2004 Press Releases
Press Release
August 23, 2004
Beginning Thursday August 26, 2004 the U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg will provide all visa- related information through a user-pays call center.
This call center will allow us to provide prompt and thorough service to public. Previously, most callers who wished to inquire about a visa matter with the Consulate experienced significant delays before their call was connected to an operator. This new service, operated by Direct Star in cooperation with MTU Inform Company and WorldTeq Corporation, will offer callers immediate access to a wide range of visa-related information and the possibility to speak to a live operator from 0800 to 2000 Moscow time. The initial cost of the service will be a flat rate of $1.75 per minute. We expect this new system to provide callers with a high level of service and alleviate the frustration of those who are not able to contact the Consulate for basic information about visas.
The call center will provide information on all visa-related topics, both immigrant and non-immigrant and will be accessible through the following numbers:
From Russia: 8-(495)-545-3679 These calls will be billed directly to the phone subscriber at $1.75 per minute.
From USA: 1-888-222-5673 This number is for calls originating within the United States. Callers will enter a credit card number and, upon acceptance, be transferred to the Moscow call center. The initial call is toll-free. Once entering the system, callers will pay the standard rate of $1.75 per minute.
Everywhere else: 1-888-222-5673 or 7-(495)-545-3679. This number is for callers anywhere outside of the U.S. or Russia. This is a toll call for which callers will be billed standard long-distance charges. Callers will enter a credit card number and, upon acceptance, be transferred to the Moscow call center. Once entering the system, callers will pay the standard rate of $1.75 per minute.
After August 26, 2004 the U.S. Consulate General in Yekaterinburg will no longer accept direct calls from the public on visa-related matters. General information, of course, will continue to be available on the Internet at http://www.usa.ural.ru.