Do I have to pay the $250 visa integrity fee?

The fee comes from H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21, section 100007) of Jul 4, 2025: at least $250, indexed to inflation, paid by everyone issued a nonimmigrant visa (visitor, student, work) at the time of issuance; it cannot be waived or reduced, but it can be reimbursed after the visa expires if you kept its conditions and left no later than 5 days after your authorized stay ended (or got an extension or a green card). In the Federal Register of Jul 22, 2025 DHS said the fee needs cross-agency coordination and will be implemented in a future publication. As of Sep 30, 2026 there is no such publication in the Federal Register, and the State Department consular fee page does not list the fee - it still shows $185 for visitor and student visas. Reports that some posts already collect it could not be confirmed on an official page; check your embassy instructions.

How many criteria do you need to meet for EB-1A?

At least three of the ten USCIS criteria. But meeting criteria is not enough: the officer additionally evaluates the case as a whole (final merits) and must see sustained acclaim and that you are among the best in your field. In the community's experience, a denial is possible even with 5 or more criteria counted if this second part is not proven.

If I met 5 criteria, is the visa guaranteed?

No. Meeting criteria is only the first stage. Next the officer looks at the case as a whole (final merits): you need to show sustained acclaim and a position at the top of the profession. It happens that the criteria are formally met, yet the officer writes that the applicant is not extraordinary enough. The outcome depends largely on the strength of the evidence and on the officer.

What is final merits, and why are cases denied even with three criteria?

Final merits is the final evaluation of the case as a whole after the individual criteria are checked: the officer decides whether you demonstrate sustained acclaim and belong to the top of the profession. That is why, even with three or more criteria counted, a NOID may arrive demanding proof that you are really at the top of your field.

Can I quickly collect all the awards and file right away?

Better not: the officer wants to see sustained acclaim spread over time, not achievements gathered all at once right before filing. Ideally the recognition should be distributed over recent years. Fresh, hastily created awards and publications can raise questions and an RFE.

B1/B2 visa

US tourist visa B1/B2 for Russians: how to get it

Updated: September 30, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

Key answer

In short

How to get a US tourist visa: fill in the DS-160 and upload your photo into it, pay the non-refundable $185 fee, book the interview and bring a passport valid six months beyond the trip. The B1/B2 visitor visa covers tourism, business trips and medical treatment. Russians do get it, but the Moscow embassy holds no interviews: the DS-160, the fee and the interview happen at a third-country consulate. The outcome is an approval, a 214(b) refusal, or 221(g) administrative processing, which the community reports as lasting from weeks to several years.

Warsaw Almaty Astana Belgrade Yerevan Tbilisi

1,932chat messages about B1/B2

8community stories on this page

12consulates Russians travel to

How to get a US tourist visa: five steps

Step	What	How	More
1	The DS-160 online form	filled in on the State Department site, the photo is uploaded into the form; print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview	paying the fee
2	The MRV consular fee	$185, non-refundable, per the State Department site on 09/30/2026; paid under the rules of the consulate holding the interview; on approval some nationalities also pay an issuance fee; the $250 visa integrity fee under H.R. 1 is not officially implemented as of Sep 30, 2026: DHS has published no start of collection and the State Department fee list does not include it	how to pay
3	Booking the interview	the State Department advises booking in your country of residence and warns that elsewhere it can be harder to show you qualify; Russians book at third-country consulates, wait times per post are in the community reports	consulates
4	The interview	a few minutes: purpose of the trip, work, family, ties to home	interview questions
5	The decision	approval and the passport with the visa, a 214(b) refusal, or 221(g) administrative processing - weeks to years	administrative processing

