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Russian Visas - New Rules For Homestay Visas

By Nick_Moscow in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

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Nick_Moscow Contributor

Nick_Moscow   2

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Hi Everyone,

I'm a long-time-reader, first-time-poster who joined this site back in '07 when I was working on a spouse visa for my dear wife. The Guides on this site have been and will continue to be valuable to me, and I'm always entertained by the posts in this "Russia" sub-forum, so today I'm sharing my visa experience in the hopes that I can be as useful to other members as this site has been useful to me.

Long-story-short: If you are married to a Russian citizen, you can now get a homestay (guest) visa without obtaining a letter of invitation from the Visa Department (last I checked this was called OVIR or Passportny Stol) in Russia. This is awesome (!!) because obtaining these letters of invitation was predictably cumbersome and a huge pain-in-the-a$$ for the poor Russians who decided to host you! To this day I am shocked that my mother-in-law wasted days of travel time and much patience on obtaining this letter of invitation for me back in '07, when at the time I was only her daughter's boyfriend!

Well, enough back story, down to business: how to get one of these homestay visas through your Russian-citizen spouse. The most difficult part will be getting through to an operator at the Consulate to confirm its procedures and to get it to fax you the necessary form (I called for days on end before finally getting through to a young lady who answered the phone quite nonchalantly, as though I hadn't been waiting on hold for thirty minutes!!)

The Consulate worker will explain the process to you, but you must convince her that you're married to a citizen, otherwise she'll just tell you the standard homestay rules: to track down a letter of invitation in Russia (you know how un-transparent the Russkies are; this special category of homestay visa is described nowhere on their site and it was like extraxting teeth to get the lady to explain to me what to do!). She’ll send you a template letter that your spouse must complete. This letter I think is the substitute for the standard homestay visa letter of invitation. Then she’ll tell you the other things to bring: copy of your passport, copy of her internal (Russian) passport, copy of her green card, copy of your wedding certificate, and copy of your plane tickets. Those last two are maybe the trickiest: my marriage certificate is in Russian so I didn’t need an official translation, but you might if you got married stateside. Also, the consulate requires that you’ve already purchased tickets, so that it can give you the visa for the necessary dates. Buying tickets before you get your visa should be OK though since there shouldn’t be a risk of getting your visa denied!

That's how it works. You'll never need a tourist or "business" visa again! Whew. Well, I’m just very very happy that I picked up my visa today. I’m going to celebrate novy god with all my friends and in-laws in Russia!!! If anyone has more questions about how this all works, just post and I’ll do my best to help. :D

Neonred Experienced

Neonred   3,576

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Can it be done by mail or does it require a visit to the consulate?

If at first you don't succeed, then sky diving is not for you.

Someone stole my dictionary. Now I am at a loss for words.

If Apple made a car, would it have windows?

Ban shredded cheese. Make America Grate Again .

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Deport him and you never have to feed him again.

I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

I went bald but I kept my comb.  I just couldn't part with it.

My name is not Richard Edward but my friends still call me DickEd

If your pet has a bladder infection, urine trouble.

"Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow."

I fired myself from cleaning the house. I didn't like my attitude and I got caught drinking on the job.

My kid has A.D.D... and a couple of F's

Carrots improve your vision.  Alcohol doubles it.

A dung beetle walks into a bar and asks " Is this stool taken?"

Breaking news.  They're not making yardsticks any longer.

Hemorrhoids?  Shouldn't they be called Assteroids?

If life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

If you suck at playing the trumpet, that may be why.

Dogs can't take MRI's but Cat scan.

mollypicon Apprentice

mollypicon   0

Posted
Filed: Timeline
Posted (edited)

Are you talking about the visa which is meant to be used to enter Russia with your Russian spouse, which was new in 2010? Or is this something else for 2011? I'm wondering

as I'm about to visit my husband in Russia and applied for a business visa as it seemed like the simplest thing.

Edited by mollypicon
slim Grand Master

slim   1,530

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Thanks for posting, Nick. What's the cost associated with this thing?

Русский форум член.

Ensure your beneficiary makes and brings with them to the States a copy of the DS-3025 (vaccination form)

If the government is going to force me to exercise my "right" to health care, then they better start requiring people to exercise their Right to Bear Arms. - "Where's my public option rifle?"

SMR Proficient

SMR   368

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Are you talking about the visa which is meant to be used to enter Russia with your Russian spouse, which was new in 2010? Or is this something else for 2011? I'm wondering

as I'm about to visit my husband in Russia and applied for a business visa as it seemed like the simplest thing.

How long are you planning to stay? For under 30 days a tourist visa is easier and cheaper (unless you actually plan on doing business).

Pupsik Explorer

Pupsik   4

Posted
Filed: Citizen (pnd) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted (edited)

^^^dont forget quicker too. My russian tourist visa arrived today. whole process took about 2 weeks. i hear that the homestay (private) visa can take a substantially longer time since there have to be documents filled out in russia and then forwarded back to the US.

I went through an online tour agency that arranged the invitation and handled everything by mail. total cost was about $250 including postage.

