### Long Waiting Period for US Visa Appointment in Tijuana Now Reduced to Nearly 300 Days
According to the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexican citizens currently face a wait time of nearly 300 days to secure an appointment for U.S. visa processing—down from a staggering 800 days. This represents a 37 percent decrease, yet the delay remains considerable. Stephen Black, the Consul and Head of the Visa Section, has announced ongoing efforts to further reduce these wait times.
Stephen Black stated, “We acknowledge the previous wait times exceeding 800 days and are actively working to decrease them. Presently, applicants wait just under 10 months (298 days) for an appointment, which is still too long. Over the coming weeks or months, we plan to open a large number of new appointment slots to cut this waiting time significantly.”
Applicants can take advantage of the “Advance Your Appointment” program, designed to allow eligible individuals to reschedule for earlier dates at no extra cost. For this reason, Black urges applicants to provide accurate email addresses for notifications from [email protected] if they qualify for an earlier appointment. The program primarily aids those with appointments set for 2025, effectively shortening their wait by several months.
Additionally, Stephen Black indicated that more consular officers will join the Tijuana location in the following weeks and months to further alleviate wait times, which have largely been impacted by staffing shortages.
In 2023, a record 2.3 million visas were issued across the nine U.S. consulates and embassy in Mexico, marking a 35 percent increase over 2022 numbers. This represented 22 percent of global U.S. visa issuances, with 200,000 visas approved in Tijuana alone.
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### Secondary Update: U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times and Efforts Across Mexico
The U.S initiative to reduce visa appointment delays is not limited to Tijuana. Consulates throughout Mexico are adapting similar strategies to streamline visa processing and cut down the extensive wait times that have impacted travelers and families alike.
Efforts include increased staffing across consulates, the implementation of new systems, and optimizations in visa processing that aim to tackle the backlog of applications. The U.S Consulate in Mexico City, another high-demand location, is also witnessing similar measures to enhance capacity and improve efficiency.
As part of a broader focus, there’s a concerted push to develop innovative solutions, including virtual interviews and document pre-evaluation processes, to maximize efficiency without compromising the thoroughness of security checks.
These comprehensive efforts underscore the commitment to assist applicants with timely travel plans to the United States while addressing the operational challenges experienced in recent years.
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These detailed and ongoing adaptations play a crucial role in improving U.S. visa processing and accessibility for applicants in Mexico, catering to growing demand amidst global travel recovery.