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Nonimmigrant Visas

General Information for All Nonimmigrant Visas (Visitor's Visas)

The U.S. Visa process is simple but it helps to be prepared in advance when applying for a visa. This information is intended to help applicants for nonimmigrant visas understand the application process and speed the processing of the visa application.

In most cases, visas are processed within several working days. It is better to apply 3-4 weeks in advance of your intended travel date to allow enough time for additional processing which is needed in some cases. Please note that the U.S. Consulate is closed on both American and Russian holidays.

If you would like to see a list of fees - click here.

The documents you will need to bring to the interview depend the purpose of your travel, but in all cases each applicant will need:

1. A valid external passport for travel abroad, a valid internal passport, and any other identification document (e.g. driver's license, birth certificate, etc.)

2. One photograph size 50 x 50 mm. (All applicants, even infants included in their parents' passports, are required to have photographs. The visa has the applicant's picture imprinted on it.)

3. A completed application form.

4. Documents providing credible evidence that you will depart the U.S. at the end of your stay and which show that you have strong family, social, employment and financial ties to Russia

Applicants for visitor's visas must show that they qualify under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The presumption in the law is that every visa applicant is an intending immigrant. Therefore, applicants for visitor visas must overcome that presumption by demonstrating to the satisfaction of the consular officer at the time of interview that:

  1. They plan to remain for a specific, limited period of time;
  2. They have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties which will insure their return abroad at the end of the visit;
  3. The purpose of their trip corresponds to an available visa category (business, pleasure, or medical treatment).

It is impossible to specify the exact form the evidence should take since applicant's circumstances vary greatly.