Wouter

Hello @blakezero,
 
Currently, US citizens do not need a Schengen visa for any of the Schengen area countries, and can stay for up to 90 days.
(It does look like that from November 2023 US Citizens will need to register with ETIAS before they can travel to the Schengen zone).
 
Regarding the time it may take to get the passport (with the visa) back from the US embassy in Warsaw, my wife had her interview in October 2021 and at that time everyone got their visa back the next day, but as @Simplytex mentions, this may have changed and it may take longer now. So not a bad idea to plan for a possible longer time.
He is also correct that technically there is no requirement how much time you should spend in the visa issuing Schengen country, but the purpose of a Schengen visitor visa is to visit the country for which you have the visa. It is common for the immigration officer at entry of a Schengen country to ask the purpose of the visit. Of course it is important to answer truthfully, so when you answer that you will not even be spending a day in the issuing country and that your intention is to travel onwards to another country almost immediately, I do believe there is a risk that the immigration officer will flag this as possible abuse, and could argue that you should have applied for the Schengen visa of your destination country. (Perhaps I am too concerned about these things, and there may be people who have had no problems spending less than a day in the Schengen visa issuing country. So this is just my estimation and opinion.)
All the best!
 
Wouter
 
 

Hi! Congrats on getting the interview scheduled, but now that the waiting is over you suddenly have to hurry to get everything organized, I know how it is.
To answer your questions:
- you will get the passport with the visa back the next day after the interview
- you can fly straight from Poland to the USA if you want. You can also fly back via Turkey but that is not necessary.
- you also mention a Schengen visa and yes, your wife's mother will need a Schengen visa to be able to enter Poland. Does she already have one, perhaps from Spain since you are flying through Spain to Poland? If not then that will be something to get as soon as possible.
- Don't forget that you will also have to organize the medical examination. I believe this can be done ahead of time in Moscow or you can do it in Warsaw or even in Krakow.
Let me know if you want any more information on anything.
Good luck!
Wouter
 
P.S. Could you fill in your timeline? I would be interested to hear how long it took to get the IR5 visa. 

When I submitted in August 2021 I submitted transcripts for tax years 2018 and 2019. I believe tax transcripts are superior evidence because it shows your actual tax filings as the IRS have them on record. However, by August 2021 my tax filing for 2020 had not yet been processed by the IRS and the online IRS tax portal showed no tax transcript for 2020 was available yet. So for 2020 I submitted a copy of our 1040 (MFJ) with all schedules, and my W2. 
It all went through fine without RFE.
There is a view that 'more is better' but I wonder if sometimes sending double information can actually be detrimental. There could be small discrepancies between the two redundant sets of documents, it could cause complications in how they enter information into their internal system, or it could cause extra work to analyze both sets that could cause your case to be delayed. Personally, I have stuck to following the USCIS and NVC instructions as closely and completely as possible but without going beyond that and doubling down on sending  information. I have had no RFEs through the entire process.
Good luck!

While I can't speak to the 10-year tourist visa specifically, it is absolutely allowed (and common) for people with pending K1's to visit the United States while waiting for approval.
 
For example, my fiancée (Greece) and I filed in June of 2021. Since then, she has visited twice with a travel waiver without any issues (aside from us having to stay together in Canada for 14 days due to pandemic travel restrictions at the time).
 
To be clear, this may not be the case for someone with a B1/B2 like your fiancée which I believe allows her to stay twice as long as the ESTA travel waiver allowed mine - maybe others could chime in. But, generally speaking, tourists can still visit the US even after establishing a desire to emigrate. People recommend that travelers be ready to provide evidence of ties home such as employment contracts, leases, etc, but even that is often overkill. My fiancée, for example, had had just moved back home before she first visited, having just completed a graduate degree. As such, she had no lease, no job, no continue education. She was stressed that'd be an issue with customs, but they waved her right through.

It means that they’ve moved your case from the right of their desk to the left, because they needed to make room for their coffee mug. Additionally, they might have cleared the dust it was collecting, to make room for some more.

Swearing believably to the consular officer at the tourist-visa interview that one intends to return is a matter of faith.  Often, the only thing that the CO has to go on is the applicant's travel history -- a good record of visiting other countries and returning.
 
Entering on a tourist visa is one thing.  However, there's nothing to stop the "change of mind at baggage claim."
 
Congress needs to revise immigration law to prohibit adjustment of status from tourist visas -- period.

No lawyer can fight that as they can't change your "Yes" answer to that question and no lawyers are allowed to explain your intent in a visa interview. Even if they write any calcification statement, COs aren't required to read them.
 
When one is going to the US visit or  study and have a gf there and says "yes i plan to marry her one day of course since she is my gf and settle there"  it will be a denial even of the person was talking about marriage and work and settling in the US 20 years down the road. It should always be i'll return back after my intended visit or study, no work or nothing. Most F1 students end up working 1-2 year on OPT and are actually allowed to file H1 thru employers to legally work. Even in that case if one says "yes after finishing study, i plan to work by filing for H1 and such" it will be denied. The intent is very important whether immediate or future one.

