Moscow interviews anyone?
 

Hi.
Does anyone have an update on how the Moscow visa interviews are going? Last week they suddenly stopped printing visas. The people who were approved were told to come back this week to pick them up. Was this a temporary problem due to a broken visa printing machine or a permanent change in policy and/or proceedure or what?
My fiancee and her son are scheduled for an interview next Wednesday and we are wondering if anybody has any recent news on the visa process at the Moscow Embassy.

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

I emailed them (even though I am just dreaming of being in your shoes).

__________________________________________________ ________________
Dear Sir:

We apologize for the delay in finalizing immigrant visa cases. Due to recent changes
in processing requirements, we are required to perform additional administrative
processing on the immigrant visa cases following the interview. We are not able to
offer visa issuance on the same day. This additional administrative processing is
mandatory and we cannot issue the visa until it has been completed. For further
information regarding the status of this case, please contact our visa information
center by telephone at +7 095 258 2525 or 1 866 US VISA from the United States. We do
not recommend that you contact the information center until at least a week has
passed since the visa interview. Additionally, we strongly advise applicants not to
buy tickets or make any permanent travel arrangements before they receive a visa.

Sincerely, Customer Service Unit Cosnsular Section yz
__________________________________________________ ________________

"ftheone" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi. Does anyone have an update on how the Moscow visa interviews are going? Last
    > week they suddenly stopped printing visas. The people who were approved were told
    > to come back this week to pick them up. Was this a temporary problem due to a
    > broken visa printing machine or a permanent change in policy and/or proceedure or
    > what? My fiancee and her son are scheduled for an interview next Wednesday and we
    > are wondering if anybody has any recent news on the visa process at the Moscow
    > Embassy.
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Fred (and Sonya) 1st NOA: 1/26/02 RFE: 3/27/02 2nd NOA: 5/02/02 On Moscow Interview
    > list: 6/10/02 Packets Recieved: 7/03/02 Interview data: 8/07/02
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

On 1 Aug 2002 02:20:40 GMT, ftheone <[email protected]> wrote:

    >Hi. Does anyone have an update on how the Moscow visa interviews are going? Last
    >week they suddenly stopped printing visas. The people who were approved were told to
    >come back this week to pick them up. Was this a temporary problem due to a broken
    >visa printing machine or a permanent change in policy and/or proceedure or what? My
    >fiancee and her son are scheduled for an interview next Wednesday and we are
    >wondering if anybody has any recent news on the visa process at the Moscow Embassy.

nothing yet. almost 2 weeks since the interview. my fiancee will call them again
tomorrow. last time they said 2-3 weeks, tomorrow may easily say 1-2 months. seems
like it just will never end...

VM

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

Interesting...

Why did Moscow become the only Embassy to have this extra admin processing? I haven't
heard about it at other places.

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

I don't know .......here is their email....if you want their vague answers.......

[email protected]

"mrtravel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Interesting...
    >
    > Why did Moscow become the only Embassy to have this extra admin processing? I
    > haven't heard about it at other places.

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

Moscow is not the only place doing this now. We've read reports recently in the
China-USA-Couples Yahoo Group of this beginning to happen at the Guangzhou, China,
consulate. Recent interviewees there are being told they've passed the visa
interview, but the visa itself cannot be issued to them for X(?) amount of time. It
wouldn't surprise me if this is going to be reported happening everywhere, until the
new procedures can be sorted out.

Regards, Tim

mrtravel <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > Interesting...
    >
    > Why did Moscow become the only Embassy to have this extra admin processing? I
    > haven't heard about it at other places.

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

Same story here. Our interview was 22 July. They said that the case had been
approved, but that due to a "technical error," the visa could not be issued that day.

When we called the next day, they told us the check back in one week.

On 29 July, I received an email stating that the case was under "additional
administrative review." They said to check back not sooner than 9 Aug.

What I find troubling is that their story keeps changing....

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

What seems to be the problem with Moscow all of a sudden? If they need an additional 2 or 3 weeks to do some "additional administrative review", then why not schedule the interview a couple or three weeks later in the first place? (Like two month isn't long enough. Now they need another 2-3 weeks)?
Why are they approving some of the applicants and still not issuing the visas until weeks later? And then why is the Consulate changing their "story" so often?
Inquiring minds would like to know!!

Thank you,

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

It's not just Mosow. It is eveywhere. After 8/1/2002, visas can only be issued AFTER the security clearance. Before then (Moscow jumped the gun) if the clearance wasn't completed within 10 days, Consulates could move the application forward. So the brakes are on.

There is a lot more info on the Yahoo Groups.

-Don

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

[email protected] (puzur inshushinak) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > Same story here. Our interview was 22 July. They said that the case had been
    > approved, but that due to a "technical error," the visa could not be issued
    > that day.
    >
    > When we called the next day, they told us the check back in one week.
    >
    > On 29 July, I received an email stating that the case was under "additional
    > administrative review." They said to check back not sooner than 9 Aug.
    >
    > What I find troubling is that their story keeps changing....

My fiancee's interview is in September, and reading this kind of info from Moscow is
quite worrisome to me. But hope all goes well and they return to the same day visa
issuance policy. Please keep us posted to learn what's going on on this matter.
Anybody heard what this new "administrative procedure" is all about?

In case if it gets delayed, it should be a of an utmost importance in such cases to
make sure that the I-129F petition is still valid (it's printed on the I-797 approval
form). The service centers usually give 4 months validity period. The fiance(e) or
petitioner have to request an extension and fiancee should have the extension
approval in writing at hand at POE. I read some posts on this matter that at POE it
creates huge problems.

Robert

Re: Moscow interviews anyone?
 

ftheone <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > Hi. Does anyone have an update on how the Moscow visa interviews are going? Last
    > week they suddenly stopped printing visas. The people who were approved were told
    > to come back this week to pick them up. Was this a temporary problem due to a
    > broken visa printing machine or a permanent change in policy and/or proceedure or
    > what? My fiancee and her son are scheduled for an interview next Wednesday and we
    > are wondering if anybody has any recent news on the visa process at the Moscow
    > Embassy.
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Fred (and Sonya) 1st NOA: 1/26/02 RFE: 3/27/02 2nd NOA: 5/02/02 On Moscow Interview
    > list: 6/10/02 Packets Recieved: 7/03/02 Interview data: 8/07/02
    >
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

As of today, visas are still NOT being issued on the same day at the Consulate in
Moscow. The latest word is check back in 2 weeks after the interview. I have seen
first 3-5 days, then 5-7 days, then 2 weeks, two weeks minimum, check back after 1
week has passed since the interview, and finally...2 weeks to 2 months for issuance
of the visas. My Fiancee had her interview July 22nd, was told her visa was approved
and to return at 4PM to get her passport and visa. When she returned she was told to
call back in 3 days. When she called back, she was told to call back in 2 weeks.
Several o us have been told 3 different stories...so the truth about what is going on
is unclear. I wouldn't make any airplane reservations yet...until this is resolved.