David & Olga

6 hours ago, ViktorS said:

It looks like Poland is closed for the Russian citizens   Is there a way to get there for the interview?

To answer both of your questions, you can attempt to get into Poland by getting an Italian Business Schengen Visa (approximately 700+ Euros), apply for a Greek Schengen Visa, and/or apply for Polish Student Visa. These are all methods that have worked for others. We went the Greek route. 

Hello guys 

yes we transferred our CR-1 case to Poland and within 3 weeks we received our visa. Message me if you guys need help with anything!

at the moment there are no transferable cases other than IR-1, CR-1, and other family based visa categories. 

Hello Guys,

I wanted to see if there are any other embassies like the Moscow embassy that has still not begun to process any IR-1/CR-1 visas, and other mission critical visa categories. We've been stuck in a holding pattern with no meaningful updates as to when they will resume routine visa services for the past 9 months. 

2 hours ago, Hilde said:

Sad to see this thread so silent these days.... I always get hopeful when there´s a lot of messages and interview announcements.

It's for reasons like this one - The Embassy in Moscow has been closed for 9 months with no useful updates or anything related to the reopening/resumption of routine visa services. Currently Moscow has begun administering and distributing the COVID-19 Vaccine. I even offered to have my wife inoculated with the Vaccine prior to scheduling a interview with the embassy, and they rejected it outright. 

I'm not sure if there are many other embassies still closed due to COVID-19, but this situation feels never-ending. 

The US Embassy in Moscow is still closed and not doing any interviews since March 2020. I hope this month we finally get going with Interviews - it's been a gruesome 9 Months. 

4 hours ago, nishv said:

There is still no updates on K1 in India. Had any country started!???

Moscow Embassy is not doing any interviews at this moment - not even mission critical interviews - with a few exceptions. 

Another month passes by and Moscow continues to be closed. DQ’d since March 2020.

The Department of State shut down US Embassies across the globe around the middle of March 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Since then, it's been almost 8-Months since the closure/suspension of in-person interviews and visa processing. While a lot of Embassies have started to phase out their resumption of visa services, some have been completely mute and unresponsive - like the Embassy in Moscow, and the Embassy in Colombia. It's been an unjust amount of time to be prolonging the separation of families that have already waited a long immigration process in angst, just to arrive as a weary traveler to the doorstep of a closed Embassy.

The Department of State identified Mission Critical Visa Services in a Phase Resumption update back in July 14th of this year and some of these Embassies have not shown any sense of urgency - while some others have. 

A list of the Embassies that remain closed ought to be brought to the attention of the State Department in some form or another to point out their dereliction of duty to U.S. Citizen sponsored immigration. 

2 minutes ago, LibbyG99 said:

Anyone out there still waiting for their embassy to open? The Embassy in Ethiopia put out a statement that they can't reopen at this moment due to "resource constraints". It's not even about Covid anymore. I'm getting disheartened, and I must say jealous seeing so many people get interviews organized. They can't keep the embassy closed forever right?

We're still waiting for the US Embassy in Moscow to open up. They were recently doing interviews for the DV Applicant/Lottery Winners during the month of September. We only know if one Non-DV applicant that has an interview next week on Tuesday. But all in all, no official update since March 2020 - we've been very distressed about this whole matter. 

On 10/6/2020 at 3:21 AM, ViktorS said:

Do you know what was the reason to expedite? Our PD is May 2019 too. We had K1 denied before, not sure if it is a good idea to mention it as a "processing error"     

I don’t know the reason unfortunately. 
 

processing errors can be substantiate an emergency if you had to wait a lot time due to this error. It doesn’t hurt to try to plead that case.

3 hours ago, Usolya said:

Do you guys by any chance got your interview scheduled?

 

Yes. We know a person that got their interview on October 12th. An expedited IR-1 case. PD date May 2019.

18 minutes ago, Darya Pavlenko said:

Hi, thank you for answering my question!  Do you think we should wait until november and if there's no news on our case then transfer it? 

Our PD date is september 17, 2019

I've emailed them many times and the only answer I get is when we return to routine visa services then we'll start scheduling spouse visa interviews. I also just learned that Russia might be closing the borders down again so we're deciding if we should just move now.

I would rather try to expedite your case with the NVC - once a request is approved, you can ask them to send the case to the embassy. 
 

Transferring the case to another consular post in another country would delay your process - given what we know now. We have a similar timeline, along with 20 others that I know. We’re seeing movement with expedited cases and soon we’ll see movement with the other mission critical visa categories. 
 

I understand it’s frustrating, but right now the wisest thing is to continue to remain relatively at the front of the line (based on your PD) and wait until your case gets scheduled by the NVC. Transferring the case could yield unintended consequences that can further exacerbate your immigration timeline - besides, I haven’t heard of anyone that’s been successful in doing this. 

4 hours ago, Darya Pavlenko said:

Hello,

 

My husband and I have been apart for a very long time and our case right now is at NVC, I cant travel to Russia to see him because of Covid restrictions on the visa's. He's a Ukrainian citizen so we're considering transferring our case to Kiev. Do you think it's a good idea to do that since i'll be able to fly there to be with him? Or should we wait for our interview in Moscow? Moscow doesn't seem like it's doing any cr1/iri1 interviews but I've had friends from Ukraine who's husbands had a mission critical spouse interview and immigrated to USA this September. We have no idea what to do and are desperate for help!

They just started doing CR-1/IR-1 interviews. Someone here on VJ got an interview for October 12th, with others seeing movement and receiving emails regarding their case. I would say be a little more patient.

whens your PD date?

6 hours ago, Margarita_sunny said:

Moscow is being super silent. It's scares me a lot.