If you want to stay with the Caribbean the US Virgin Islands may also be an option to consider for the honeymoon while waiting for AP.
 

She may not have a choice here, unfortunately. I agree with Allu: it may be a good idea to read about other people's experiences with Poland. My mom, an IR-5 visa applicant, was petrified about going to Poland too. Everyone in Russia was trying to dissuade her from the idea by telling all sorts of baseless nonesense (like she won't be checked into a hotel etc.)  She just had her interview on 4/21 in Warsaw. She told me that all her experiences were very positive, that everyone was super friendly and accomodating.

Happy to help, and thank you for the clear information. It is unfortunately quite normal for your application to still be with US immigration (USCIS) for more than a year. 
With your spouse becoming a US Citizen (congratulations) and notifying USCIS of the upgrade it may pick up speed a little (like what happened for me)  but there is no guarantee.
However, you don't have to worry about things slowing down because of the upgrade. Your priority date of October 2020 will stay the same.
I understand you are worried that when USCIS approves and your case goes to NVC that after DQ you still have to wait 2 years. First of all, I would not worry that far ahead and focus on getting to DQ. You will have to submit documents and get things sorted out with the NVC to get to the DQ which is an important milestone to reach. By that time things could be different.
Are the people who have a DQ date of December 2020 all applying for an IR-1/CR-1 visa? (If they are interviewing for a different visa category it can take longer for them)
In my experience, your spouse upgrading to become a US Citizen will only help your case and make it stronger, and will not cause delays or extra waiting.

I have been doing some research on this and have come to the same conclusion as millefleur. Although there are many sanctions against Russia and diplomatic relations are pretty bad, there are actually no changes in the rules, laws, or proclamations or EOs that restrict Russians from applying for a visitor visa to the US. The only problems are practical, i.e. the US consulates in Russia are not processing visa applications and it's incredibly difficult to find a US consulate outside Russia that is willing to accept visitor visa applications from Russia.
I am wondering why you went for Mauritius? 
I have written to several US consulates but didn't get a reply.
I guess the only possibility is to just submit an application (and pay the fee) and hope they will process it.
(I am thinking Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan which has a listed appointment wait time of 106 days and there are stories of Russians getting a visitor visa appointment there in the past, but that was pre-war)
@JayFromTexas if you do find out more about a US embassy/consulate willing to take on your girlfriend's visa application please let us know!
 
 

Unfortunately there are no examples on VJ of any Russians who obtained a B visa since the invasion started. That doesn't mean it's not possible, it's just that no one here has posted about it yet.
 
There has been no sanction or ban of visas between Russians and Americans (except diplomatic visas but that goes back way before this war even started.) Thus, nothing has fundamentally changed in terms of tourist visas for Russians. The process is the same as it was before: find an embassy or consulate who will accept appointments, pay the fee and fill out the form, make an appointment, attend interview and then wait for the outcome.
 
The applicant still has to prove the strong ties/good reasons to return to Russia and overcome suspected immigrant intent to stay in the US. Having a USC significant other makes this a challenge. It's not impossible, just means the odds are stacked against you. With the current political situation in Russia and many people fleeing daily, the odds are probably harder to overcome. I don't think the chances are good but nobody here can say with certainty what the decision will be as that's the CO's job and it depends on each applicant's individual circumstances.

If she already paid the fee for that one and decides to go to another embassy or consulate, that fee is lost. Just be aware the fees are non-transferrable. To get an idea of wait times, check here:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html
 
The answer to the question is yes, Russians can still apply for visitor visas. There was a recent thread about this. Please read for more info on potential embassies/consulates to go through:
 
 

@Wouter according to this post, you can apply for a B visa in Budapest:
 

Do not submit the fee and application to Moscow. It will be a waste of money. They are not processing B visas and most likely will not be for a very, very long time.
 
Yes, this is the way. You need to find an embassy or consulate in another country that is willing to accept a 3rd country applicant for a B. I would 100% confirm with them first that you can do so, otherwise you'll just waste the $160. Before the war broke out, Poland was supposedly accepting 3rd country applicants for B visas but I don't know now. I also heard Germany, but again, that was prior to the invasion.
 
