Consulate General of the United States Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

• You will receive your visa and a sealed packet from the courier service. Your visa will be affixed inside your Mexican passport. You must carefully read the information contained both on the visa itself and in the cover letter stapled to the sealed packet. Make sure this information is correct; if it is not, contact the Consulate immediately.  

Do Not Open The Sealed Visa Packet. You Must Carry It Unopened To An Immigration Officer At A Port-Of-Entry.

• Once you have received your immigrant visa, please note the expiration date. You must enter the United States within the timeframe specified on the visa to obtain a legal permanent resident (LPR) or “green” card (Form I-151 or I-551) that will allow you to live and work in the United States.

• At the port-of-entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official will stamp your passport and make a notation that you are registered for a long-term permanent resident (LPR) card. You will have an opportunity at the port-of-entry to confirm the mailing address where you would like to receive your LPR card.

• It may take several months for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process and send the LPR card to you. In the interim, the passport stamp, valid for 6 months, permits employment and travel as you await your LPR card.  You may depart and return to the U.S. before you receive your LPR card, as long as the stamp in your passport has not expired. Should the stamp expire and you have still not received your LPR card, you should contact USCIS in the U.S. before departure to obtain permission to return to the U.S.

During the entire visa application and interview process you must tell the truth and give complete and accurate information.  If you do not, your visa will be delayed or you may be found ineligible for a visa.

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