From agoodfriend@glas.apc.org Tue Feb 28 23:04:14 EST 1995 The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has updated it's informational handout about non-immigrant visa application procedures as follows: NON-IMMIGRANT VISA PROCESSING AT EMBASSY MOSCOW Welcome to the American Embassy non-immigrant visa section. We have prepared this handout to assist you in the visa process. We ask you to read it carefully. Visas are the subject of complicated U.S. laws governing their issuance. Most applicants who visit the Embassy are successful. Approximately 80 percent of those who apply for visas at Embassy Moscow are found qualified. This information is to help you understand the process and to speed your processing. Please note that the consular section shares an entrance (just beneath the flag at 19/23 Novinskiy Blvd.) with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). INS officers interview approximately 50,000 applicants for the U.S. refugee program annually. The Embassy receives approximately 130,000 visa applications annually (in Europe second only to the U.S. Embassy in London). Waiting space is at a premium. Therefore we appreciate your patience as we try to attend to the some 300-500 people who apply in person daily. APPLICATIONS: Applications are free. We ask you to pick up and complete your application before coming to the consular section. Applications are available Monday-Friday form 10-12:30 AND 1:30-3 P.M. at the information window beneath the American flag on Novinskiy Blvd. The form should be typed or completed neatly in block letters in Russian. INTERVIEWS: Everyone in line by 10 a.m. will be interviewed the same day. Those applicants arriving after 10 a.m. will be asked to pick up an application at the information window and apply the following day. Document intake and fee payment begins in the consular section's north annex. DOCUMENTS: The documents you will need to bring to the interview depend on the category of visa for which you will be applying but in all cases each traveler will need: (1) a passport valid for at least six months following the proposed date of entry into the U.S. (2) two photographs size 37 x 37mm. (All applicants, even infants included in their parents' passports, are required to have photographs. The visa has the applicant's picture imprinted on it.) (3) a completed application form. (4) evidence that you will depart the U.S. at the end of your stay (not required for H and L visas). U.S. immigration law places the burden of proof on the applicant to show that he or she is eligible for a non- immigrant visa. There is no set documentation to prove an applicant will leave the U.S. at the end of his/her stay, but the following are some suggestions: (a) evidence of employment. You should bring to the interview evidence of income (and in some cases evidence of your spouse's income) and be prepared to discuss what you (and /or your spouse) do for a living; (b) evidence of immediate family (spouse, children) in Russia; (c) evidence of ownership of property (d) evidence of on-going studies if applicant is still a student; (e) evidence of on-going projects for those in entertainment fields; (f) your old passport bearing the previous visa and stamp indicating the date on which you returned to Russia (for those persons who have traveled to the U.S. previously). Under U.S. non-immigrant visa law, "sponsorship" plays a very limited role. There are a few exceptions (see H and L below) which require approved petitions from the INS. According to U.S. law, applicants are considered as intending immigrants until they demonstrate that they are non-immigrants (e.g. tourists, students, etc.) Please note: YOU DO NOT NEED A NOTARIZED INVITATION LETTER OR FORM. Please ask your American contacts/friends NOT to buy these. If you bring such a form to the interview, the consul will not necessarily ask to see it. We prefer to see normal business or family correspondence. Please ask your friends and contacts in the U.S. NOT to send letters or faxes in support of your application directly to the Embassy unless you have been instructed to do so by the consular officer. We cannot match faxes to specific cases. Your contacts should send those letters and faxes directly to you so you can bring them to the interview if you feel the Embassy will need the information. Each applicant should come to the interview prepared to explain his or her purpose in traveling to the U.S. General answers like "negotiations" are not as helpful as "I am buying medical equipment for my firm. We have done business with such and such firm in the U.S. for 2 years and here are copies of my previous orders." Applicants should also be prepared to explain how they will finance their visit to the U.S. VISA CATEGORIES: In addition to those documents listed in a-f, the following pages include more detailed information on what documents applicants might bring for specific visa categories: B-2 TOURIST VISA: For those persons going to the U.S. on tourism, please indicate where you will be staying. If you are visiting friends, please feel free to bring correspondence or letters of invitation from them. PLEASE do not bring a notarized form or letter to this effect. The consul may ask how you met the person you are visiting. If you are visiting family, please indicate the inviting person's relationship to you and indicate the inviting person's relationship to you and indicate whether that person is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (i.e. bearer of a U.S. green card), or non-immigrant. B-1 BUSINESS VISA: Individuals applying for business visas should be prepared to explain what kind of business trip they are making. For those persons visiting business contacts or clients, please bring correspondence that explains the nature of the trip. PLEASE do not bring in notarized invitation letters. The more specific the correspondence you have, the better. Invitations to conduct negotiations in the U.S. do not help us understand the