Waiting for Russian visa

The visa company, Generations Visa Service, has had our passports and Russian visa application for about five weeks. I suppose that is normal, have others taken that long?

Last summer we got ours in about 3 weeks thru PVS.

We used ZVS. I was able to call and they told me exactly what day they were going to pick it up at the Russian Consolate/Embassy and what day it would be mailed back to me. They said "we dropped it off on x date, we have an appt on x date to pick it up and it will be mailed back to you the day after that".

My visa went pretty quick but my friend who went through them didn't. In their case, they held on to the passport and visa application as they were not leaving right away.

I suggest you call.

I agree with Coral, you should call them first thing tomorrow morning. We are using ZVS for our AMA Russian River Cruise. My husband has it all filled out and called them since we need our passport in Europe in July. They told us there was no problem with us sending them in when we return.

sheila

We didn't use a company to get our visas for Russia last year. We obtained the visa application on the internet, gathered the documents as instructed, and sent it all in to the Russian Embassy here in Canada. Our passports, with the visas applied, were returned to us in just over three weeks. We could track the progress of our application over the internet. For example, we knew exactly when the documents were received in Ottawa, and the date and time they were sent back to us. The whole thing cost us $80 each and was a lot cheaper than using a service to do this for us.

We didn't use a company to get our visas for Russia last year. We obtained the visa application on the internet, gathered the documents as instructed, and sent it all in to the Russian Embassy here in Canada. Our passports, with the visas applied, were returned to us in just over three weeks. We could track the progress of our application over the internet. For example, we knew exactly when the documents were received in Ottawa, and the date and time they were sent back to us. The whole thing cost us $80 each and was a lot cheaper than using a service to do this for us.

Rikka, visa applications by internet from the Russian Embassy in Canada were no longer taken after March 2011. People who cannot apply in person at the embassy are asked to apply through the IVPSC (international visa passport service corporation). I applied through their Vancouver office recently and got the visa in exactly one month. The cost is $135 plus tax ( a lot more than you paid!).

Just got my visa - it was about 3 weeks. They sent me a number when they received it and I was able to track where it was on their website.

I was quite annoyed with ZVS. We had sent ours in quite early and didn't expect them back until mid-June at the latest. We were going away in May so I called them 2 weeks before we left to see what the status was and to tell them NOT to send the visas until I called them to tell them I would be home.

I was told not to worry as they were not going to be processed until June. Guess what? While we were away in May I got an email saying they had shipped them. They were to come Fed Ex without the need for a signature.

I immediately alerted my neighbor who saw the truck and ran over to get them.

When ZVS send me an email asking me to rate their service, I let them know how dissatisfied I was with them. I live 4 miles from the Mexican border. My passports would have been valuable in the hands of a thief.

They finally apologized and refunded me the cost of shipping, but I still feel that they should have put a note in my file not to ship the passports until I notified them.

Our visa took a total of 7 weeks, which is longer than as advertized.

Hi 4774Papa,

If our Visa takes 7 weeks, we are in deep trouble! We returned from Europe on Tuesday afternoon and my DH sent the Apps to ZVS via FedEx on Thursday. ZVS said they sent them to the Russian Consulate today and they will be returned to us for signature soon. I'm not going to worry! We have used ZVS many times over the years and they promised to have them in time.

Sheila

Hi 4774Papa,

 

If our Visa takes 7 weeks, we are in deep trouble! We returned from Europe on Tuesday afternoon and my DH sent the Apps to ZVS via FedEx on Thursday. ZVS said they sent them to the Russian Consulate today and they will be returned to us for signature soon. I'm not going to worry! We have used ZVS many times over the years and they promised to have them in time.

 

Sheila

Sheila, we are going to be on the same trip that you are. ZVS processed my visa and I had it back in 12 days. Very smooth transaction. See you on the ship!

Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Looking forward to meeting you on the river cruise. Hopefully, our experience will be the same as yours -- easy and fast. ZVS had to redo our applications for visas since the Russians changed the form July 1st. We were in Europe until last Tuesday and needed our passports with us. We signed the applications for visas today and sent them back via FedEX to ZVS.

Sheila

Won't say much because it's boring and sooooooo long......had a very unpleasant experience with ZVS (misinformation, every time) and also with AMA Waterways, whom I contacted in desperation. We were misdirected and mislead on everything from the actual application to the necessary letters from Russian hosts....finally got everything in and hope to have them back by August 15...a little over three weeks before we leave.

Hope I enjoy this trip to Russia. I'm not likely to go through this visa hassle again.

Dee

Won't say much because it's boring and sooooooo long......had a very unpleasant experience with ZVS (misinformation, every time) and also with AMA Waterways, whom I contacted in desperation. We were misdirected and mislead on everything from the actual application to the necessary letters from Russian hosts....finally got everything in and hope to have them back by August 15...a little over three weeks before we leave.

 

Hope I enjoy this trip to Russia. I'm not likely to go through this visa hassle again.

 

Dee

I have the same sentiment. The whole Russian trip preparation has been an ordeal ... my hotel booking, the 'letter of invitation' with its misinformation, the visa application... I don't want to have to go through this again.

I wonder if the Russian government realizes how much of a deterrent their visa application is to foreign tourists. Their requirement of a 'letter of invitation' is silly, and the cost of their visa is ridiculous for those who are forced to use a visa service. ($150 in my case)

I have the same sentiment. The whole Russian trip preparation has been an ordeal ... my hotel booking, the 'letter of invitation' with its misinformation, the visa application... I don't want to have to go through this again.

