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Almaty: the O-1 / EB-1 talent-visa interview

US mission, Almaty

Kazakhstan O-1 (DS-160) · EB-1 (DS-260 / I-485)

The US Consulate General in Almaty is a key post for Russian-speaking talent-visa applicants, including as a third-country national. Both O-1 (DS-160) and immigrant EB-1 cases go through Almaty.

Almaty: appointments and visas issued, State Department data

Next appointment (table of Sep 17, 2026)
O-1 and other petition-based visas (H, L, O, P, Q) - 1 mo; B1/B2 - 1 mo; students F, M, J - < 0.5 mo.
Issued, Mar 2025 - Feb 2026
O-1 - 22 (21); B1/B2 - 11,790 (13,301); EB-1 - 144 (127); EB-2 - 67 (25); all immigrant - 2,419 (2,809). In brackets: the 12 months before (Mar 2024 - Feb 2025).
Immigrant visas (EB-1, EB-2, family)
Processes them for residents of Kazakhstan; Russians only in the IR-5 category (parents of US citizens).

The immigrant-visa interview in Almaty: post rules

Address
97 Zholdasbekov St., Samal Towers, Almaty
Medical exam
In Almaty, at the consulate’s listed clinic (IMC - International Medical Center, basic exam KZT 115,000).
Interview language
English, Kazakh, Russian.
Paying fees at the window
US dollars only, cash or card.
Passport and rescheduling
Passport delivery registration and rescheduling at ais.usvisa-info.com.
Note
Entrance A2, arrive 20 minutes before the appointment.

Sources, travel.state.gov: Global Visa Wait Times, nonimmigrant issuances, immigrant issuances by post (latest published month: Feb 2026), immigrant-visa posts, nonimmigrant-visa posts, post page of Oct 6, 2026. All read on Oct 11, 2026; month-by-month tables below.

Who uses this consulate

from Kazakhstanfrom Uzbekistanfrom Kyrgyzstanfrom Russia

Prepare for the interviewHow the O-1 and EB-1 consular process works

September 2026: what the chats report about this post

Member reports, not embassy data: 204 messages naming the city across 6 community chats (97 the month before), paraphrased without names or quotes; counted on 2026-09-30.

  • Re-interviews for DV-2026 selectees started mid-September, including for those not in any lawsuit; invitations came with a date a few days out (15 messages about re-interviews).
  • The consulate asked for financial documents and a sponsor - 28 messages that month about Form I-134 and a sponsor. A report of Sep 29 says an applicant was put back on 221(g) after the re-interview and told there is no visa without a sponsor.
  • After the re-interview some applicants got a 221(g) sheet and had the passport taken, with the final decision, per the consul, made in the US; on Sep 21 members also reported refusals of families.
  • Medical exams older than 6 months were redone; booking and rebooking the clinic went smoothly by reports. Applicants without a Schengen visa asked about moving the interview from Warsaw to Almaty.

DV-2026 and visa-pause lawsuits: status

What the community reports

Community members often mention Almaty as a workable TCN option; they note that booking availability and timelines fluctuate, so they advise grabbing a slot early. This is people's experience, not official timelines.

This is community-chat experience, not official data. Verify booking availability and post status on travel.state.gov and ustraveldocs.com.

This embassy's official visas page: kz.usembassy.gov/visas/ - interview booking follows your own post's instructions.

By member reports over 2023-2025: appointment wait 1.5-2 months, administrative processing after the interview from 3 to 15 months. That is the spread of individual cases, not a standard - data for every post.

Procedures that are the same at every post (CEAC statuses, the passport during the check, officers’ manner): the consulates reference.