nature of the visit. If you have had on-going correspondence with the prospective business partners or clients, this is much more helpful for the consular officer to make the correct determination of visa category. The consul will ask you to describe what you do and what you will be doing in the U.S. Details are important. General statements of business intent are not as helpful as specific information. NOTE: American companies in Russia may wish to take advantage of our office hours at the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service office. Please ask at the information window for our FCS handout. F-1 STUDENT VISA: You will need form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status - For Academic and Language Students) and proof of funding for the first year's studies. Most successful applicants for student visas are attending college or post-graduate programs; however, we do issue F-1 visas to high school students depending on the program and arrangements made. The evidence that you have the funding for the first year should be in the form of a bank financial statement (not just a letter from the bank). If you have a U.S. sponsor, you may bring the sponsor's yearly income tax return to show that he can fulfill his/her financial obligation for your education. If your parents are paying and they don't have an overseas account, you may bring documents from their place of employment to demonstrate that they can cover the cost of your first year in the U.S. J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR: You will need form IAP-66 (Certificate of Eligibility for NIV Exchange Visitor) which is provided by the U.S. organization or sponsor. H TEMPORARY WORKER AND TRAINEE: You will need form I- 797 approved by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Please feel free to ask the receptionist for a separate handout which gives more detailed information. L INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFEREE: You will need form I-797 approved by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. EXPRESS LANE: Applicants in the following categories are able to take advantage of the Consular Sections' express lane, which is open every morning in the north annex at the windows immediately adjacent to the cashiers: (a) Persons with a history of travel to the U.S., i.e. two or more visits lasting less than three months each to the U.S. within the last five years. (b) F and M students returning to the same educational institution in the U.S. (c) H (temporary workers) and L (intra-company transferees) returning to their same jobs in the U.S. (d) J (exchange visitor) applicants on U.S. government sponsored programs. (e) Any J (exchange visitor) who is returning to his/her same program. (f) Spouses, children and parents of adult American citizens, provided they also have evidence of financial capability. (g) Persons age 60 and older visiting friends or relatives, provided that they also have evidence of financial capability. FEES: On the basis of reciprocity, the U.S. Embassy began charging visa fees on October 1, 1993. The fees for citizens of Russia are equivalent to those charged by Russia to Americans. They are as follows and are denominated in dollars for the convenience of our other posts abroad which issue visas to Russians to travel to the U.S. Applicants in Russia may, of course, pay in rubles at the day's exchange rate on the date the pick up the visa. (We cannot accept payment partly in dollars and partly in rubles.) B-1/B-2 temporary business/tourism: three-entry 1-year validity $ 60 multiple-entry 3-year validity $120 F-1 student, J-1 exchange visitor, H-1 temporary worker, L-1 intra- company transferees single-entry 1-year validity $ 20 multiple-entry 1-year validity $120 As of December 1, 1994, the Embassy began charging a $20 application fee for the Machine-Readable Visa. Since the visa can be machine-read at the port of entry, waiting time to clear airport formalities is reduced. QUESTIONS: Questions related to specific applications should be directed to 956- 4235 after 2 p.m. General visa information is given at 956-4242. WAITING ROOMS: As we are trying to keep the waiting rooms clean for everyone, may we ask that you do not bring gum or beverages into the Embassy. Thank you. From: Andre Goodfriend Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet Date: 01 Sep 94 23:06 GMT+0400 Subject: Applying for a US visa in Russia Information sheet prepared by the US consular section in Moscow. APPLICATION: Applications are free. We ask you to pick up and complete your application before coming to the consular section. Applications are available Monday-Friday from 10-12:30 and 1:30-3 p.m. at the information window beneath the American flag on Novinskiy Blvd. You will be asked to fill out question 1 at the time you pick up the application. The form should be typed or completed neatly in block letters in Russian. INTERVIEWS: Everyone in line by 10 a.m. will be interviewed the same day. Those applicants arriving after 10 a.m. will be asked to pick up an application at the information window and apply the following day. DOCUMENTS: The documents you will need to bring to the interview depend on the category of visa for which you will b e applying, but in all cases each traveler will need: (1) a passport valid for at least six months following the proposed date of entry into the U.S. (2) two photographs size 37x37mm. (All applicants, even infants included in their parents’ passports, are required to have photographs. The visa has the applicant’s picture imprinted on it.) (3) a completed application form. (4) proof that you will depart the U.S. at the end of your stay. U.S. immigration law places the burden or proof on the applicant to show that he or she is eligible for a non-immigrant visa. There is no set documentation to prove an applicant will leave the U.S. at the end of his/her stay but the following are some suggestions: (a) proof of employment. You should bring to the interview