Interviewing in Winter

[Inna & Brian 11]

Our interview is set for February 7 in Moscow. I understand the people arrive at the embassy early in the morning and wait outside to pass through security. I'm concerned about Inna having to stand outside for a few hours if the weather gets really cold (-10f would not be unusual). Does anyone have any ideas about how to handle this situation? Why do people arrive 2-3 hours before the scheduled interview? It's not first come first served. She has an appointment scheduled. Does it really matter that she gets there early? Is there somewhere she can wait that is indoors?

Any tips or pointers about what to bring (not counting visa paperwork) or not bring would also be appreciated.

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

She doesn't really need to go there 2-3 hours earlier. As I know, all K-1 visa appointments are at 8am. If she will go there about 6.45-7am, she will have enough of time, and ~1 hour outside is nothing to worry about if you have warm clothes, Moscow isn't a North Pole. I didn't hear about people who were denied for interview for being a little bit late, but it can be crowd of people in front of her inside, and she will stuck in the Embassy for a much longer time, and probably she will be pretty rushed.

Though, if you have a lot of money, she can order a taxi for the time of waiting in the queue - she can get her place in the queue when she will arrive Embassy, and then she can sit in the warm taxi on the street near Embassy, checking her place in the queue every 10-15 minutes, while driver getting paid. [Victor from Russia]

[ONA 133]

She should not arrive 2-3 hours before the interview, it's not going to help her.

K-1 applicants do not have to wait in line (the line is for other categories of non-immigrant visas: B1/B2, J1 etc.) - she should come directly to the security at the entrance and tell them that she is a K-1 applicant and she has an interview appointment for 8 o'clock.

My interview was in summer, I was at the embassy entrance at about 7.30 or 7.40 - I was just fine.

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

It's not first come first served. She has an appointment scheduled.

Forgot to mention, that scheduled time isn't individual. Everybody who applying for K-1 visa scheduled for 8am every day, so there can be dozens of people with the same scheduled time. And queue outside is not for the interview, but for security check, that's why it's "first come first served" - when you're in the airport and need to pass security check, they usually don't care whose flight is earlier and whose later, it's a usual queue. [Victor from Russia]

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

K-1 applicants do not have to wait in line (the line is for other categories of non-immigrant visas: B1/B2, J1 etc.) - she should come directly to the security at the entrance and tell them that she is a K-1 applicant and she has an interview appointment for 8 o'clock

Yes, but unfortunately I read recently on Russian forums that security sometimes reject it even when you're showing that you're K-1 applicant, and they asking to take your place in the queue, I don't know why. Though, I also recently read that ther're some "side entrance" to the Embassy, and if your scheduled time passed and you still didn't get to come in, you can go there and they will let you go without a queue.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Our interview is set for February 7 in Moscow. I understand the people arrive at the embassy early in the morning and wait outside to pass through security. I'm concerned about Inna having to stand outside for a few hours if the weather gets really cold (-10f would not be unusual). Does anyone have any ideas about how to handle this situation? Why do people arrive 2-3 hours before the scheduled interview? It's not first come first served. She has an appointment scheduled. Does it really matter that she gets there early? Is there somewhere she can wait that is indoors?

Any tips or pointers about what to bring (not counting visa paperwork) or not bring would also be appreciated.

Fur hats, do not arrive too early. Not sure in Moscow but there is no place to wait inside at Kiev unless you go to a coffee shop nearby or something

We outfittd our son, who goes to school in Moscow, with some good hi-tech long underwear, warm socks, fur hat, down coat and he travels bywalking, electrichka and metro everyday. He got here yesterday for a vist and says "Vermont is too cold!"

Personal belongings are not allowed in the consulate, so ditch the purse, handbag, etc. You will have to leave all that with them anyway and probably pay for its storage. In Kiev they have small lockups at security for keys, cell phone etc, but for bigger things you have to somewhere else and pay for them to keep it for you.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Our interview is set for February 7 in Moscow. I understand the people arrive at the embassy early in the morning and wait outside to pass through security. I'm concerned about Inna having to stand outside for a few hours if the weather gets really cold (-10f would not be unusual). Does anyone have any ideas about how to handle this situation? Why do people arrive 2-3 hours before the scheduled interview? It's not first come first served. She has an appointment scheduled. Does it really matter that she gets there early? Is there somewhere she can wait that is indoors?

