Contacts: +7(812)938-6379, +7(495)374-8035, This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view.. Related links: Visa to the USA through Ukraine, Contacts of the US Embassy in Russia, List of documents for individual entrepreneurs.
IMPORTANT Starting from May 12, 2021, the only option to obtain a US visa for Russian citizens is to submit documents with a personal interview abroad. On our information resource you will find detailed information about current visa application options. We also recommend studying the stages of obtaining a visa abroad.
| Free tracking of places at the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg using a bot! We offer assistance to applicants who have difficulty scheduling an interview: our bot will track free places in Yekaterinburg and notify you of their availability. |
An applicant applying for a US visa for the first time must undergo a personal interview at a US official mission. Today there are three of them in Russia: Consulates in Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg, Embassy in Moscow. An interview with a visa officer is mandatory for the applicant. There are only a few exceptions: children under 14 years of age (they are represented by a parent or other legal representative), as well as those citizens whose American visa is still valid or expired less than 11 months ago. In our article, we invite you to familiarize yourself with how the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg operates in 2021.
- Official representative office of the USA in Yekaterinburg
- Work of the American Consulate in Yekaterinburg (2021)
- Current deadlines for obtaining a US visa in Yekaterinburg
- Visa extension for applicants from all regions of the country
Official representative office of the USA in Yekaterinburg
The official diplomatic department (Embassy) is located in the capital of a foreign country, but other representative offices (Consulates) are located in other significant large cities. In the capital of the Urals, the US diplomatic division was opened in 1994 and has been fruitfully carrying out its work since then. The scope of activities of the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg includes, firstly, caring for American citizens living in the Russian Federation, as well as those who came here on a visit. In addition, the American mission prioritizes cooperation with Russia in a variety of areas, which strengthens bilateral relations.
This US mission is led by Consul Amy Storrow, who took up her post in 2021. Subordinate to him are employees of departments: administrative, political, economic, cultural, visa. The US Consulate in Yekaterinburg is always open to citizens of their country: in planned procedures, for example, replacing documents, as well as in emergency situations. There is a 24/7 contact number for Americans. Diplomats are engaged in the comprehensive development of ties with Russia, joint events, projects, and programs are being implemented. In addition, the Consulate promotes US culture by organizing concerts, exhibitions, etc.
| Address in Yekaterinburg | Opening hours (visa office) | Phone fax |
| 620151, Ekaterinburg, st. Gogolya, house 15 | Monday - Friday 09:00 - 18:00 | Tel: (343) 379-3001 Fax: (343) 379-4515 |
Basic documents required to obtain a visa:
- A valid passport with at least one blank page (submitted without cover).
- An old passport (or a copy thereof), if it contained visas from the USA, Canada, Great Britain or Schengen countries for the last 5 years.
- 1 photo 5x5 cm on a white or off-white background.
- Completed application form (DS-160) and printed confirmation. There is no need to print the entire form. (men ages 16 to 45 must also complete the DS-157 application
- Printout of confirmation of registration at the embassy from the website.
- Receipt of payment of the consular fee.
Documents can be drawn up in both English and Russian; no translation is required.
In fact, you can only come with this package of documents. This should be enough to obtain a visa. But there is an additional package of documents that is designed to prove to the visa officer that you are not an immigrant and are interested in returning home. Such documents include:
- A certificate from your place of employment confirming your income and your position. 2NDFL certificate is optional. For owners of individual entrepreneurs, a certificate of registration and a certificate of tax registration are required. For students - a certificate from the place of study.
- Old passport, if it had a visa and date of return from the United States (for persons who have already entered the United States before).
- Marriage certificate, birth certificates of children (if any).
- Documents confirming the presence of property in Russia (apartment, dacha, car - everything will come in handy).
- Documents confirming your solvency. The minimum salary that can be specified is 18-20 thousand. A salary that is too high and does not correspond to your age, education, or position may arouse suspicion.
Work of the American Consulate in Yekaterinburg (2021)
The issuance of visas to Russian citizens is of great importance in the work of the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg. Until August 21, 2021, applicants from many regions of the Russian Federation came here: this city was convenient for residents of the Urals and Siberia to submit applications. Here, on weekdays from 8 am to 11 pm, interviews for obtaining an American visa were held. During the interview with the applicant, the officer’s decision was communicated, and after 2-3 days the passport was delivered to the person. Since August 2017, interviews have ceased to be conducted as before due to the reorganization of the structure and redistribution of functions of the US diplomatic mission in Russia as a whole.
However, according to the official web resource of the US Visa Information Service, acceptance of applicants at the Consulate in Yekaterinburg will resume in 2021. True, so far in limited quantities: places for interviews for the B1/B2 visa rarely appear, and they are quickly sold out. But with an extension without an interview (via DropBox), things are better - applicants who meet the necessary requirements can surrender their passport and receive a visa from any city in Russia. In addition, the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg continues to provide full support to American citizens located in the Russian Federation, and also continues to work on bilateral relations.
Stage 4. Interview
The letter will indicate the date and time of the interview. At the appointed time, you should appear at the address Gogol, 15. You must have with you a printed letter, a DS-160 application confirmation page, one recently taken photo (information about photo requirements is posted on this page), a valid foreign passport and all previously issued You need foreign passports. In the absence of the above documents, the visa application will not be accepted. Do not take anything unnecessary with you: headphones, metal objects, perfume - everything will have to be left outside the consulate. Accompanying persons will also not be allowed inside.