I dont think you should be scared - you just need to look for other sources. According to the Visa Issuance Statistics, Moscow/Russia processed x9 immigrant visas in the month of July. They're just moving extremely slow and without any reassuring updates on their official embassy website. When you email Moscow, they send you the same copy/paste generic email about being unable to provide a tentative opening date to resume visa interviews. Unfortunately, that's the way to cookie crumbles with Moscow - but i hope to hear some good news this month. 

Been DQ’ed since March 2020 - no update yet from Moscow Embassy. No timeline or roadmap. Hope to see some better news this month for Moscow, and for everyone else here on VJ.

10 minutes ago, knightrider said:

US consulates and embassy in India will open from Aug 17. Follow official updates here: 
http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/in/
https://in.usembassy.gov/visas/

Immigrant and nonimmigrant visas continue to remain closed unfortunately...but at least they are opening up their doors for interviews. 

On 8/6/2020 at 4:26 AM, Niia said:

Thank you! I wonder how they issued that one CR1 in June  

I found out from someone here on VJ via WhatsApp that the visa issued in June was for a cancer doctor and they filed for an expedite. 

3 minutes ago, David & Olga said:

Yes. Upon arrival at SVO, they will screen you for COVID-19 symptoms after you make it past passport control. For me, passport control was more tedious since most of the people in the flight were returning Russian Citizens. They will ask for an apostille of your marriage certificate (if you got married in the US), and also they will want to talk to your spouse (in person) at the airport - so if you go, be sure it's your spouse picking you up and that they're ready to expect a call from border control office. I'm not sure if this is protocol, but this is what happened in my case. 

 

Once you're done being screened for COVID-19 Symptoms, there will be quarantine officers giving you an office government mandated quarantine order document with the address where you will be staying. They will then escort you in special white van to your destination. You can always talk to the van drivers about having your loved ones take you instead of being escorted in these vans...but this all depends in what city your final destination is when you arrive to Russia.  

And just to add, when you arrive at SVO - we had to wait almost two hours to deplane because there was two people in full hazmat suits taking thermal body temperature readings of everyone on board. So be prepared for a long deplaning operation. They let 20 people out from the plane at a time in 10-15 minute intervals so try to get a seat on the front of the plane.

9 minutes ago, zolotinka said:

Thank you so much!

Did you need to quarantine for 2 weeks?

Yes. Upon arrival at SVO, they will screen you for COVID-19 symptoms after you make it past passport control. For me, passport control was more tedious since most of the people in the flight were returning Russian Citizens. They will ask for an apostille of your marriage certificate (if you got married in the US), and also they will want to talk to your spouse (in person) at the airport - so if you go, be sure it's your spouse picking you up and that they're ready to expect a call from border control office. I'm not sure if this is protocol, but this is what happened in my case. 

Once you're done being screened for COVID-19 Symptoms, there will be quarantine officers giving you an office government mandated quarantine order document with the address where you will be staying. They will then escort you in special white van to your destination. You can always talk to the van drivers about having your loved ones take you instead of being escorted in these vans...but this all depends in what city your final destination is when you arrive to Russia.  

i went to go visit my spouse in Ryazan..i left July 20th and just came back yesterday. I entered with a non-russian passport that is visa-free entry to Russia without a problem. You need to contact the US Russian Embassy in Washington DC, explain your case, and they will put you on a direct flight to Moscow via Aeroflot. Aeroflot flies twice a week from JFK to Moscow but are registered as Cargo Flights and they wont sell you a ticket online unless your name is on the list. 

2 minutes ago, stech786 said:

 

I didn't know you could submit more than 1 expedite request.

 

my embassy also says, that they are only handling emergency & mission critical cases. But nothing yet on my cancelled interview since Apr. I am thinking of sending expedite request. Our medical will expire next month too

 

 

great!! congrats!! someone posted a message here wondering why isn't Hong Kong embassy. 

 

It's more of a situational refusal since they say to resend the expedite request again once embassy starts accepting cases. So technically i'm asking for the same expedite request multiple times. 

7 minutes ago, Daria Parkinson said:

I’ve heard, that even the Moscow Consulate is conducting interviews individually for some visa types, including the spousal. 

Where did you hear this from? 

Just now, Daria Parkinson said:

Have you tried to expedite?

Twice - i'm in the process of disputing a third expedite request under the merit of financial emergencies surrounding the pandemic. Both previous expedite requests were turned down because Moscow embassy was closed - but i am quoting and referring to the mission critical statement the DOS made a couple of weeks back. I'm getting farther along with the request but nothing yet. 

1 hour ago, Daria Parkinson said:

Are you guys also doing the CR1 visa?

Yes we're applying for a CR1 Visa. Hopefully Moscow starts scheduling interviews - it's been a lengthy wait since we started the process (13 months ago). 

17 minutes ago, Daria Parkinson said:

Hey! Finally someone from Moscow!

We are doing CR1 and we haven’t even been DQed yet. How long did it take for you guys?

It took us roughly two months after the NVC received our AOS package to receive our DQ. Submitted Jan 9th, DQed March 10th. Still waiting on Interview. 

12 minutes ago, TC&ND said:

Hi,

I recently emailed the Moscow Consulate regarding this issue. And here’s the email reply  they sent to me.

“Thank you for your email.  We are aware there are many K1 petitions still pending interview. Once normal operations resume, we will reach out to all those pending K1 interviews, affirm their desire to extend the petition, and schedule interviews. There is no action K1 petitioners or beneficiaries need to take at this time.”

 

Sincerely,

Visa Services Unit

 

 

I emailed the Moscow Embassy in regards to my CR-1 visa application pending at the NVC since March 10th - i am waiting a response and i will post what they tell me. I'm hoping to get a response by the end of the day today or tomorrow. 

This is a good response in the sense that it's not automated like they were before. Thanks for the post.