DHL or Pony Express// Fiancee Attendance@interview

[Mike & Mila 5]

It will something to remember for a lifetime! Moscow is a crazy place but also fascinating. Recent changes at the US Embassy in Moscow are pretty much for the benefit of the Russian citizen I believe, and I agree it is a good change they have made. This is a pretty stressful process to begin with and to do this without your loved one there has to be pretty difficult. Going into the Embassy itself is a bit weird even for a US citizen.

I'll be going to Moscow in late February or March to meet my Wife there at that time, if we don't get RFE (or worse), and if the timeline holds steady . We are expecting at least 8 months and probably closer to 10 before the CR-1 is processed to her appointment for Embassy Interview. Stay with it..nothing is easy about this process.

Thank you for your kind wishes--- God speed to you and yours Mike and Mila

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Dear Visa Journey Bretheren:

The info from older "instructions" coming from Moscow Embassy indicates DHL--the info. coming from Moscow Embassy today indicates Pony Express. Does anyone know which is the carrier in use today?? Also is it true that the hoped for "approved" Visa can be "held for pick-up" at DHL office-- what are specifics of this process if you know??

Also, Has anyone had any experience whereby the Petitioner attended the interview w finacee'. Specifically, is it truely the case now where the Petetioner is "encouraged" to attend and if so are the two people interviewed together. seprately, or both. Any specific observations on this point as appreciated. Thank you Mike & Mila

Mike. I asked Lara to call Moscow Pony Express about holding on to the Passport/Visa in Moscow, which she did. They told her no.. they will not do that and have a company policy not to do this. We're bummed out about this too because it is going to twist up the travel plans back to the States and that means more bux are going probably to leave our Bank account. At the minimum I'll have to take extra days off from my work to extend the time in Russia waiting for the Visa to arrive. More PIA "workarounds". The good side is I will get to have more Pelmini in the Old Country! :-) Timeline for us on our CR-1 Visa looks to be about March or April 2013.

[AmyWrites 593]

Mike. I asked Lara to call Moscow Pony Express about holding on to the Passport/Visa in Moscow, which she did. They told her no.. they will not do that and have a company policy not to do this. We're bummed out about this too because it is going to twist up the travel plans back to the States and that means more bux are going probably to leave our Bank account. At the minimum I'll have to take extra days off from my work to extend the time in Russia waiting for the Visa to arrive. More PIA "workarounds". The good side is I will get to have more Pelmini in the Old Country! :-) Timeline for us on our CR-1 Visa looks to be about March or April 2013.

They will hold it, if they screw up and deliver it to the wrong address first. Happened to me. Also, if you can "catch" your passport before they do... call them every day, if you get a hold of them when they still have your passport they might keep it.

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

They will hold it, if they screw up and deliver it to the wrong address first. Happened to me. Also, if you can "catch" your passport before they do... call them every day, if you get a hold of them when they still have your passport they might keep it.

Wrong address!! NOT good! This has to have been a major disaster trying to get that corrected. As I understand the Visa is generated and sent out in about 2 to 3 days. Your suggesting we call Pony Express every day until they see it and agree to hold on to it? That may work and we'd prefer that to simply wait and hope, and much better than "sorry..we couldn't find your building". Ouch!

[AmyWrites 593]

Wrong address!! NOT good! This has to have been a major disaster trying to get that corrected. As I understand the Visa is generated and sent out in about 2 to 3 days. Your suggesting we call Pony Express every day until they see it and agree to hold on to it? That may work and we'd prefer that to simply wait and hope, and much better than "sorry..we couldn't find your building". Ouch!

Call every day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon.

[Mike & Mila 5]

Call every day, once in the morning, once in the afternoon.

Amy---Thanks for the info. Although the Moscow Embassy website indicates as follows: "Then enter the delivery information (mailing address or office for pick-up), print out the final confirmation page containing a barcode (press PDF in order to print), and bring it to the interview. "

I believe our course of action will be to have the Visa delivered to an address close by in Moscow, and wait for it. In this way I will not be "upsetting the applecart" by asking to hold on to it as I'll be right over. I feel this will make less risk of Pony Express fouling something up. In the alternative, If I could rely that there was a working policy that someone could pick-up I would do that. So far I have not found any infomation to support this option. Thank you Mike

[David & Yulya 7]

One of the options is to pick it up at the Pony Express office.

[Mike & Mila 5]

One of the options is to pick it up at the Pony Express office.

