Obtaining a US tourist/business visa in Poland for Russians

In the current year 2023, Russians face a difficult situation regarding obtaining a US visa – it is impossible to do so in Russia. Non-immigrant US visas have not been issued to Russian citizens in the Russian Federation since May 12, 2021. Consequently, American embassies located in other countries have started accepting Russian citizens. If you apply there, you will have no cause for concern – although there are few slots for non-residents, our bot can catch a window for you.

To start applying for a US visa in Poland for Russians, you need to complete the first step – fill out the DS-160 form. If the entire family is applying for a visa, the form is filled out for each family member separately, regardless of age. The document indicates the passport data, phone number, and address of the applicant. The questionnaire will also ask about your education, family, studies or work, previous trips to the States (if any), military service, and travel experience to other countries. All sections of the questionnaire are filled out in English. At the end, you will be asked to upload a photo that must meet certain requirements. It must be taken no earlier than six months before the interview date.

Our recommendation is to read articles or watch videos about filling out the questionnaire. It is important to fill out the document without errors, typos, or inaccuracies. The visa officer reviews the questionnaires before the interview, so accurate answers and the absence of errors in them will create the right impression of you.

Along with filling out the application form, you also need to register and fill out a profile on the website of the American Embassy in Poland. At this stage, the applicant sets a login and password, and enters personal data.

After logging into your personal account, specify what type of visa you plan to obtain. The system will also ask you to enter data from your international passport and indicate the DS-160 form number that you filled out. If the entire family is applying for a US visa in Poland, you can enter data for all its members in the personal account. In this case, you need to create a shared account.

After filling out your profile, you will see that you are asked to pay the consular fee. Without paying it, the applicant will not be able to schedule an interview. Conveniently, the fee can be paid online. Payment confirmation will be displayed in your personal account. When the payment is recorded by the system (which may take some time), a calendar with available interview dates will open. Due to the limited number of slots for non-residents and a large number of applicants, at this step you will most likely find an empty calendar. You can periodically visit the website and "catch" a window, or to save your time, entrust the interview scheduling to a bot. As soon as a free date appears, the service will automatically sign you up!

After you have managed to schedule an interview one way or another, be sure to print the document confirming your appointment for a specific day and time. Take it with you to the interview.

So, you know the interview date. It's time to prepare your documents, including registration and other documents that justify your specific situation. As for registration documents, these are the DS-160 form confirmation, photo, payment receipt, and interview appointment confirmation, without which you simply won't be allowed into the Embassy building. All other papers are presented upon request during the conversation with the visa officer. There are cases when applicants in the same situation are asked for different papers. But the standard list of documents remains unchanged.

You will usually be asked to show proof of financial standing. This can be bank statements and a certificate of employment. Be prepared to confirm that you have a steady source of income and savings in your bank account. An applicant who is officially recognized as unemployed must provide sponsor documents. This can be a spouse or parents who will pay for the trip and expenses during their stay in the USA.

On the eve of the scheduled interview, we recommend reviewing your answers to the questionnaire, and even memorizing them. It is important that they do not differ from the verbal answers you will give to the consul.

Since you plan to open a US B1/B2 visa, the consul will ask about the purpose of your trip. Tell them where and for how long you are going. This type of visa implies a short-term visit. It is important for travelers to make it clear to the consul that they will not stay in the States, but will return. So you should show that you have a family, business, property, close relatives at home who will guarantee your return.

We recommend taking a certificate confirming your ownership of real estate, birth certificates of children and marriage. If you are applying for a visitor/business visa – take an invitation from the host party. If you are traveling to America for study, provide a document from the educational institution.

An important nuance – in Krakow, the interview is conducted in English, so translate your documents into English in advance. If you are applying for a visa in Warsaw, no translation is needed, as everything is conducted in Russian.

If you have prepared everything and filled it out correctly, you have high chances of a positive result. Usually, the passport with the visa is received by the applicant by mail a few days after the interview.

Dreaming of seeing America with your own eyes? We help clients who want to get a US visa in Poland to sign up for an interview using the @VisaCatBot bot.

With us, everything will go faster, easier and more successfully!