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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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 Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:25 am Post subject: Help w/ Visa |
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To anyone who can help me and/or offer some advice. Here is my situation.
I am taking a Russian language immersion course in October. I already have my airline and accommodations setup, but when I received my invitation with the language center, I received a Student Visa invitation. I will be in Moscow for two weeks and staying and learning at Moscow State University (MGU). Today, I went to the San Francisco Consulate office only to find out that I need an offical HIV test, notarized by the state of California, and then translated into Russian. I setup an appointment with my Doctor for the HIV test, but they said it could take from several days to several weeks to get the results back. I am running out of time and I'm not sure that I will have my visa before my flight leaves. Now, the Consulate official did mention to me that I can use a business visa instead, and that the HIV test would not be required. One of my questions is: Can I use a tourist or business visa with my accommodations still at the university, and will I run into issues registering a business/tourist visa at an education institution. I have already contacted the school who issued the student visa invitation, but I am afraid they will require me to pay an additional $200 for the change and urgency for the new invitation, if they can make the change at all.
What should I do? Who should I try to contact?
Thank you all for your time and hopeful advice.
Russ |
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overseas_expat
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Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:00 am Post subject: |
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Your best bet here, since you already have the student visa letter of invitation, is to find another doctor/clinic/hospital/whatever, which will return your HIV test results quickly. Get on the phone and the internet immediately to discover where you can get this done and the results returned immediately. Do not delay this one more minute. There are places which have a fast turnaround. Find one.
I think you will find that getting the Russian translation of the HIV test and the notarization very expensive and time consuming--worse than the HIV hassle. Start right now finding a place which will translate the test into Russian for you and tracing the process for getting the state of California to notarize your test.
You have already bought the airline tickets and you have no visa? Big mistake. Never make this mistake again, especially with Russia. Do not purchase any airline tickets ever again unless you have a nice warm visa already in your posession.
I hope you make it. Get going. NOW! |
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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the quick reply. I had bought the airline tickets in May when the price was still low. $1000 vs $2500. I also applied for the invitation back in June and was told I would not receive it until 3 weeks prior to departure. Now, granted had I known that I was going to NEED the HIV test, I would have done this months ago, but only finding out today that I needed it makes me wonder the same as you.
So, you are saying that a new business or tourist visa will not work in my situation? That I have to use the student invitation instead? I'll see about getting the HIV test results sooner, but doing a search on translating the test results has not returned much. I'll try changing keywords and see what I come up with..... Will keep you posted.....
And thank you again for your advice and quick response... |
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overseas_expat
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Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:41 am Post subject: |
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P.S.
Get ahold of the airline right away and try to negotiate a later/flexible flight date in advance. Try to buy some time. They may charge you several hundred bucks to rearrange your flight schedule but it will be worth it.
By the time you get the results of the AIDS test, have it translated, have it notarized by the state of California, and get all that stuff to the consulate--you will then be looking at 10 to 15 working days for the Russians to process your visa. |
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overseas_expat
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Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not saying that a tourist or business visa are not options. But it's probable that you'll still be required to go through the same HIV hoops, in which case there is no advantage over the student visa.
The Russians are becoming more and more stingy with visas and they are increasingly hard to get. Doesn't really matter what kind of visa, they don't want foreigners in their country.
And the SF consulate has a reputation for being particularly difficult. |
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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, I went ahead and did the HIV test today. Should have the results by late tomorrow or Saturday. After I get the results, I will send it off to have the certified translation done, which I was told should take less than a day to do. Once I have the translation, I can then proceed with my Student visa. I will pay the San Francisco Consulate the fee to process next business day, so I know I will have my visa in time, as long as nothing else is missing or any other issues come up. Thank you for your advice and will keep you posted. |
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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:38 am Post subject: Got It! |
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Overseas_expat: I followed your advice and jumped on the ball. It got really close to not having the visa in time, but I want to tell you that I received my visa today and I'm leaving for the Motherland tomorrow. Thank you all for your advice. Moscow here I come!
