Tourist Visa - Friend in Russia, I am in USA

[thewildeguys 3]

Hello VisaJourney friends. 

 

I am looking for some advice/direction.

 

My friend lives in Russia. I am in Georgia USA. We are hoping she can get a tourist visa to come visit me.

 

She said she spoke to some visa agency and they told her "with a clean passport and trips  13 years ago, you will be 100% refused.

She has Europe visa.Schegen visa.

 

Thanks all.  Is there anyone/website who you guys highly recommend for their services who could help?

[OldUser 9,728]

She doesn't need agency or third party website to apply for visitor visa.

 

She just needs to file DS-160 form, upload photo and pay the fees:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html

 

Make sure she puts true information on this form. Any material misrepresentation / lie / inaccuracy can cause her never get any US immigration benefit.

 

Many visitor visas are denied, especially if she's a single lady with weak ties to her country.

 

Things like good job or successful business, properties and other ties increase her chance of getting visa.

 

Worst case, if she gets a denial, you can meet in Europe as she has Schengen visa and you supposedly have US passport.

Edited June 19 by OldUser

[thewildeguys 3]

Hello OldUser and thanks for the reply.

 

I guess our issue is....misinformation? She spoke to someone in Russia and they said she will get denied because she hasn't travelled in 12 years. Does that matter?   She has a job and apartment (she owns) that she will come back to.

Edited June 19 by thewildeguys

[OldUser 9,728]

5 minutes ago, thewildeguys said:

Hello OldUser and thanks for the reply.

 

I guess our issue is....misinformation? She spoke to someone in Russia and they said she will get denied because she hasn't travelled in 12 years. Does that matter?   She has a job and apartment (she owns) that she will come back to.

She won't get denied because she hasn't travelled in 12 years.

Other factors matter, like ties to Russia or criminal history.

 

Worst case she loses the filing fee. Nobody can guarantee or predict outcome of application with 100% certainty. It's between the applicant and US government.

 

But we can speculate based on similar cases in the past and how they went.

Edited June 19 by OldUser

[Dashinka 25,796]

Keep in mind she will need to look for a third country to apply for a B2 as none of the consulates in Russia are processing visa applications for B2’s.

 

I will move this to the Russia Regional forum for better ideas and responses.

 

Good Luck!

[Dashinka 25,796]

From the Consulate Website.

 

Non-diplomatic visa services in the Russian Federation are suspended indefinitely. Russian nationals and residents are eligible to apply for U.S. visas at any U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside of the Russian Federation. For more information on local procedures at those diplomatic missions, please visit their websites for the most current information
 

https://ru.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/

[thewildeguys 3]

Thanks Dashinka!

[zolotinka 49]

Unfortunately in the current situation most likely your friend will be denied the tourist visa because she is not a tourist. I'm reading a lot about the current situation with the US visas for Russians and from what I gathered now the embassies are looking very attentively to the travels during last 5 years and especially during last two years. They don't look much at the documents confirming income but looking at the visited countries, how far away and expensive they are. If your friend is going to mention she is coming to you this is going to be another reason for visa to be refused since the embassy will think she is going to stay illegally.
In other words to get the US visa for a Russian is very difficult now unfortunately, the rate of refusal for Russia is 40%. 
To learn more about the situation she can read the site called форум Винского or there's an excellent Telegram chat called Виза в США (gofortravel.ru) where she can read about other people's experience or ask very experienced people about her case.

Edited June 23 by zolotinka