As of January 10, 2011, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico will begin a new visa application process.

The Consulate believes that these new procedures will cause visa application costs to go down and in some cases take less time for visa applicants. Some of the more significant changes are below:

• • Some applicants applying for renewals of their visas will no longer require an interview with a consular officer. The Interview Waiver Program (IWP) will be limited to applicants who are applying with Mexican passports; who are applying in the same visa category; whose visa is still valid or expired less than one year ago; who have never been arrested or convicted of a crime; who have never been deported from the U.S., denied entry or had other problems with U.S. Immigration or Customs authorities; and who do not have dual citizenship.
  • Applicants will not have to pay a separate fee for appointment scheduling, visa applications and courier service. All fees will be rolled into the standard visa application fee (e.g., $140 for a tourist visa; $150 for a petition-based visa), which will cover the appointment, application and courier fees.
  • Applicants requiring visa interviews will be required to first go to the Applicant Service Centers to submit their fingerprints, photo and the application. At that point, biometrics information will be collected and reviewed before the visa interview. The next day, the applicant will have his/her interview with the consular officer.
  • In addition to Banamex, fee payment will also be processed through Scotiabank or by credit card.
  • Applicants at U.S. Consulates in Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo will no longer pay a $26.00 surcharge.

For more information, including a schedule of the new procedures and requirements for the Interview Waiver Program, click here.