US Embassy in Moscow shutting down almost all consular services (merged)

[Wouter 141]

I am just reading that the US Embassy in Moscow will be drastically reducing consular services starting May 12th.

https://ru.usembassy.gov/message-to-u-s-citizens-u-s-mission-russia-reduction-of-consular-services/

They will only do emergency U.S. citizen services and a very limited number of age-out and life or death emergency immigrant visas.

No more non-immigrant and tourist visas.

So no more family based immigration from Russia? How can that be acceptable? Why is the State Department punishing normal Russians who want to join their spouses and parents and children in the US?

 

 

[dallasreader 1]

You may have heard very recently Russia has enacted strict policies affecting the US Embassy in Moscow. The result is a 75% reduction in staff and extremely limited operations. 

My wife has family in St. Petersburg, and we are worried how this will affect their travel to the US in the future. Currently none of her family has valid travel visas.

Does anyone have any sense of the long term effects for Russian nationals traveling to the US? Do you know if other embassies in Russia are still operating to provide Russian nationals with credentials to travel to the US? 

Any first hand or even general knowledge is greatly appreciated!

 

[powerpuff 6,697]

Neither US Consulate in Vladivostok nor Yekaterinburg are providing visa services. US Embassy in Moscow isn't even providing services to spouses of US citizens unless it's a life or death situation so I don't think visitor visas is something they will resume anytime soon. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by powerpuff

[powerpuff 6,697]

I imagine it’ll be something similar to, for example, Venezuela or Cuba. Those are processed at Colombia and Guyana respectively.  Poland is accepting spousal applicants from Russia. So is Kazakhstan. However, the issue is COVID related travel restrictions and reduced consular processing.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Current Events and Hot Social Topics forum to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus regional forum.

[SalishSea 17,829]

On 4/30/2021 at 9:58 AM, Wouter said:

I am just reading that the US Embassy in Moscow will be drastically reducing consular services starting May 12th.

https://ru.usembassy.gov/message-to-u-s-citizens-u-s-mission-russia-reduction-of-consular-services/

They will only do emergency U.S. citizen services and a very limited number of age-out and life or death emergency immigrant visas.

No more non-immigrant and tourist visas.

So no more family based immigration from Russia? How can that be acceptable? Why is the State Department punishing normal Russians who want to join their spouses and parents and children in the US?

 

 

Have you actually read what this is about??  It's Russia's doing.

[HKS 169]

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/30/us-embassy-limits-consular-services-russia-485098

[redbird1991 0]

On 4/30/2021 at 2:05 PM, powerpuff said:

I imagine it’ll be something similar to, for example, Venezuela or Cuba. Those are processed at Colombia and Guyana respectively.  Poland is accepting spousal applicants from Russia. So is Kazakhstan. However, the issue is COVID related travel restrictions and reduced consular processing.

Hi! Could you attach the links you found about Poland and Kazakhstan processing spousal applications? I tried searching myself with no luck. Thanks so much!

[powerpuff 6,697]

1 minute ago, redbird1991 said:

Hi! Could you attach the links you found about Poland and Kazakhstan processing spousal applications? I tried searching myself with no luck. Thanks so much!

Hi! I actually read it from threads here on VJ with folks mentioning that:

 

 

[Wouter 141]

8 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

Have you actually read what this is about??  It's Russia's doing.

Yes of course. With my wife in Russia do you think I don't follow all the news and developments with Russia?

Putin restricted the number of Russian staff the US embassy is allowed to employ. So this was exactly Putin's intention and the Biden administration are playing into it. Because this mainly hurts US citizens in Russia and US citizens waiting for family immigration, and Russians with an interest in America. Blinken could have decided to counter this move by Putin by sending some more staff to allow US Citizens to be able to renew their passports and for immigration visa processing  to continue, or to divert consular services to other embassies in neighboring countries. The Kremlin and regular Russians are applauding this.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Wouter

[millefleur 5,046]

**Moved from US Embassy and Consulate Discussion to RUB regional subforum**

[millefleur 5,046]

On 4/30/2021 at 3:05 PM, powerpuff said:

I imagine it’ll be something similar to, for example, Venezuela or Cuba. Those are processed at Colombia and Guyana respectively.  Poland is accepting spousal applicants from Russia. So is Kazakhstan. However, the issue is COVID related travel restrictions and reduced consular processing.

The problem with Poland is Russian citizens require a Schengen visa to enter the country. Getting a Schengen visa for Russians has always been a bit of a pain, and now it's much worse due to Covid. I'm not sure if it's possible to get a Schengen visa to say, Greece, and then just enter Poland using that. I'm not

 

3 hours ago, redbird1991 said:

Hi! Could you attach the links you found about Poland and Kazakhstan processing spousal applications? I tried searching myself with no luck. Thanks so much!

The best thing to do is just contact the embassies directly. Now that the Moscow Embassy will be effectively closed as of May 12th, the other embassies may be more willing to accept Russian citizens.

[millefleur 5,046]

**Similar threads merged. Please do not start any more topics on the shut down of the Moscow Embassy and keep all discussion to existing topics.**

 

VJ Moderation

[JSWH 262]

2 hours ago, Wouter said:

B[iden] could have decided to counter this move by Putin by sending some more staff to allow US Citizens to be able to renew their passports and for immigration visa processing  to continue, or to divert consular services to other embassies in neighboring countries. The Kremlin and regular Russians are applauding this.

Sending some more staff might be not as easy as it seems. Both countries are capped on the number of accredited staff. I believe it's some 450 currently. Russian nationals the US Embassy previously employed were mostly supportive staff -- secretaries, accountants, engineers, drivers, etc. In the 2010s the US Embassy in Moscow employed as many as up to 1000 Russians. With the new employment ban, the US is going to use its quota to bring electricians and plumbers to take care of the Embassy compound. Besides, I can expect Russians to drag their feet with issuing visas to Americans going to the Moscow assignment. The whole situation with bilateral relationship is just so depressing at this time (((
I sympathize with you and I am very sorry about what your family is going through. Wish you to reunite ASAP. 

[Corp668 16]

What do they mean "age out" in reference to immigrant visas?  Do they mean visas that are in danger or expiring because they haven't been processes quickly enough?