Embassy of the United States

Visas

Consular Section News

Beginning Monday, March 23, 2009, Pony Express will collect visa fees for two-year validity visas from applicants who qualify for an interview waiver.

Visa applicants who meet all of the following criteria may be considered for an interview waiver:

• Applicants who reapply within 12 months after their previous visa expiration and who previously submitted ten fingerprints.
• Applicants who apply for a visa in the same visa classification as their previous visa;
  
• Applicants who apply in their country of usual residence;
• Applicants who did not previously require any special clearance.
• Applicants who comply with US immigration laws and regulations.

We encourage all Russian visa applicants to consider a second year of visa validity. If you are planning multiple trips to the United States over the next two years, please consider this option. If you meet the above requirements, you may now pay the fee at Pony Express and avoid an extra trip to the Embassy.

Waiver of Interview Requirement for Certain Visa Applicants

Certain applicants for a U.S. visa may no longer be required to appear for a personal interview at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or Consulates General in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, or Vladivostok.

Since November 2007, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Russia have collected ten fingerprints as part of the U.S. Government’s Biometric Visa Program designed to increase the security of U.S. visas and facilitate travel to the United States by persons with biometric visas.

Effective Monday, November 10, 2008, a visa applicant who has already provided ten fingerprints at the U.S. Embassy or a Consulate General in Russia may not need to return to be fingerprinted and interviewed for a subsequent visa if:

• The applicant reapplies within 12 months after the previous visa expires;
• The applicant applies for a visa in the same visa classification as the previous visa;
• The applicant applies in his or her country of usual residence; and
• The applicant has complied with the immigration laws and regulations of the United States.

Thus, for example, an applicant who applied for and received a twelve-month, multiple entry B-1/B-2 (business/tourist) visa on December 12, 2007 (expiring December 11, 2008), and who wishes to renew his visa on January 6, 2009, will not be required to appear in person for a visa interview. If the same applicant applied for an F-1(student) visa on June 4, 2009, he would have to appear for a visa interview since the visa classification is different. If the same applicant sought to renew his B-1/B-2 visa on December 22, 2009, he would need to appear for a visa interview since the application date was more than twelve months after the expiration of the previous visa.

Visa applicants who fulfill the conditions listed above and who obtained a previous visa in Russia may submit visa applications through Pony Express to either the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy or to any of the Consulates General, regardless of where the previous visa was obtained. Through the Visa Interview Waiver Program, the applicant may not need to come in for an interview. However, a consular officer, after reviewing the application, may determine that a visa interview is required. Detailed instructions concerning the nonimmigrant visa application process are located on the Embassy website: http://moscow.usembassy.gov

Applicants working in scientific and technical fields whose applications were previously subject to administrative processing may also qualify for the Visa Interview Waiver Program.  Such applicants are likely to require administrative processing once again and should be certain to include the following additional items (in English) alongside the standard application: Form DS-157, a letter of invitation, a resume or CV, and a list of publications.

The U.S. Embassy anticipates this procedural change will ease considerably the application process for the majority of Russian applicants who wish to renew their U.S. visas.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General continue to welcome Russian citizens who wish to visit America for tourism, business, cultural exchange, and study.

Information for Belorussian Applicants

Due to the temporary suspension of nonimmigrant visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, residents of Belarus who wish to travel to the U.S. may now apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. If they are interested in scheduling a nonimmigrant visa interview, they should contact the Pony Express central office in Moscow at (7) (495) 981-1956 for instructions and details of the application process. Such applicants should have all the documents they would have brought with them to the Embassy in Minsk.

Applicants will receive their passports the next business day after the visa interview.

All non-immigrant visa applicants must submit a completed Electronic Visa Application Form. Visa applications prepared using the old visa application form are no longer accepted. After filling out the Electronic Visa Application Form online at http://evisaforms.state.gov, applicants will be able to print a copy of their visa application, which will include their data in a barcode format.

The Electronic Visa Application form provides greater uniformity, accuracy and security in processing visa applications. More >>>

As of October 26, 2005, travelers from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries with passports issued on or after that date wishing to travel to the U.S. visa-free must have a machine-readable passport with a digital photo or integrated chip. For additional information please visit the U.S. Department of State website http://travel.state.gov.

Beginning June 26, 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents will begin enforcing the requirement that travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) present machine readable passports. Those travelers from VWP countries who do not possess a machine-readable passport must obtain a non-immigrant visa in order to enter the United States. Travelers without the appropriate passport or visa may be denied entry to the United States. For more information, please refer to the May 12 press release from the Department of Homeland Security.

Changes to the United States Visa Process:

The United States welcomes citizens from around the world who want to visit, study, and do business in our country. However, following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 we have had to make the following changes in processing visas for visitors. These changes in procedures reflect our concern for ensuring the safety of U.S. residents and visitors alike, not a desire to make it more difficult for legitimate travelers to enter the U.S. >>>

New Police Certificate Requirements and Procedures for Immigrant Visas:

Applicants are required to submit police certificate in all names as well as all dates of birth that they have used. The police certificate must contain references to each place (subject to the jurisdiction of  the Russian Federation) in which the applicant lives or has lived for more than six months since reaching the age of 16. This includes localities where applicants have lived during university studies. If the applicant was on his military service, he/she should bring the certificate from the local draft board. If an applicant has lived abroad for more than one year, a police certificate must also be submitted from the country in which he/she lived.