After nearly two months of couch
surfing, we finally received our official invitations to apply for our visas.
We were originally told to expect the invitations on 23 April. About a week
prior to this, Mark received notification that the invitations would not arrive
until 27 April. We planned to get our visa from the San Francisco consulate, as
Danielle has family in the Bay Area who were gracious enough to allow us to
stay with them. Delaying our trip to San Francisco by a week was easy enough.
The calls were made for arrangements and everything seemed to be going smooth. A
week delay in the grand scheme of things did not seem too bad, but little did
we know...
Beginning in mid-April, the Russian Consulates no longer accept visa
applications directly, at the consulate. They were in the midst of transitioning
to utilizing a visa processing agency, as many other consulates do. However,
the new system they were implementing was having technical difficulties. The
Washington D.C., New York and Houston consulates had the new system up and
running by the time it came for us to get our visas. However, the San Francisco
and Seattle consulates were experiencing delays with the new technology and
advised to check the website daily for updates to see if the new system had
been implemented. It should be noted that each consulate has its own, separate
website. The information on the website is different and the processes vary
depending on location. So, we checked, checked and checked again. By the time
we were ready to apply; the website had information of partial changes and
advised the new service would be implemented 1 May. The site also had an
automated form to schedule an appointment. It was very clear that no visa
applications would be accepted without an appointment. It also stressed that
each individual visa request needed separate appointments. This meant that we
had to schedule two appointments and were not guaranteed they would be back to
back. However, try as we might, the form did not allow for the user to request
the San Francisco location to schedule appointments. Did this mean the new
system had not been implemented in San Francisco? Or, maybe it was implemented,
but they had no availability for applications. As the days ticked by closer to
the day we were to head north, the site still did not allow for appointments in
San Francisco. So, we weren’t sure which, of two locations, we were to apply to
once we arrived in San Francisco; the consulate itself, or the processing
agency. This may seem manageable and somewhat relieving that we would be able
to get the visas one way or another. On the other hand, did we mention that 27
April was a Friday and the invitation didn’t actually arrive until Saturday, 28
April? Or, that Monday and Tuesday (30 April-1 May) were Russian holidays, so
the consulate/agency would be closed until Wednesday, 3 May! We made plans to
drive north to the Bay Area so we could go apply first thing Wednesday. We
thought, one way or another, we would figure it out. We had to, after all, our
flight had been booked for weeks now and we were set to leave 16 May!
We arrived in the Bay Area Tuesday night. We had time to catch up with
family, plan our “attack” and get to bed at a reasonable hour. Our plan
included taking BART into the city and then walking about 8 blocks to the
agency, not the consulate…as every indicator suggested this was the place to go.
Everything went as planned; we arrived at the agency (which was actually where
we were supposed to be!) and began the waiting process, the same as the one for
Seattle. No number to take. No stanchions to queue behind. No rhyme or reason.
Being a seasoned vet at this and knowing how it worked, Mark asked out loud who
was last in line. A couple indicated they were. We found a seat and waited.
The fees associated with the visa application vary. The standard fee is
$170 for six day processing. The expedited fee is $280 for three day processing.
When Mark was in Seattle for his first visit, timing relegated him to the
expedited processing. He paid for three day processing and was told to come
back the next day to pick up the completed visa. Mark saw numerous people apply
for standard processing who were told to return in three days to pick up their
visa. Armed with this information, we thought, “Hey, it’s only 2 May. Our
flight leaves in exactly two weeks. Standard processing should be fine. Even if
it takes 6 days, we’re still money”. That’s what we get for thinking! Our turn
at the window came. We approached and supplied all of our paperwork. We
provided the payment for standard processing. The attendant took all of our
“stuff” and did her thing. She typed, clicked, shuffled and so on. She then
pointed at a calendar on the wall next to her and indicated 16 May. We said,
“yes, this is when the flight leaves”. She shook her head, and in her best
English (which wasn’t much) said this is when we were to pick up our completed
visas. Mark very nearly blew a gasket. The stress and waiting during this whole
process was coming to a head.
We were able to decipher that there was ANOTHER holiday on 9 May. This is
Victory day in Russia, commemorating Russia’s victory over Nazi Germany in
WWII. How could we have missed this?!?! Well, it wasn’t included in the
information on the website, it is not common knowledge in the US and, we guess,
we just had a few other things on our mind and didn’t expect nearly the entire
first half of May to be taken up by holidays. If 9 May was the only day that
the consulate was closed, it wouldn’t have been as bad. But, the holiday spans
three days. This cuts our two week time frame in half right off the bat! The
problem is multi-faceted. The agency (and consulate for that matter) requires
cashier’s checks, or another form of secured payment, for the application. We went to the bank in Southern California
and got all of this taken care of before we left. We explained to the girl that
we only had the payment for standard processing. She indicated that,
conveniently enough, there was a bank downstairs where we could get cash to
make up the difference and we could apply for expedited processing. We had no
choice to pay the extra $110 (PER VISA) for expedited processing and thought,
if nothing else, this allows us more time because the visa will be done by the
end of the week. It seemed reasonable to think that two days to process a three
day, expedited application would doable, considering the coming holiday.
