Tourist visa with pending k1

[Loren Y 2,755]

5 minutes ago, T1redofthis said:

You are a US citizen?   Which embassy did you get your visa at?  The one in Houston told me I couldn't get a visa a month ago

I got mine from the main one in Washington DC. I was checking again, it seems like there is different information. I am doing the pcr test, but when I applied for my visa I had proof of positive covid-19 test and recovery with a positive antibody lab results within the past 90 days, so maybe that changes things.

[millefleur 5,046]

2 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

I got mine from the main one in Washington DC. I was checking again, it seems like there is different information. I am doing the pcr test, but when I applied for my visa I had proof of positive covid-19 test and recovery with a positive antibody lab results within the past 90 days, so maybe that changes things.

 

When did you apply for a visa to Russia? What kind of visa did you apply for? How long for a duration did they issue your visa? Sorry that I have so many questions but I have zero news about Russian visas being issued for tourism, so I'm very very curious.

[Loren Y 2,755]

8 minutes ago, millefleur said:

 

When did you apply for a visa to Russia? What kind of visa did you apply for? How long for a duration did they issue your visa? Sorry that I have so many questions but I have zero news about Russian visas being issued for tourism, so I'm very very curious.

Since I am only staying for a few days, I did a transit visa. Cheaper than a tourist visa and only allows 72 hours of stay. Probably not practical for the OP, but I have heard of people getting personal Visa's issued if you know someone who lives in russia and can get the letter for you. I heard it's kinda a pain to get, then they have to mail the original to you so you can apply for the Visa. 

[millefleur 5,046]

45 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

Since I am only staying for a few days, I did a transit visa. Cheaper than a tourist visa and only allows 72 hours of stay. Probably not practical for the OP, but I have heard of people getting personal Visa's issued if you know someone who lives in russia and can get the letter for you. I heard it's kinda a pain to get, then they have to mail the original to you so you can apply for the Visa. 

Thanks! I'm going to research into this more and post it in the RUB forum as it looks like the visa situation in Russia might have changed recently.

 

Edit: I just checked and I am not finding that anything has changed. Maybe they are allowing transit visas because it is such a short duration, but the private visa you speak of is only being issued to people with family members in Russia. Thus it appears as of today, the rules around getting a Russian visa that were put up in March 2020 have not changed.

 

I had to search around to find the info in English, but here it is:

https://rusconhouston.mid.ru/en_US/home/-/asset_publisher/6t7JwcQ96wvF/content/visa-issuance-and-border-restrictio-1?redirect=%2Fen_US%2Fhome&inheritRedirect=true

 

Edited February 17, 2021 by millefleur

[jaysaldi 213]

I'm going to guess her chances of getting a tourist visa to the USA now are slim. She's a young Russian woman of marriable age, who has immigrant intent and wants to move to the USA to be with her American fiance, and she probably has weak ties to Russia since she can be away for three months.  

 

Three months in the USA isn't a typical vacation. That's more like just living in the USA. There's a pandemic going on, there are long immigration wait times, and the consular officers know that some couples are desperate to reunite and be together and perhaps circumvent the K-1 waiting periods by just reuniting in the USA and marrying and adjusting status.