Any tips or pointers about what to bring (not counting visa paperwork) or not bring would also be appreciated.

If it makes you feel any better, Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world where some 17 million people survive the winter every year. St Petersburg is even colder and most people there do not die every winter.

As Alla would say "no one will die". That particular phrase is not always understood by Americans.

[ONA 133]

Yes, but unfortunately I read recently on Russian forums that security sometimes reject it even when you're showing that you're K-1 applicant, and they asking to take your place in the queue, I don't know why. Though, I also recently read that ther're some "side entrance" to the Embassy, and if your scheduled time passed and you still didn't get to come in, you can go there and they will let you go without a queue.

Even if they reject you, you don't have to go to the end of the line. Ask, who has an appointment for 8 am - that's your line, don't go any further than the last person, who has an interview appointment for 8 am. 30 min. will be enough anyway.

Personal belongings are not allowed in the consulate, so ditch the purse, handbag, etc. You will have to leave all that with them anyway and probably pay for its storage. In Kiev they have small lockups at security for keys, cell phone etc, but for bigger things you have to somewhere else and pay for them to keep it for you.

Purses are allowed inside. I had a purse, hundreds of women, who had their interviews the same day had them too - they just check them and you're good to go. They have small storages inside of the embassy in Moscow too - they don't care about keys or anything like that, only electronic devices - cell phones, iPods etc.

[visaveteran1 33]

Our interview is set for February 7 in Moscow. I understand the people arrive at the embassy early in the morning and wait outside to pass through security. I'm concerned about Inna having to stand outside for a few hours if the weather gets really cold (-10f would not be unusual). Does anyone have any ideas about how to handle this situation? Why do people arrive 2-3 hours before the scheduled interview? It's not first come first served. She has an appointment scheduled. Does it really matter that she gets there early? Is there somewhere she can wait that is indoors?

Any tips or pointers about what to bring (not counting visa paperwork) or not bring would also be appreciated.

We went CR-1 so I better avoid the paperwork/interview advice. But I can tell you our little horror story.

The short version is my wife scheduled her medical the day before her interview which is pretty common. Anyway, for some unknown reason the Doc made her go get more blood work. This required her to run all over Moscow to get everything required. She was told to come back to the clinic first thing in the morning with the results. When she showed, knowing she needed to be at the interview at 8 am, they made her wait. Well, time marched on and she knew she had to take action, so she went into the doctor's office and begged him to finish her paperwork. At first he said no, she had to wait. Well, she went into a big crying scene and it worked...the doctor took care of the paperwork. By the time she got to the Embassy, it was close to 11 am. They let her in and she was the last interviewee to be seen. That was close!

I don't advise going at 11 am but I think if you come later, you can still be seen...at least when my wife went through which was 2008. Who knows now?

My wife's medical experience was uncommon it seems, but you can never be sure with Russians. If possible, I'd play it safe and schedule the medical at least 2 days out. That may be difficult and probably unnecessary, but if you have the situation to go early, I'd do it.

I'll add one more thing...CR-1 medicals are more involved than the more common K-1 medical. With us doing the CR-1 route, the good thing was there was no seeing a civil surgeon when we did the AOS thing.

Edited January 21, 2012 by visaveteran1

[ONA 133]

My wife's medical experience was uncommon it seems, but you can never be sure with Russians. If possible, I'd play it safe and schedule the medical at least 2 days out. That may be difficult and probably unnecessary, but if you have the situation to go early, I'd do it.

That's a good advice for somebody, who doesn't have to go through annual medicals for work/school.

I had to go through some medical tests every year for the university, so I knew that everything was good and scheduled the medical 1 day before the interview. Otherwise, I would also advise to schedule it earlier.

[sofya 10]

Even if they reject you, you don't have to go to the end of the line. Ask, who has an appointment for 8 am - that's your line, don't go any further than the last person, who has an interview appointment for 8 am. 30 min. will be enough anyway.

Purses are allowed inside. I had a purse, hundreds of women, who had their interviews the same day had them too - they just check them and you're good to go. They have small storages inside of the embassy in Moscow too - they don't care about keys or anything like that, only electronic devices - cell phones, iPods etc.

