It's Thursday, March 6th now, and although our visas were approved at the interview back on February 26, we're still waiting to receive them. So, we've extended our stay here in Moscow by another week and we now plan on flying out on March 12. Just wanted to let everyone know that we're still alive and well here in Moscow. Frustrated perhaps, but we're together and that's the important thing. Natasha and Vika have tried to convince me to just fly back to the USA and they'll return to Volgodonsk to await the visa (in an effort to conserve money), but I refuse to leave here without them!

Congrats to all the approvals since I've been away. I have a lot of reading to catch up on after we get back!

Congratulations----our interview is tomorrow! What do you think is the hold up with you getting the visas? Are you getting them at the DHL office?

Is it a holdup at the embassy or DHL, or do you know? Hang in there Kevin!

Did you ask DHL to hold the package at their office or to have it sent to your address in Moscow? Or was it sent to her hometown? Lastly, you have waited way too long to receive the visa, are you sure she was approved? Americans can smile and make you feel very good despite telling you that you were denied or they need extra documentation which someone who is not fluent in English might not catch onto. Just ask my grandmother on this issue during her naturalization interview.

The consul said it was approved at the interview, and when I called the visa support desk on Monday and Wednesday of this week, they also told me they visas were approved and 'being printed'. I've asked for an explanation as to the delay, but have not received a reply yet. We have flights next Wednesday, and with Monday being a holiday here we have only tomorrow and Tuesday to receive them now. We are indeed picking them up directly from the DHL office. If they don't arrive tomorrow, I'll call the support desk one more time but don't expect to get anywhere with my request to see the consul directly. So I plan on going to the US Citizen's gate at the embassy and see if there is anything that can be done.

Thanks for the well wishes! We're hanging in there, because we're together and that's the important thing.

Just another quick update. Still no visas, though the consulate still insists they were approved on February 26 and we just need to keep waiting, for no reason they will explain to me. Natasha tried to see the consul again to ask about why the visas seem to be delayed, but was turned away by the guards (after waiting nearly 2 hours). I then went to the US Citizen's gate and spoke with a woman there, but she could only give me the phone number and email address I've already tried so many times. Since our flights are set for Wednesday March 12, we'll see if we get them tomorrow, the 14th day following the interview. If we don't get them, I'll change our flights again for the 19th, but that's the day my visa expires. I've asked the consulate if there is any way of extending my visa in the event that the visas are not received prior to the 19th, but of course there has been no response. If I do have the change the tickets again and I don't get a reply email by the end of Tuesday, I suppose I'll have to call the visa support 'service' again and see if the consul will answer my question that way.

Congrats to all the approvals I've seen in my absence! Good luck to all!

Hang in there Kevin, we're all pulling for you. I don't think the consulate is going to be able to extend your Visa, only the Russian government can do that if I understand correctly. You're the man on the ground though, you probably know better. Keep us up to date as you can, and best of luck!

I would say a well-placed $100 in the hands of the guys over at the GotoRussia office near Belorusskaya vokzal would do the trick. If it doesn't I'm sure they could point you to the right hands to place that $100.

No need to bribe at first. Here is the official procedure:
"Extending or Replacing Russian Visas:

If you have visa problems, you must first consult with your sponsor. Sponsors are required to handle all visa problems, including extending their guests' visas and applying for replacement in the event the original is lost. Sponsors must provide consent and assistance for their guests to extend or modify their visas. If you do not know who your sponsor is and you have lost your visa and have no copy of it, you can contact the travel agency you purchased your visa from, or the Russian Embassy or Consulate where you received your visa, and ask them for a copy of their records. The Embassy cannot substitute for your sponsor.

The Central PVU office, under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is responsible for registering, extending, or modifying Russian visas. There is a central PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office in virtually every Russian city. Smaller, local PASPORTNY STOL offices (Otdeliniye Viz I Registratsiy) are located throughout Russia. Pay special attention to the destination written on your visa. If your sponsor and final destination are not in Moscow, under normal circumstances you should not address visa problems in the capital. Russian officials may require that you travel to your destination to sort out your visa problems.

Americans in possession of Student or Guest visas must find out from their sponsor which local PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office is responsible for their visa. Commercial and Transit visa holders must go to the central PVU. Officers at PASPORTNY STOL/PVU do not always speak English, and the process is generally long and cumbersome.

