US Immigration from Russia

So, this question tends to come up here a lot as people think about going the CR-1 route instead of the K-1. Here's a basic run down of how to get married in Russia. As state on the Embassy website, this applies to Russian and American citizens only, things could get trickier if the other party is not a Russian citizen.

https://ru.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/marriage/

Time frame: Roughly 2-3 months

Physical locations involved:

• Local Russian consulate closest to you for getting a Russian visa
  • You can use a third party visa service to apply and it is possible to do via mail - check options in your area
• Local office where you can register the foreigner's Russian visa (post office, other bureaucratic office...options vary)
  • https://www.visahouse.com/en/information/visaregistration/
• US Embassy in Moscow - US Citizen Services Department
  • Bolshoy Devyatinsky Ln, 8, Moscow, Russia, 121099 // ., 8, , 121099
    • https://ru.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/ - email and how to get an appointment
    • Hours: Monday-Friday currently by appointment only, no walk ins.
• Department of Legalization of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Moscow
  • 1-Y Neopalimovskiy Pereulok, 12, Moscow, Russia, 119121 // 1- ., 12, , 119121
  • Hours: Monday- Friday 10:00am-12:30 p.m. and 2:30pm-5:00pm (until 4:00pm on Friday) - walk ins allowed
  • Legalization Department Official Site (in Russian only)
• Local ZAGS in your city in Russia
  • (in Russian only)

Step 1:

Obtain a visa to Russia

• Type of visa is irrelevant as long as you'll be able to stay a few months, preferably multi-entry if you want the freedom to come and go while waiting. Ideally a 3 year visa with stays of up to 6 months would be the best bet (preferably a private visa).
• The entire paperwork to marriage process will take a least a few months. Ballpark it at 2-3 months of waiting to be on the safe side.
• Once you arrive in Russia, be sure to register your visa in the town where you will be staying ASAP and get the registration. Also always keep your migration card together with your passport and do not lose it.

Step 2:

Get the information page of your passport translated into Russian (the page that has your name and photo)

• Can be done anywhere as long as it is certified that the translator knows both Russian and English
• Technically, you can do it yourself but taking it to a professional will ensure certainty plus a nicer looking format
• Translations in Russian tend to be cheap so it's worth the money - turn around time is also very fast, usually takes only 24 hours
• This document will later be given to ZAGS when you go to get married, so they can read and verify your passport
• NOTE: If you have previous divorces, you need to go ahead and get those divorce certificates translated into Russian as well

Step 3:

US citizen completes the "free to marry" affidavit at the US Embassy in Moscow and get it notarized

• You must complete this form in Russian stating that you are free to marry. Must be completed in Russian - so get a Russian speaker to help if you can't write.
• You must state if you have ever been married before; if you've been married before and are now divorced (list date/place of divorces)
• Email US Citizen Services to request an appointment for notary services. Wait time for getting an appointment is currently unknown.
• Bring affidavit, your US passport and any divorce certificates with you (get translations into English if necessary)
• Pay $50 at the US Citizen Services unit at the Embassy in Moscow and sign the form in the presence of the notary there. Do not sign the form until you are at the window with the notary officer!
• The affidavit is only valid for 3 months after it is signed by a notary

Step 4:

Get the affidavit authenticated at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow

• Right after you get your affidavit notarized, take a short trip over to the Legalization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• You do not need a prior appointment for this, walk in is possible - but during Covid, that might be different now
• One you hand in your affidavit for authentication, there will be at least 5 day turnaround time to process it - NO EXPEDITES or fast processing are available!
• This paper must be picked up in person when it is ready, no mail option is available. So either plan 2 trips to Moscow or plan to stay there for a week.
• Cost is 200 rubles, pay nearby in the building at the cashier. According to website, it might be 350 rubles now?

