US Visa Appointment Update for Russian Nationals


The United States Department of State has closed all consulates in Russia which prevents all visa appointments for both immigrant and non-immigrant visa appointments. We are in constant contact with the US Embassy and Consulates that continue operations and are located in countries which Russians can access without a visa. 

The availability and timeliness of visa appointments for both non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas are constantly changing and the only way to actually know if there is a date available is to try to schedule an appointment. There are next available appointment dates listed by the department of state at this link www.oaklg.com/appointments, however these dates are often not extremely accurate but more of a guidance for foreign nationals looking for basic information on visa appointments. 



Russian Non-Immigrant Visa Appointment Poll Updates



For the convenience of our clients and Russian nationals who wish to obtain visa appointments to come to the United States, we polled all of the consulates that make sense for Russians to attend and which are located in countries that do not require Russian nationals to enter without a visa. Note that we did not include locations in Kazakhstan as neither consulate has any dates available and refuses to grant emergency appointments (without already having a date set) at the time of this post. Please note that many consulates only accept cash payments for visa appointments. There is no way to know this without trying to set an appointment first. 



For each consulate, we ask the following questions directly to their non-immigrant visa department: 

 

  • What is your current wait time for appointments

  • Do you consider emergency appointments for P-1 visa applicants with competitions happening soon?

  • Can third-country nationals interview at your consulate? 

  •  Does having a 212(f) waiver make a difference?

 

Here is a list of the responses received from the Consulates: 

Muskat, Oman - * Russian Nationals need E-visa (1-3 day process https://evisa.rop.gov.om/) - 7 Calender Days - Yes emergency appointments for P-1 visa applicants - Yes Third Country Nationals - online payment for MRV Fee. Thus, Muskat is a great option for Russian nationals.

Belgrade, Serbia - 11 Calendar Days - Serbian nationals & residents only. Thus Belgrade is not an option for Russian nationals who do not live in Serbia



Baku, Azerbaijan -  emergency only - can get with 212(f) waiver. Thus, Russian nationals can attend interviews in Baku with a 212(f) waiver. This is only available for a select few travelers. 



Minsk, Belarus -  Emergency Appointments Only - Yes emergency appointments for P-1 visa applicants -  Yes TCN if they have residency permits for Belarus - They accept all petition based visas -  beginning of August - No credit card, U.S. Dollar cash only. Thus Minsk is not an option for Russians who do not live in Belarus



Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - 999 Calendar Days - No TCN - Thus Kyrgyzstan is not an option for Russian nationals. 



Skopje, Macedonia - Emergency Appointments Only - N/A - No TCN - they process petition-based visa types for citizens of N. Macedonia and legal residents and emergencies cases of medical nature only -  Thus Macedonia is not an option for Russian nationals.



Chisinau, Moldova - 10 Calendar Days -  Please note that persons traveling to Moldova from another country for your visa appointment, we require that you have been present in Moldova for 14 days before you may enter the U.S. Embassy for your visa interview. Moldova is an option for Russian nationals but must require a 14 day stay in Moldova prior to the visa interview. 



Dushanbe, Tajikistan - 28 Calendar Days - No emergency appointments for P-1 visa applicants - Citizens & residents only of Tajikistan - Having a 212(f) waiver doesn't make a difference - N/A - No credit card or online payment. Thus Tajikistan is not an option for Russian foreign nationals. 


Istanbul, Turkey - Emergency Appointments - Yes emergency appointments for P-1 visa applicants - Citizens & residents only of Turkey - Having a 212(f) waiver doesn't make a difference - online payment for MRV Fee. Thus, Instabul is not an option for Russian foreign nationals.