Infoman

Thank God! 6-8 months is doable - 2-3 years is not.

Hmmm...so let's say she wants to go back to Russia to visit family. This can not be done until she gets a green card? If so, how long does it take, generally speaking, to get a green card?

Good question. I wasn't aware of any time restrictions to travel once they are in the US - ARE there? As for green card, I'd like to know as well.

She is from a city / town MUCH smaller than St. Pete's or Moscow. The help you can get from certain travel agents in her area isn't good, to say the least. Yes, I think I'm aware of the documents that she will need. She is going to do the Schengen in Moscow in May, during which time she will also go to the Embassy-approved doctor for the medical exam. Before she goes, she is calling the place in Moscow for Hungary schengen visas to double-check what documents she needs to bring with her. And this is only for the schengen. For the Warsaw interview, it's a whole other list of things that must be brought to the interview.

It does help. She has to go in person. What is "very strange"?

Got it. Thanks. Only question I have is - when you say apply through an agency, WHAT agency? Her local travel agencies are zero help. Something specific, I take it, for a Schengen to Hungary? I believe there is and I think she called her nearest place to do this in Kazan. They are saying "too busy now" and "will be able to do after May holidays". Wondering if we just wait or contact St. Petersburg or other. If St. Pete, for example, would she need to go there in person to apply and/or pick up visa?

Let me ask you, just to see if we're in the same situation... a) Are you going to America? b) Is your significant other Russian? c) How / where did you / she get the Schengen for Hungary? d) Have you already gone to the interview in Warsaw? And if so, how did it go? Thanks! And I appreciate the "good luck" comment. 🙂 Andy

Yep, that's exactly what we are doing. I didn't know about the no options to transfer until I went through all of them.

I replied. 🙂

Hi, Aleksey... So, you applied for the Hungary Schengen from the St. Petersburg visa center? My fiancé is the the Mari El area - nowhere near St. Pete. How did you apply for it? Will she have to go to St. Pete to pick it up? Do they have requirements for Schengen? She is not working and I am sponsoring her. Obviously, this is for immigration, not a "travel visit" to Hungary, per se. We would stay a couple of days and then go to Warsaw from Hungary, but we would go by plane. I don't think there is any border patrol at the airport, or so I hear, that would present any problems. Then, we would come a day early and go to the interview. We have things set to have visa sent to a MBE mailbox location not far from her in Cheboksary. Did you say that they tell you a location to get visa (in Warsaw) and you just waited a couple of days? Also, a Russian translator is needed? They don't have one, even though Warsaw was designated for Russian K1 visa interviews??? Or they do, as I am now reading? My biggest question right now is how you applied for the Schengen visa. Can you provide me details? Was it through here? Did you do it or did your wife do it? Welcome to VFS Global | vfsglobal Thanks! Andy

I'm a K1. I've tried the following: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Jerusalem - all say residents only. Hungary never replied back to me. I'm trying to keep it within a not-too-far distance from Russia, but I am coming up empty. I am thinking about calling the US Embassy in Warsaw - NOT their USTRAVELDOCS third-party ZERO HELP that they have listed for contacts on all embassy websites - to actually talk to someone at the embassy to see what they have to say. Other than that, my fiancé talked to multiple travel agents in Russia RE: Schengen visa. One said they are not doing this - another said "France, no - Spain - August - Italy - September". This process is nearing two years and I can't get to the finish line so far. I also don't want to wait another number of months for a Schengen visa. My fiancé is calling the Italy consulate in Moscow on Monday to see what they can do. If possible, we would go to Italy for a couple of days and then fly to Warsaw and get this over with. This part of things is a complete nightmare and the US EMBASSIES are blind to the fact that they moved the interviews to Warsaw while Poland is not issuing Schengen visas. I am scrambling and I'm running VERY low on options.

I'm in the same exact situation. Interview in Warsaw - I had to cancel because it was approaching and Poland is NOT issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens. I have spent the last two months contacting every consulate I can think of - INCLUDING Jerusalem - and not ONE of them is taking any transfer cases. I am looking into getting a Schengen visa for my fiancé, but I am being told August or September. I think I might contact the US Embassy in Warsaw directly (in the middle of the night in USA) - because their third-party service, USTRAVELDOCS, has been LESS than ZERO help. I'm just not sure what options I have, if any, since Warsaw appears to be the only place to get the interview. Again, with NO transfers happening anywhere, what is one to do????