Applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa
ATTENTION: Pony Express no longer collects visa fees or makes visa appointments. Pony Express provides courier services only.
Applying for a U.S. Non-immigrant Visa for the First Time
All non-immigrant visa applicants applying in Yekaterinburg must now use the new online application form (DS-160), which can be filled out by clicking here. Following completion and transmission of the DS-160, applicants will receive instructions to print a confirmation page that includes some biographical information and a bar code with a confirmation number.
The U.S. Mission in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok) has transitioned to a new appointment service for those applying for a visa to the United States.
As of August 1, 2011, all applicants must visit
- http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ or
- http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru_ru/ (Russian version)
to obtain information on how to apply for a U.S. visa at a consular section in Russia.
Renewing a Non-immigrant Visa by Mail
Applicants who are exempt from the visa interview requirement must also use the new online application service at www.ustraveldocs.com/ru For more information about an expansion of our current Interview Waiver Program, please click here.
For more information on the DS-160, please click here.
Anyone applying for a visa to attend a scientific or technical conference, conduct research, participate in meetings, undertake post-graduate studies, or engage in employment in a scientific or technical field should submit the following documents at his/her visa interview:
- A letter of invitation from the United States.
- A current resume or CV indicating your educational background, work history, your current job responsibilities, field of expertise and research interest.
- A list of your publications
U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg wishes to remind applicants that additional administrative processing is often required for individuals involved in scientific or technical fields of work or study. We recommend that all applicants, particularly those involved in scientific or technical fields, apply for a visa as soon as they are aware of their travel plans to the U.S. We urge all applicants to apply no later than 30 days before the intended date of travel. Unfortunately, in most cases the possibility that your visa may be subject to additional processing will not be considered an emergency for the purpose of granting expedited appointments.
A nonimmigrant visa is necessary to visit the United States temporarily for tourism, business, studies, or cultural exchanges.
The visa application process is really quite easy. A complete application consists of
All applicants age 14-79 must be finger scanned. In addition, all applicants age 14-79 must appear for a personal interview before a consular officer. Applicants, who have a previously issued visa of the same visa class for which they are currently applying that has expired in the last twelve months, usually do not require interview.
Those applicants who require finger scanning (all applicants age 14-79) but do not require a personal interview will be scheduled to appear at the embassy at a special time to ensure that the finger scanning is conducted as expeditiously as possible.
Applicants who have temporary cuts, blisters, or other injuries on any of the fingertips must reschedule their appointment. Applicants who appear at the Embassy with temporarily injured fingertips will be asked to return after the fingers have healed.
Diplomats and other government officials traveling on official business will not be required to appear at the embassy to participate in the biometric program.
Expedited Visa Appointments
In certain circumstances, applicants may qualify for an expedited visa appointment. Such circumstances include urgent medical treatment, death or serious illness of an immediate family member, and student visa applicants with a fixed program start date.
Requests for an expedited appointment should be directed to support-russia@ustraveldocs.com Please bear in mind that not all such requests will be approved.
Applicants trying to arrange urgent travel to the United States may wish to consider applying for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or one of the American Consulates General in Russia where the wait for an appointment is shorter. For purposes of visa application, Russian citizens are welcome to apply anywhere in Russia, regardless of their place of residence.
You may wish to visit Nonimmigrant Visa Appointment Wait and Processing Times in different Embassies and Consulates visiting this link.