Premium Processing

In cooperation with the U.S. Embassy Consular Section, AmCham has implemented a system to expedite the U.S. visa application process for AmCham members. Premium Processing allows AmCham member company employees to obtain a visa within five business days or less. Premium Processing involves the following steps:

• The AmCham member-company employee must first complete an online visa application form (DS-160), which can be filled out by clicking by going to:  https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/.
• Following the completion and transmission of the DS-160, applicants will receive instructions to print a confirmation page that includes some biographical information and a bar code with a confirmation number.
• The applicant then must pay the U.S. Embassy fee. For payment process details, please visit: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru.
• The AmCham member-company employee then completes this form and mails it to visa@amcham.ru. He or she must also send a letter from the employer (an AmCham member company) stating the employee’s start date, monthly salary, purpose of travel, and persons accompanying (if applicable), as well as a copy of the receipt showing payment of the U.S. Embassy fee.
• AmCham will send the applicant a notification of the date and time of his/her interview with an Embassy official.

If you have already registered with the U.S. Embassy visa system independently of AmCham, and have already inputted your MRV receipt number into the system, then AmCham cannot set schedule your interview time. If you wish to schedule your interview via AmCham, please do not register in the system independently.

AmCham members are allocated special interview times and Premium Processing encourages applications for two-year visas and support immediate eligible family members wishing to travel with the applicant.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Russia may endorse the application for visa applications on behalf of its members who meet the following criteria:

• Applicants must be full-time employees of AmCham member companies.  [If a spouse and children under the age of 18 of employees of member companies are traveling WITH the employee, they are also eligible for AmCham submission].
• Applicants may be traveling to the United States for short-term business only.

Please do not submit cases for the following employees:

• Employees seeking to travel to the United States for purposes other than short-term business.
• Employees who are part-time, on internships or temporary employees.
• Contacts or employees of partner or affiliated companies. 
• Contractors of AmCham member companies.
• Employees with U.S. visa refusals within the past two years.
• Any individual who has lost a passport containing a valid U.S. visa.

Please be aware that AmCham special processing does not guarantee issuance of a visa.

AmCham launched Premium Processing with the Embassy in February 2008.

Due to Homeland Security regulations, visa applicants working in scientific and technical fields must allow three weeks for their applications to be processed.
 
This program is intended for full-time professional management-level employees of AmCham member companies.

Applicants who cancel or miss appointments must reschedule their appointments through the regular process at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/ (not through AmCham Premium Processing).