State Department provides guidance for F, M, J visa applicants resident in Russia

The U.S. State Department has provided updated guidance for individuals who are living in Russia and applying for F, M and J visas.

Key Points:

• The State Department designated Mission Kazakhstan (which includes the U.S. Embassy in Nur-Sultan and the Consulate in Almaty), U.S. Embassy Belgrade (Serbia) and U.S. Embassy Yerevan (Armenia) to process F, M and J visa applications for individuals applying from Russia.
• Applicants are encouraged to check each post’s website for information on visa services and appointment availability.
• Russian-based applicants can also apply at posts where they are physically present.

Additional Information: Applicants are reminded that unless an exception applies, they must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to travel to the U.S. More information regarding accepted vaccines and U.S. vaccination requirements is available here.

BAL Analysis: Russian nonimmigrant F, M, and J visa applicants should follow the State Department’s guidance. All other Russian nonimmigrant visa applicants may apply for a visa at a post that will accept their visa application. Immigrant visa services in Russia remain available only in Russia in very limited, emergency situations. BAL will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates on significant developments.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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