We need your advice!!!

[Anastasia+Eric 0]

Hello everyone! 

My interview is scheduled for May 17 in Moscow.  We want to go ahead and buy our plane tickets now to save money. We want to allow enough time for the visa to arrive after the interview, but we also want me to come to the U.S. as soon as possible. How much time should we allow after the interview to receive the visa? 

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Honestly, don't book any flights until the visa is in your hand. SO much can happen between the interview and the visa being issued. One girl interivewed in Montreal and she had to go back to have her fingerprints re-done due to a computer glitch. Her visa was issued 4 weeks after her interivew

Good luck.

[brightskte 18]

I wouldn't even think about booking a ticket until after your visa is issued. Things can go wrong. Nothing is a certainty. No one knows 100% that your visa will be approved, wont go into AP after interview, or that a mess up might cause a delay in the mailing of the visa. I hope that none of these things happen to you, but they've happened to others on this website. It's best to wait.

[evilmonkey 2]

Hello everyone! 

My interview is scheduled for May 17 in Moscow.  We want to go ahead and buy our plane tickets now to save money. We want to allow enough time for the visa to arrive after the interview, but we also want me to come to the U.S. as soon as possible. How much time should we allow after the interview to receive the visa? 

How about getting first or business class tickets? they permit change at no fees

[toogroove 3]

Congratulations on getting your interview!

I travel a ton for work and know that a full fare coach ticket is also changeable. Delta goes direct from JFK to SVO. On Delta, a full fare coach ticket is 'Y, B or M' class. The full fare coaches are slightly less expensive than a business class ticket. Also, if you are able to purchase your ticket with skymiles, it may be changeable depending on your 'status' with the airline.

Good luck and I hope you don't have to change your ticket.

[dakay ♥ 10]

I wouldn't even think about booking a ticket until after your visa is issued. Things can go wrong. Nothing is a certainty. No one knows 100% that your visa will be approved, wont go into AP after interview, or that a mess up might cause a delay in the mailing of the visa. I hope that none of these things happen to you, but they've happened to others on this website. It's best to wait.

I agree. It is impossible to determine the time of delivery

[Neonred 3,564]

You will have to provide the embassy with a prepaid DHL mailing label as that is how the embassy sends out the passport with the visa and the packet you need to bring with you. The embassy usually sends them out within two or three days. Add a few more days for delivery to your city. We had ours held at the DHL office in Moscow and picked it up on our way back to the US after spending several days in my then fiance's city. Getting tickets before the interview can be a risk, but it was one I decided to take and it worked out fine.