US Immigration from Russia

They accepted our transfer everyone!

Also am I going to be emailed when the transfer is complete, or do I have to check regularly if Jerusalem has my case?

I want to pay the new DS-160 ASAP and get scheduled

My beneficiary is a Russian citizen but has been living in Serbia since May 2022. Thankfully(?) after moving to Serbia she changed apartments a few times, so the only Russian address she has on our I-129F is in the additional information section of the last page, everything else is in Serbia. We also requested to be sent to Belgrade on the I-129F, but from my reading that field has basically no impact on what actually happens. We obviously would prefer to be assigned to Belgrade than to Warsaw, and with the current pace of case processing we probably have about 6 months before NOA2. Our concern is that she's been living in Serbia unofficially using the rolling 30 day visa runs, and does not have a residency permit. The permits cost $2-3k, so we'd ideally only want to get one if it helps us interview in Belgrade. On the part of the Serbian government, they don't seem to care much about the visa runs, and their policies for applying for residency seem to me to encourage people to do repeat visa-runs (they're required to have found employment and signed a 6-month lease before applying for a temporary residency permit). On the US side however, the information I've found is a little bit contradictory/confusing. Some summary below:

• The state department website says "The NVC will give you a case number and send your petition to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where your fianc (e) lives." which makes it sound like they primarily base the assignment on your address history, not your citizenship, so we may get assigned in Belgrade based off the address history.
• The Belgrade embassy said via email that "Currently, we are only accepting immigrant visa applications from applicants who are residing permanently in Serbia or Montenegro."
  • This seems to imply that even a temporary residence permit (allowing her to stay in Serbia for 1-2 years, before applying for permanent residency) would not be sufficient to interview in Belgrade, so it's pointless to get one.
  • However, K-1 visas are classified as nonimmigrant visas, so maybe the restriction they list does not actually apply?
    • BUT, the same email states "We are currently processing ALL immigrant visa categories, including K-1 Fianc and Diversity visas." so maybe the restriction does apply to K-1's.

If we can't manage Belgrade, the backup plans we have in mind are:

• Requesting a transfer somewhere else (Currently looks like Jerusalem or Almaty unless anyone has tips for other places to try)
• Applying for a Schengen visa to enter Norway (I think that's our best odds to be approved - I have friends and she has family there, she has a past Schengen visa for a trip to see her family there) and sneak into Poland after vacationing there.
• ???

Does anyone have any experience with this situation or a similar one? We'd appreciate any feedback or advice anyone has!

My wife who is a Russian citizen has documentarily been approved for a interview to be scheduled in Warsaw Poland. The problem is that she can not travel to Poland at this time because it is very

difficult if not impossible for her to obtain a Schengen visa. I am trying to get the interview moved to a embassy in another country that will not require a visa for her to travel there. So far I am not finding any embassies

that will take on our case and perform the interview. Dose anybody have any suggestions , fortunately the interview hasn't been scheduled in Poland yet.

A few appointments have opened up for immigrant visa interviews in Almaty on the (link removed) website. There are a few on March 2nd and March 9th.

My fiance and I are getting married on March 3rd, 2023, using the Utah Online service. I expect to have a copy of the certified marriage certificate in my hands a few days later. I need to send one of the certified copies to my fiance in Moscow, as soon as possible after I receive it. Currently, what is the fastest way to get it there?