P.S. To those who are also using a student visa: I'm not sure about the other Consulate offices, but the San Francisco office would not process a Student Visa next business day, and instead processed in 6 business days. Make sure you give them the correct fee.....Even if you were going to pay more..... |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:36 am Post subject: |
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Well done! 
Congratulations. That was a close shave, eh? I hope you enjoy the trip. Let us know how it all goes for you. Good job. |
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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:09 am Post subject: Trip was great! |
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Thank you all and Overseas_expat for your help. I had a great time back in October, and though I had a rough start on my first day, it became real easy really quick. I learned how to use the Moscow Metro to my advantage, and wish US metro's were planned this way. This is by far the best layed out system I have ever seen or used.
I have a new trip coming up, this time on a tourist visa, so the whole visa thing should not be an issue. I plan on visiting St. Pete's and I will be flying into Moscow (Domodedovo), staying one night with a friend and then onto St Peteresburg, where my hotel will be. Using your visa service, is it possible to book a specific hotel, when arranging my invitation and visa?
Also, I work for an airline, and want to know if there will be a problem with flying stand-by and not a purchased ticket. I know many other employees who just let an agency (like WTR) setup the visa and invitation and they had no troubles. Flights are wide open and look great getting to Russia and back to USA.
And if I remember correctly, I have to register my visa within the first 36 hours. Will this be an issue flying into Moscow, but hotel in St. Petersburg? I will travel by the midnight train between the cities. Thanks for your time. |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 741
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:12 pm Post subject: |
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Hooray! Wonderful of you to check back in to let us know how it went. Glad all was well and good.
You will need to register in Russia within 72 hours of arrival. So if you go to Moscow staying overnight and then on to St. Pete, you should be able to do your first registration at the hotel in St. Petersburg (hypothetically....)
I have no knowledge of any Russian airlines which allow standby ticketing. That doesn't mean it isn't possible but I'm thinking it's very unlikely.
The Moscow Metro is indeed a masterpiece of public transit. The Metro in St. Petersburg is much smaller and not as well laid out as Moscow. But miraculous nonetheless, considering that the subway was built in a marsh......the US could definitely take lessons from the Russians when it comes to building subways. |
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rbvaughan
Frequent Guest
Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 14
Location: San Jose, CA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 12:34 pm Post subject: |
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What I meant by stand-by, is that I'm flying on American Airlines directly into Moscow from Chicago, so I know there won't be any trouble with checking-in and flying on stand-by ticket, just concerned on how the Consulates office will see my ticket is not a confirmed ticket. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? I have flown like this most of my life, so I'm not worried about the actual flying, just about the visa side of it all.
I have flown international before like this, but it was to a country that did not require a visa for US citizens. |
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nikir
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry but overseas_expat isn't quite correct in her advice on registration.
You have to register when you stay in any city for more that 72 hours, excluding days when the registration offices don't work. Some of them work on Saturdays so check the local protocol.
Regarding your hotel query, when you get an invitation, you are not compelled to stay at the hotel nominated on the invitation. Reserve a room at any hotel you like, but put the one on the invitation on your migration card. The whole system is a Russian wank but you need to play the game.
And as for standby tickets, these should be ok, as far as I am aware US citizens do not have to provide return tickets as evidence that they will leave the country. Might be worth your while to check with your local Russian consulate if you have doubts. |
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IREN
Frequent Guest
Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 61
Location: Россия, Москва
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| Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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The Moscow underground really very beautiful.
And in comparison with St. Petersburg much more.
Open station of "Vorobyovy Gory " - the first-ever metro station located on the bridge over the river.
From a platform the kind to the Moskva River, Vorobyovy Gory , Academy of sciences and the big sports arena of Luzniki opens.
P.S. Wished to show photos - more than one is impossible. Sorry  |
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