Consulate of the United States

Visas

How to Apply for a U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa

The visa application procedure for permanent residents of Russia begins at the nearest Pony Express office, where applicants will pay the standard $131 non-refundable application fee in Russian Roubles. Each visa applicant must present a valid travel passport and a completed  DS-156 electronic visa application form with a photo not used in prior U.S. visa applications. This form must be signed by the applicant (or the parent of a minor child). If a child is traveling on a parent’s passport, there must be a picture of that child in that passport. However, we highly recommend that children travel on their own passports. Male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 will also need a supplemental form DS-157 in the English language which may be handwritten. 

At the Pony Express office, visa applicants will schedule an appointment to appear at the U.S. Consulate General (Furshtatskaya Street, 15; “Chernyshevskaya” Metro). On the assigned date, visa applicants will arrive at the U.S. Consulate General with all supporting documents. After being fingerscanned and interviewed, successful applicants will receive their passports with visas through whatever arrangements they have made with Pony Express, routinely within 2-3 working days.

The Consulate urges all visa applicants to plan ahead, check wait times, and make an appointment for an interview as soon as they have a plan for travel. Expedited appointments are available ONLY in the most emergency situations.
 
Students (those applying for F or J visas) and those applying for H1/B visas may request an expedited appointment by contacting the Consulate via visastpete@state.gov after they have scheduled an interview date with Pony Express. The message should include the interview date offered by Pony Express, your current location, travel plans, reason for expedite, and should state for which status you will apply. Students and  H1/B  visa applicants should have all required documents at the interview. Because some cases require additional administrative processing, we encourage all visa applicants, regardless of visa category, to apply well in advance of their expected date of travel.

Fingerscan Reuse/Interview Waiver

Any person renewing a B1, B2, B1/B2 or C1/D visa issued in Russia on or after 06 November 2007 with an expiration date within the last 12 months, may qualify for a waiver of personal appearance at the Consulate.

If you think you qualify:

• Please bring the original passport containing said visa to Pony Express when you submit your application and pay your consular fee.
• If your previous application was subjected to additional administrative processing (i.e. there was a word "clearance" in the visa annotation), please also submit to Pony Express: an invitation with explanation of purpose of travel, your resume (CV) in English, application DS-157 in English (regardless of age and gender), and a list of your publications in English.

Please note:

• The standard issuance for a B1/B2 visa is a multiple entry visa valid for 12 months. If you would like to request a multiple entry visa valid for 24 months, you must pay the additional $100 reciprocity fee (in Roubles) at Pony Express at the time of application. The reciprocity fee is refundable and will be returned through the Consulate cashier if the visa for two years is not approved.
• C1/D applicants must pay an additional $100 reciprocity fee (in Roubles) at Pony Express at the time of application. B1/OCS visas are issued for one year only and do not require a reciprocity fee.
• Citizens of Belarus who qualify for interview waiver will receive a single entry B1/B2 (business/tourist) visa valid for 6 months. Or, to receive a multiple entry visa valid for 12 months, applicants may pay the $100 reciprocity fee (in Russian Roubles) at Pony Express at the time they submit their application. C1/D (seafarer) applicants with Belarus passports are issued one year visas without a reciprocity fee.
• Visas with former additional administrative processing (see above) may be reissued for one year only. If your current application also requires such processing, you will be notified by e-mail.
• Photos must be taken within the last six (6) months. If you submit a photo used in a visa issued more than half a year ago, your application will be returned to Pony Express, and the processing of your visa will be delayed.
• If a parent who qualifies for biometric finger scanning waiver also submits an application for a minor child under 14 years old, this child's application should contain the original permission from a second parent to travel abroad (even if all three travel together). If both parents apply, no permission is needed.
• If you are eligible for a waiver of personal appearance and do not require additional administrative processing, you will receive your passport and visa through Pony Express within five (5) days of submitting your application.
• If the Consulate determines that you are not eligible for a personal appearance waiver, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment.
• If you have not received your passport or any notification within ten (10) days, please contact the Consulate by e-mail: visastpete@state.gov.

Fingerscan Reuse/Appearance Waiver is currently available for B1/B2 and C1/D visa applicants. At this time, candidates for other visa categories do not have this option.

Visa applicants who reside outside the city of St. Petersburg should initiate applications through their Northwest Russia regional Pony Express representative in Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Pskov, Vologda by calling (800) 200-7669. Residents of Velikiy Novgorod should apply through the Pony Express office at Gzen River Embankment 11, office 410, or by calling (8162) 335167. Applicants from Kaliningrad should apply at Portovaya Street 1 or call (4012) 750896. The office in Arkhangelsk is located at Vyucheyskogo street 25, office 8; tel. (8182) 204464. The handling fee for these applicants is 1600 Roubles per passport.