How can Russian get B2 Visitor visa at the moment?

[Wouter 143]

Hi everyone,

I know this is not going to be easy for someone in Russia to get a B2 Visitor visa under the current circumstances, but I also believe the path may not be completely blocked.

So I am hoping that people here have some experience, information, or guidance on this.

My wife was thankfully able to immigrate on a CR-1 in November last year. Now we would like her mother to come and visit from Russia, just for a month or two.

I know my mother in law (MIL) needs to apply on her own merits and we can't petition/sponsor/invite her, but I am trying to help her figure out how to do the application under the current difficult circumstances.

From what I gathered the first step in the process is:

> submit a DS-160 application form online (with all necessary supporting documents including a photo)

Q1: the DS-160 application can be submitted online here https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ but it requires to enter where you want to submit. For my MIL should that initially still be Moscow, even though we know Moscow is not actually processing visa's at the moment?

Q2: Is there any point even to submit an application for a B2 to Moscow, is it just going to sit in an inbox? Has anybody seen a DS-160 submitted to Moscow being processed/approved lately?

Q3: Is it an option to submit the DS-160 application to another location right away (e.g. Kazakhstan, Poland, other)?

Q4: Does anyone have any advice or experience on how to initiate a B2 application from Russia at the moment (March/April 2022)?

I know it is complicated and uncertain and will probably take a long time to get it, but I also believe that it's worth trying because if you don't submit your application you know 100% sure that you won't get a visa.

I also know that even with an approved DS-160 the next challenge is to get an interview which can't be done at a US consulate in Russia for sure. But that is a next step that we will have to deal with when we get to it (who knows what the world will look like by that time).

Thanks,

Wouter

 

 

 

 

[millefleur 5,047]

11 minutes ago, Wouter said:

Q2: Is there any point even to submit an application for a B2 to Moscow, is it just going to sit in an inbox?

Do not submit the fee and application to Moscow. It will be a waste of money. They are not processing B visas and most likely will not be for a very, very long time.

 

11 minutes ago, Wouter said:

Q3: Is it an option to submit the DS-160 application to another location right away (e.g. Kazakhstan, Poland, other)?

Yes, this is the way. You need to find an embassy or consulate in another country that is willing to accept a 3rd country applicant for a B. I would 100% confirm with them first that you can do so, otherwise you'll just waste the $160. Before the war broke out, Poland was supposedly accepting 3rd country applicants for B visas but I don't know now. I also heard Germany, but again, that was prior to the invasion.

 

11 minutes ago, Wouter said:

Q4: Does anyone have any advice or experience on how to initiate a B2 application from Russia at the moment (March/April 2022)?

It's impossible, just as I said before. See what ustraveldocs says:

 

"There are no plans to resume acceptance of nonimmigrant visa application fees at this point of time. All fees purchased before August 1st, 2021 are valid until September 30, 2023. MRV fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to a different applicant or country of application."

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/

 

Step 1: Find a US consulate or embassy that's willing to take a 3rd country applicant

Step 2: Apply and pay the fee via that specific country's ustraveldoc's website - the visa fees are not transferable from country to country

Step 3: Attend interview in said country, might need to plan to stay a few days to pick up the passport if approved

P.S.: Bring translator who speaks both Russian and English as needed, as 3rd countries will not have Russian speaking staff on hand

 

Don't forget to check the average visa wait time as well, to get an idea of how backlogged different embassies/consulates are:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

Edited March 27, 2022 by millefleur

[millefleur 5,047]

@Wouter according to this post, you can apply for a B visa in Budapest:

 

[To_the_moon 94]

From what I know, you must apply at the Warsaw embassy because it is a designated embassy for all Russian-related cases. Not sure about Budapest or other third-country embassies...in general, you have to be a resident of that country to be able to apply for any type of visa there. Correct me if I'm wrong?

Since there has been no official change in visa policies between US-Russia, it is still possible to get a tourist visa. But people that I know who recently got their B2s approved, they all used an experienced tourist agency in Russia that specializes in US visas. And their interviews were in Warsaw. 

[millefleur 5,047]

10 minutes ago, To_the_moon said:

From what I know, you must apply at the Warsaw embassy because it is a designated embassy for all Russian-related cases. Not sure about Budapest or other third-country embassies...in general, you have to be a resident of that country to be able to apply for any type of visa there.

I've heard conflicting info on this. Residency does not always seem to be a requirement but I've not found any official info to confirm, just stories of people successfully doing it.

 

Also, it's not just Warsaw. There are consulates in Poland that can process B visas, such as Krakow. Non-immigrant visa applications don't have to go through embassies, consulates also work. Krakow has a much shorter wait time, so there could be benefits to looking around for other options.

[To_the_moon 94]

5 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I've heard conflicting info on this. Residency does not always seem to be a requirement but I've not found any official info to confirm, just stories of people successfully doing it.

 

Also, it's not just Warsaw. There are consulates in Poland that can process B visas, such as Krakow. Non-immigrant visa applications don't have to go through embassies, consulates also work. Krakow has a much shorter wait time, so there could be benefits to looking around for other options.

Just did some research on the US embassy & consulate website and it states that Warsaw is a designated embassy for immigrant visas. So you are right, for B2s it might not only be Warsaw, it's just people that I know all went to Warsaw. Does that mean information about transferring only immigrant cases to Warsaw is not completely accurate? Since they do process tourist visas. I'm just wondering why there is a lack of official info on this part and why wouldn't they post about both immigrant and non-immigrant visas? 

[millefleur 5,047]

58 minutes ago, To_the_moon said:

I'm just wondering why there is a lack of official info on this part and why wouldn't they post about both immigrant and non-immigrant visas? 

I have a few theories, but this is speculation:

 

1. Covid backlogs have made CO's busy and visitor visas are bottom of the barrel on the priority list, so they've never bothered to designate an official plan for Russians

2. They're afraid to publish "come here and apply for a B!" info because then a whole bunch of people might pour in and overwhelm smaller consulates

3. Fear of Russians bum rushing the system for B visas now that the invasion/war has happened, as they will assume most people will use B's to immigrate

 

58 minutes ago, To_the_moon said:

Does that mean information about transferring only immigrant cases to Warsaw is not completely accurate? Since they do process tourist visas.

Immigrant visas require an interview in a totally different room/space from non-immigrant visas plus they can only be done at embassies. You have to go one-on-one in a closed door room with a CO who then gives you way more scrutiny than a non-immigrant visa applicant. Given all the extra security and scrutiny and higher level of importance, immigrant visas have to have a designated embassy.

 

As far as I know, all embassies also process non-immigrant visas as well. Consulates, however, only do non-immigrant visas. There was a thread a while back about a Georgian lady whose father went via Krakow and got her tourist visa interview there no problem. The reason she did Krakow was because Georgia's embassy was so backed up for tourist visas the wait was like 1+ year. Krakow had a much lower wait, so he just went there. He was not a resident of Poland but went through everything successfully. It's odd because I read stories like this all over but there's not really official confirmation anywhere. Oh I found it:

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by millefleur