If your visa sponsor is located in Moscow, the central PVU is located at 42 Pokrovka St., tel. (495) 200-8427, Metro Krasnie Vorota or Kurskaya. The office is closed Wednesdays.

If you are in Moscow but you do not know who your visa sponsor is, or if the sponsor is located elsewhere in Russia and you cannot travel to the region, please go to the Federal Migration Service, 4 Verkhnyaya Radishchevskaya St., Bldg 1., tel. (495) 698-0078, Metro Taganskaya.

You will need to bring a number of documents to obtain your exit visa:

A letter (at least a faxed copy) from your sponsor stating your problem,
Your visa (if you have it, or a copy if you don't have the original),
Your migration card,
A police certificate indicating that the loss or theft was reported to police (if your visa was lost or stolen),
Your U.S. passport,
Rubles to pay the small fines and processing fees. All fines and processing fees must be paid at the local SberBank. The officials at the PASPORTNY STOL/PVU office will explain this process.

Once PASPORTNY STOL/PVU accepts your documents and you have paid your fines and fees, the officials will advise you when to pick up your documents. Processing time can be as long as one or two weeks. Under the law PASPORTNY STOL/PVU is allowed up to 20 working days to process your documents. Only your sponsor can expedite this process.

Americans who ask for expedited visa processing are frequently told by Russian officials to obtain a letter or diplomatic note from the U.S. Embassy. Other than in emergency cases, the U.S. government cannot intervene on behalf of American travelers. The Embassy is willing to explain this policy and attempt to clarify misunderstandings by telephone. If a PASPORTNY STOL/PVU officer requests an Embassy letter, please ask him/her to contact the American Citizen Services Unit at (495) 728-5577. Back to Top"
http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/print..._id=acsrusvisas

Visas are extended for the following reasons:
"· Missing your flight
· Accident
· Serious illness
· Seat unavailability in case of an open-date ticket"
http://www.visatorussia.com/russianvisa.nsf/FaqNew.html#20

The cost should be minimal. However, if you use an agency for this get ready to pay several hundred dollars. When I "extended" my visa twice, I used "sick" to get the free 10 days followed by the "unavailable seat" for the another two weeks. A box of chocolates to the travel agent was all that was needed to get the phony letter for the seat. Doctor's note was even easier. Of course this was all possible because my wife was the sponsor and not an agency which will ask you pay them, because you have no choice.

Hope those visas arrive soon!

Hi Kevin,
Everyones pulling for you and hopefully you will have the Visa soon ! Also disappointed that you appear to be getting such a run around by the embassy and no answers. Hang in there !

Thanks, Mox. It looks like Satellite, that ever-reliant font of information, has supplied all the data I'll need should I need to extend my visa. Thanks Satellite! Your information is greatly appreciated.

Slim - My boss suggested a bribe as well, strangely enough, but I think I'll save that for a last resort. I'd hate to attempt to bribe the one non-corrupt official in Moscow!

Kazan - we hope they get here soon too! Like, TODAY!

Chris - Thanks, I know I've living everyone's worst dream, but it is a dream that we know will (eventually) have a happy ending.

Thanks everyone! Hopefully I'll have good news in 2 hours or so.

Kevin

If you have a visa from february 19th-march 19th, it is perfectly fine to fly on the 19th--BUT do you have a private or tourist visa? i don't believe that you can extend tourist visas unless in circumstances like missing your flight, and I don't think the embassy would consider you wanting to fly home with your lady extenuating enough. I think it's better to work on hurrying the embassy up. Good luck!

FREE THE MOSCOW THREE!!!!!!!!

You're not living "everyone's worst dream" Kevin, you're living my best dream--being with your family. Don't sweat it too much, she's been approved and it's only a matter of time before you are all home. In the meantime enjoy the time with one another and be well.

Free The Moscow Three-!!! Good advice for Kevin, it could be worse. Enjoy the time in the Motherland, it may be a while until you get back again. You are together and that is the most important.

I still think there is something terribly wrong with this out of the ordinary wait. I have heard of other consulates placing their approved visa applicants into Administrative Review, post approval, for some last minute back ground check which could lasts for months. I'd really get on it with them as to what is causing the delay.

I think it probably just has to do with a holiday delay.

A couple days more and they should be there.