Official State Department numbers for this post

Next available interview appointment, by table update

Table ofB1/B2F, M, JH, L, O, P, Q
Sep 17, 20261 mo< 0.5 mo1 mo
Jun 18, 2026*1.5 mo< 0.5 mo1.5 mo
May 18, 2026*1.5 mo1.5 mo1.5 mo
Apr 15, 2026*1.5 mo2.5 mo1 mo
Mar 27, 2026*1.5 mo1.5 mo1.5 mo
Jan 14, 2026*2.5 mo2 mo2 mo
Dec 12, 2025*2 mo1.5 mo1.5 mo
Nov 20, 2025*2 mo2 mo< 0.5 mo
Oct 22, 2025*2 mo1 mo< 0.5 mo
Sep 17, 2025*2 mo1 mo< 0.5 mo
Aug 18, 2025*2 mo1 mo0 mo
May 25, 2025*1 mo0 mo0 mo
Apr 25, 2025*0 mo0 mo0 mo

Source: Global Visa Wait Times (travel.state.gov), "next available appointment" as printed at each monthly update; until mid-2025 the table gave calendar days, later months. * - read from a Wayback Machine (web.archive.org) copy of the same page. We re-read the table every month; next check about Oct 20, 2026.

Mar 2025 - Feb 2026: the post issued 17,631 nonimmigrant and 2,419 immigrant visas.

Nonimmigrant visas issued, by month
MonthTotalB1/B2F-1J-1H-1BL-1O-1
Feb 20261,4489146513100
Jan 20261,6681,298292791510
Dec 20251,2361,1132619833
Nov 20251,1371,0722213630
Oct 20251,2211,129155441
Sep 20259157572326632
Aug 20251,15775617849992
Jul 20251,06668015477762
Jun 20251,298981144218122
May 20251,69292583573484
Apr 20253,379924382,283671
Mar 20251,4141,2413018675
Immigrant visas issued, by month
MonthTotalFamilyEB-1EB-2EB-3DV
Feb 2026000000
Jan 202658531400
Dec 2025277862050166
Nov 202518372240086
Oct 20252909510115162
Sep 202533783000250
Aug 202528885600186
Jul 2025232831530499
Jun 202519582281068
May 2025172821813054
Apr 20252601021920136
Mar 20251277131047

Columns: the main classes; "Total" includes all others (dependants, crew, diplomatic and other classes). Immigrant: Family = IR, CR and F categories, EB-1/2/3 = employment preferences (EB-3 incl. EW), DV = diversity lottery. Each month links to its State Department report (Excel). Sources: Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuance Statistics, Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuance Statistics (travel.state.gov).

From English-speaking community reports (Reddit), October 2025 - September 2026, 8 posts

CR-1, IR-1 and other family visas - 4 posts, K-1 - 2, DV - 1, unspecified immigrant visa - 1. Russians - 4, Kazakh citizens - 2.

  • Russian K-1 fiancees reached Almaty by having the case moved from Warsaw: in October 2025 after showing an EU entry ban, in spring 2026 through a lawyer's request to the NVC, approved in about a month. In the October 2025 story the officer approved the visa verbally and promised 1-2 business days; a week later the passport had not come back.
  • Immigrant visas: interviews from February - June 2026 (CR-1, IR-1, F2A, and one EB-1A applicant held since May 2025 after administrative processing) ended with a 221(g) because of the 75-country pause. By the end of September 2026 these posts reported no second-interview invitations for applicants outside the lawsuits; in mid-September the consulate answered emails with a template.
  • A July 2026 interview took about 3 minutes: the petitioning spouse's name, birthplace and university, then the applicant's degree and major, whether and where she plans to work, whether she will stay at home, and whether she has health insurance.
  • DV-2026: per an August 2026 report the consulate required Form I-134 from all DV applicants; personal savings alone were no longer enough.

A retelling of individual stories from public Reddit discussions (read Oct 2, 2026), without names or quotes. These are individual stories, not State Department statistics and not legal advice: official wait times and rules are on travel.state.gov and above on this page.

From Russian-language forum reports (forum.awd.ru), October 2025 - September 2026, 15 posts

8 stories: B1/B2 and nonimmigrant visas of unstated type - 4, IR-5 - 2, EB-1 - 1, a check with no visa type stated - 1. Russians - 6, the rest do not state nationality. Another 5 posts are observations and case transfers.

