Best way to get to Warsaw, got 11 days.

[millefleur 5,046]

2 minutes ago, marpolsdofer said:

Yes direct to Poland would be preferred but like you stated they can be strict compared to others. All I get from my wife is Poland does not like to give the visa to Russians.

I thought was the reason for going to other country first. That and Coivd.

I have no idea what Poland wants, their website is not very clear:

https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/c-type-schengen-visa

 

It does say that it takes at least 15 days to get the visa for turnaround time and that you must go in person to apply. Perhaps looking into Greece or an easier country makes more sense. I'm pretty sure all Schengen countries are going to require hotel plans and flight plans in order to get the visa. It's fairly easy to get this done inside Russia because there are companies who specialize in it there, whereas here in the US, it's rare someone needs to get a Schengen visa.

 

Info about Greece here: https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/visas.html?mission=nyo

 

I don't know what else to tell you other than to google around and find out what's needed, where to go and how to apply inside the US. There's really no fast or easy way to get it that I know of inside the US. In Russia, different story, I know tons of people who've done Schengen visas there and it was no problem.

 

 

[marpolsdofer 7]

31 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I have no idea what Poland wants, their website is not very clear:

https://www.gov.pl/web/usa-en/c-type-schengen-visa

 

It does say that it takes at least 15 days to get the visa for turnaround time and that you must go in person to apply. Perhaps looking into Greece or an easier country makes more sense. I'm pretty sure all Schengen countries are going to require hotel plans and flight plans in order to get the visa. It's fairly easy to get this done inside Russia because there are companies who specialize in it there, whereas here in the US, it's rare someone needs to get a Schengen visa.

 

Info about Greece here: https://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/visas.html?mission=nyo

 

I don't know what else to tell you other than to google around and find out what's needed, where to go and how to apply inside the US. There's really no fast or easy way to get it that I know of inside the US. In Russia, different story, I know tons of people who've done Schengen visas there and it was no problem.

 

 

That is the problem, cant make flight and hotel dates unless we when the interview is. Then they give you little time for a visa that take 15 days to get.

I told my wife just to send her mother with instead. One less variable, waste of time, and money. She said no to that because her mom does not speak English and would get lost. I think her mom is vaxed and had covid. Is the Russian vax still a no go for every place else?

[millefleur 5,046]

6 minutes ago, marpolsdofer said:

That is the problem, cant make flight and hotel dates unless we when the interview is. Then they give you little time for a visa that take 15 days to get.

I told my wife just to send her mother with instead. One less variable, waste of time, and money. She said no to that because her mom does not speak English and would get lost. I think her mom is vaxed and had covid. Is the Russian vax still a no go for every place else?

I'm pretty sure in Poland you can get by and get around by only speaking Russian. I would not be concerned about English.

 

Is the stepson able to go to the interview on his own? Or does he have to be accompanied by someone inside the US embassy?

[marpolsdofer 7]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

I'm pretty sure in Poland you can get by and get around by only speaking Russian. I would not be concerned about English.

 

Is the stepson able to go to the interview on his own? Or does he have to be accompanied by someone inside the US embassy?

My have wife several worries about the interview. They want original documents some of them are here with us. When she had her interview for her K-1 I never sent original document they wanted over and that turned out no problem. The other is she is afraid he does not know how to answer some questions.

He is 17 so can do the interview himself. He has no bank account or card. In most places have to be 18 to even get plane tickets and hotel. So we have to send someone with him.

Edited February 20, 2022 by marpolsdofer

[millefleur 5,046]

12 hours ago, marpolsdofer said:

My have wife several worries about the interview. They want original documents some of them are here with us. When she had her interview for her K-1 I never sent original document they wanted over and that turned out no problem.

Only solution I can see here is that you as the USC go to Russia (presumably you have a Russian visa?) and then Poland (your wife stays in the US as she won't be able to get a Schengen visa in time), you meet up with the stepson, bring all the original documents with you and accompany him to Poland (where you can book a hotel and flights no problem since he'll be flying/staying with an adult), then let the stepson attend the interview alone and bring all the docs with him. You can then part ways once he has his interview and he can return to Russia with his new visa in his passport and then join both you and your wife in the US later.

 

Who has custody of the stepson? I assume they'll have to sign off on a paper saying they give him the right to obtain a Schengen visa.

Edited February 20, 2022 by millefleur

[marpolsdofer 7]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

Only solution I can see here is that you as the USC go to Russia (presumably you have a Russian visa?) and then Poland (your wife stays in the US as she won't be able to get a Schengen visa in time), you meet up with the stepson, bring all the original documents with you and accompany him to Poland (where you can book a hotel and flights no problem since he'll be flying/staying with an adult), then let the stepson attend the interview alone and bring all the docs with him. You can then part ways once he has his interview and he can return to Russia with his new visa in his passport and then join both you and your wife in the US later.

 

Who has custody of the stepson? I assume they'll have to sign off on a paper saying they give him the right to obtain a Schengen visa.

We did learn a few things. Poland says they wont give a visa for going for interview but my wife never asked them they are going as tourist. 

A visa issued by Greece can be done in short notice but they said need to be there like tomorrow maybe next day. 

