rikko

Cheers to not a single DM 🍻

Hello, I am in the middle of administrative processing and it is approaching the 2 month mark. Is there a certain time period where it is okay to contact the embassy, and what would an email like that even look like? I want to avoid aggravating the person on the receiving end, especially if nothing can be done. "Can I ask how my application is going" sounds bad too, as the CEAC website has the status. Is it advised to just not ask, even if months in the process?

You need an app to use the bus and we couldn't get it to work. We boarded a bus and tried to pay with cash and the bus driver told us he'd call the cops and have us fined lmao. If you've ever been to New York City, Israel feels like it and then some at times. Your passport is scanned and you're given a blue ticket upon arrival. No stamp. Many Arab countries will not let you in if you've been to Israel, so this is how they protect tourists. If you rent a car, you'll be checked when crossing checkpoints. If you take a taxi they might or might not check everyone's ID. There is a chance you might be monitored, I think. We were told several times to expect an exit interview when leaving Israel, and every single person stressed to never lie about whether or not you visited west bank. They may even search your phones if they want. We were given an exit interview and cross-examined for 15 minutes. We were honestly prepared for 2-3 hours of this. But you have to understand that Israelis have to take the security of their country and people very seriously due to terrorism. We were physically scanned, patted down, and all of our carry-ons were swabbed for any traces of explosives before even boarding a CONNECTING flight to Israel. Also, we haven't been called back. We are in 221g administrative hell right now.

I was able to wait outside. There is seating but it was too hot at the time so I stood in the breezeway. Infrastructure is old but things are clean and I do think the city is low crime. I would feel safe walking around at night. Bethlehem doc said he has seen pretty much only Russian patients. Israelis cannot enter west bank tier A zones, Jews shouldn't enter because they're at danger of being killed. Many Palestinian Christians have left due to international church support and resources, and the city population is becoming more and more Palestinian Muslim as people leave cities like Hebron. There are actually many Russian Jews in Israel so we had my fiance wear his cross to be safe, but it was probably unnecessary. Both Palestinians and Israelis try very hard to not involve foreigners if there ever is violence. Another reason I suggest Bethlehem over Ramallah is that Ramallah seems less stable. And this is if you cannot do the medical in Jerusalem. Assuming you have to leave and come back for a 221g or any other additional screening, I would absolutely 100000% recommend not setting foot in west bank. Bethlehem has an extremely tourist-driven industry which was hit hard by covid and recent legislation. They love seeing tourists. It is probably the only tourist-driven city I've been in that doesn't hate tourists. Taxis will be hard to source but if you get an AirBnB they'll usually get fam from Jerusalem to drive you around for like $100 lmao, Israeli taxi drivers cannot take you to Bethlehem. Always have a backup plan or arrive 1-2 days before any appointment. There is a refugee camp in Bethlehem that can be raided, and raids usually mean you cannot enter or leave for a period of time. Gunshots from 5-9 pm are locals, gunshots from 1-4 am are IDF (which we never heard). There will be a call to prayer every night at like 2-3 am, if you are a light sleeper, close the windows. Jerusalem is nice too, but consider renting a car while there. All affordable accomodations for us in West Jerusalem was in surrounding suburbs, and as tourists we couldn't obtain bus passes. I did not enter East Jerusalem but from what I understand it can also be subject to raids and clashes. Cheap lodging though.

Bethlehem is right. The exterior is made of a local construction material, inside is as modern as it can get. The doctor in Bethlehem is a Palestinian Christian. It's walking distance from Manger Sq., which is also near an AirBnB.

1. If you get AP and have to leave and come back they won't like if you entered west bank. I would avoid ramallah. Bethlehem is touristy and important to Christians, and the name is in Hebrew. If they ask why you were in Bethlehem I think they'd be more tolerant. Ramallah is like, Palestine proper, it's their defacto capital now. I would suspect issues. But yeah you'll be safe as long as you don't look Jewish (in west bank). 2. Paper. We picked it up a few days after our medical. The Bethlehem doctor is very nice.

