Starting January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico
will make changes to the way visas are processed. Under new procedures,
the majority of applicants will visit an Applicant Service Center (ASC)
before their consular section interview. Staff at the ASC will collect
biometric information that will be reviewed prior to the applicants’
interviews with the consular section. These service centers will be
located in buildings not connected to the U.S. Embassy or Consulates.
Please
note that the total cost for visa applications will go down. Instead of
paying separate fees for obtaining information and scheduling an
appointment, the visa application and courier services, applicants will
now pay just one fee that covers all three above-stated fees. The
application fee will remain the same: $140 for a tourist application,
$150 for a petition-based case and $390 for a treaty-trader or investor
visa.
Please additionally note that applicants at the U.S.
Consulates in Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo will no longer
be required to pay a $26 surcharge.
