Due to the suspension of immigrant visa services at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in April 2021, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) formally designated Russian nationals as homeless nationals and designated the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland as the immigrant visa processing post for nationals and residents of Russia. This suspension means the U.S. Embassy in Moscow also cannot accept local filings of form I-130, Petitions for Alien Relatives. Since that time, Poland and other European Union countries have restricted entry of Russian nationals into their countries, thus limiting Russian nationals’ access to visa processing services.
On Feb. 16, 2023, the DOS added the U.S. Embassy Tashkent in Uzbekistan and the U.S. Consulate General Almaty in Kazakhstan as processing posts for Russian IR-5 (parent of a U.S. citizen) immigrant visa (IV) applicants. IR-5 immigrant visa appointments are scheduled through the National Visa Center (NVC). Once a Russian IR-5 petition is approved by USCIS and transferred to the NVC, it should be designated for processing at either of these alternative posts. A designation by DOS does not prevent Russian applicants from applying at another post where they are physically present or residing.
If an IR-5 applicant’s I-130 was recently approved by USCIS and they have received a Welcome Letter/case creation email from NVC and the designated post is still Warsaw, applicants/attorney of record should submit inquires with NVC to request case transfer and note the announcement of the new designation for IR-5 cases.
IV applicants in the IR-5 category who have not yet been scheduled for an interview may be automatically reassigned from Warsaw to Tashkent or Almaty by the NVC for processing. IR-5 immigrant visa appointments will be scheduled through the NVC. Once the case is documentarily qualified and the processing post is ready to conduct an interview, the applicant will be notified by NVC once their appointment is scheduled.
IR-5 applicants who have already been scheduled for an appointment in Warsaw and are still waiting for an interview should contact U.S. Embassy Tashkent in Uzbekistan or U.S. Consulate General Almaty in Kazakhstan directly and request their cases be transferred to one of these alternative posts.
IV applications for Russian nationals in other categories, as well as non-immigrant visas, are not included in this announcement. U.S. Embassy Warsaw remains the processing post for Russian IV applicants applying in all other categories. DOS is aware of the restrictions on entry of Russian nationals into Poland and is seeking alternative solutions.