October 2022

Considering the political situation, I anticipate this will become increasingly frequent, reaching levels that significantly impact applicants from the Middle East.

The system's imperfection is clear here. Bad actors don't care about getting caught and banned, leaving law-abiding folks to suffer.

Informing individuals beforehand about potential scrutiny into certain aspects of their background essentially encourages deception, as it prompts them to tailor their information accordingly...

They don't want people finding ways to circumvent it.

Ustraveldocs will refer you to the Consular Section anyway. Reach out the Consulate directly. I will paste my response from another topic: EMAIL usakz@state.gov with the following information: USE THIS SUBJECT LINE: T11 - CASE TRANSFER IN - CASE NUMBER Last name First name Immigrant visa case number Passport number Location you would like to transfer your case from Our case was already in Almaty. Reason for your request ATTACH A copy of all the supporting documents that are related to your request. I used this for all correspondence with the Consulate.

EMAIL usakz@state.gov with the following information: USE THIS SUBJECT LINE: T11 - CASE TRANSFER IN - CASE NUMBER Last name First name Immigrant visa case number Passport number Location you would like to transfer your case from Our case was already in Almaty. Reason for your request ATTACH A copy of all the supporting documents that are related to your request. I used this for all correspondence with the Consulate.

I emailed the Consulate in Almaty, and they said IOM in Moscow was okay.

I think the times when we could shop around for convenient flights and lower prices are gone for good.

I submitted I-864EZ, 1099 for 2022, and three W-2s. I haven't read the instructions for I-864, but I believe 1099 should cover it.

The interview went well. The officer asked where I live and work, and that was it. They had photocopies and translations of all civil documents. I DHL'ed the whole package to the Consulate along with my original birth certificate. They asked my mother for the originals she was bringing to the interview. I can't really tell if they actually needed the translations. I did have them, and they were notarized. (I felt it was excessive, but mom felt better with the overkill, so I did it.)

Yes, the whole transfer issue is incredibly confusing. None of the information sources online go into that much detail, so you're kind of stuck trying to figure this out as you go.

I know, right? I was amazed that they completely ignored official guidance from the State Department. I can see why Russian IR-5s are assigned to Warsaw by default. Circumstances differ, and the NVC tends to simplify. But not simply changing the post at petitioners' requests with clear guidance from the Department is mind-boggling. I expected them to know by now, because assigning more convenient posts for IR-5s on humanitarian grounds is not uncommon. DOS acknowledges the fact these are older people with health issues etc.

Sure. Let's see if I can recall. The case got DQ'd by the NVC shortly after I uploaded the documents. Sometime mid-October 2023. It took about a month to switch from WRW to ATA, so I could schedule an appoinment by early December. The case, however, was an expedite per Congressional request to the NVC. If you have an ATA case number, reach out to usakz@state.gov. They're picky about subject lines, so make sure you put "Team 11--Case Transfer In--ATA**********" in the subject line. Ask them if they received the case and you're clear to schedule an appointment. If they have your case and are ready for you to schedule, they should respond with a zip file with various instructions. Email to support@traveldocs.com, and they will send you a link with instructions to set up an account. You'll need it to schedule the interview. Navigating this can get confusing, but not too bad. I'll be glad to help if you have questions, because it's fresh in my mind.

My mom just returned from Almaty. She loved it there. I regretted not going! 😉

Circa November 2023. The NVC was not responsive at all despite the very same quotes from the DOS. Some contractor assigned to the written correspondence unit kept cutting and pasting the same response: You mother can't go to Kazakhstan, because she's neither a citizen nor a resident there. Incredibly frustrating. I ended up on the phone with a Congressional staffer, and the issue was resolved within days. My case was expedited to Almaty, and I eventually scheduled an appointment via ustraveldocs.com.

I'm curious if the NVC assigned your case to Almaty right away. I had to fight with them for Almaty, because they insisted on Warsaw. No idea how long it takes for the NVC to schedule a qualified case. My mother's case ended up being transferred, and I needed to schedule the appointment myself. From what I understood, it could be done fairly quickly (within weeks). We got somewhat delayed by logistics and personal circumstances.

I received an email about the pickup on Friday around 3:30 p.m. Almaty time (4:30 a.m. EST, but I'm an early riser). Called mom right away, and she picked up her passport/visa. I guess we lucked out, because most people said we'd probably need to wait till Monday.

I've heard good things about Istanbul as well! It's amazing how outdated our perceptions are... My mother is genuinely amazed how modern and nice Almaty is. She is from Volgograd, and her viewpoint of the nearby western Kazakhstan leans towards vast, scarcely populated steppes 🙂

Thank you, all! From what it looks like, I need to start with specific airlines. It looks like connecting via Istanbul to Moscow is the most straightforward way to go. The shortest layover I've seen was 9 hours. Oh well. At least it's a direct shot to Atlanta from there.

Thank you, I will. I was actually trying to look at direct flights from Moscow to Havana, but Aeroflot won't let me on.

I did dig around and found a couple of travel discussions from 2022, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to start a fresh one. Is it possible to research flights to or from Russia these days? I've used Kayak in the past, but now they won't display search results "due to government restrictions". The Aeroflot site won't let me on at all. I haven't tried any other carriers yet. Do I need VPN or some <Deleted> But seriously, what is it that people do these days to arrange travel? Thank you.

Good news! My mother's visa was approved. We're counting on Monday, but secretly hoping for a Friday pickup. Mom is enjoying Almaty so much, I don't think chilling there over the weekend will be an issue. Not much to report about the interview. The papers were in order, so it was quick. Mom was scheduled for 7:45 a.m.; she called me on WhatsApp an hour later from outside the Consulate. The officer asked her where I lived and what I did for a living, shuffled the papers, and said she was good to go.

Update: Mom ended up calling and setting up an IOM apointment for Feb 2. She said everything went great. The medical personnel was cordial and helpful. She was done within 2-3 hours. They sent the results to Almaty electronically.

My mother's interview is in a week. I received an email from the Consulate with instructions to ensure her up-to-date documents (police cert, financial etc.) were uploaded to CEAC with certified translations. I translated and ceritified everything myself. Yes, Russian is one of the official languages in Kazakhstan. However, my mother has to travel from Russia for a visa interview, so I don't want to take any chances. The process is absolutely ridiculous, but there's not much we can do about it.

Awesome! Congratulations 😃 My aunts in Yakutsk would say it's like summer for them! 🤪