Hello David and Yulya: That is indeed the option we would like to do. Have you gone through this procees?? If so would you be good enought to share the particulars on this with us?? Thank you Mike and Mila

[AmyWrites 593]

Amy---Thanks for the info. Although the Moscow Embassy website indicates as follows: "Then enter the delivery information (mailing address or office for pick-up), print out the final confirmation page containing a barcode (press PDF in order to print), and bring it to the interview. "

I believe our course of action will be to have the Visa delivered to an address close by in Moscow, and wait for it. In this way I will not be "upsetting the applecart" by asking to hold on to it as I'll be right over. I feel this will make less risk of Pony Express fouling something up. In the alternative, If I could rely that there was a working policy that someone could pick-up I would do that. So far I have not found any infomation to support this option. Thank you Mike

That's what I did and they sent it to the wrong address. I strongly suggest you pick it up or something.

[Mike & Mila 5]

That's what I did and they sent it to the wrong address. I strongly suggest you pick it up or something.

OK Amy Thank you---- I would much prefer to pick it up. However I am picking up (no pun intended) some confusing information. If I knew there was a definite process in the selection about what/where or what to do with the Visa then for sure I would pick-it-up at the nearby Pony Express office. I am trying to find this exact info perhaps from other Visa Journey folks who have gone through this process. Thank you Mike

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

OK Amy Thank you---- I would much prefer to pick it up. However I am picking up (no pun intended) some confusing information. If I knew there was a definite process in the selection about what/where or what to do with the Visa then for sure I would pick-it-up at the nearby Pony Express office. I am trying to find this exact info perhaps from other Visa Journey folks who have gone through this process. Thank you Mike

We are also wanting to do the same. I explained to Lara today that we need to pester these folks like crazy to have the Visa waiting and to NOT ship it out of the city. We need to know which office of Pony Express the US Embassy uses to ship the Visa's from. Maybe we should put the question to the US Consulate in Moscow? They are the ones that actually have the Authority in the first place! I say this because until just recently I went to the Russian Consulate General to pick up my Russian Visa in person. Now there is a third party process (and an extra $30 fee).

The very helpful folks at the Russian Consulate in February told me they did not like to ship the Passports with Visa in the mail for people that lived within driving distances to Seattle, which I do. It only seems reasonable this would also apply to the US Consulate in Moscow for people willing to pick up the Visa in person in Moscow, also for any applicants that live in the City or nearby. Why mail them when it's always possible they could be lost or whatever?? Crazy!

Here is how I feel it is possible to work this differently than we are being told. I work every day with Russian citizens that obtain temporary work Visa's from the US Embassy and the Passports get to our division of the Company in Moscow somehow (I'll bet not by the tooth fairy or easter bunny either). I won't be shy about this, I am a Lead Engineer at Boeing. I'll ask for sure but I believe Boeing Moscow has a focal person that the Visa's all go to (or that individual goes to the US Embassy and get's them in person). If I am correct the employee's are given the Passport with authorized temp work Visa at the work place along with airline tickets to Seattle and back when they are on rotation schedule. Just so everyone knows..Boeing folks get no discount at all from the airlines! No perks either! I will say the most common carrier's used are either KLM or Delta. We will be flying on a Trans Aero 777-300ER out of Domodedovo to New York and then connect on an American Airlines 757 to Seattle. I'll ask on Thursday if my Boeing Moscow Engineer had to go through the Pony Express process or how this was done for him. I hate to say this but we may be breaking new ground here, Mike. It's possible you two and we are the only ones on the path at this point and looking into this with Pony Express in Moscow.

[Mike & Mila 5]

We are also wanting to do the same. I explained to Lara today that we need to pester these folks like crazy to have the Visa waiting and to NOT ship it out of the city. We need to know which office of Pony Express the US Embassy uses to ship the Visa's from. Maybe we should put the question to the US Consulate in Moscow? They are the ones that actually have the Authority in the first place! I say this because until just recently I went to the Russian Consulate General to pick up my Russian Visa in person. Now there is a third party process (and an extra $30 fee).

The very helpful folks at the Russian Consulate in February told me they did not like to ship the Passports with Visa in the mail for people that lived within driving distances to Seattle, which I do. It only seems reasonable this would also apply to the US Consulate in Moscow for people willing to pick up the Visa in person in Moscow, also for any applicants that live in the City or nearby. Why mail them when it's always possible they could be lost or whatever?? Crazy!

