What B1/B2 is and what it doesn’t give you
B1 and B2 are two categories that have long been issued as a single visa: B1 covers business trips, negotiations and conferences, while B2 covers tourism, family visits and medical treatment. In practice you receive a B1/B2 stamp and use it for both purposes. The visa is multiple-entry and is typically valid for several years.
The key thing most people don’t grasp before their first trip: a visa does not grant entry and does not set the length of your stay. It gives you the right to travel to the border and ask to be admitted. The decision rests with the border officer, who also sets the date by which you must leave. That date lives in the electronic I-94 record, not in the visa, and it can be shorter than you expected.
- A visa is permission to present yourself at the border, not permission to remain in the country
- Check your length of stay in the I-94 on the border authority’s website, not in the visa stamp
- B1/B2 does not grant the right to work — neither for a U.S. employer nor for a local client
- Study is also not permitted on it: F-1 exists for that purpose, and it was not affected by the pause either
- Extending the period of stay from within the country is possible, but it is a separate procedure using form I-539.
How much it actually costs
The consular fee is $185 per person, and it applies to infants as well: a family of four pays $740 just for the application. But the fee is not the main line item here.
The key point is that the application is submitted abroad. The embassy in Moscow does not issue visas; a slot has to be caught in Warsaw or Astana, and on top of the fees come a flight to the post, accommodation during the application period, and the wait for a slot itself — in Astana the queue has reached two years. The budget usually falls short here, not at the fee stage.
| Article | Amount per person | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Consular fee | 185 $ | paid before booking the interview; non-refundable if refused |
| The same fee applies for a child | 185 $ | an infant pays the same as an adult |
| Family of four | 740 $ | fees only, excluding flights and accommodation |
| Flight and accommodation | in practice | the application is submitted abroad, which is a separate budget item |
Where Russian citizens apply
Visas are not issued in Moscow; applications are submitted abroad. For Russian citizens, Warsaw and Astana are the designated posts — their schedules are built around Russian applicants, and slots appear regularly. Applications can be submitted in other countries too, but outside a designated post the wait can stretch to months, and the consulate may refuse to process the application if it sees no genuine connection between the applicant and that country.
The practical part is a slot hunt: the schedule opens in waves, available dates go fast, and anyone who checks the website once a week will not find any. Hence the right order of action: first the post and the slot, then the tickets — not the other way around.
- The designated posts for Russian citizens are Warsaw and Astana
- Slots appear in waves and are snapped up within hours, not days
- Tickets and accommodation are booked after the date is confirmed
- A separate trip to the border post is part of the visa budget, not an ’additional expense’
- The whole family needs to be booked for the same date: split slots mean two separate trips
Refusal under 214(b): why it cannot be appealed
Article 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act operates as a presumption: any nonimmigrant visa applicant is assumed to intend to remain in the United States unless they personally convince a consular officer otherwise. A refusal under this provision is not an accusation of fraud and is not an entry ban. It is simply a finding that the ties to the home country were not persuasive enough. There is no appeal against such a decision — only a new application with new circumstances.
What convinces is not documents but a picture of a life: employment, property, family, regular trips to other countries with returns. And the consul takes that picture in a minute of conversation, not an hour of reading a file. Preparation here means not gathering certificates but identifying weak points and rehearsing answers.
- A refusal under 214(b) does not bar you from reapplying — even the next day
- But reapplying without changed circumstances almost always produces the same result.
- Previous refusals are visible to the consular officer and are taken into account at every subsequent application
- Lying on the application form falls under a different provision — and that one carries a permanent ban
- Having relatives in the US is not a reason for refusal, but the consular officer will always ask about their status
What a visa does not fix: the record in the system
In the US, outcomes often hinge not on documents but on database records — and people usually have no idea those records exist. An overstay of one month started an unlawful-presence clock. A refusal from five years ago is still in the system. An old green card obtained in childhood and left behind when leaving was never formally surrendered. All of this surfaces at the time of filing — usually at the most inconvenient moment.
