Russia Specific FAQ

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Yes, it must state that they, the parent, attest to the fact that they are giving permission for their child(ren) to depart and understand it is a permanent emigration. Exception: the custodial parent has 100% custody and the court document to prove this, then they require no letter from the child's parent.

Dear Group,

One more question. If the beneficiary has a child, does (s)he need permission from the former spouse to take the child to the US? I haven't seen any such requirement from the USCIS, but when I take my daughters out of the country, the airline requires a notarized permission letter from their mother allowing me to take them outside the US.

In my particular case, the ex lives in the Ukraine, whereas my Masha and son live in Russia (Petersburg).

Thank you for the help and support.

Javier

[mox 298]

Dear Group,

One more question. If the beneficiary has a child, does (s)he need permission from the former spouse to take the child to the US? I haven't seen any such requirement from the USCIS, but when I take my daughters out of the country, the airline requires a notarized permission letter from their mother allowing me to take them outside the US.

In my particular case, the ex lives in the Ukraine, whereas my Masha and son live in Russia (Petersburg).

Thank you for the help and support.

Javier

Yes, you need permission from the father/mother of the child.

[Satellite 1]

Dear Group,

One more question. If the beneficiary has a child, does (s)he need permission from the former spouse to take the child to the US? I haven't seen any such requirement from the USCIS, but when I take my daughters out of the country, the airline requires a notarized permission letter from their mother allowing me to take them outside the US.

In my particular case, the ex lives in the Ukraine, whereas my Masha and son live in Russia (Petersburg).

Thank you for the help and support.

Javier

Yes, you need permission from the father/mother of the child.

Just wanted to add that if the ex-spouse has an ax to grind he or she can resort to extortion in order to sign that permission slip or simply be a deal breaker when it comes to the immigrating ex-spouse.

[aspettando 0]

Thank you for the answers. So fast!

[slim 1,525]

Thank you for the answers. So fast!

Yeah, usually it's more like, "uh... so fast?"

[Tars 0]

I need help on a small item. Hopefully someone out there knows the answer.

My fiance'e must fill out the DS-156, "Electronic Visa Application Form". The first question asks for the passort number, place it was issued, expiration date, etc. It seems in Russia they have two internal passports issued to each citizen- a passport that allows them to travel between cities, and a passport that allows them to travel further distances within Russia. I know that my fiance'e will also need an international passport in order to come to the US.

So my question is this: Which passport information are they asking for on the DS-156?

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks in advance.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

The DOS would only be interested in her International Passport information. That is what they want.

I need help on a small item. Hopefully someone out there knows the answer.

My fiance'e must fill out the DS-156, "Electronic Visa Application Form". The first question asks for the passort number, place it was issued, expiration date, etc. It seems in Russia they have two internal passports issued to each citizen- a passport that allows them to travel between cities, and a passport that allows them to travel further distances within Russia. I know that my fiance'e will also need an international passport in order to come to the US.

So my question is this: Which passport information are they asking for on the DS-156?

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks in advance.

[Tars 0]

The DOS would only be interested in her International Passport information. That is what they want.

Thanks for answering so quickly, Jeffery. So then I must ask: Natasha does not yet have an international passport. Must she get one before filing out the DS-156, or should she just write "None" in the spaces on the form?

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

My Alla is currently waiting for her new bio-passport to arrive. I have been holding off filling out the DS-156 for her as I am sure they want to see this number on the form. I would fill the form out after she has her passport as "none" would seem she does not have a required document to obtain her visa.

The DOS would only be interested in her International Passport information. That is what they want.

Thanks for answering so quickly, Jeffery. So then I must ask: Natasha does not yet have an international passport. Must she get one before filing out the DS-156, or should she just write "None" in the spaces on the form?

Edited April 12, 2008 by Kazan' Tiger

[Satellite 1]

It seems in Russia they have two internal passports issued to each citizen- a passport that allows them to travel between cities, and a passport that allows them to travel further distances within Russia.

This is the first time I have ever heard of Russians having two "internal passports". As far as I am aware they only have one "internal passport" used for ID and registration purposes and if they choose can file for one "international passport" which allows for international travel.

Natasha does not yet have an international passport. Must she get one before filing out the DS-156, or should she just write "None" in the spaces on the form?