Community experience: interviews, checks, refusals

From community discussions

«Well, in Kyrgyzstan, we got B1/B2, initially we planned not to take our 11-year-old son, but shortly before the interview, I read in a chat that an adult had their visa approved while they said to bring the child! We didn't want to take the risk. And getting an immigration visa…»
Renata · from public community chats
«Well, that's not a check. I had a similar situation in Germany, they said 'your B1/B2 visa is approved, but the consul may have more questions, so please wait 3-4 days, but I'm sure everything will be fine.' It was nerve-wracking, but they affixed the visa and that was it.»
Cyril · from public community chats
«Well, let me throw in something if anyone wants positivity. An acquaintance, a Belarusian, left after the war, who knows what kind of diploma, but works relatively closely in AI/ML. They just issued a B1/B2 without any administrative processing recently 🤷‍♀️.»
community member · from public community chats
«My administrative processing for B1/B2 ended after 3 and a half years. And this is not an April Fool's joke. Today I picked up my passport with a 3-year visa. Is this a record here or not? 😅 I haven't seen longer periods for anyone.»
community member · from public community chats
«Hello everyone! I wanted to share that while we are on administrative processing for my O-1 in Madrid, my husband was issued a B1/B2 there for the standard period, though with a consular check (it took a total of two weeks).»
community member · from public community chats
«I entered the U.S. on a B1/B2 with approval for I-140. After 2.5 months, we applied for a premium O-1, and we are still waiting for the result. In January, we are filing I-485 since the priority date suddenly became current.»
Oleksandr · from public community chats
«I was denied a B1/B2 because the application coincided with the mobilization. Then we applied for O-1/O-3 in April and all ended up in administrative processing together.»
Valeria · from public community chats
«Hello everyone! Please welcome the newcomer!)) Yesterday my husband and I applied for a B1/B2 in Jakarta. Everything started off great, they asked about our travels, when we were in Thailand, if we had been to the Dominican Republic, then they switched to my husband. They then asked me a question and... silence fell, and then they told my husband that everything was approved, while I was sent for administrative processing, handing him the papers - white, and me - yellow 🥺 The officer said they would 'quickly' check me, and my passport was not returned for 2 days straight. I kept reading and searching for information for myself, getting anxious and freaking out... awful, it's tough 😅»
Anastasiya · from public community chats

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

What the chats ask about a tourist visa

1×I would like to know if in my case it is possible to go straight for EB1 without going through O1. I currently have a B1/B2 visa.
1×Can I participate in judging, publish academic articles, have news articles about me, and enter competitions while in the USA on B1/B2 status?
1×Is it possible to enter on a tourist visa and then change status to EB-1? How long do you need to stay on a tourist visa?
1×How to get a work permit after arriving on a tourist visa in the US?
1×If my petition for the EV-2 NIW is approved, can I enter the U.S. on a B1/B2 visa and leave before the consulate interview? Will my visas be canceled?
1×What if my petition for the EV-1A or EV-2 NIW is not approved? Can I later get a B1/B2 visa and will they be canceled for me and my family?

Community answers

Does a 214(b) refusal apply to EB-1/EB-2 NIW the same way it does to O-1 or B1/B2?: 214(b) is more often applied to nonimmigrant visas, where you need to show no immigrant intent. EB-1 and EB-2 NIW are immigrant categories, so the refusal logic is different, but other grounds for refusal or review still apply.
Is it risky to show a valid B1/B2 visa if there is also an immigration case or pending EB/O?: Having an immigration process can raise questions about intent when using a nonimmigrant visa. In some situations, the visa can be reviewed or revoked, so it is better to assess the risks with a lawyer before travel and consular appointments.
How hard is it to get O-1 through a consulate, and should you travel on a tourist visa instead?: O-1 requires an approved petition and readiness to explain the case at the interview; the consular stage can be unpredictable. A tourist visa is not intended for work or an immigration plan, and lack of prior travel may be an additional risk factor, but not the only one.
Can you enter on B1/B2, file O-1 inside the U.S., and then leave to get a visa?: Approval of an O-1 petition inside the U.S. does not always mean you have a visa for entry: a consular visa stamp is usually required to return. At reentry, officers may ask questions about your original intent, so it is better to coordinate the entry, change of status, and consular processing strategy with an immigration specialist in advance.

Where people go wrong - from the chats

mistakeWorking on a tourist visa or stating intentions that do not match actual actions can create immigration risks, especially when later changing status inside the United States.
mistakeApplying for a B1/B2 tourist visa while an administrative review is still pending in an immigration case is seen as a high risk of denial and requires careful assessment of the strategy.
mistakeDo not automatically plan to enter on a tourist visa and later change status based on an approved petition without legal review: that strategy can create immigration risks and depends on current rules.
mistakeA common mistake is thinking that an O-1 denial permanently bars refiling or automatically harms a tourist visa; refiling is possible if the case is strengthened, and the consequences depend on the reasons for the denial.
mistakeWhen applying for a visitor visa to help relatives after childbirth, there is a high risk of refusal if the purpose of the trip looks like a substitute for paid care or if ties to the home country are weak. How the trip purpose is worded and evidence of return matter a great deal.
mistakeIt is dangerous to enter on a tourist visa or change status without accounting for immigrant intent, already filed petitions, and the 90-day rule; it is better to discuss such actions with an attorney in advance.

