Completely lost and stuck in Russia

[Gawain 23]

One other thing - I remembered that when I was planning out my daughter's US passport, the U.S. embassies authorized to adjudicate for Russians was Riga, Tallinn, or Tbilisi.  Now maybe Tbilisi is swamped with Ukrainians (from web page):

"INFORMATION RELATING TO UKRAINE SITUATION
The governments of Georgia and Ukraine are assisting refugees from Ukraine. Call 144 to contact local authorities."

so that may be why it was suggested to go elsewhere.  But I really don't think Riga or Tallinn will be swamped.  Also - Riga is usually less busy than Tallinn.

It may be worth the effort to try to get a Schengen visa.

 

[Don4593 1]

So, update. Daughter has her passport. No idea how to get my wife and myself out. If I am in America and my wife is in Russia, is there a procedure that expedites her green card or visa?

Edited August 4, 2023 by Don4593

[Don4593 1]

On 6/5/2023 at 6:56 AM, nekotakacho said:

Is your wife part of the Russian girls chat group for American spouses?? If not, you may want to get her enrolled in the WhatsApp group because those girls have all the info she needs, in Russian

Didn't know about this an neither did my wife. Could you tell me how my wife could find this group via whatsapp?

[millefleur 5,046]

**One post removed (along with quoting posts) for suggesting immigration fraud: to enter on a student or tourist visa and adjust status. Suggesting immigration fraud against the VJ Terms of Service. Reminder that entering on a nonimmigrant visa such as a student or tourist with the intention to adjust status constitutes immigration fraud.**

 

VJ Moderation

Edited August 5, 2023 by millefleur

[BenNomad 88]

On 8/4/2023 at 8:27 PM, Don4593 said:

No idea how to get my wife and myself out. If I am in America and my wife is in Russia, is there a procedure that expedites her green card or visa?

Is your wife in danger of being persecuted by the Russian authorities? If yes, then she may be eligible for political asylum.

 

If not, then:

 

You being in the U.S. is not going to speed up the immigration process. There's no shortcut that I'm aware of. If you simply want to get your family out of Russia as soon as possible, you can go to a third country like Uzbekistan or Egypt and live there temporarily if you have the means to support yourself. Your wife can apply for a non-immigrant U.S. visa at any consulate. You can start the immigration process online at any time but it's going to take a year at least to complete.

 

[Boiler 45,466]

8 hours ago, BenNomad said:

Is your wife in danger of being persecuted by the Russian authorities? If yes, then she may be eligible for political asylum.

 

 

I think the issue is getting somewhere, assuming the intent is to move to the US then there would be no need to look into asylum en route.

[BenNomad 88]

15 hours ago, Boiler said:

 

I think the issue is getting somewhere, assuming the intent is to move to the US then there would be no need to look into asylum en route.

I mentioned asylum because it is out there and many people have used it to get to the U.S. more easily than what my family is going through now with the IR-1. If a person is in genuine danger and can prove it in court, asylum makes sense. But in my opinion, most Russians' case for asylum is flimsy at best, and they are running the risk of being deported back to Russia. 

 

Getting out of Russia is easy, but the list of countries where Russians can stay for more than a month is very short. And it requires passive income or the ability to work remotely. 

 

[Boiler 45,466]

7 hours ago, BenNomad said:

I mentioned asylum because it is out there and many people have used it to get to the U.S. more easily than what my family is going through now with the IR-1. If a person is in genuine danger and can prove it in court, asylum makes sense. But in my opinion, most Russians' case for asylum is flimsy at best, and they are running the risk of being deported back to Russia. 

 

Getting out of Russia is easy, but the list of countries where Russians can stay for more than a month is very short. And it requires passive income or the ability to work remotely. 

 

I can not make much sense of this, if you can get to the US you would apply to adjust not claim asylum.

[BenNomad 88]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

I can not make much sense of this, if you can get to the US you would apply to adjust not claim asylum.

I'll relate a story here that bugs me to no end. I have friends from Russia that went to Mexico last year intending to claim asylum at the U.S. border. They were not alone in doing that, of course. While in Mexico, the situation improved and they were actually able to make an appointment ahead of time with the US Border officials. They had to wait a month or two for the appointment, but were let in without any detention, handcuffs or anything like that. All of them being Russian citizens, I suppose they had little chance at a tourist visa (they had participated previously in the lottery program). In fact, they tried to book an appointment for a tourist visa at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, and were told that the wait time for an interview was more than one year! Unbelievable, right? So, they did what they could and went to Mexico. And now they have been in the U.S. for over six months. I'm not in touch with them anymore so I don't know what their situation is like now, are they working, what governement benefits do they get, and so on. Of course, they will have a court hearing at some point (how many years from now?) and knowing them personally I can say that their case is based on nothing substantive (I hesitate to say fabricated, but there are those, too). Will they be granted asylum? I'd bet yes. I'm glad for them and I think they will do well in the U.S. But I'll be honest, it bugs me. It's that the system is so easily abused that bugs me. 