In order to get the visa must show travel arrangement and must have 100,000 Rub shown in bank statement. Her mom does not have that but I told her just send her mom the money to prove it and get it back later.

As for me my passport expired last year. Any visas I did have was just one time tourist visa. So 1 month to get the passport and another 2-3 week to get tourist visa or just meet him not in Russia.

Even if I did have them taking time off from work at this time would be bad. I work for a small town only full time employee. I handle all the snow plowing/removal, Water Department, Sewer Department. Leaving on such a short of notice and for more then 2 days would be a a disaster. 

 

[millefleur 5,046]

7 hours ago, marpolsdofer said:

A visa issued by Greece can be done in short notice but they said need to be there like tomorrow maybe next day. 

In order to get the visa must show travel arrangement and must have 100,000 Rub shown in bank statement. Her mom does not have that but I told her just send her mom the money to prove it and get it back later.

That sounds like a good plan. I hope the Greek visa works out!

[marpolsdofer 7]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

That sounds like a good plan. I hope the Greek visa works out!

We tried the website to reschedule but it wont let us register. Then every US embassy is closed tomorrow leaving us unanswered question to go now or not. 

[marpolsdofer 7]

This is getting more insane. If we sent a visa on such short notice cost it is not cheap. So we said screw it lets reschedule. Call the Warsaw scheduling call center and they tell us cant help call the Russian call center. We do that and they say we have to email the admin. Since we already had an account but for Russian so they need to change it to Warsaw. 

They also said they dont have any of the information at all. 

[TBoneTX 45,291]

Sympathies regarding the mess.

[millefleur 5,046]

10 hours ago, marpolsdofer said:

This is getting more insane. If we sent a visa on such short notice cost it is not cheap. So we said screw it lets reschedule. Call the Warsaw scheduling call center and they tell us cant help call the Russian call center. We do that and they say we have to email the admin. Since we already had an account but for Russian so they need to change it to Warsaw. 

They also said they dont have any of the information at all. 

You mentioned that your stepson will go back to Russia to finish school, is it possible to just delay his interview until after school is over? It might be easier, maybe in some months from now things will be calmer and there might be more clarity about what is going on with the whole situation in Warsaw/Moscow.

[marpolsdofer 7]

5 hours ago, millefleur said:

You mentioned that your stepson will go back to Russia to finish school, is it possible to just delay his interview until after school is over? It might be easier, maybe in some months from now things will be calmer and there might be more clarity about what is going on with the whole situation in Warsaw/Moscow.

Well originally we was hoping last year we could get him here in a time frame that allowed him to start grade 11 here. Grade 10 would have been better but covid messed that up. Since we are already in to Febuary he might as well graduate there then next day fly off. We dont know if it will make sense for him to attend grade 12 when he already graduated in Russia.  According to my wife that take place in June?

Everything is ill timed now.

My wife can not leave work from mid April to early to mid June.

I have to use my vacation in June so if he comes later then that he misses out in everything.

He has to be here before August when he turns 18 and get forced in to the Army.

Now some more issues. If we have the interview after April 15 I will be forced to submit my taxes and give that to them. I am a full time employee and also a business owner. Last year I did not work the business so after losses, income was under the poverty level. Year before however well above the level. The year before that after deductions just below. According to the rules my wife can supplement but NVC said we somehow don't meet it and the counselor will deiced. So if they use the current one on file I am well above the line at the time and had just one bad year over the last 8 years. If they use the new one just looks worse being below again with 2 bad years in a 3 year period.

The last one was a issues but not anymore. Child tax credit in order to get them he has to be here for at least 6 months of the year. However he is 17 so we don't get them anyways. The whole time we have been sending money over there for him never got them either.

 

[marpolsdofer 7]

MY wife emailed them yesterday with no change yet. She called them today and it is another holiday. So out of the 11 days we are suppose to be there we only get 4 days to work it out. Emailed us Friday morning here and then everything is closed in Russia and Poland. Closed for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Open Tuesday closed again Wednesday. Open again Thursday and Friday.  Closed Saturday and Sunday. Open Monday and Thursday the interview date.

Then of course it it midnight here when they do open and when you wake they age about closed.

 

My wife is part of some facebook group. There are few people there who also got notifications Friday morning and was giving dates between 1-4 of March.

 

Strange thing they told my Wife last night and just learned about. They told us we would have to pay the application fee again. I don't thank that is right just because of a transfer.

[millefleur 5,046]

10 hours ago, marpolsdofer said:

Strange thing they told my Wife last night and just learned about. They told us we would have to pay the application fee again. I don't thank that is right just because of a transfer.

Actually that might be the case. Where did you pay the original fee to, to Moscow?

[marpolsdofer 7]

12 hours ago, millefleur said:

Actually that might be the case. Where did you pay the original fee to, to Moscow?

I don't remember how the fees things goes. They only fee the we paid for are when applied and submitted to the NVC. It has been almost 2 years since we paid that. The only thing we remember we have to pay for is medical. Is there another payment at the interview?

Poland says they have everything there and my wife was able to get the online account switched from Russia to Poland. We are told we can not change the date until after we miss the interview.