Real timelines named in the chats

Stage	Typically	Note
B1/B2: consular review	about 2 weeks in a short scenario	There is an observation of a quick consular review followed by visa issuance in about two weeks.
B1/B2: visa foil placement after approval	about 24 days	After approval and passport submission, the final stage with document return took a little over 3 weeks.
B1/B2: appointment and interview	about 1 week in some cases	It was mentioned that for a tourist visa, the entire path from booking to interview can sometimes take about a week, but this depends on the filing location and slot availability.
B1/B2: administrative processing under the Technology Alert List after the interview	5 months or more	A case was described where the consul gave guidance of a maximum of 60 days, but the wait entered its 5th month.

Rules and tips from the chats

ruleTo apply for a green card through adjustment of status, it is important to be in lawful status and maintain it until the process is complete; one entry on a tourist visa is usually not enough for a long wait without additional action.
common questionPeople often ask about the chances of changing status from B1/B2 to F-1 inside the United States and the consequences of a denial. A practical rule is to keep in mind that detailed public statistics on these changes of status usually do not exist, and if denied, it is important to immediately review current status, authorized stay, and the need to depart with an attorney.
common questionPeople often ask what to do during prolonged administrative processing for B1/B2, F-1, EB-2/NIW, and other categories, especially when the consulate does not respond for months.
common questionPeople often ask whether, after entering on a tourist visa, they can apply for O-1 or EB-1 through a change or adjustment of status, what happens to family members, and what risks arise if the application is denied.

Cases from the community

EB (category not specified) · unknown · outcome not stated

The applicant has been waiting for a decision in an employment-based immigrant category for about a year and a half; a tourist visa decision has also been pending for a long time. The move is planned only a few months after possible approval.

What they did: Continues to wait for a decision and keeps a backup relocation plan.

B1/B2 · tourism and private travel · approved

after two previous visas with a preliminary clearance note, the applicant later received a regular visitor visa for several years

What they did: went through a standard application after previous reviews

Questions and answers on the site

Distilled from the public community chats, anonymised; corpus as of June 2026. These are participants' observations, not legal advice and not USCIS statistics.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay the $250 visa integrity fee?: The fee comes from H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21, section 100007) of Jul 4, 2025: at least $250, indexed to inflation, paid by everyone issued a nonimmigrant visa (visitor, student, work) at the time of issuance; it cannot be waived or reduced, but it can be reimbursed after the visa expires if you kept its conditions and left no later than 5 days after your authorized stay ended (or got an extension or a green card). In the Federal Register of Jul 22, 2025 DHS said the fee needs cross-agency coordination and will be implemented in a future publication. As of Sep 30, 2026 there is no such publication in the Federal Register, and the State Department consular fee page does not list the fee - it still shows $185 for visitor and student visas. Reports that some posts already collect it could not be confirmed on an official page; check your embassy instructions.
How many criteria do you need to meet for EB-1A?: At least three of the ten USCIS criteria. But meeting criteria is not enough: the officer additionally evaluates the case as a whole (final merits) and must see sustained acclaim and that you are among the best in your field. In the community's experience, a denial is possible even with 5 or more criteria counted if this second part is not proven.
If I met 5 criteria, is the visa guaranteed?: No. Meeting criteria is only the first stage. Next the officer looks at the case as a whole (final merits): you need to show sustained acclaim and a position at the top of the profession. It happens that the criteria are formally met, yet the officer writes that the applicant is not extraordinary enough. The outcome depends largely on the strength of the evidence and on the officer.
What is final merits, and why are cases denied even with three criteria?: Final merits is the final evaluation of the case as a whole after the individual criteria are checked: the officer decides whether you demonstrate sustained acclaim and belong to the top of the profession. That is why, even with three or more criteria counted, a NOID may arrive demanding proof that you are really at the top of your field.
Can I quickly collect all the awards and file right away?: Better not: the officer wants to see sustained acclaim spread over time, not achievements gathered all at once right before filing. Ideally the recognition should be distributed over recent years. Fresh, hastily created awards and publications can raise questions and an RFE.

Where next

Community questions on this topic

Consulates Russians travel to

Warsaw Almaty Astana Belgrade Yerevan Tbilisi Istanbul Tashkent Bishkek Ankara Prague Paris

Sources

This page is reference, not legal advice; rules and fees change - verify on uscis.gov.