  • October 2025: Russians booked in Almaty before Sep 6, 2025 were interviewed and got visas (4 stories); the consulate confirmed by email that the booking stood. An eyewitness on Oct 24, 2025 put approvals at about 80%, and almost everyone in line held Kazakh passports. The interview took about 3 minutes: purpose, job, earlier trips.
  • IR-5 (January and March 2026): the documents were accepted (originals only), the officer said the visa was approved but not issued because of the pause - a 221(g) sheet; one applicant had a valid tourist visa cancelled. Staff said a medical exam done in Moscow is also accepted.
  • EB-1: the check after an October 2024 interview lasted about 380 days, ended in late October 2025, and the visa was printed 3 weeks later. Another check started in 2023 was still running in November 2025 - the consulate replied with a template.
  • Transfers from Warsaw: the NVC moved an IR-5 case in about a week (April 2026); it declined to move F1 and F2 family cases without proof of residence in Kazakhstan (November 2025).

A retelling of individual stories from public threads of a Russian-language travel forum (read Oct 2, 2026), without usernames, names or quotes. These are individual stories, not State Department statistics and not legal advice: official wait times and rules are on travel.state.gov and above on this page.

FAQ

Do I need Kazakhstan residency to interview in Almaty?
For many nonimmigrant categories residency is not required, but TCN rules and slot availability depend on the post and can change. Verify on the Kazakhstan ustraveldocs.
What is specific about the Almaty medical exam (IMC)?
By member reports (2025): the TB test is accepted only from a certified clinic, pertussis requires the Adacel shot specifically (antibody certificates are not accepted), and people advise arriving 1-3 days before the interview. Confirm the exact list with the clinic.
How is the fee paid in Almaty and what financial papers are requested?
By 2025 reports the immigrant fee is taken in cash on interview day (new-series bills), and financial papers were requested at the interview - an I-134 or a bank statement: they may be absent from published checklists and arrive as an email requirement from the post.
How do I get the passport back after approval in Almaty?
Passports are returned via Visametric; members arranged delivery to another country (including Russia) on site. With an issued status the passport was, by reports, sometimes released the same day after 3pm - do not plan around that though.
How long is the wait for a visa interview in Almaty?
By the State Department wait-times table of 2026-09-17: O-1 (H, L, O, P, Q) - 1 mo, B1/B2 - 1 mo, F, M, J - < 0.5 mo. In the 12 published months to Feb 2026 the post issued O-1 - 22, B1/B2 - 11,790. The table is an estimate; actual slots show only in the booking system.
Can I have the EB-1 / EB-2 immigrant-visa interview in Almaty?
Yes: the post processes immigrant visas for residents of Kazakhstan; Russians only in the IR-5 category (parents of US citizens). In the 12 published months to Feb 2026 it issued EB-1 - 144, EB-2 - 67, all immigrant visas - 2,419. The National Visa Center sets the post and the date; source: the State Department list of immigrant-visa posts, read 2026-10-11.

Interview experience in Almaty

Anonymized reports by community members from public chats: month, visa, outcome, officer questions. Personal experience, not a rule and not legal advice.

Based on: 105 anonymised community interview reports · Jan 2023 - Aug 2026 · all consulates

18reports
33%with 221(g)
60median wait, days
Aug 2026latest report
  • O-3approvedslot: 12 d

    The applicant attended the interview in Almaty. The consul requested additional documents, including photos and details about the fiancé's divorce. After providing the missing materials, the visa was approved 26 days after the interview.

  • other visaapprovedpassport: 3 d

    The applicant attended the K-1 visa interview in Almaty. The wait time was 19 months. The interview was successful, the visa was approved, and the passport will be ready in 3 business days.

  • other visa221(g)

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty a year ago. After that, they were requested additional information DS5535, and the status of administrative processing changed several times.

  • other visapending

    The applicant attended a DV interview in Almaty. There were many people at the interview, but only three groups of DV applicants. The applicant provided the required documents.

