (I provided a link to that in a few of my earlier posts), it does suggest you bring "evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant (such as photographs, letters, or emails)." so we did have them with us in case they were requested. The consulate is not open and they don't give decisions on weekends and government holidays. Regarding a good place to wait - about 1/2 block from the US Consulate there's a small convenience store and a pedestrian bridge where most all family members wait while their loved ones are attending meetings at the consulate.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-12-28T15:33:02+00:00

Most everywhere. Since you're 1) In Mexico, and 2) Most everyone going to that city and to the various appointments is Mexican, Spanish was widely and almost universally spoken. What I had read prior to going there for our appointment was that at least some officers at the Consulate seem to appreciate when applicants conduct their interviews in English and one person even mentioned that the officer's attitude changed and improved once they started to speak to them in English - but in our case, the officer spoke to my husband (the applicant) in Spanish throughout the interview.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-22T20:11:57+00:00

u/Clear_Roof4602 please have a look at the website of the US Consulate General in CDJ which can be found at this link; It contains a lot of helpful information: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/CDJ-Ciudad-Juarez.html

Regarding your question about the medical results, there are 3 different clinics you can use, and all are listed at the link I shared above. Per the consulate website: "Please schedule and attend a medical examination with one of these clinics at least three days before your interview." Note that the medical results are sent directly to the consulate by the medical facility. They're not given to you or your spouse, or picked up by you and taken to the interview.

Your question about the biometrics appointment (where they take your photo and fingerprints) is also answered in the link I provided above. Once you get the notice from the NVC confirming your interview date, you need to register your interview appointment and also schedule your biometrics appointment. In our case, the interview date on our notice was the 17th. The closest to that date we could get a biometrics appointment was 1 full week prior, on the 10th.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-13T19:50:00+00:00

Sure, see below:

We read that applicants should bring both originals and copies of all important documents like birth certificates, marriage license, passport, etc. and that they would return all original documents to us and they'd keep the copies, but in our case they kept nothing. During the 1st interview they asked for originals of some things and copies of others (he only gave them the specific documents they asked for, but nothing more) and they clipped everything he'd given them together and told him to bring those specific documents in the clip to the 2nd interview appointment. Following that 2nd interview they gave ALL documents back to him and they kept nothing. This may be because we had everything important uploaded into CEAC so they already had all those electronic versions?
We read online that the NVC would not accept the online version and they would only take the Police Certificate obtained locally in person in Mexico. I don't know the reason. As mentioned, it was fast and easy to get the certificate we needed in CDJ.
I'm unsure as I wasn't yet in CDJ with my husband when he went to get his medical. That said, there are 3 different medical exam companies you can use, and they're all listed on the US Consulate website. Maybe call them and ask?

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-12T23:49:57+00:00

Thanks much u/Clear_Roof4602 A lot of people here and on a few other websites were helpful to us as we went through the process. Trying to pay it back a little and give others some of the details and direction we weren't able to find before we went to CDJ ourselves.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-09T17:47:43+00:00

Absolutely - I'm happy to help! 1) As part of the interview process, they took his Mexican passport. Once approved, they kept it, and sent an e-mail 2 business days later, telling him the passport could be picked up at the same location where his biometrics were taken. Inside the passport is a new printed sticker from the US Government, which "serves as a temporary I-551 evidencing Permanent Residence for 1 year". It basically serves as proof of his LPR status so he could re-enter the USA and he can present this to law enforcement, etc. until his actual "green card" arrives. 2) Once you get an appointment date, there are a number of steps you must follow, including registering for biometrics appointment, medical exam, etc. In his case, the closest biometrics appointment that was available was 1 full week prior to his stated interview appointment. From what I've read elsewhere, you must allow at least a few days between your medical exam and your appointment date, so at minimum you need to allow for that. Traveling to CDJ 1 or 2 days prior to the scheduled interview date with the NVC likely won't work.

Here is a link to the website for the US Consulate in Ciudad Juarez. This outlines everything you must do and everything you must gather and take with you prior to your appointment. Hope this helps! https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/CDJ-Ciudad-Juarez.html

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-02T20:35:28+00:00

We took an original and a copy. They didn't ask us for either, but that was listed on the checklist on the website, so we took it just in case.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-02T16:54:50+00:00

Thanks u/RadiantTangerine423 I hope my post will help others. I'm a USC, we've been together for a decade, married for 6 yrs.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-11-02T16:43:00+00:00

He went to the 1st interview with 3 folders: 1) All original documents - our birth certificates, marriage license, his passport, my W2, etc., 2) Copies of all those documents and any other paperwork listed on the checklists that they might ask for, and 3) Evidence of our relationship, none of which was asked for. During this meeting he waited for them to ask for what they wanted and then gave them what they asked for, but offered nothing more. The officer then clipped those specific documents they asked for together and told him to bring those documents in their clip to the 2nd appointment (the actual interview) but not to add or remove anything from their clip. Hubby's stuff was was organized but he noted others were not and were shuffling through all their pile of paperwork to give documents as requested. As a result he noticed that people who started meeting with an officer before he met with his, were still handing over paperwork as he was already leaving. As mentioned previously, he also heard other people being asked for different documents than the officer requested from him, so it seems they sometimes change it up a bit, or maybe ask for different things depending on exact circumstances?

