US visas will become more expensive: starting from January 1, tourists planning to obtain a multiple-entry US visa will have to pay $303 instead of $160. At the same time, according to experts, such changes are unlikely to affect the desire of Russians to travel to the US, since the cost single entry visa has not changed.
"Effective January 1, 2019, Russian citizens will be required to pay a visa issuance fee in some cases if their B1/B2 visa application (for business or tourism) is approved. The visa issuance fee is based on 'reciprocity' (the same fee that the Russian Federation charges to US citizens for the same type of visa)," the Russian Embassy in the United States said in a statement.
As explained to the TRN portal by Yulia Veremyeva, a representative of the American tour operator American Best Getaways Inc., the prepaid non-refundable consular fee for a B1/B2 visa remains the same — it is $160. “If after a successful interview the visa is approved, the tourist has a choice — to pay an additional $143 on the spot and, if desired, receive a three-year multiple-entry B1/B2 visa or to receive a single-entry visa valid for up to 1 year without additional payment. The practice of paying an additional fee for issuing a visa for a longer period, up to 2 years, existed before, quite recently, before the fall of 2012,” she explained.
At the same time, according to the expert, these changes will not have a significant impact on tourists' decisions to travel to America, either once or multiple times. "Those tourists who really need a visa in the near future for business or personal reasons, and who are not prepared to wait an indefinite period for an interview appointment, go to third countries to undergo an interview, and this entails more serious financial costs. Therefore, I do not think that the surcharge will somehow affect demand. To a greater extent, the decline in tourist flow is affected by the continuing limited availability of an appointment for an interview at the US Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate General in Yekaterinburg," explained Ms. Veremyeva.
Let us recall that last summer the US Embassy in Russia announced the suspension of issuing non-immigrant visas throughout the country from August 23 due to the Russian side's decision to reduce the number of employees of the US diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation. Later, the submission of documents became available again in Moscow and other regions.
"The Russian side's decision to reduce the number of employees of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation calls into question the seriousness of Russia's desire to improve bilateral relations. We will maintain the number of employees of the diplomatic mission at the level necessary to perform the key functions of our diplomatic missions," the American Embassy said in a statement.
As a result, the process of obtaining US visas for Russian tourists still remains quite complicated.
Source: trn-news.ru