Hi everyone, My fiance is a Russian national and we interviewed in Jerusalem over the summer. The interview went well, but they asked for my fiance's CV and proof of no military service on a white slip. They also asked to keep his passport, but after we explained we need to leave to get the documents, they explained the process to mail them required docs. Docs were mailed, received, and our 221g refusal with 2 required docs was changed to a 221g refusal with no required docs. They told us it'll be about 1 month until we hear back. He has a chemistry degree, formerly worked in battery production, and now works in computer programming. I hope STEM backgrounds/careers do not lead to excessive 221g processing. I understand we have a unique case, but does anyone have thoughts or advice to share? It's been 2 months. Feeling down.

1. Stuff gets emailed to you and maybe also her. Keep track of your emails. 2. Email or call NVC. Or wait for the case to reach Poland before trying to transfer from Poland to somewhere else. Costa Rica may not be accepting transfers - my fiance has Armenian residency and a transfer was denied due to lack of resources. Other posters do not have residency in places they live (Georgia, Serbia, etc) and are unlikely to get transfers whatsoever. 3. Ask the embassy to extend, list your reasons. Usually they allow extensions but it's their discretion.

The Jerusalem Embassy is quite big from what I understand so it will be a while before they have to start refusing. Besides, with how expensive Israel is to stay in, it's good for the economy!

Specifically for Russian fiances/spouses. Other groups like Discord, Twitter, etc also appreciated. I'm just looking to read more people's experiences.

It won't change. You'll hear back likely within a week with more information on scheduling and payment. They sent us an email when they had physically received your application from Warsaw; what has happened so far is a digital transfer only. Happy travels! You can keep refreshing or checking regularly in the hopes that someone cancels their appointment. That is how those people in the telegram chat were able to get earlier appointments. Congrats on the transfer! Now both of you be mindful of the medical! Bethlehem is West Bank, and this will/can cause issues. Plan ahead and try to stay in Jerusalem! East Jerusalem is cheaper in accommodation but is West Bank controlled, too. Please keep us updated on how your experiences go!

You may want to contact NVC now and see if you can move it out of warsaw before it's assigned.

They asked for more proof of no military service, CV (work, education, publications). It was a white slip. The officer doing the interview told us we should hear back in 30 days and seemed positive and approving. My Russian fiance has a chemistry degree, previously worked with battery production and is now a computer programmer. They wanted to keep his passport but when we explained we needed to leave to get paperwork, they explained the procedure to mail documents to them. Our 221g/AP was updated when they received our documents - it now lists no documents needed, but still refused. Israel recently celebrated Rosh Hashanah so I'm sure the workers are busy with family festivities. I hope it won't take too long... Thanks for the info by the way, millefleur! I will be reading that couples' experiences. Always so helpful 🥰

Is there anyone else here with a Russian fiance who interviewed outside of Poland (i.e. Israel, Kazakhstan, etc) and was placed in 221g administrative processing here??? I was dreaming this summer I'd be home with my fiance before my birthday in the fall, able to celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas in America... I'm worried our 221g will take longer because it will be harder for Israel to access/check Russian records... I was browsing other 221g posts on visajourney and most people are put in 221g in their own country (feeling bad for those from pakistan and the middle east though! they have it rough!) I wish you all well, and reading your stories and posts helps me remember I am not alone in this process.

Russian tourist visas last up to 3 years and they are pretty fast to get.

It's probably not a requirement, others argued their case better than me and got a transfer without having to attempt Schengen route to Warsaw. But with an onslaught of transfers, they may become or have already become more selective about cases. Kazakhstan was accepting K-1/IR1 cases for a while until it became too much from what I understand.