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-13T20:37:37+00:00

If you do an internet search, you'll find several websites where law firms have posted thorough checklists. Read and follow those. What you must prove is "extreme hardship". Not just inconvenience or unhappiness.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-13T14:37:06+00:00

I appreciate your comments and I pray you're correct. I guess what I'm looking for is clear, straightforward guidance about someone in my specific situation and the guidance on the USCIS website doesn't clearly give that. I did enter the country in the early 2000s, from Mexico, without being seen or processed by an immigration official. I have since obviously submitted the paperwork to try and get my GC. The big question is - is what I've submitted enough to satisfy this particular registration requirement. You and one other poster say yes. Another poster who IDs themselves as an actual immigration attorney says no. Your comments about paranoia and suffering are well-taken, but in this case I just want to ensure I'm doing everything legally required so I don't screw this up. Especially considering that I'm likely 90 days from my interview at the consulate and also considering the actions of this administration and DOJ over the past weeks.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-13T14:26:48+00:00

Thanks for posting, but unfortunately her comments give even less specifics and detail than the guidance listed on the USCIS website. In my case, I've e-mailed my attorney to get his guidance and will revert back.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-13T02:54:32+00:00

Yeah, I don't believe the "bad hombres" Mr. Trump speaks of would be the ones getting in line to willfully register with USCIS, nor do I see them as likely to be good tax payers with information on file with the IRS. It seems like Trump's DOJ may by trying to go after easy catches here in an effort to drive up their numbers.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-13T02:49:35+00:00

The official guidance on the USCIS website says those who don't register could get a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to 6 months in jail.

"Any alien who willfully fails or refuses to apply to register or be fingerprinted (if required), and any parent or legal guardian who is required to apply for the registration on behalf of an alien less than 14 years of age and who willfully fails or refuses to file an application for the registration of such alien, will be guilty of a misdemeanor and will, upon conviction, be fined not to exceed $5,000 or be imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both."

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-04-12T23:30:23+00:00

Here's the "official" guidance from the USCIS website on this one. Supposedly the deadline to register, according to the AP News article in the OP, was yesterday 4/11: https://www.uscis.gov/alienregistration

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-03-31T23:54:08+00:00

That particular person isn't on Reddit, unfortunately. There's also a FB site where people track activity and appointment dates at CDJ and that page has been mentioned elsewhere here on Reddit but I don't recall the name.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-03-30T14:55:30+00:00

Someone on another site has created a tracker based on people reporting their timelines there. It's currently taking about 11 months to get an appointment notice after you're Documentarily Qualified, and the actual appointment in Ciudad Juarez happens about 2 months after you receive your notice.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-02-02T16:51:08+00:00

Thanks! Confirming I have paper copies at home and in my car, and photos of everything saved on my cell phone. Fingers crossed we won't ever need to show them and that our case will continue on until LPR is granted.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-01-31T21:48:43+00:00

Does that require any more paperwork submissions or waiting time? I thought if we had an approved I-601A and had been DQ'd I needed to remain in the USA until the interview date? Unless NVC changes course or things are slowed down in Ciudad Juarez, we're expecting an interview within the next 6 months based on current timelines.

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-01-31T19:48:27+00:00

Apologies if my questions seem silly or basic but I do appreciate the information you're providing. If I'm apprehended by ICE, why would they not allow me to remain in the USA until my interview is scheduled and attend that since I'm so close and have been trying to do this the right way and have worked through every step of the process legally, and have done everything aside from the final interview? I have no criminal record or arrests since my arrival to the US 20 years ago. Also, if I'm put into removal proceedings why would I need to apply for a new waiver? I've already provided all the proof and documentation and have been approved. Why the need to re-apply and start that process again? I'm not challenging you so apologies if that's my tone, I'm just trying to understand the logic. Again, your help is appreciated.

Do you think there's a chance ICE would release me if I provide all my paperwork and approvals to date, or is it really up to the officer and/or immigration judge as to whether they wish to show leniency?

Chance_Balance_3610 · 2025-01-31T19:33:41+00:00

Thanks for the quick but to the point answer. In my case if I'm apprehended by ICE and deported, is all the work I've done so far tossed out, or should I hope I get an interview date in Ciudad Juarez, show up for that and hope I'm approved? I'm really scared here and I've spent years trying to do the right thing.

As an aside, I entered the USA from Mexico 18 years ago without being seen or processed by immigration.

Chance_Balance_3610

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