Russian eligible for Visa Waiver Program?

[AmyWrites 593]

I meant Russians getting a visa to the US.

Taking Russian salaries into account it's not such a brilliant idea to buy airfare to likely get denied a visa at the interview (according to my understanding you need to have your airfare tickets purchased before the interview?). But I have a bias; I've been in this cold place for a long time and I'd like to visit my folks with my Russian partner so he can meet them (and I can lie down like a dead fish on the beach for a week) but he'll probably get a visa denied because he's young-ish and whatnot.

I don't think I've ever heard of any US citizen getting denied a visa to any country.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I think Amy was talking about people getting visas for US visits in Russia, not the other way around.

I was denied for a Russian visa in Estonia.

Out of curiosity ekee...were you visiting in Estonia ?

[ONA 133]

I meant Russians getting a visa to the US.

Taking Russian salaries into account it's not such a brilliant idea to buy airfare to likely get denied a visa at the interview (according to my understanding you need to have your airfare tickets purchased before the interview?). But I have a bias; I've been in this cold place for a long time and I'd like to visit my folks with my Russian partner so he can meet them (and I can lie down like a dead fish on the beach for a week) but he'll probably get a visa denied because he's young-ish and whatnot.

I don't think I've ever heard of any US citizen getting denied a visa to any country.

No, not really

Moscow Consulate recommends not to purchase the tickets before you have your visa in hand. First of all, the visa can be denied; also there might be some kind of delay. In 2009 my visa got delayed for about 3 weeks and the explanation was that their "visa printer broke down" (they only have one?), but I didn't have my ticket at that point, so I didn't care. Last year the same thing happened to my friend and she had to change the flight date twice before she finally got her passport with visa - and that was just a waste of money, I think it cost her about $200-300 extra.

[AmyWrites 593]

No, not really

Moscow Consulate recommends not to purchase the tickets before you have your visa in hand. First of all, the visa can be denied; also there might be some kind of delay. In 2009 my visa got delayed for about 3 weeks and the explanation was that their "visa printer broke down" (they only have one?), but I didn't have my ticket at that point, so I didn't care. Last year the same thing happened to my friend and she had to change the flight date twice before she finally got her passport with visa - and that was just a waste of money, I think it cost her about $200-300 extra.

Thanks for the clarification. That certainly makes it all easier!

[eekee 182]

Out of curiosity ekee...were you visiting in Estonia ?

No, this was a couple of years ago when you could get a visa at any Russian consulate, regardless of citizenship/residency. So I went to Narva because it was the closest consulate, and they were real @$$holes there so I caught a ferry to Finland and got a visa in Helsinki, no problem. At Narva they apparently don't accept the "vouchers" that every other consulate knows is just a way to get a fake hotel reservation and looks the other way. They looked at my passport and knew I was a student and told me that if I wanted to be in Russia as a student, I had to have a student visa and blah blah blah.

[eekee 182]

Oh, and I went to college with a girl who had real trouble getting a visa for political reasons. So it IS possible; but it's mainly political, I think--Russia's issues with Baltic States, VIPs who work in oil/gas and run afoul of the Russian government for whatever reason, etc. Your average guy going to visit his ladyfriend or in-laws should have no trouble, however.

[slim 1,530]

I meant Russians getting a visa to the US.

Who cares?

Your average guy going to visit his ladyfriend or in-laws should have no trouble, however.

Like I said, I've never heard of anyone having a problem getting a visa. Even in the other instances you posted it seems like once the price was right they still got their visa.

[eekee 182]

Not quite, but I really can't talk about it because then it'd be obvious who it was.

[AmyWrites 593]

Who cares?

Not everyone is you. People "care" about different things. I want my partner to meet my parents before we get married (and no, neither of them can fly for a plethora of reasons, and Skype isn't meeting), I want him to see the places I was raised in. Maybe it didn't matter to you or your wife but my partner and myself can't imagine marrying someone without meeting a single person in their family or seeing where that person is from (provided they're not from a warzone and they have living and non-jailed family members, of course). I don't want to marry him in the US because I'm not returning to the US for god knows how long and we've got a pretty good life here. Yet the planets have to align in perfect harmony for him to visit my family with me... when (from what I know) Russia isn't considered a high fraud country and we have literally *no* intention of moving to the US any time soon (and how the heck am I supposed to prove that we have no intention of moving to the US? "Strong ties"? We all know that "strong ties" are subjective and often not enough.... I'd rather be cross examined and take lie detector tests).

Yeah, I know, there is fraud and a lot of people who want to move to the US even if it's illegally, and that's why everyone is treated as a potential immigrant, blah blah blah, but that doesn't mean the system is perfect. Not that it ever will be.

[slim 1,530]

Not everyone is you. People "care" about different things. I want my partner to meet my parents before we get married (and no, neither of them can fly for a plethora of reasons, and Skype isn't meeting), I want him to see the places I was raised in. Maybe it didn't matter to you or your wife but my partner and myself can't imagine marrying someone without meeting a single person in their family or seeing where that person is from (provided they're not from a warzone and they have living and non-jailed family members, of course). I don't want to marry him in the US because I'm not returning to the US for god knows how long and we've got a pretty good life here. Yet the planets have to align in perfect harmony for him to visit my family with me... when (from what I know) Russia isn't considered a high fraud country and we have literally *no* intention of moving to the US any time soon (and how the heck am I supposed to prove that we have no intention of moving to the US? "Strong ties"? We all know that "strong ties" are subjective and often not enough.... I'd rather be cross examined and take lie detector tests).

Yeah, I know, there is fraud and a lot of people who want to move to the US even if it's illegally, and that's why everyone is treated as a potential immigrant, blah blah blah, but that doesn't mean the system is perfect. Not that it ever will be.

I don't see the problem with your case. He has a valid reason to visit and a valid reason to return. Pay your $100 and go for it.