How soon is your visa interview? You want to have that international passport made before the interview. I am sure they check over the DS-156 and make any final corrections as needed at the interview. As far as I am aware your only deadline to comply with the embassy's checklist is the day of the interview. Ask to extend the interview if she will not have the passport until then.

I'm surprised they even let your cases out of USCIS, i.e. approved your I-129F without getting a copy of her international passport.

Edited April 13, 2008 by Satellite

[Bobalouie 0]

It seems in Russia they have two internal passports issued to each citizen- a passport that allows them to travel between cities, and a passport that allows them to travel further distances within Russia.

This is the first time I have ever heard of Russians having two "internal passports". As far as I am aware they only have one "internal passport" used for ID and registration purposes and if they choose can file for one "international passport" which allows for international travel.

Natasha does not yet have an international passport. Must she get one before filing out the DS-156, or should she just write "None" in the spaces on the form?

How soon is your visa interview? You want to have that international passport made before the interview. I am sure they check over the DS-156 and make any final corrections as needed at the interview. As far as I am aware your only deadline to comply with the embassy's checklist is the day of the interview. Ask to extend the interview if she will not have the passport until then.

I'm surprised they even let your cases out of USCIS, i.e. approved your I-129F without getting a copy of her international passport.

There is no requirement for proving the identity of your spouse for the I-129F petition. My fiancee didnt have her international passport until about a month before the interview.

[aspettando 0]

The DOS would only be interested in her International Passport information. That is what they want.

Thanks for answering so quickly, Jeffery. So then I must ask: Natasha does not yet have an international passport. Must she get one before filing out the DS-156, or should she just write "None" in the spaces on the form?

According to my Masha, it takes three weeks to get a passport to go abroad and it costs some 3000 rubles. If faster, you have to add 2000 rubles. We are getting a passport for her son through a travel agency, so maybe it is cheaper if you do it directly with the official ministry... and enjoy Russian bureaucracy . If I were you I would try to get that passport asap. She will need it anyway for the visa to be stamped and when entering the US.

I am no expert, but this is what I would do. Best luck to you.

[Tars 0]

Hello, group. I normally don't post here but I thought this would be interesting to some of you.

I sent an anonymous email to the US Embassy in Moscow. Here is the question I asked: "I was told that I could call the US Embassy in Moscow and see if there were any visa appointments that may have been canceled so that possibly my appointment could be moved up into that time slot. This information was told to me by a reliable friend. However, other people have told me that if I ask this question of you that it would actually delay my appointment even more.

I do not wish to impose any hardship on the personnel there. I just would like to know if my appointment could be moved up if there happens to be a cancellation.

Thank you for your attention to this question."

Now, I don't know if the embassy there is staffed by Russians or by Americans, but the answer I received back (if you can call it an answer) was of no help at all. Here is the reply I received:

"To consider this option, we need to know the applicant's full name, DOB, the case number and the reason of rescheduling

Sincerely,

Public Liaison Unit

Consular Section

US Embassy, Moscow"

Has any of you had any success in rescheduling? Or do you think it futile (and possibly destructive) for me to ask?

Tars

Edited April 24, 2008 by Tars

[Tars 0]

Oh, by the way. It was a misunderstanding on my part about the types of passports that Russians have. It was translated to me and I think some of the meaning was lost in the translation. My Natasha has an international passport besides the one she uses internally to travel within Russia.

Does anyone know if she should get her police record now, or wait until we have the interview scheduled?

Tars

[Don E 0]

Your fiancee should request the police certificate immediately. Depending on where she lives (and has lived), it could possibly take a couple of months to get the police certificate (of course, it might also take a week or less). The police certificate is valid (for the U.S. Embassy's purpose) for one year from the date of issuance.

As far as requesting that the interview date be moved up, I can't possibly imagine that it would hurt anything to ask. The worst thing that could happen would be they would say no. While they have no problem rescheduling to a later date, you're going to have to give them a good reason in order to get your interview date rescheduled to an earlier date. It doesn't have to be life or death, but it must be something they would consider valid. As an example, when my ex-wife had her interview, we were able to get her date moved up a couple of weeks. The primary reason that we asked them to consider the earlier interview date was the start of school for her son. By moving her interview date just a couple of weeks earlier than it was initially scheduled, he could get here in time to enroll in school and start at the beginning of the semester with all of his classmates. In that case, the Consulate granted our request.