Where is the best place to get a visa?
You have planned a trip to the USA and are now trying to figure out: in which country is it best for you to get a visa? This is not an easy question.
The decision in each individual case will be unique and depends on many factors:
The decision in each individual case will be unique and depends on many factors:
- number of slots opened for non-residents;
- urgency of obtaining a visa;
- number of approvals/refusals;
- interview language;
- convenience of travel to the country of interview, including airfare and accommodation costs, as well as the need to obtain a visa to enter the country.
There are countries most popular among Russian citizens, including Kazakhstan, Serbia, Poland, Israel, Turkey, UAE. In these countries, the US Embassy opens a sufficient number of slots, and visa officers who process a large number of Russians are well acquainted with the specifics of Russian documents, which positively affects approval statistics. In Kazakhstan, Poland, and Serbia, interviews can be conducted in Russian. Entry to Kazakhstan, Serbia, Israel, Turkey, and the UAE is either simply with a foreign passport or with a simplified visa issued at the airport upon arrival.
However, the most pressing questions remain open:
- How long does it take to get a visa?
- How to understand where more slots are issued?
Interactive Widget Visa Cat
Our Telegram bot checks the calendar for open US Embassy dates every few minutes and saves all dates from the calendar to the database. Currently, the bot checks calendars in 14 countries, whose personal accounts are configured for non-residents and residents from 1 to 5 applicants per account. We have displayed all this data in an interactive widget that is convenient for viewing and analyzing statistics on the issuance of slots.
The upper graph displays information about the number of unique slots that the bot saw on a given day — hovering over a column shows the exact number of unique dates. You can find out exactly which dates were open on that day in the calendar below the graph. The brighter the cell, the more often a slot appeared for that date. If you hover over a cell in the calendar, the dates when the bot saw the selected date are highlighted in orange.
What is the benefit of the statistics widget?
Here are some key benefits you get from the statistics data:
- Ability to view slot availability statistics in different countries specifically according to your parameters (e.g., 2 non-resident applicants) — compare the quantity and frequency of slot availability;
- Ability to see the history of calendar data before paying the consular fee and make a decision about obtaining a visa in a certain country based on objective data;
- Ability to set/edit the date range in the Telegram bot for appointments or notifications not at random, but based on slot availability data from previous days. This will speed up the appointment process.
Paid and free widget version
All past statistics data (up to and including today) are open and free.
Data on future slot availability – viewing future dates opened by the US Embassy on the calendar – is paid. The cost of viewing statistics for 1 country for 1 month is 1500 rubles.
During the subscription period, you can order for an additional fee:
During the subscription period, you can order for an additional fee:
- notifications for 1 month for 1 applicant (+ 1500 rubles)
- bot appointment for one applicant (+ 4500 rubles) – valid for 1 year.
Bonus for all new users – 3 days of statistics viewing for all countries for free!
Book quickly
Fast Appointment Algorithm:
- Activate the free version of statistics via your Telegram account for 3 days;
- During this time, view statistics for all possible countries, analyze the number and terms of available slots, and determine the preferred country for the interview;
- Go to the website of the US Embassy in the chosen country and check the specifics of document submission;
- Create a DS-160 form on the website ceac.state.gov,
- Register a personal account in the US consulate or embassy appointment system. The appointment system depends on the country where you plan to have your interview. A complete list of countries for each system is presented in our posts for each appointment system: US Travel Docs, AIS system or EVisaForms,
- Pay the consular fee;
- Connect in Telegram bot a subscription for window opening notifications for 3000 rubles/month per applicant or appointment via the bot — 6000 rubles/month per applicant. When ordering these services, 1 month of statistics is already included in the price. Viewing statistics allows you to predict window opening dates and correctly set the date range in the bot settings, which will allow you to book an appointment in the shortest possible time.