Here is how I feel it is possible to work this differently than we are being told. I work every day with Russian citizens that obtain temporary work Visa's from the US Embassy and the Passports get to our division of the Company in Moscow somehow (I'll bet not by the tooth fairy or easter bunny either). I won't be shy about this, I am a Lead Engineer at Boeing. I'll ask for sure but I believe Boeing Moscow has a focal person that the Visa's all go to (or that individual goes to the US Embassy and get's them in person). If I am correct the employee's are given the Passport with authorized temp work Visa at the work place along with airline tickets to Seattle and back when they are on rotation schedule. Just so everyone knows..Boeing folks get no discount at all from the airlines! No perks either! I will say the most common carrier's used are either KLM or Delta. We will be flying on a Trans Aero 777-300ER out of Domodedovo to New York and then connect on an American Airlines 757 to Seattle. I'll ask on Thursday if my Boeing Moscow Engineer had to go through the Pony Express process or how this was done for him. I hate to say this but we may be breaking new ground here, Mike. It's possible you two and we are the only ones on the path at this point and looking into this with Pony Express in Moscow.

Hi-- Thank you very much for this throuough explanation. I agree it's seems silly to "ship" things around if. on the other hand, someone is willing to merely pick them up. I will be anxiously awaiting your futher discoveries. Thank you again Mike

[mishka1 17]

Pony Express is being used, Ruzana received her visa this May and it was sent Pony Express

Hello Ken&Ruzana, hope you are still visiting VJ, my fiancée will have her interview shortly at US Embassy-Moscow, and did Ruzana have to make any special arrangement / payment for her approved visa packet to be delivered by Pony Express. I would appreciate your response or any response from VJ community members who went through K-1 visa processing at US-Embassy-Moscow. Thanks in advance..

[Ken&Ruzana 4]

Hello Ken&Ruzana, hope you are still visiting VJ, my fiancée will have her interview shortly at US Embassy-Moscow, and did Ruzana have to make any special arrangement / payment for her approved visa packet to be delivered by Pony Express. I would appreciate your response or any response from VJ community members who went through K-1 visa processing at US-Embassy-Moscow. Thanks in advance..

No extra fees, Everything is covered when you payed your fee and scheduled the interview. Feel free to message us anytime. Ruzana is doing great and loving it here.

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Been a little while since I last visited VJ. Much has changed as of the first of August 2012. Visa for US Citizens no longer need Invitation letters!! US Citizens (and Russian Citizens in America as well) can now stay much longer and Tourist or Business Visa are now all Multi entry. There is no such thing as an "Exit Vi$a" if you were to be unfortunate and loose or have your US Passport stolen while in Russia.

Homestay Visa (which applies to those already married) always was multi entry but I am not sure of the length of stay. Anyway..now all of the Visa's are valid for 3 years. This is an excellent change for everyone. It will save a ton of hassles and many Roubles and/or Dollars as well.

Pony Express WILL hold the Passport and Visa in any one of the 4 Moscow offices. When paying the Interview fee and setting the date the Embassy also wants to know where to have the Passport/Visa sent to provided the Interview results in a positive Immigration decision.

It does NOT have to be to your spouses home, but it must be within the Russian Federation borders somewhere. This means Pony Express will also ship and hold the Visa to many larger city offices they have throughout Russia, and the person that is named on the Passport can (with proper identification) simply go in person to pick up the package.

Lara and I will be doing this. I rented a car (a VERY new car I might add) in Gelendzhik during the time I was there with her and the Pony Express office nearest to her apartment is in Novorossyisk. Gelendzhik is only a little distance from Novorossyisk so we will have a short day trip and will be ready for our departure with much less problems than we expected last month.

The Embassy does have some rule changes for Interview now too. It appears we pay the Interview fee once NVC notifies both the Embassy and the Petitioner and now we set our own day for Interview appointment. Again, this is an excellent revision in the process because of the same logistical issues of staying Moscow and arranging travel which will now be much easier to deal with. It was driving me crazy because of the inability to set reservations not knowing when we would be in Moscow or elsewhere within Russia.

We are now in month two of our CR-1 Visa Journey. I am anticipating the NOA2 by preparing now for the NVC process and I want to understand clearly the "fast track" method involved. We are with the California Cervice Center of USCIS (our home is in the Seattle area) so the timeline is taking us to around November or December before moving forward to NVC. I am hoping to depart for Moscow in February or March to go to the Interview and get my Bride home with me!

Any suggestions or late news about the NVC process are welcomed!

Vern and Lara