rikko

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...

You might be screwed, buddy. Many Russians from my fiance's work report being detained and unofficially deported from Israel (it's not a deportation officially because they were never let in to begin with). You'll want to check telegram chats for more updated information. I know one instance of a Russian man trying to enter Israel for a work visa interview, and despite showing the paperwork for it, he was detained for 5 days then sent back. Also, Israel will HATE that you've been in Egypt. They didn't even like us transferring through the Turkish airport without ever entering Turkey during our flight here. There is a high chance you will undergo excess security screening or be outright denied entry. Russians are already under high scrutiny due to their rates of Israeli overstay. If you have Israeli contacts or family, double scrutiny. If you do obtain a Jerusalem transfer, avoid the Bethlehem medical for less questions. We were sent through additional processing because it's West Bank/Palestinian territory (we thought it was Israel). You will be scrutinized upon entry AND exit if you so much as enter West Bank. Also, my fiance had no issues entering Israel but I travelled with him and they were able to see my American passport as further evidence he was being truthful about his intent. Consider doing this, too, if you're worried.

We have just completed our visa interview in Jerusalem, after our medical in Bethlehem. My Russian fiance was turned away and told to come back with his curriculum vitae, research papers he contributed to in college, and work experience (beyond what we already provided). Me and the co-sponsor for the affidavit of support met the income requirement for a household of 3, but they said my fiance would be considered a 4th dependent (?) and we did not meet the income requirement. However, they saw my fiance's current income and determined with his income, we do meet the income requirements, they just want more proof that he has the academic and vocational qualifications to find work in the US. So lesson learned for you all, bring your college diplomas, curriculum vitae/college course list, research papers you did in college, and extensive work experience... Because apparently they might want this... Still grateful it wasn't a direct denial but DANG Jerusalem is expensive! We will have to come back again! Can anyone direct me to a thread or tell me what the process of acquiring more documents is like? It sounds like we can mail the needed documents, and come in person with the passport later.

Embassies were not accepting my case transfer in the beginning. It was not until after my fiance was denied a multi-entry Schengen, that I emailed the embassies again - this time saying there was no legal way for my fiance to enter Poland to complete his visa interview, despite our attempts. It was not until we had attempted the normal path to Warsaw (and failed) that we were able to secure a transfer. Just FYI, I believe Serbia, Kazakhstan, and Israel are Russian beneficiary's best bets for transfer due to size and ties to Russia. My fiance is currently in Armenia with Armenian residency, but the embassy is not accepting any transfers due to it's small size and existing backlog for citizens. I strongly advise you to consider the marriage visa instead of fiance visa.

The embassy contacted me that they've sent out the transfer request and they will contact me when it is received. Best of luck to all other petitioners of Russian beneficiaries!

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

I've had people on the phone be polite and happy with me, then when I mention my beneficiary is Russian you can hear the tone change and the answers become terse and they hang up. My fiance left in February 2022. He hates the war as much as they do!

That is literally what they're asking us to do though 😂 she's not wrong!! This doesn't help the rest of us though, I'm still waiting on a response from Israel and Serbia, and I'm going to try to call Taiwan tomorrow and make a case for myself...

I asked but no response yet 😭

Kazakhstan denied our case transfer

Armenia told us no Georgia told us to cancel the Warsaw interview before asking again but also that they can't guarantee a transfer Kazakhstan told us no

Kazakhstan said no, Georgia told me to cancel my Warsaw interview then they'd consider letting us transfer but no guarantees, Taiwan told me I had the wrong email but I only found one email online. Brazil said no, Armenia said no. I'm losing it, how are we supposed to do anything. We can't get to Poland, we can't transfer out...? Our case is getting close to the 1 year extension. Can it even be renewed over one year?