It's impossible, just as I said before. See what ustraveldocs says:
 
"There are no plans to resume acceptance of nonimmigrant visa application fees at this point of time. All fees purchased before August 1st, 2021 are valid until September 30, 2023. MRV fees are non-refundable and non-transferable to a different applicant or country of application."
https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/
 
Step 1: Find a US consulate or embassy that's willing to take a 3rd country applicant
Step 2: Apply and pay the fee via that specific country's ustraveldoc's website - the visa fees are not transferable from country to country
Step 3: Attend interview in said country, might need to plan to stay a few days to pick up the passport if approved
P.S.: Bring translator who speaks both Russian and English as needed, as 3rd countries will not have Russian speaking staff on hand
 
Don't forget to check the average visa wait time as well, to get an idea of how backlogged different embassies/consulates are:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

When I submitted in August 2021 I submitted transcripts for tax years 2018 and 2019. I believe tax transcripts are superior evidence because it shows your actual tax filings as the IRS have them on record. However, by August 2021 my tax filing for 2020 had not yet been processed by the IRS and the online IRS tax portal showed no tax transcript for 2020 was available yet. So for 2020 I submitted a copy of our 1040 (MFJ) with all schedules, and my W2. 
It all went through fine without RFE.
There is a view that 'more is better' but I wonder if sometimes sending double information can actually be detrimental. There could be small discrepancies between the two redundant sets of documents, it could cause complications in how they enter information into their internal system, or it could cause extra work to analyze both sets that could cause your case to be delayed. Personally, I have stuck to following the USCIS and NVC instructions as closely and completely as possible but without going beyond that and doubling down on sending  information. I have had no RFEs through the entire process.
Good luck!

The immigration process is long and stressful.  I found it much easier taking things day by day and not worry much about What-If's.  I stated that I have seen posts of people getting RFE's when they submitted transcripts, but it is rare.  If you get an RFE, just respond to it.  If you don't, great.  Either way, not much use loosing sleep over something that will very likely not happen.   Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and don't fret.

Yes, but truth, in this context does not mean he must provide a full itinerary of each and every activity he has in mind.  As such, a generic truth, such as, "On Holiday" or "visiting friends" , or "pleasure trip" is usually sufficient.  A person is not required to mention they might attend a wedding, even their own wedding, any more than they are required to mention they might visit a public library.  As long as he returns to Spain as planned, there is not need to mention proposal and marriage in his answer.  A more generic truthful answer will do nicely.  
 
The OP mentions the 90 day allowed visit.  If he's really planning to stay 90 days, he should be ready to show evidence he can afford to be off work that long and that he has a job in Spain to return to.  For shorter "vacation like" itineraries, or during school holidays/breaks  it's not such an issue.

Just got email from NVC that we are Document Qualified! 
Finally, so relieved.
Good luck everyone!
 
CR-1, submitted June 10th, no RFEs.

What bank are you dealing with? I got my husband added to my bank account before he even had set foot in the US or had a visa. Some banks are better about this than others. Our bank was USAA (which is not available to everyone) but I know some are very skeptical of Russians (I've heard Chase bank) and others are nicer and more understanding.
 
If you ever plan to send money to/from Russia and the US, ask the bank about it beforehand. Some banks will look at you like you're a criminal for merely asking the question. Others don't care at all. We've had good luck with smaller, local banks and Capital One for that.
 
 

~ Moved from IR1/CR1 Process to General Immigration Discussion where GC delivery topics are discussed ~
 
A thread to see what other’s timelines regarding GC arrival are: 
 

Mine took 120 days to arrive, this was pre-covid.

You should be using the case # that was given when you paid for the green card.  Not your original case number.
In the mean time the stamped IR1/CR1 visa will serve as a valid green card for a year.

Hello again! Final update my husband made it to America with the cr1 visa!... Here are the details:
 
On November 12th my husband received an email that our interview was Dec 2nd. We had applied for the Greek visa on Nov 11th and received it the week after. Booked a flight from Moscow to Athens Nov 29th and then from Athens to Warsaw Nov 30th. To enter Athens he had a PCR test 3 days before and had to fill out the locator form before check-in for the flight. They asked for visa, COVID test and the form at the border. He crossed no problem. At the Athens airport after arrival he took a rapid test and the results were given in English. The next day he headed to Poland and they just asked for the visa and COVID test. On Nov 30th we emailed the Moscow clinic to make sure his medical exam had been sent to the embassy and they replied within the same day saying it was sent. 
 
Once at the interview he waited about 2 hours, checked all paperwork and got called in for the questions. He said it took maybe about 5 min, very simple questions like how we met, when we got married and what i do for a living. After the office told him to come back the next day for the visa at 3pm. Next day picked it up no problem. We paid the immigrant visa fees and flew from Poland to new York on Dec 12th. At the border in New York they took him to the immigration room and the officer stamp his passport after waiting for a few minutes. We did have to show negative Covid tests before leaving Poland. We were able to take rapid tests the day before and results were in English

Steve,
 
If it helps, tell your wife the interview is quite short.  My fiancee also mentioned that the CO was friendly.  She and I had spent a considerable amount of time prepping her for the anticipated interview questions.  My fiancee likes being prepared.  Her interview literally was 5 minutes long, very likely less.  He asked only 4 questions:
 
Where/how did we meet?
When was the last time wet met in person?
What does your petitioner do for work/living?
Where will you reside in the US?
 
The interview was seemingly a formality.  I would imagine a spousal interview would be even easier since you are already married.  So don't worry too much about interview prepping.