According to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, their office plans to resume processing  nonimmigrant visas for third country nationals ("TCNs"), e.g. foreign nationals other than citizens of Mexico in late April.  The consulate has indicated it will process visa applications for TCN's renewing their visas as long as the initial visa was obtained in their home country, as well as applications by TCN applicants who obtained a change of status from BCIS, unless that initial category was B-1 or B-2 with a limited exception.  

Ciudad Juarez will process visa applications for foreign nationals who arrived in the U.S. with a B1/B2 visa with a "prospective student" annotation, but will not process those who seek to change to another nonimmigrant status from an un-annotated B or who arrived in the U.S. with a B visa with no annotation and later obtained a change to another nonimmigrant status. Furthermore, Ciudad Juarez does not intend to process E applications, nor will it accept cases with special requirements due to its workload. 

The consulate recommends that applicants wishing to apply for a visa in Ciudad Juarez make an appointment at least two weeks in advance of their travel. Please note that this expansion in policy does not change the basic rules regarding the inability of foreign nationals from certain countries from applying as TCNs or in mandating that individuals who apply for visas as TCNs cannot return to the U.S. using their Form I-94 under the "automatic revalidation" provisions. Please see our web page under "Travel" for more information.

Although applying for a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) at a border post like Ciudad Juarez may be convenient, it is important to remember that processing NIVs at a consulate located in a country other than the applicants country of citizenship increases the likelihood that the application may be denied.  If this were to happen, the visa applicant would not be able to reenter the U.S. but would have to travel directly to their home country to reapply for NIV. 

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