Zoothie

My spouse is planning to enter the US on a CR-1 visa soon. When filling out documents at NVC stage, we checked the box to send the SS card automatically. Anybody recently went through this? How quickly did it arrive for you? Thanks!

The backlog went to 8-9 mos when they transferred Moscow load to Warsaw, which happened about Nov-Dec last year. All their IR/DV-visa applicants were in the limbo since May, when Moscow stopped issuing most visas, and all that backlog just went to Warsaw. DV/IR - all of them, with DQ dates from deep last year, and hence standing ahead of "normal" processing in the queue. But I can see the wait is back to normal now.

WOW. Warsaw clearly cleared their backlog. We waited for 8 months for our interview and I see the wait is back to 2 mos. Enjoy!

Use the embassy @Warsaw resources for the interview prep: https://pl.usembassy.gov/visas/family-based-immigration/ Where you need to register is TravelDocs. I cannot trouble shoot it for you, but they way I did it was to make sure the profile is geared all about the wife's data and then when I go "New Appliation" I see "Step 1" and 2 choices: Nonimmigrant Visa Immigrant Visa Oh, I forgot to mention. BRING A MASK!!! They only allow in if the person has a mask.

1. She must; everybody must - they will not let her in without it (We were there a month ago, wife's from Belarus, but plenty of Russians there as well). The only difference for non-Polish citizens is that the only choice is to get the passport picked up at Mailboxes. 2. Create the profile at the link and follow the steps. There will be an option for Mailboxes, it's in the center of Warsaw (more or less). 3. Yes, pick the "NVC scheduled appointment" option in the combo box, fill in the case #, passport, etc. You will get a QR code in the end with Name/date/passport details. Print, bring it. That's what they ask for at the door.

Why? Two reasons, of which one is that we believe vaccines work )) The second is that it made things much easier to travel at the time: 1. She got SputnikV and it made Turkey accessible without any hurdles. 2. She got Vero Cell because we were prepping for an interview and it opened the US. 3. Lastly she got Pfizer as we wanted to go to Paris and Turkey issues EU certificates. As to the “requirements”… 1. She did her medical in Minsk in October and they asked for a covid vaccination! In fact, they even required a flu shot! 2. You will find here a plurality of cases where what the rules say does not work! For example: a. Warsaw embassy web (and that of NVC) site says police certificates are valid for 2 years. Yet, just two months ago a couple went through hell while in Warsaw as they said anything beyond a year is invalid for RU certificates. b. Same couple also ran into a problem with their AS evidence, as the officer requested a tax transcript while the rules say the fax return + W2 is also enough! c. Warsaw web site says citizens of Belarus do not need to register to get their passport back (says it right now!). And yet, as I discovered on other forums it’s not so - no one will be allowed inside without the QR code! And I confirm that after our interview. Make sure you register! So…hard work never killed anyone, but why take the chance?! ))

I can confirm Turkey does it - my wife got it there (Pfizer), took 2 trips. It costs some money (like $30 per shot). I do not think they do J&J (they did not in the sprint for sure). One thing I would recommend is that at least Belarus has Sinopharm [Vero Cell], and it's WHO approved, and should be OK for the US entry requirement. It's 2 trips as well, but much easier/cheaper...

I am in the similar boat as you divorce-wise, with a similar timeline. In my NVC submission, I provided last year tax return (as Single) and the most recent paystub. Was DQ'd, no questions asked.

Interview notification is in the range of 30-45 days from the interview date. You could email the NVC to expedite, but they will most likely reject: stay in line. I know a couple that was approved for their expedite request, but there the spouse lived in Poland, some 100 miles away from the border with Ukraine. You could try to request to move to a less loaded embassy, but you need to get that embassy to agree first. I know a couple that tried with Riga, Latvia. They were refused: stay where assigned. I know a couple that was able to transfer to Frankfurt, but there the spouse, a Russian citizen, lived in Germany officially for a long time. Most likely - prepare to wait. But the cost to try things out is low: a rejection, so try it out if you want.

Here's a concrete data point from us: 1. DQ - Feb 1, 2022 2. Interview - mid Oct Another one from a couple I know: 1. DQ - Jan 2022 2. Interview early Oct It used to be much faster, but after US was forced to shut down most consular operations in Moscow, all case load from Russia went to Warsaw. So it really got backed up, and I am not sure if they caught up. And this is not the worst case: the cases from May 2021 - Nov 2021 (the "limbo" state for Russian processing, before they were redirected to Poland) waited for 1.5 years for their interview.

