As of August 23, 2017, all of US nonimmigrant visa processing in Russia will be suspended. Starting September 1, 2017, the nonimmigrant visa interviews will be held only at the US embassy in Moscow. Nonimmigrant visa interviews in US consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok are suspended until further notice.
Due to the Russian government’s personnel cap imposed on the US Mission, visa operations will be greatly reduced. The current nonimmigrant visa appointments are being cancelled in Russia nationwide. Individuals who have their interviews scheduled in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok should call to reschedule their interviews at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
The staffing changes are expected to impact the immigrant visa applicants as well. Affected applicants should be receiving an email notifying them of their appointment changes or cancellations.
This change will also affect the residents of Belarus. The U.S. embassy in Moscow and the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg will no longer accept new visa applications for Belarus residents. The applicants who have already paid their application fee should be able to reschedule their nonimmigrant visa appointments. However, Belarus residents have the option to schedule their nonimmigrant visa appointments at the US Embassy in Warsaw, Kyiv, or Vilnius.
The US Embassy in Moscow has issued a statement that it will notify those whose nonimmigrant appointments will be cancelled by email. The email should provide the information needed to reschedule their interview for the later date in Moscow. Because the staffing capacity will be greatly reduced, a much slower turnaround should be anticipated.
The statement also advised student visa holders that the Embassy is planning to offer a block of visa appointments in early September.
For those who have already paid their visa fee, the fee will not be refunded and cannot be transferred to apply outside of Russia. However, the fee is valid for a year from the date of the payment.
For rescheduling of the nonimmigrant visa interviews and other questions, contact: +7 (495) 745 3388 or 8 800 100 2554 (ITFN).