Visa Lawyer Blog
As attorneys that handle numerous I-601 waiver cases, we are following the Consulate in Ciudad Juarez very closely. Clients are worried about their waiver appointments and are confused about any potential delays. The U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez will re-open consular operations on a rolling basis. The Consulate’s American Citizen Services unit will resume full operations effective today.
Immigrant visa operations will resume on May 18. The panel physicians will reopen on May 11 to accommodate applicants with consular appointments on or after May 18. Applicants whose appointments were cancelled have been rescheduled for the period June 5 – June 12. Please see the link above for an updated list of rescheduled appointments.
Applicants who have I-601 waiver appointments scheduled after May 7 should proceed to the Consulate as scheduled. Even if previously notified that their appointments were cancelled, applicants should attend their regularly scheduled appointments. Applicants wishing to reschedule should contact the call center at 01-900-849-4949 (from Mexico) or 1-900-476-1212 (from the U.S.).
We will keep you posted.
The Consulate General’s non-immigrant (visitor) visa unit will resume normal operations beginning May 11. Applicants who have completed processing at the Applicant Service Center and had their consular interviews cancelled may call the call center at no charge by calling MX: 01-800-719-2525. Appointments may be scheduled for May 7, May 8, or later.
Non-immigrant visa applicants who were scheduled for processing at the Applicant Service Center and had their processing appointments cancelled may reschedule their appointments free of charge by calling MX: 01-800-719-2525.
The Embassy and Consulate General will monitor the H1N1 situation continuously and will update information on our website if the dates of the suspension of service change.
May 5, 2009 Update
The website for the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez reflects that the suspension of services has been extended. Updated information about consular operations during the flu outbreak states that all immigrant visa appointments are cancelled at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez through Friday, May 15th.
From: CDJ Legal
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 10:43 AM
To: CDJ Legal
Subject: U.S. Consulate General Ciudad Juarez Operations during H1N1 Flu Outbreak
Please forward to your members practicing immigration law.
In accordance with measures announced by the Government of Mexico to limit the congregation of large crowds to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez advise that most consular services are being suspended. The dates listed below may change. The Embassy and Consulate General will monitor the H1N1 situation continuously during the week and will update information on our website if the dates of the suspension of service change.
Immigrant Visa operations in Ciudad Juarez have been suspended from April 30 to May 8. Immigrant visa and waiver applicants who have April 29 appointments should proceed to the Consulate. The panel physicians are closed. Those applicants who have consular immigrant visa appointments after May 8 and have not yet obtained their medical exams should not come to Juarez until the panel physicians have re-opened.
All non-immigrant visas operations in Mexico have been suspended until May 6.
Consular services for U.S. citizens throughout Mexico will be limited to emergency assistance and to citizenship applications (passports and consular reports of birth abroad, or CRBA). Anyone with passport or CRBA appointments are encouraged but not required to reschedule to a later date. For more complete information on consular operations during the flu outbreak, as well as the latest travel advisory and warden messages, visit the Ciudad Juarez website at http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov/h1n1.html.
For more information on Mexico-wide operations, visit the U.S. Embassy website at http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/main.html.