Step 5:

Choosing a marriage date and place at the local ZAGS

• Contact the ZAGS office in your town or city in Russia where your Russian fianc e/fianc 's is registered/currently living. Walk ins are possible but again check in advance due to Covid if you can walk in still.
• Bring all above mentioned documents to ZAGS for review. If you bring any foreign documents such as divorce certificates, bring translations into Russian and Apostille if applicable. Note: you will need to get the Apostille in the country where the document originated, so take care of that ideally before entering Russia.
• There is a 32 day obligatory wait before you can actually get married. At some ZAGS locations they will have a calendar right there where you can pick an available date and time from an option of available slots.
• Some cities have more than one ZAGS location, so think about it in advance which one you want to get married at
  • Some ZAGS offices have rooms where many guests can attend, some are bigger and more ornate than others. If you want, you can have a bunch of people attend the civil ceremony at ZAGS and make it quite formal, or you can just do a quick in and out style eloping with no fanfare at all. Some ZAGS offices are very elaborate and decorated and accommodate guests better, so think about it in advance which office will be good for your needs if there's more than one to choose from in your city. Talk to the staff at ZAGS which one might best fit your needs.
• Once you select a date you'll be given an invitation paper with your selected date. You can leave Russia during this time or you can stay and wait it out. If you choose to leave, just make sure to register your visa again when you re-enter.

Step 6

Get married at ZAGS!

• Once your wedding day arrives, arrive to ZAGS with all the proper paperwork mentioned above
• Submit it to the office where you will go through a couple steps of signing papers and getting your documents checked and reviewed again
• Once you both sign all the necessary papers and the ceremony is complete, you'll get a marriage certificate in Russian with both your names on it. It's a good idea to get it translated while you are in Russia and also buy a plastic cover to keep it protected (it only costs a few rubles.)
• That's it - now you're officially married in Russia!

Now you can start the CR-1 process if all steps go according to plan.

if you have filed a petition with USCIS during the month of October/ November/ December 2020 please gather here if you have/have not received a Notice of receipt (NOA1)

Me:

Date of application Received at USCIS lockbox: 11/302020

Location : Phoenix Lockbox

Receipt Status : Not received

Hi guys, I hope anyone can give me some useful advice.

Some background. I am Russian, my bf is American, we live in China, Shanghai already over 8 years, dating for almost 7 years. So now we started to think about moving to US. I do have US travel visa. got it twice, have been to US 4 times, never got any issues.

We cannot get married in China, 2 foreigners are not allowed to do so. So when the borders are open, we were thinking to get married in Russia and start process of obtaining a spouse visa (I read that you must do it in the country you got married). But I heard that getting this visa can take up to 2 years..is it true? Its quite a long time and not really on our radar now...

So there comes the second option, going to US on my tourist visa, waiting 90 days, getting married there, and my bf applying for spouse petition. But its kinda illegal right? and can make some troubles in the future, for instance if my parents want to visit..

Anyone got a good advise what's better to do in our situation? also if anyone is waiting for a spouse visa or got it recently? how long does it take nowadays?

Thanks in advance!

Hello.
We are now collecting the evidence of our meeting. We have like 4 pictures together (we both just really don t like taking pictures) and because of my fianc tough relationship with his family we lost a lot of receipts (for example our hotel that he wasn t able to rent because of the age so his sister did it for him but with his money of course. She is not talking to him and won t ever)

But we have been working together for more than a month. (I was on SWT program). So we have checks and all that. We wanted to get him a space in my room but they gave him the housing like one block away from mine. The rules were allowing me to have associates for 24hrs in my room so he was basically living with me for more than a month. There were a supervisor living in that house as well he knew that we are dating and he obviously saw us two. Also there were a friend of ours that saw us in that house and knows that we are in a committed relationship.
I am wondering if it s a good idea to ask them to write letters as witnesses to make our case stronger

I will appreciate your replies

thank you

We moved about 1 month after starting the N-400 in April. Originally myuscis said I was supposed to get a notice that the case had been transferred to a new field office, but I never received it. Now myuscis just says "Invalid date Case Was Received and A Receipt Notice Was Emailed" and does not mention the "We're transferring your case to another USCIS field office for review" that it initially changed to.

Is this normal? I don't really understand why they would mention that a notice would be sent only to just delete than info later? The blurb originally said that it can take a few days to appear but it never appeared at all and now any mention of the case transfer is gone entirely. Just curious what happened to others who moved (to an area with a new field office), and what happened after.

Thanks.