I wonder if the Russian government realizes how much of a deterrent their visa application is to foreign tourists. Their requirement of a 'letter of invitation' is silly, and the cost of their visa is ridiculous for those who are forced to use a visa service. ($150 in my case)

It is even more difficult for Russians to come to the US (due to our government). If you are Russian and want to come to the US - you must show up in person at one of 4 US Department of State offices in Russia for a live interview. There is no option to mail in the paperwork. Imagine that some people probably have to take a 10 hour plane ride if they live far away from the 4 cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg and Vladivostok).

BTW - the Australians on my Russian river cruise did not have to go through the same paperwork that the Americans had to go through. They called their process easy.

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On an off subject related to 9-11, the US has made it much more difficult for a lot of foreigners to come to the US. In response to that, many countries have done the same for our citizens to go over to other foreign countries.

Greetings...we are on the same trip with Sheila...haven't met yet but look forward to it!

Dee

Hi Dee. Had a quick question for you regarding ZVS. I'm not going to Russia until next May, but I just finished applying for a Chinese visa through ZVS, so I thought I'd read through the Russian visa info to get an idea. According to their website, "ZVS requires that your application be submitted no more than 30 calendar days prior to your arrival in your first destination." And, if you need it back sooner than 28 business days, it's considered a "rush job" with the appropriate extra fees. According to the Russian Embassy website, you can apply as much as 90 days out. Also, ZVS gives the address of their office in Houston in the "application kit" to mail the documents to, but the Russian consulate in Houston doesn't hold jurisdiction over the state that I live in. Is this some of the problems that you encountered? I plan on emailing ZVS as the time gets closer to our cruise to get clarification. Although we haven't had any issues with the Chinese visa process so far, I'm a little bit skeptical with using them to get a Russian visa now.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe trip to Russia.

Tim

We applied for our Russian visas through ZVS in May for our August sailing since we needed our passports back for a different trip to Europe in mid June, so you can absolutely apply 90 days ahead of time. We received them back within about 2 weeks and no rush fee was applied.

I found ZVS very helpful on the phone. (San Francisco office). They emailed me the proper AMA forms to use, pointing out that the fees were slightly less using the AMA relationship. They gave me tips on filling out the forms, most of which were included with the AMA forms, such as only having to list a couple of the countries you visited last, not to worry about entering your "chief's surname" or phone number in the past employer area, etc. You can check your status online at any point. I thought the whole process was quite easy, albeit expensive.

Just make sure you request the ZVS/AMAWaterways Visa Application kit.

Hi Ikbside,

We always use the S.F. office of ZVS. We have never had a problem and since we are spending so much on our river boat trip, it was worth letting them doing the work. Since we just returned from a trip where we needed our passports, we didn't send them off until last week. Dee got caught up in the changing of the application by the Russian Government on July 1st when their whole system went down for five days. Apparently, ZVS was no help. By the time we sent ours in, they knew what to do. They had to redo our applications to conform to the new Russian applications and send them back to us via Fed Ex for signature. Here's hoping we get them back as fast as you did.

Since you are going in August, would you report back here so we who are going in September know how the service has improved.

Thanks much.

Sheila

Th problems you are having are similar. Ours were:

• Poorly involved ZVS agents (using 800 number)
  
• Misinformation and misleading statement from AMA
  
• The above mentioned changes in the Visa system.
  

Our travel agent says most of these difficulties arose from the Russians new system, but I point a finger back to other agencies as well for their lack of correct response to the issues as they arose. We eventually ended up with a LOCAL subsidiary of ZVS which operates under another name but is owned by ZVS.

According to friends other Visas are easy and can be done on your own if you have access to consulates or embassies as we do here in the DC area.

Maybe by next year they will have this in good working order.

Th problems you are having are similar. Ours were:

• Poorly involved ZVS agents (using 800 number)
  
• Misinformation and misleading statement from AMA
  
• The above mentioned changes in the Visa system.
  

Our travel agent says most of these difficulties arose from the Russians new system, but I point a finger back to other agencies as well for their lack of correct response to the issues as they arose. We eventually ended up with a LOCAL subsidiary of ZVS which operates under another name but is owned by ZVS.

According to friends other Visas are easy and can be done on your own if you have access to consulates or embassies as we do here in the DC area.

Maybe by next year they will have this in good working order.

GOOD MORNING "AMA WATERWAYS - MSKATARINA SHIPMATES & OTHER RIVER BOAT CRUISERS"!!!

Gail & I are 2 gals from Western Canada (friends that "cruise" together)... we are on AMA MSKatarina Sept. 8th - 19th, 2011 sailing from St. Petersburg to Moscow!!! :)

We just got our "Russian Visa" & our Passports returned late last Friday, July 29th... our Travel Agent handled for us... we filled in the paperwork of course.... it was all sent to CIBT, Inc. (Global Visa & Passport Professionals located in Toronto) & took 24 days total... it was costly - but it is now completed; we have them in our hands & we aren't having to worry about it anymore!? ;):)

I have to say all these RUSSIA "CC Boards/Threads" are so imformative yet sometimes so conflicting in information!? We will have to just go with positive attitudes & be "street smart" (to avoid the pick-pocketers) & we plan to have a great "Russian Experience"!!! ;):)

Have a great day & Happy Safe Travels to Y'All!!! :)

bye4now... Gladys Marie (msfancy) & Gail