Current deadlines for obtaining a US visa in Yekaterinburg
| In 2021, the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg is accepting documents from visa applicants using a simplified scheme via DropBox (without interviews). Occasionally interview slots also appear. Here are the current calendars for appointments at the US Mission in Yekaterinburg. Please note that you can submit an application for consideration to this US Consulate from any city in Russia. | |
| Sign up with a bot for a repeat US student visa! The consulate in Yekaterinburg accepts applications from applicants for F-1 visas in absentia, and you can sign up to send your passport through VFS Global using a bot. Search detailed instructions Here. |
Deadlines for obtaining visas
1. The American embassy is one of the least hurried in Russia. You can get Schengen in two weeks, but here everything is much more complicated. If you are planning a trip at the beginning of winter, then you should submit your visa documents at the beginning of autumn, i.e. at least 2-3 months before the intended trip. 2. If you are absolutely sure that you will not be subject to an administrative check, it is quite reasonable to apply 30 days before your trip. The deadline is similarly calculated from the day of the scheduled interview. 3. If your education or professional activity is related to scientific or technical fields (basic sciences, medicine, biology, physics, chemistry, IT, information security, urban planning, air navigation, aircraft design, weapons, etc.), the consulate can decide to conduct an additional administrative check against you. Most reviews are completed within 60 days. Apply for your visa early! 4. There are no formal restrictions on early submission of documents, but too early will be suspicious. It is still recommended no earlier than 6 months before the trip.
What visas can be obtained in Yekaterinburg?
In Yekaterinburg, you can get an F-F1 student visa, a teacher visa, a sailor visa, in addition to the regular tourist visa. Please remember that the registration deadlines for different types of visas are completely different. While the wait for an interview for a tourist visa can be about a month, for other types of visas dates are available within the next 2-3 days. Before you sign up, look online for the waiting times for your visa type.
If you have reasons for urgently interviewing and obtaining a visa (for example, a medical emergency), then you can use them to request consideration out of turn. However, the possibility of such consideration remains only at the discretion of the consul.
As you can see, in February registration is open for sailors, crew members of ships and aircraft, as well as flight attendants
What are the alternatives?
The average wait time for an interview in Yekaterinburg today is about a month or two. If you don’t have this time, then there are other, sometimes more difficult, but obviously quick options for scheduling an interview.
Read also: Apply for a US visa in Vladivostok
When thinking about a work or tourist trip to the United States of America, everyone is faced with the issue of obtaining a visa. Today, Consulates in Russia are open in three cities: Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok.
According to the rules, a Russian citizen can apply for a visa in any place where there is a consulate of the United States of America. In this case, the country and city do not matter. Using this rule, many of our compatriots take advantage of the opportunity to obtain a visa in the countries of the former USSR or where it is possible to undergo an interview in their native language, Russian.
The waiting period for an interview is much shorter there, and appointments are most often available for the very next few days. Today you can go to get a visa to these countries: Poland (Warsaw), Czech Republic (Prague), Israel (Tel Aviv). And if your level of English allows you to pass an interview in English, then you can choose, for example, Milan, and along with obtaining a visa, make a great trip to Italy.
Results:
Registration in Yekaterinburg is suitable for you if:
- No Schengen or don’t want to go abroad to get a visa
- There is no urgency to obtain an American visa. It is possible to wait a month or two.
- Sometimes you can catch dates in the next 2-3 weeks.
- And most importantly, you live in Yekaterinburg and don’t want to go anywhere! In this case, come to our office at 71A Malysheva Street, office 302, we will tell you how to get a visa and pass an interview!
US authorities often change visa application rules, adding to the complexity. You must take this process very seriously, because if you make mistakes, you may not only be denied a visa, but also be banned from further entry into the United States for up to 10 years or more. For example, have you heard about the initiative to ban visas for pregnant applicants?
If obtaining a US visa is your first time, we strongly advise you to contact specialists for advice and assistance. We will explain all the nuances in detail and prepare you to successfully pass an interview for a US visa.
How to prepare for an interview?
To ensure that the interview does not cause you any problems, keep in mind that you must be confident in the purpose of your trip, clearly know the travel route, and also show this confidence to the visa officer when answering questions. If you are confident in what you say, this confidence is instilled in the visa officer. If you feel nervous, or you begin to deviate from clear answers, or even worse, try to deceive the officer, then be sure that you will be interrogated with bias, and then, perhaps, a visa refusal will be issued altogether.
Please note that you should not take mobile phones or any other equipment with you to the interview! They won't let her into the consulate. In Moscow there is a service: hand over your mobile phone to a car parked nearby. Be careful, there have already been cases when such a car drove away along with the surrendered equipment!
What documents are needed?
In the recommendations that the US Consulate issues when submitting an application, you can see that the required document when submitting is only your passport and an appointment confirmation form (sent to you by email, after which you need to print it out). However, the same rules say that you can bring to the interview any documents confirming your intentions.
In order to successfully pass an interview in Yekaterinburg, we strongly advise you to have at least a certificate from your place of work .
Is it worth taking other documents, and most importantly, which documents exactly, can only be understood after studying your situation and visa history!
Remember that if you have a huge number of documents with you, the visa officer may be wary of this! He may think that this is how you try to cover up your intentions to immigrate to the USA. In this case, your documents can only be a minus.
What not to do
You should not bring confirmation of your accommodation reservation, tickets, or paid cruises. Presentation of such documents is regarded as a desire to definitely enter the United States, which reduces the chances of obtaining a visa
Having an invitation usually complicates the situation and reduces the chance of getting a visa. This must be taken into account when filling out the questionnaire. Your task is to prove that you have no immigration intentions and “deep ties” with your country of residence.
Offer the consular officer to look at your documents. If you are asked where you work, you should not poke your work certificate in your nose; it is enough to answer verbally.