Accumulated unlawful presence triggers an entry ban: more than 180 days means a three-year ban, more than a year means ten years. Days are counted individually, and the line between ’still fine’ and ’too late’ falls on a specific date that can be calculated in advance. That is the first thing worth doing before any application.
- I-94 and actual days of presence — verified against the electronic record, not from memory
- Over 180 days of unlawful presence — three-year entry ban
- Over a year — ten-year ban
- Previous 214(b) refusals are visible and do not fade over time
- An old green card that was never surrendered is a separate matter and handled separately
B1/B2 and relocation: why one does not become the other
A tourist visa does not convert into status on its own, and trying to ’enter on a B2 and stay’ is not a loophole — it is a scenario with a well-known ending. Entering with immigrant intent on a non-immigrant visa is treated as misrepresentation, and the consequences are more serious than a straightforward refusal.
That said, a lawful path from inside the country does exist and continues to work in 2026 — but it does not stem from a tourist visa; it is based on specific separate grounds, and it has become the main route after the issuance of immigration visas was suspended. How that suspension works and what operates beneath it is covered separately.
B1/B2 visa: preparation and application
- We check your record in the system before filing: I-94, actual days present, prior refusals, accumulated unlawful presence
- We calculate the dates of the three- and ten-year bars and tell you where you stand relative to them
- We identify the right consular post and find an available slot — at posts designated for Russian passport holders.
- We compile and review the DS-160 form before submission: errors in it cost more to fix than to avoid
- We prepare you for the interview: walking through 214(b) questions, addressing weak points, and running practice sessions
- If the picture does not add up — we say so before the fees are paid, not after a refusal
A legal consultation — 150 $.Credited toward the full service fee if you continue with us.
During the consultation the lawyer reviews your situation based on your documents and provides filing route: which basis, what will be needed and in what order.
Government fees, notarisation, certified translations and apostille, where required, billed separately at actual cost — we will itemise them for your situation. Processing time depends on the authority and its workload, which is why we do not publish an average figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a US visa cost in 2026?
The consular fee is $185 per person, and it applies to every applicant, including an infant. The fee goes directly to the authority and is non-refundable in case of refusal. The bigger costs, however, are elsewhere: since applications are submitted from Warsaw or Astana, the budget must also cover flights, accommodation, and the wait for a slot.
Are US visas currently being issued to Russian citizens?
Non-immigrant visas — yes. The pause introduced on 21 January 2026 applies to immigrant visas; B1/B2, F-1, O-1 and L-1 are not affected. Visas are not issued in Moscow; applications must be submitted abroad.
Where can Russian citizens apply for a US visa?
Warsaw and Astana are the designated posts for Russian citizens: their schedules are designed for the Russian volume of applications. Applying in another country is possible, but slot waiting times stretch into months, and the consulate may decline to process the application locally.
Is a separate visa required for a specific city — Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles?
No. A visa is issued for the country, not a city: a B1/B2 visa allows you to enter at any port of entry and travel freely throughout the country. A destination city is mentioned on the application form and at the interview, but no separate permission is required.
What a 214(b) refusal means and whether it can be appealed
This is a refusal on the presumption of immigrant intent: the consular officer did not see sufficient ties to the home country. Such a decision cannot be appealed — the only option is a fresh application. You may reapply as early as the next day, but without changed circumstances the outcome usually repeats.
How long can you stay in the US on a tourist visa?
The period is set by the border officer and recorded in the electronic I-94 form — usually up to six months, but sometimes less. You should rely on the date in the I-94, not on the visa expiry date: these are two different things, and confusing them is the main cause of accumulated unlawful presence.
Verified August 25, 2026. The thresholds and amounts are tied to indicators that are reviewed annually — check the official source for your country before filing.
Services and prices — openly, before any conversation
People usually add: ssn — application support — 150 $ · itin via form w-7, if you are not eligible for an ssn — 250 $. Two or more services — 5% off each.
Prices are in US dollars and are all-inclusive — nothing is added on top. Government fees for USCIS and the Department of State are paid separately and directly to the authority: we state the amount and show the receipts. Sales tax in the US is set by the state and city, so we do not quote it as a percentage — the price you see is final.