  • other visa221(g)

    The applicant attended a K-1 interview in Almaty. The interview went smoothly, but the consul kept the passport and issued a note regarding social media checks. The applicant is awaiting a decision in a few days.

  • other visapending

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty. They brought standard documents, the officer checked the photos and confirmed that everything was fine. They are waiting for further actions.

  • O-3pendingslot: 245 d

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty. The interview was scheduled 2 months after submitting the DS-260. Everything went smoothly, but there were issues with the fingerprinting system. The applicant is waiting for a decision.

  • other visaapproved

    The applicant received a visa after administrative processing. The process went through two consulates, where additional documents were requested. Ultimately, the outcome was positive.

  • EB-1approvedslot: 60 d · passport: 1 d

    The applicant received an EB-1 visa in Almaty. The interview went well, with a wait time of 2 hours and the interview itself lasting about 10 minutes. The passport with the visa was ready the day after the interview.

  • other visarefused

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty. The consul expressed dissatisfaction regarding working for a sanctioned company and refused the visa. The applicant believes that the lack of a job offer letter might have influenced the decision.

  • other visa221(g)

    The applicant attended an interview in Almaty, where suspicions of fraud arose. After discussing the situation, he was issued a 221g, and since then, administrative processing has been ongoing. The applicant did not provide all documents on-site, leading to the delay.

  • EB-1221(g)

    The applicant had an interview at the Almaty consulate. After 10 minutes of conversation with the consul, they received a 221g. The consul noted their qualifications and said the visa would be approved in a few weeks to months. Passports were returned immediately, but the status in the system shows refused.

6 more reports
  • other visapending

    The applicant did not reschedule the interview, it was originally in Almaty. They received an email notification about the status and saw an update with the interview date.

  • EB-1approved

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty and received an immigration visa. Upon first entry into the US, there were no questions about the medical envelope, and the process was quick and friendly.

  • EB-1221(g)

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty. The consul asked standard questions and informed that more time is needed for approval. He issued a yellow slip requesting additional documents, stating that the review will take 2-3 months.

  • EB-1221(g)

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty for an EB1 A visa. The interview went well, but there were doubts about the resume, leading to additional processing. The applicant was told to wait for a decision.

  • O-1approvedpassport: 3 d

    The applicant attended an interview in Almaty for an O-1 visa. Initially, the status was refused, then changed to administrative processing, and ultimately was approved. The processing took three days, and the passport was not returned immediately.

  • O-1approved

    The applicant had an interview in Almaty, and the visa was approved. The interview lasted about 10 minutes, and the consul asked questions about awards and previous trips to the USA.

Community questions on the consular stage →

From community practice

  • What determines the strength of evidence is not the fact itself but its context: scale, selectivity and independent confirmation. This runs through almost every community case review.

  • Support letters are stronger when written by independent experts familiar with your work who cite concrete results rather than general praise.

  • Field chats advise gathering evidence for a specific criterion from the start, rather than bolting it onto the petition at the last moment.

Distilled from public community chats - observations, not legal advice.

From community discussions

  • «The consul works by clear rules. His task is to prove to himself that you're an immigrant, and your task is the opposite: who beats whom. You either play this game by the rules or you don't. After all, it's you who needs the US, not the consul.»

    Ruslan · from public community chats

  • «I'm not arguing here that he apparently checked it poorly, but when you buy a package service and not just a lawyer, you expect more. And why was he told to go for EB-2 NIW when he already came with a pretty good package for EB-1 (over 20 years working as a research scientist with a bunch of patents, awards) - he only needed to add media.»

    Kate · from public community chats

  • «Everything will be fine. Everyone has their PhDs and candidates of science thrown out and simplified. You need to close three criteria: academic articles - one, patents - two, judging - three. A PhD 100% has a critical or lead role. I think you also have media articles about you. There won't even be an RFE.»

    Alexander · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

Approval stories

Other interview posts

Reference information, not legal advice. Always verify post status, booking and requirements on travel.state.gov.