V and A

Homestay visa is only for spouses as far as I know and you have to travel with your spouse on the same plane AND you have to physically visit consulate (which is a pain ion the butt for me since I live in San Diego and have to travel to SFO). On the other hand, for regular (business or visitor) 3 year visa you just do it through the agent. Trust me on this I checked.

Here is what it says about the new type 3 homestay. But hell i may just get a tourist visa for 3 years

New Private (homestay) visa (type 3)

New Private (homestay) visa (type 3) can be issued for the US citizens only traveling to Russia private purposes.

An invitation for this type of visa can only be provided by a private sponsor - either a Russian citizen with permanent residence stamp of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) in his Internal Russian passport or by a Foreign citizen who has long stay immigration status in the Russian Federation (a residence permit, work permit, long term student visa, diplomatic\consular card).

Visas issued according to the Russia-US 2012 Visa Agreement are valid for up to 36 months period and allow you to stay in Russia for up to six months from the date of your entry. After it you have to leave Russia and may entry again for new six months period.

Documents required:

1. A personal Letter of Invitation either from a Russian citizen - private sponsor with permanent residence stamp of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) in his Internal Russian passport or from a Foreign citizen who has long stay immigration status in the Russian Federation (residence permit, work permit, long stay student visa, diplomatic\consular card). Requirements for the Invitation letter can be found here - "Letter of Invitation (type 3)"

2. The applicant's Passport (original only!). Passport should contain no less than two blank pages marked for visas, otherwise the passport and documents can not be accepted. Passport must still be valid no less than six months after visa expiration date. IMPORTANT: Applicant's passport will be in the Consulate's possession during the whole visa processing period .

3. Copies of the passport's vital pages (personal data and photo pages).

4. Copy (public notarization is not required) of the Russian citizen - private sponsor's Internal Russian Passport with permanent residence stamp of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) or copy of the residence permit, work permit, long stay student visa, diplomatic\consular card of the Foreign citizen - private sponsor who has long stay immigration status in the Russian Federation.

5. Standard Visa Application form with one passport-sized b\w or color photo glued or stapled to the designated place for photo on the application form.

Homestay visa is a pain in the butt since you would have to always travel with your wife. I prefer regular 3 year visa. I use service too. Basically, you have to travel to consulate for homestay visa..

From what Im reading on the consulate site, it has been simplified. It very similar to the invitation letter that i gave to her mom to visit here. I didnt read anything about only being able to travel with my wife. The invite would be from my mother or father in-law. How long ago did you get your visa?

Planning a trip to vist the in-law in Russia. Has anybody had much experience with the new 3 year homestay visa? Ive been to russia several time but have always used a service to take care of my visa. Thought I might try the homestay this time.

Yes, you will need to be there.

Aghhhhhh!!!!!! Trying to get my wife onto my bank account. They tell me that I need her to have a CA state ID. I don't get it,, I thought a SSI number was good. So snow I go to get here a CA ID. I take her passport with valid I-94. and SSI card. Now the lady at the DMV tells me she cant even give her an ID. she says there isn't enough remaining time on her I-94 ( one month ten days )to be checked with immigration. I said WHAT!!!! look behind me and tell me all the ILLEGALS standing in line behind me if they have bothered to get checked by immigration!!!!!!!!!! This is such BULL #######!!! I play the good dog and jump through all the hoops and pay all the money that I'm suppose to!!!! and I'm the one who gets excrement thrown in my face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Must be soooooo F'in nice to just walk across the dang border and have everything just given to you on a silver f'in platter

thank you all. My best wishes to those who are still waiting

One more big step down)))) Our K-1 visa was approved))))))))))))))))

Approved!!!!!!!!!!

Im not seeing any russian dating sites)) But the creepy thing is,,,I see an add for Kellogs Raisn Bran. i bough a box of it lastnight, paid cash but used my Albertsons card. A coincidence???

thanks for the imput))) We were both thinking the same thing

We are starting to plan the big move from Moscow. I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on shipping her house hold goods here to the US

right on!!!)))))

We have our interview date))))) april 28th yahoooo, a light at the end of the tunnel

HI ALL

I will keep it simple -

Russia - Moscow embassy

My girl payed the K1 visa fee ( 11200 rubles ) and she get ready all paper work for interview. We tryed to schedule the appointment On line on this web.site http://cgifederal.force.com/ _ it shows we payed the money and all info about the beneficiary but at the end the server type - NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE THIS TIME -

OK so She called this number +7 (495) 668 1087 ( for peole who are calling from Russia )

They found her by International Passport number and they said - WE CANT SCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU DONT HAVE THE MEDICAL EXAMINATON DONE YET. But also they told her there are some free dates available for interview.

OK??????

So she called the hospital In Moscow (IOM) and tryed to schedule the appointment for medical. The nurse or whoever was on the phone told her sure, we will schedule the medical for you but, they were suprised that my girl wasnt able to schedule the interview with embassy.

My girl plan was 1. set the appointment with Embassy

2. schedule the medical exam in Moscow 3 or 4 days before interview

3. buy the ticket

4. Fly to Moscow and be done with it.

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT WE ARE DOING WRONG???? THX A LOT BECAUSE SHES LIKE BOILING WATER .........................

im having the same problem. i have called the consulate. the problem for us is that there are no appointment dates available for the K1 visa at the moment. we need to wait for the consulate to open days up. Lord knows when that will be though. Im so fustrated now with this whole ordeal. i had never heard of not being able to get an interview date due to this problem

Thank you

Yes you can. set up your account here. http://cgifederal.force.com/ Just hope you can get an appointment date. there dont seem to be any available

NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE IN MOSCOW!!!!!!! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!! [YES ALL CAPS BECAUSE I AM YELLING]

OK , we got it figured out, you can pay online through the website. but now it says that there are NO appointments available. GOD this is driving me sooooo crazy, Just when i thought we had gotten to the easy part

Ok my fellow Russian members, i need some help,im pulling my hair out. i would like to schedle my the interview but im seeing conflicting info. do i have my fiancee pay at the bank and get ther recipt number and do it on line. The instuctions on the Russian consulate page says that the fees need to be paid at the interview???? grrrrrr. we are working on a k1 visa

Thank god!!! Our appliction is now at the Russian Consulate. It got there on the 19th. sent an email to the consulate to ask if the recived it yesterday. Now we wait some more

Well.,,, tracked the DHL package. it arrived at the embassy on the 19th. YAHOOOOOOO!!!!! Will call on monday. In the home stretch now.

There's no need to over-think these questions. My grandmother was born where she was born, but on the day she was born, her community was part of Texas. A few years later, the border was re-designated as another fork of the red river, making her birthplace a part of Oklahoma. Was she born in Texas or Oklahoma? Either answer is correct, as there would be no birth certificate. In the OP's case, where will the birth certificate say she was born? The question is only a curiosity, as either answer would be both understood and accepted.

Thank you for all e the help. cant say how much this site means to me. when ever i go into panic mode, i have many people to walk me off the edge

She was born in the UKR. That is the country you put down. My wife was born in Belarus when it was part of the USSR but her country of birth is still Belarus.

thanks

We are currently filling out my fiancées profile on the Russian consulates website. She was born in Ukraine but while it was still the USSR. My question is what should we put down as country of birth Russian Federation or

So I was sitting in the airport , on my way to my honey but pissed off at the world because the screwed my flight up. And low and behold I got an SMS !!!!!!!!!! We are approved!!!!!

Ok CSC!!!! hurry up please!!!!!! its been four months now At least i get to see me honey in two week. yet another flight to moscow . hope we all get approved soon