Thanks!!

We have an interview scheduled in October. I wanted to upload a new version of the police certificate before the interview, as it will have been over a year since the previous one was issued. To my dismay, the "Upload Documents" button in the NVC/ceac system does nothing. Basically, uploading does not seem to be allowed. Does anybody have an idea/clue as to what to do? I know people had to upload stuff there after the interview. Does it mean we have to wait for the document to be requested by the embassy?

I know and I did. What I meant was that the instructions do not require a transcript, clearly so.

Got it, thanks. I know that the visa issuance decision is 100% in the hands of the the embassy personnel, unfortunately. For what it's worth, forget about NVC, this is direct from the Warsaw US embassy instructions for the interview: If you are older than 16 years of age: The original police certificate from your country of current residence and countries of previous residence with English translation. If these three items are all true, you must bring a more recent police certificate to the interview: You are older than 16 years of age; You obtained a police certificate more than two years ago; and You still live in the country that issued the police certificate. "two years ago". Just for the record of how absurd things can get. And the same for the IRS transcript, the AOS instructions clearly state the return with W2 is enough. Sorry to hear this bomb fell on you.

Why do you say the certificate was valid for 1 year? NVC states 2 years since the date of issue...

I was perusing interview instructions on Warsaw's site, and wanted to know what others have brought to theirs for these 2 categories: 1. Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card). Okay, so the "status" is simple - a copy of my passport. But do others bring anything for the "domicile" part or is the US Tax Return/Transcript enough? 2. Evidence of the relationship between the petitioner and visa applicant. (such as photographs, letters, or emails) It's been over 1.5 years since I applied for I-130. Do we bring all that stuff AND everything that happened to date since then? As in, financial stuff/photos/etc? What do others bring for this section? Thanks!

We have an interview scheduled for October in Warsaw (CR1). My wife is from Belarus. According to numerous posts here, we must register @ ustraveldocs even to get inside. However, the embassy website says otherwise for those from Belarus: U.S. Embassy Warsaw, Poland - WRW Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate General in Warsaw, Poland. Step 1: Register your appointment online You need to register on the website. Registration provides us with the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to register. Residents of Belarus should not register online. (The link is here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/WRW-Warsaw.html) Anybody had a similar experience recently?! I am a bit worried about this.

WOW. Sorry to hear about all that pain... I had a side question about Mailboxes...The embassy page says Polish citizens are to register, for that's how the embassy will mail back the passport. It has a side note that Belarus citizens need not register. I understand your spouse is a Russian citizen. When did they inform you to register? (My wife is from Belarus so we are a bit puzzled.)

Actually, this sounds pretty useful. I wonder if the IRS has its ear into this ...))

While waiting for an interview in Warsaw, I was perusing this one other message boards and noticed that many IR-XXX applicants keep talking about their account on ustraveldocs.com. We were DQed in Feb 2022, and I was never asked to create an account there for our CR1 case. Can somebody tell me if in fact such an account is required/was requested?

Maybe I was not clear: cash only. No check. No money order. >>> Cash <<< When apply over mail. And no - a year ago you could pay with a money order; I did. The reason is all over the news, and keeps happening, like so: "On April 24 Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said the accounts of Russian consulates in Houston and New York had been closed by the Bank of America. Other banks in the US refused to open accounts for Russian diplomatic missions."

I doubt any US bank will do it right now - everything is blocked by the US (sanctions). To give you a measure of how dire things are: to pay for a Russian visa (or a Belarus one) obtained in the US, one must pay in cash! Neither Russian nor Belarus consulate accepts any non-cash payment!! I know this because I recently applied - had to put actual dollar bills into the envelope!

Also, if you recently had an interview, please let us know your DQ/interview dates!

I wanted to get a feel of where the line is, as it's really a black box. Please provide your DQ date and also, if from Russia (transfer from Moscow) - when the case was transferred to Warsaw. We are DQed - Feb 1, 2022, still no word. Tried to expedite - denied.

@slavaskii, if the K1 queue in Warsaw is into 2023, how did you manage to schedule in 2022?