Edited by Pupsik

odjxjv.png

Dina and Craig's timeline:

08-27-2010 Met through a mutual friend

04-17-2011 Married

08-01-2011 AOS Packet sent (I-130,I-485,I-765) via USPS Priority mail

08-03-2011 Package delivered via USPS tracking

08-08-2011 Received Text/Email that all 3 apps were accepted/Checks cashed

09-06-2011 Biometrics Appt. in Philly

09-14-2011 RFE Sent for 485. I forgot to sign one section of the 485

09-21-2011 RFE Mailed back to USCIS

10-14-2011 Card production of EAD ordered

10-17-2011 Interview notice (I-797C) received for 11-16-2011

10-22-2011 EAD Card received

11-16-2011 APPROVED. Card Ordered, Passport Stamped.

Neonred Experienced

Neonred   3,576

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Yes, I'd probably go for the tourist visa again as it is so easy to get from several online sources.

If at first you don't succeed, then sky diving is not for you.

Someone stole my dictionary. Now I am at a loss for words.

If Apple made a car, would it have windows?

Ban shredded cheese. Make America Grate Again .

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Deport him and you never have to feed him again.

I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

I went bald but I kept my comb.  I just couldn't part with it.

My name is not Richard Edward but my friends still call me DickEd

If your pet has a bladder infection, urine trouble.

"Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow."

I fired myself from cleaning the house. I didn't like my attitude and I got caught drinking on the job.

My kid has A.D.D... and a couple of F's

Carrots improve your vision.  Alcohol doubles it.

A dung beetle walks into a bar and asks " Is this stool taken?"

Breaking news.  They're not making yardsticks any longer.

Hemorrhoids?  Shouldn't they be called Assteroids?

If life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

If you suck at playing the trumpet, that may be why.

Dogs can't take MRI's but Cat scan.

  • 2 weeks later...
YozhikandBulochka Explorer

YozhikandBulochka   3

Posted
Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Seems almost easier to just get the Homestay Visa the regular way....I dont like the fact of paying for tickets with no guarantee that I will have a visa. =(

3/20/2011: Preparing Documents for I-129f Forms

4/15/2011: Received Signed Cover Letter & G325A Form

From the Misses

5/11/2011: I-129f forms mailed to USCIS lockbox (^_^)b

5/13/2011: Documents delivered to USCIS lockbox via USPS (^_^)

5/17/2011: NOA1 supposed email/text but forgot to include G 1145 Form =(

5/18/2011: Check Cashed by USCIS (YAY!!!)

5/18/2011: USCIS mails NOA1

5/23/2011: Received HARD COPY OF NOA1 d(^_^)b

********The Long wait begins*********

9/11/2011: 120 Day marker

9/13/2011 @ 11:30am GMT+3: Our Son is born. (^_^)

10/18/2011: 157 days later Receive Confirmation Email that we received NOA2 (^_^)b

10/27/2011: NVC Sent Case to US embassy in Moscow.

11/02/2011: NVC Received case in US Embassy in Moscow.

11/5/2011: Received NOA2 Hard Copy from VSC

11/11/2011: Our son receives his first Passport (Russian)

12/28/2011: CRBA Interview in Moscow @ 2pm (***APPROVED***)

12/29/2011: K-1 Interview in Moscow @ 8am (***APPROVED***)

1/13/2011: Sasha receives his CRBA Certificate and US Passport and is now a Dual Citizen (WAY TO GO SON!!!)

1/23/2011: Visa is Officially in Hand. Let the preparations begin.

3/30/2012: POE John F. Kennedy Airport New York (I CANT WAIT!!!!)

6/1/2012: Proposed and She said yes!!!

6/7/2012: Finally Married in Annapolis - Mr & Mrs. Temidayo (^_^)b

**********AOS PREPARATIONS***************************

ticker.png

ticker.png

Neonred Experienced

Neonred   3,576

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
 Timeline
Posted

Seems almost easier to just get the Homestay Visa the regular way....I dont like the fact of paying for tickets with no guarantee that I will have a visa. =(

I don't know anyone here that has been denied a visa to visit Russia.

If at first you don't succeed, then sky diving is not for you.

Someone stole my dictionary. Now I am at a loss for words.

If Apple made a car, would it have windows?

Ban shredded cheese. Make America Grate Again .

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Deport him and you never have to feed him again.

I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

I went bald but I kept my comb.  I just couldn't part with it.

My name is not Richard Edward but my friends still call me DickEd

If your pet has a bladder infection, urine trouble.

"Watch out where the huskies go, and don't you eat that yellow snow."

I fired myself from cleaning the house. I didn't like my attitude and I got caught drinking on the job.

My kid has A.D.D... and a couple of F's

Carrots improve your vision.  Alcohol doubles it.

A dung beetle walks into a bar and asks " Is this stool taken?"

Breaking news.  They're not making yardsticks any longer.

Hemorrhoids?  Shouldn't they be called Assteroids?

If life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

If you suck at playing the trumpet, that may be why.

Dogs can't take MRI's but Cat scan.

 
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