Acquiring citizenship of another country while at NVC stage

[sk23 7]

Hi everyone, would appreciate some input from the community. I have searched on the forums but have not found anyone in my specific situation.

 

I have an ongoing CR-1 petition for my wife which we started in Canada a few years ago. The petition is now at the NVC stage. I have been keeping it active by maintaining contact with NVC via the AskNVC method.

 

During this time my wife went to Russia for medical treatment, and acquired Russian citizenship (through parents) so that she could stay long enough for the treatment to complete. When the war with Ukraine started, she and the kids moved to Armenia. But she does not have a residence permit there yet. Armenia lets visitors stay for 180 days and then reenter.

Question 1 - "Is the petition still good?": I heard that acquiring a third country's citizenship may constitute abandonment of the immigration petition. We didn't know it at the time and that was not the intention. Is this true? And if so - is there any way to prove that she did not intend to abandon the petition?

 

If the answer to question 1 is yes, then

 

Question 2 - "Can we change the consulate": I imagine that even if she could travel back to Russia to do an interview there, Russia is probably not going to work now because of the sanctions. Is there a way for us to transfer the interview to a consulate in Armenia? (She has no intention to move back to Canada for the foreseeable future.)

 

Hope this makes sense, and please let me know what you think.

sk

[Chancy 6,241]

2 hours ago, sk23 said:

I heard that acquiring a third country's citizenship may constitute abandonment of the immigration petition.

 

Not true.  No need to worry about this.  On the day of the visa interview, just update the DS-260 info about other citizenships/nationalities, also other passports if your wife gets a Russian passport.  Make sure to volunteer this new information to the document checker prior to the interview or to the interviewing officer at the consulate.

 

2 hours ago, sk23 said:

Is there a way for us to transfer the interview to a consulate in Armenia?

 

You will need to contact the consulate at Yerevan directly to request for case transfer.  Chances are low that they will accept, given that your wife is just a tourist in Armenia and not a legal resident, but it wouldn't hurt her visa case to ask.  From the Yerevan Visa Unit's visa navigator -- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTZcspb88FJZ1LE5QlHFqqc8TtAnrdR70K5BYbaqCs7uFfpw/viewform

 

IV - Transfer of Immigrant Visa case

TRANSFERS FOR RESIDENTS OF ARMENIA ONLY
At this time, Embassy Yerevan will only consider transfer cases for applicants who legally and physically reside in Armenia. Please contact NVC to consider your transfer request.

 

By the way, no US consulates in Russia currently process immigrant visas.  Russians must go to Warsaw in Poland for their visa interview, or beg another consulate to accept their case.

 

[sk23 7]

 

11 hours ago, Chancy said:

Not true.  No need to worry about this.

 @Chancy Thank you very much for your answer! That's a relief! By the way, I heard this from an immigration lawyer, so people, choose your lawyers wisely.