 

Since @Don4593 is a U.S. citizen, I'm not sure it's possible for his wife - assuming she had genuine reason for requesting asylum - to request it. And personally, the thought of being in the U.S. with a court hearing hanging out there in the future would give me no peace of mind. 

 

Going for the IR-1 is so preferable, but it isn't easy or fast.

[Boiler 45,466]

Biden has changed the rules somewhat, OK they have been challenged in Court, but they hold at the time of typing.

 

Just to show up you have to have been refused asylum elsewhere, which is somewhat unlikely, otherwise you need to get an appointment through the App. And that could involve a very long time in Mexico.

 

I tend to think of asylum as just another way of immigrating, I think Mexico was visa free for Russians but not now so if the route you are suggesting is heading to Mexico, signing up for the App and taking your chance then yes that is currently possible.

[millefleur 5,046]

1 hour ago, BenNomad said:

. In fact, they tried to book an appointment for a tourist visa at the US Embassy in Tbilisi, and were told that the wait time for an interview was more than one year! Unbelievable, right?

That has changed now, those extreme wait times were residual Covid related delays. Russians can get tourist visa appointments in Kazakhstan within a matter of months.

 

1 hour ago, BenNomad said:

And now they have been in the U.S. for over six months.

They were granted 1 year humanitarian parole?

[Don4593 1]

This all seems truly insane to me. So, the fastest option for my wife and child to join me in America is 7 months to one year? 

The only other variant is to wait in a 3rd country. Is that right?

I was under the impression that before if I lived in the U.S. that the green card would be expedited to one month. Also, the same if I were to receive a job offer in the U.S. while abroad. Was this never the case? Fortunately, Russia has never given me such problems because then I'd truly have no idea what to do. 

My wife owns two apartments in Russia with a well-paying job, but her being married to an American and having an American child would basically destroy any chance she has at a visa, right?

[millefleur 5,046]

20 minutes ago, Don4593 said:

Also, the same if I were to receive a job offer in the U.S. while abroad.

That's DCF with exceptional circumstances and the US citizen has to be living abroad in a country that offers it. You have to apply to the embassy in that country and see if they will take your case.

 

It would not be one month, maybe 3 months fastest but processing time is totally up to the individual embassy. Again the USC has to be living abroad to qualify, so you need proof of residence in that country where the embassy is located. We have a whole forum about this:

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/82-direct-consular-filing-dcf-general-discussion/

 

22 minutes ago, Don4593 said:

My wife owns two apartments in Russia with a well-paying job, but her being married to an American and having an American child would basically destroy any chance she has at a visa, right?

Not necessarily. She can always apply for a tourist visa and see what happens. Nobody here makes decisions on that, only the CO does. I would say her chances of getting a tourist visa are low but still worth a try if you don't mind the travel for the interview and paying the fee. 

 

23 minutes ago, Don4593 said:

The only other variant is to wait in a 3rd country. Is that right?

You can wait it out together in a 3rd country, but unless you qualify for DCF and the embassy takes your case (as mentioned above) you will still be stuck with the long wait time, same as if you were in Russia or in the US while your wife waits in Russia. 

 

[ah-no 27]

15 hours ago, Don4593 said:

I was under the impression that before if I lived in the U.S. that the green card would be expedited to one month. Also, the same if I were to receive a job offer in the U.S. while abroad. Was this never the case? Fortunately, Russia has never given me such problems because then I'd truly have no idea what to do. 

My wife owns two apartments in Russia with a well-paying job, but her being married to an American and having an American child would basically destroy any chance she has at a visa, right?

1. This was never the case, that's why this forum exists, if this were just a month, there would be no "journey". That's just amazing that you think that, and honestly, that's what most people think. Many people in my family are AMAZED at the wait time, and strangers are, too. Welcome! You're probably looking at 12-18 months if you start today. The asylum thing people are talking about is a moon shot and if it fails you set yourself back immensely. Huge risk. Hope I don't come off as rude, but I don't want to give you any false impressions so that you understand the reality -- there is no "fast track", period.  (Maybe if you were famous or extremely wealthy there could be some shortcuts, but if that were the case, I don't know why you'd be here...)

2. Pretty much, yes. Not 100% out, and always worth a shot, but be prepared to wait and spend a lot of money and to have her turned away at the border. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by ah-no

[Boiler 45,466]

Has there ever been a one month US Immigrant Visa Processing time? 18 to 24 months may be more normal now.

 

DCF may be a possibility if you have a short notice job relocation, but first on what basis are you in Russia, are you Resident?