# Visas for Mexicans going to the US



## nycgirl17 (Aug 5, 2010)

Hello Everyone,
I may be visiting the USA in a couple of months and wanted to invite one of my Mexican friends. However, I see they have to apply for a visa. Does anyone know what the US Consulate wants to see. Basically before I help my friend with all the paperwork I would like to do whatever is necessary to help him get approved especially since the $140 fee is non refundable.
As always thanks for any advice.


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

They will want to see documents that prove that he's got a stable job/life in Mexico and therefore is not planning to stay illegally in the US. This may include payment slips and bank statements for the last 12 months to show he's got solvency to cover for his expenses during the duration of the trip, copy of house deeds/rental agreement under his name, employment certificate (letter from his company stating how long he's been working with them, what his job is, how much he earns), etc. He must be able to show he's got commitments in Mexico that will force him to return soon otherwise he runs the risk of having the application rejected.


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## tepetapan (Sep 30, 2010)

A briefcase full of bank statements, titles of land ownership, employment records....like was mentioned above. The person in the embassy is trained, do not think you can fool them in any way. One lie and the interview will be over. The good news is that renewals seem to be much easier than the first application.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Ditto on the "one lie and the interview will be over". The consular employees spend all day giving visa three minute visa interviews. Their BS detector is set on extra sensitive. One of the interviewers told me that for a while there was a rumor in Mexico that going to visit Disneyland was a good reason to want a visa. So single men would tell the visa interviewer that they wanted to see Disneyland. It didn't fly with the interviewers. He said the best thing you can do is just be perfectly honest and straightforward with them.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I went through the process with my Mexican fiance just under a year ago. We succeeded, which is rare since I believe the statistic they told us at the US Embassy was a 98% refusal rate. Even the guards outside the embassy were a little amazed when she came out and said that they had given her a visa. At Guadalajara where we went they see well over a thousand applicants a day and only give out a handful of visas. A good friend of ours is a Doctor with a booming practice in Mexico City and a lovely house but he was refused because he is divorced, which I guess is an automatic trigger for denial.
I'll explain the "case" we made (I did feel a bit like a lawyer).

First, a +2 on that "no lying" advice. The absolute simple truth for why you are going and why you need to return, whatever those reasons may be, is better than any BS story you could concoct. They'll smell the lie in an instant.

Here's what my girlfriend brought with her to the interview:
1) A formal letter from me explaining why I wanted to take her to the US and what I was doing living in Mexico. I explained that I was retired and living in here Mexico and that we are getting married and I want to take her to the US to meet my family since it is difficult for all of them to come to Mexico to meet her. I explained that her entire family lives here and that she would never leave them and she has no relatives in the US. I also included the approximate dates of the trip.
2) Copies of my financial statements to show that I am solvent and we can really live in Mexico off of what I have... ie, proof that I really am retired.
3) A very sweet, informal letter of invitation from my mother, inviting my GF to her house in Missouri so she could meet her future daughter in law.

She said the interviewer was fairly businesslike at first but as he read the documents (and she said he read everything thoroughly) and listened to her explanation he softened up. The clincher was the letter from my mother. My mom was a writing teacher so her letter was masterful at pulling the old heartstrings. After reading that letter he began to smile and wished us well on the trip and our marriage and said he would approve the visa. 

I think the reason it worked was because everything was honest, made sense, had no gaps or conflicting information and my girlfriend was believable because she wasn't trying to pull any wool over the interviewer's eyes.

Our case was different since my GF doesn't have a job, a bank account or any property or any other reason to return to Mexico, which are the things they are usually looking for. Our case was honest, logical and had backup documents; that was it. 

Everything the others have said here is absolutely true and financial solvency is the normal way that the consulate decides yay or nay on an application. However, I studied the US Consulate web site and made our case based on what they say they are looking for, which is just to convince them that the applicant will return to Mexico.

Good luck!


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## ReefHound (Aug 9, 2010)

This is a frustrating issue. There is nothing you can do to guarantee an approval. It seems to have more to do with what kind of day the interviewer is having. Try to get interviewed early in the day when they are not tired, lol.

I've had several relatives (about 6) try to get visas to visit us in the U.S., some get approved and some do not. They offer no explanations for disapprovals. I really can detect no pattern with regards to finances or assets. One who owns two businesses and several houses was denied. All who were over age 40 were denied and all under age 25 (with no assets) were approved.

Tourism. That seems to be what they want to see. One of my nieces didn't have any assets at all but did have a history of visiting Acapulco and Cancun and had been to Vancouver for a month. Maybe that is why Disneyland is reported to work well, unless it seems out of character. Maybe single men need to be saying Las Vegas, baby! Wanna roll some dice and look at some ladies! Older persons might express a desire to see the Grand Canyon.


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