Good news! Elimination of Additional U.S. Visa Issuance Fee for Russian Citizens

[millefleur 5,046]

Finally some good news for us! Regarding visitor visas for Russians:
 

Quote

Elimination of Additional U.S. Visa Issuance Fee for Russian Citizens

Beginning March 4, 2019, the total cost of a B-1/B-2 visa (visitor for business or tourism) returns to US$160. Additional issuance fees for Russian citizens are eliminated. This new fee structure is based on reciprocity and ensures that Russian and American citizens pay the same fee for business and tourism visas. For more information about the new fee structure, please click here.

Упразднение дополнительного визового сбора для граждан РФ

Начиная с 4 марта 2019 года, общая стоимость виз B-1/B-2 (категории бизнес и туризм) возвращается к 160 долларам США. Дополнительные сборы за выдачу визы упраздняются. Данная структура визового сбора основывается на принципе взаимности и обеспечивает равную стоимость деловых и туристических виз для граждан России и США. Дополнительную информацию о новой структуре визового сбора можно узнать здесь.

 

Via the official US Embassy website in Russia.

[Neonred 3,562]

Looks like they also dropped the mandatory interview on most tourist visa renewals.

 

Good news for my inlaws that are here now visiting as their B-2 expires later this year.

[millefleur 5,046]

12 hours ago, Neonred said:

Looks like they also dropped the mandatory interview on most tourist visa renewals.

Great! This just makes sense given the huge backlog for visa interviews that Moscow is experiencing right now since the Saint Petersburg consulate closed.

[CM&KV 72]

Hopefully this will mean they can start working on my case..... Been in AP since Nov 26th, they got the CV they had asked for on Dec 4th. Our last update was Feb 13th.... Was hoping for a Valentine's day gift from the embassy, and then defenders of the father land... now women's day.... sigh. The funny part is hubby's mom was born on the deferencers of the fatherland day, and my mom was the day after women's days.... been hoping to give our mothers a good birthday gifts.  


P.S. We sent them an email nearly a month ago, and they told us we don't need to send anything else.... just wondering whom we are waiting on. Hubby's AP on J1 and B1, B1/B2 were always 3 weeks and a week later he got his passport with visa. 
Hubby also had a coworker get his visa after 6 months of AP for the ds 5535, the visa was for a B1, which this coworker has had gotten in the pass.
Another coworker went to Kiev for the B1 visa, and got it within a week, no other documents requested. 

I have been wanting hubby to get his parents the B2 visa, but it might be hard for them to get it, and they would have to go to Kiev since they live in Crimea.... yay politics.... 

[millefleur 5,046]

24 minutes ago, CM&KV said:

Hopefully this will mean they can start working on my case..... Been in AP since Nov 26th, they got the CV they had asked for on Dec 4th. Our last update was Feb 13th.... Was hoping for a Valentine's day gift from the embassy, and then defenders of the father land... now women's day.... sigh. The funny part is hubby's mom was born on the deferencers of the fatherland day, and my mom was the day after women's days.... been hoping to give our mothers a good birthday gifts.  

P.S. We sent them an email nearly a month ago, and they told us we don't need to send anything else.... just wondering whom we are waiting on. Hubby's AP on J1 and B1, B1/B2 were always 3 weeks and a week later he got his passport with visa. 
Hubby also had a coworker get his visa after 6 months of AP for the ds 5535, the visa was for a B1, which this coworker has had gotten in the pass.
Another coworker went to Kiev for the B1 visa, and got it within a week, no other documents requested.  

I have been wanting hubby to get his parents the B2 visa, but it might be hard for them to get it, and they would have to go to Kiev since they live in Crimea.... yay politics.... 

Hang in there! I think the Moscow Embassy is probably still backlogged and could be adding to this mess for your husband's case. Seems like the K-1 applicants are having to wait longer than usual to get their interviews or an availability will just randomly pop up without any rhyme or reason. Maybe the 6 months of AP was the magic number...how long ago did your husband's co-worker apply for his visa? Was it before or after the whole Russian-US relations debacle?

 

If your parents-in-law do apply for the B in Ukraine, let us know how that turns out. Wondering if they are harder on Russian applicants living in Crimea.

 

Edited March 4, 2019 by millefleur

[CM&KV 72]

5 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Hang in there! I think the Moscow Embassy is probably still backlogged and could be adding to this mess for your husband's case. Seems like the K-1 applicants are having to wait longer than usual to get their interviews or an availability will just randomly pop up without any rhyme or reason. Maybe the 6 months of AP was the magic number...how long ago did your husband's co-worker apply for his visa? Was it before or after the whole Russian-US relations debacle?

 

If your parents-in-law do apply for the B in Ukraine, let us know how that turns out. Wondering if they are harder on Russian applicants living in Crimea.

 

I am thinking the 6 months part is the magic number as well, don't know why, but it feels that's how it might be. I think his coworkers applied to Moscow while the waiting was still at 300 days.  =\ I think this this hubby said "Yalp" (maybe not thinking) When i broke it down when he might have applied for his B1 visa.  Some of his coworkers have gone out of country to apply for the B! visa and got it a lot sooner. 

Back in August his boss wanted him to go to Finland to get a B1 visa, since they wanted to send him on another business trip, he declined since he had to admit on the DS 160(I think this is it for a b1 visa) that he has an immigration petition for him. His boss' don't know he is in the middle of trying to move here. But he is trying to live his life over there with the assumption that I am moving there, and same with him moving to the USA. So we can try to push our careers farther in case he gets denied or approved.  Even if he gets approved I still might have to move there. =\  Pending if he is able to ge a job over here.