Yes and yes. Additionally, the security WILL CALL OUT all immigration visa applicants FIRST (and K-1 falls into the category). There will be a bunch of people there scheduled for 8:00 or 8:30 - she should stick together with those IMMIGRATION VISA types who are there for 8:00. She should also listen very carefully and ask the security if she doesn't hear the call out. Immigration visa applicants ALWAYS go inside first, always. So, I had an 8 am interview, arrived there at 7:15, and by 7:45 was already in the building going through the stages of security. That's it. Just tell her not to be afraid and to ask security when immigration visa applicants can go - it is important because most of the people in line are there for non-immigrant visas and (unfortunately for Russians) can be rather rude and unresponsive if she asks what time they've been scheduled for. Again and again, she does not have to be in line for 2-3 hours, that's bogus.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Purses are allowed inside. I had a purse, hundreds of women, who had their interviews the same day had them too - they just check them and you're good to go. They have small storages inside of the embassy in Moscow too - they don't care about keys or anything like that, only electronic devices - cell phones, iPods etc.

Thank you ONA. I stand corrected. I stated the policy of the Kiev consulate assuming it would be the same for Moscow being that it seemed like a standard security measure.

[Inna & Brian 11]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I feel better now that I know she doesn't have to get there so early in the morning. We talked today about the cold and waiting outside and of course, I'm the only one who is concerned about it. She said she would arrive about 0700.

She is a strange combination of tough as nails but also Princessa Innessa.

Talking about waiting in line reminded of my first time in Ukraine. I get off the bus to the terminal and get in line at passport control. I'm in the first 1/3 of the line. I look down and get my papers together and make sure I have everything I need. I look back up and now I'm at the back of the line. #######!

Everyone in the US (outside NYC) is so polite about queing up. But in Russia people are so rude and pushy. At first I hated it. Now I look forward to being there so I can push people out of the way!

[visaveteran1 33]

Talking about waiting in line reminded of my first time in Ukraine. I get off the bus to the terminal and get in line at passport control. I'm in the first 1/3 of the line. I look down and get my papers together and make sure I have everything I need. I look back up and now I'm at the back of the line. #######!

Everyone in the US (outside NYC) is so polite about queing up. But in Russia people are so rude and pushy. At first I hated it. Now I look forward to being there so I can push people out of the way!

Been there. Done that. There actually are no true "lines." There's this chaotic mass of people pushing and shoving. Sometimes I thought I was in one line but ended up in another one, or no line. At first it's daunting after being used to more civilized behavior in the US (usually). Like you, I soon learned to get my warrior on and join the fray. I think you can pay to get into a special fast line but I'm not sure. But it sounds like the Russian way. "Fifty dollars. Right this way!" This was SVO but I'm sure Urkaine is same same.

Edited January 22, 2012 by visaveteran1

[james&olya 1,121]

We went CR-1 so I better avoid the paperwork/interview advice. But I can tell you our little horror story.

The short version is my wife scheduled her medical the day before her interview which is pretty common. Anyway, for some unknown reason the Doc made her go get more blood work. This required her to run all over Moscow to get everything required. She was told to come back to the clinic first thing in the morning with the results. When she showed, knowing she needed to be at the interview at 8 am, they made her wait. Well, time marched on and she knew she had to take action, so she went into the doctor's office and begged him to finish her paperwork. At first he said no, she had to wait. Well, she went into a big crying scene and it worked...the doctor took care of the paperwork. By the time she got to the Embassy, it was close to 11 am. They let her in and she was the last interviewee to be seen. That was close!

I don't advise going at 11 am but I think if you come later, you can still be seen...at least when my wife went through which was 2008. Who knows now?

My wife's medical experience was uncommon it seems, but you can never be sure with Russians. If possible, I'd play it safe and schedule the medical at least 2 days out. That may be difficult and probably unnecessary, but if you have the situation to go early, I'd do it.

I'll add one more thing...CR-1 medicals are more involved than the more common K-1 medical. With us doing the CR-1 route, the good thing was there was no seeing a civil surgeon when we did the AOS thing.

The medical can be done much earlier if you want. The only drawback is that it may need to be repeated if you don't get your AOS appt finished within 1 year of the medical. In my case we were planning on meeting and sightseeing in Moscow in Jan/Feb of 2011 while still waiting for the NOA-2. We did the medicals then since Olya didn't want to be alone with 2 kids, one under 2 y/o, getting all of it completed. We have our AOS this week, just under 1 year, so we barely missed having to repeat the medical exams!