Surely, steps would be taken to “expedite” the application…right?
Mark went down to the bank to get the cash, because he could not sit any
longer and Danielle was afraid he would lose it at any moment. At this point,
it is important to note that we were out of money. Every bit of planning,
researching and cushioning for contingencies had been exhausted and we now were
dipping into money that was to be used to secure housing once we arrived in
Moscow. Mark returned with the money. The girl behind the window did her
“thing” again and then pointed to the calendar again. This time she indicated
11 May! At this point we were beside ourselves. Originally, we had paid for six
day processing and were going to get them in seven business days. Now, we were
paying way too much for three day processing and will get the visas in five
business days! With Mark’s experience in Seattle, and the timings of visa
availability, we are convinced this “agency” is nothing more than a way to earn
more money. And, of course, there is the agency fee…on top of the visa fee…PER
VISA APPLICATION! Money makes the world go ‘round we guess. We went to the next
window to pay and were provided with a receipt.
So, beyond angry, out of money and having to figure out how we were going
to make all of this work, there was nothing else to do but find the nearest Starbucks
and drown our sorrows (thankfully we had a couple of gift cards). However, a
pitcher of beer (or twelve) would have been preferred. We gathered ourselves.
More accurately, Danielle kept Mark from imploding. There were still multiple
hurdles. We had to be back in Southern California for the girls’ vet
appointment for their international health certificate (that will be another
blog topic all together!!!). We had to finish packing. We still had family to
visit with before leaving for more than two years. We could not stay in San
Francisco for ten of the 14 days we had left in this country! We developed a
plan, as we always do. We had to lean heavily, again, on family and we found a
way to make it work. We confirmed before leaving the processing agency that we
could have someone else pick up the visas. We were assured all that was needed
was the receipt and anyone could pick them up. We made arrangements for family to
pick up the visas which helped us feel a bit better about the situation. We
went to the post office and prepaid so that, once picked up, the visas could be
sent to us, overnight. With our families support, once again, we knew we were
in good hands.
So, out of money, out of patience and on the verge of losing our minds,
we spent a couple of much needed days visiting with friends and family in the
bay area. To ensure that the stress and frustrations did not consume us, we
made sure to take in a few sights and wineries in Napa and Livermore, and enjoy
the time we had before heading back to Southern California. We finished a
whirlwind tour of visiting with loved ones and the visas arrived in the mail,
Saturday 12 April…four days before leaving.
For those who are looking for information and are considering a similar
move, what can we say?
o
Whatever
time and money you think will be ample for your situation, add twenty percent
to that…at least!
o
Make
sure you make the move on your
timeline. If your employer is insisting, pressuring or even suggesting you need
to be in country sooner than you are comfortable, make sure they are making
arrangements and paying for all of the incidentals, as well as flights, visas,
accommodations, etc. But, as first mentioned, don’t do it unless you’re ready
and comfortable. We had a suggested
start date and, after all of the delays and waiting, we purchased tickets prior
to having everything in order. This was only done because waiting until the
visas were secured would have nearly doubled the airfare. Again, we could have
waited and then the employer would have waited. But, we lost focus and got
anxious and paid for it because we had to wait on others. The original timeline
was acceptable and we were comfortable with it. However, after multiple delays
and having to depend on others, we were “forced” into acting before we should
have, instead of resetting our timeline. Make sure you are comfortable with
everything and don’t get tunnel vision on a date or a process that makes you
lose sight of the bigger picture…your happiness. However, don’t forget that a
big move like this is hard and you will probably be “uncomfortable” for a
number of reasons. If you wait until you are comfortable with the entire
situation, then you may never leave. Each person/family will have to work hard
to identify the difference.
o
We
were caught in a tough spot because of the first two points above. We planned
with cushions in place, both time and money, or so we thought. As we hit
roadblocks and hurdles, we spent more time without income. This, in turn, meant
we spent more money, as being without a home base and nomadic, costs money. The
combination of extending the move and decreasing the bank account is what made
things more difficult than they had to be. Set your thresholds. Know what you
are comfortable with and know if, when and how you are willing to pull the plug
on the move. We never got to that point and don’t regret our decision. But, it’s
important to know all of this before
you start.
o
Have
a support system. Loved ones, colleagues, anyone you can lean on for a shoulder,
an ear or just information. You cannot do this alone. No matter how strong you
think you are. :)
o
Know
that your support system will be strained. If you are moving with a family,
know things will get beyond difficult. There is no way to put into words how
difficult this type of thing can be and each individual handles stress
differently. If you are single, you will still struggle. You may have less
stressors than a family, but you will still struggle. Be ready to persevere and
come out stronger in the end.
So far, we have had struggles. We have had moments of asking “what did we
do?” But, we had those in Doha too. We think that is inevitable. However, we
have already seen and done things we would have never dreamed of. This is not
easy. But, the rewards are seemingly endless. You WILL become stronger. You
WILL grow. You WILL be sad. You WILL be happy. You WILL be amazed. You WILL
meet incredible people. You WILL have fun. You have no choice. Who’s coming
next?!?!