Our multi-entry Schengen visa to Spain was denied and we were given single-entry instead. This made it basically impossible for us to legally enter Poland later for our interview, and on top of that we had to spend money going to Spain anyways because getting a Schengen and not using it looks bad on your travel history. You can get your visa rejected by applying to a country you expect to deny you :P Previously we had been denied by Jerusalem for a transfer, but after our multi-entry Schengen was denied, they accepted our case transfer. They want to see an attempt by you to do your interview in Warsaw, and if not possible, are willing to take you on, it seems. I will always be grateful to Israel and the Jerusalem embassy for this. Serbia isn't accepting case transfers anymore if I recall correctly. Don't try Armenia either, they're too small/busy for transfers, prioritizing citizens, and the wait times would be over a year just for an interview.

Lol they're being lazy. I would regularly get ghosted by embassies, they'd give stock replies, Georgia told me to cancel my application but told me they can't guarantee a transfer (?!), Jerusalem didn't accept a transfer until we had tried to get to Poland through Spanish Schengen and were given single-entry only. I know you're avoiding Jerusalem but things look bleak. You can also try mass-emailing all visa-free entry countries for Russians... I recall a lady a VERY long time ago got a Central American country to accept her transfer, but I cannot remember the country or her circumstances. Also, to be fair, while Israel didn't like my transfers through Turkey and Qatar when flipping through my passport, they also let me and my fiancé in with some grumbling. If you can explain your stay in Egypt in a satisfactory way to them AND arrive with your fiancé, it could be okay. Some countries (like Armenia) have small embassies that could not take you on if they wanted... I'm not sure where you could check, but embassies that handle a lot of neighboring country's cases or have the manpower to take new cases (besides Jerusalem) could be a good starting point.

1. Enter with your American fiancé or family member when travelling to Israel because they're more likely to trust your story this way. We had no additional screening when entering the country together. 2. Try to avoid transfers to or through Turkey/Qatar/other Muslim-majority countries. 3. Regarding medical, I would try to do it in Jerusalem. We did our medical in Bethlehem and we didn't know Bethlehem was West Bank (after all, the name is in Hebrew and it's right next to the capital). They didn't like this at all. The other options are Gaza and Ramallah and these are probably worse. 4. Interviews are available online and update regularly. Just keep checking back is my advice. 5. I would recommend just keeping your passport with you. Someone gave it to the embassy and is/was rapidly losing money waiting in Israel for it back. 6. Israel is a very diverse country so you should have no issues finding English, Russian, Hebrew, or Arabic interviewers if you let them know ahead of time. 7. Checkpoints happen regularly and transit can be severely disrupted this way. You could, for example, be barred from travelling between East and West Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, etc. We travelled to each location a day in advance so we would be able to walk to the interview/medical if vehicles were not available. There are hotels you can book for 1 night next to the embassy and near the medical.

We used an online generated one and we're fine. Check with the embassy to be sure.

Update! My fiance says they did ASK for his passport at the end of the interview, and insisted on this, but after seeing his hesitation and him explaining he needs to leave the country to collect documents, they told him about the option to mail additional information to them.

No they didn't, they told us to mail the required documents and told us it would take about a month - the interviewing officer seemed to approve of my fiance and our relationship at the end of the interview. Thank you for the words of encouragement! It's not just the country of origin 😂, my fiance also studied a "sensitive" major (chemistry), previously worked at a battery company (apparently this is sensitive too) and currently works as a computer programmer (yikes!). I think he hit every alarm they had! I do hope it's just a delay but I'm so eager to return home to the US with my fiance 🥲

Immediately after our interview in July we were refused on 221g grounds, and they asked us for additional military records (proof of no service) and CV (curriculum vitae) We mailed those, they received them, and they updated our 221g refusal but did not list any categories. (Basically we received a new refusal paper but no categories of information listed.) Now I know a refusal isn't a denial, but... I was browsing visajourney and some people from other countries say it's a way to deny you softly as your k-1 and medical will expire, and our medical will expire in November. Can anyone tell us if it's bleak or hopeless because I am feeling the stress...

They accepted our transfer everyone! Also am I going to be emailed when the transfer is complete, or do I have to check regularly if Jerusalem has my case? I want to pay the new DS-160 ASAP and get scheduled