proof of income (and in some cases proof of your spouse’s income) and be prepared to discuss what you (and/or your spouse) do for a living; (b) evidence of immediate family (spouse, children) in Russia; (c) evidence of ownership of property; (d) proof of on-going studies if applicant is still a student (e) proof of on-going projects for those in entertainment fields; (f) your old passport bearing the previous visa and stamp indicating the date on which you returned to Russia (for those persons who have traveled to the U.S. previously) Under U.S. visa law, “sponsorship” plays a very limited role. There are a few exceptions (see H and L below) which require approved petitions from the INS. According to U.S. law, applicants are considered intending immigrants until they demonstrate that they are non-immigrants (e.g. tourists, students, etc.) **************************************************************** {Nizhesleduestchee vyzyvaet naibol'shie podozreniya - T.K.} *************************************************************** Please note: YOU DO NOT NEED A NOTARIZED INVITATION LETTER OR FORM. Please ask your American contacts/friends NOT to buy these. If you bring such a form to the interview, the consul will not necessarily ask to see it. We prefer to see normal business or family correspondence. Please ask your friends and contacts in the U.S. NOT to send faxes in support of your application directly to the Embassy unless you have been instructed to do so by the interviewing consular officer. We cannot match faxes to specific cases. Your contacts should send those faxes to you so you can bring them to the interview if you feel the Embassy will need the information. Each applicant should come to the interview prepared to explain his or her purpose in traveling to the U.S. General answers like “negotiations” are not as productive as “I am buying medical equipment for my firm. We have done business with such and such firm in the U.S. for 2 years and here are copies of my previous orders.” Applicants should also be prepared to explain how they will finance their visit to the U.S. VISA CATEGORIES: In addition to those documents listed in a-f, the following paragraphs include more detailed information on what documents applicants might bring for specific visa categories: B-2 TOURIST VISA: For persons going to the U.S. on tourism, please indicate where you will be staying. If you are visiting friends, please feel free to bring correspondence or letters of invitation from them. PLEASE do not bring a notarized form or letter to this effect. The consul may ask how you met the person you are visiting. If you are visiting family, please indicate the inviting person’s relationship to you and indicate whether that person is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (i.e. bearer of a U.S. greencard), or a non- immigrant. B-1 BUSINESS VISA: Individuals applying for business visas should be prepared to explain what kind of business trip they are making. For those persons visiting business contacts or clients, please bring correspondence that explains the nature of the trip. PLEASE do not bring in notarized invitation letters. The more specific the correspondence you have the better. Invitations to conduct negotiations in the U.S. do not help us understand the nature of the visit. If you have had on-going correspondence with the prospective business partners or clients, this is much more helpful for the consular officer to make the correct determination of visa category. The consul will ask you to describe what you do and what you will be doing in the U.S. Details are important. General statements of business intent are not as helpful as specific information. NOTE: American companies in Russia may wish to take advantage of our office hours at the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service office. Please ask at the information window for our FCS handout. F-1 STUDENT VISA: You will need form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status - For Academic and Language Students) and proof of funding for the first year’s studies. Most successful applicants for student visas are attending college or post graduate programs; however, we do issue F-1 visas to high school students depending on the program and arrangements made. The evidence that you have the funding for the first year should be in the form of a bank financial statement (not just a letter from the bank). If you have a U.S. sponsor, you may bring the sponsor’s yearly income tax return to show that he can fulfill his financial obligation for your education. If your parents are paying and they don’t have an overseas account, you may bring documents from their place of employment to demonstrate that they can cover the cost of your first year in the U.S. J-1 EXCHANGE VISITOR: You will need form IAP-66 (Certificate of Eligibility for NIV Exchange Visitor) which is provided by the U.S. organization or sponsor. H TEMPORARY WORKERS AND TRAINEES: You will need form I-797 approved by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Please feel free to ask the receptionist for a separate handout which gives more detailed information. L INTRA-COMPANY TRANSFEREE. You will need form I-797 approved by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. FEES: On the basis of reciprocity the U.S. Embassy began charging visa fees on October 1, 1993. The fees for citizens of Russia are the same as those charged by Russia to Americans. They are as follows and are denominated in dollars for the convenience of our other posts abroad which issue visas to Russians to travel to the U.S. Applicants in Russia may, of course, pay in rubles at the day’s exchange rate on the date they pick up the visa. (We cannot accept payment partly in dollars and partly in rubles.) B-2 tourist visa - single entry $20 most other visas - single entry $20 double entry $40 multiple entry $120 QUESTIONS: Questions related to specific applications should be directed to 956-4233 after 2 p.m.