Member Services

No matter how big and diversified a member company is, all your employees can always stay informed of the most recent developments and AmCham activities in fields of their choice. Our extensive distribution lists ensure member companies’ right to stay updated and receive timely notifications via e-mail. Organized on the committee-based principle with certain extra categories, they serve every possible need for information.

To subscribe, unsubscribe or manage your subscriptions, please contact us.

Please note that this service is available for AmCham St. Petersburg member companies’ employees only. Third parties’ requests shall be ignored.

Upon the Manufacturing Committee's decision, AmCham St. Petersburg is launching the Spare Parts Exchange Program, which is aimed at forming a database of contact persons in AmCham manufacturing companies responsible for spare parts inventory. Using this database, companies participating in the Program will be able to contact each other for urgent delivery of spare parts they need in order to repair their manufacturing equipment. We hope that such possibility of borrowing spare parts will resolve the issue of delay in delivery of spare parts caused by slow customs clearance.

For more information, please contact our office.

 

Apart from the day-to-day support in regards to all the Chapter's events and activities, our staff will also assist you in issues related to U.S. business (type B) visas for our member-companies' employees. Please contact Irina Makarenkova for details.

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Visa Program for Members of the St. Petersburg

American Chamber of Commerce

 

How to Qualify for this Program: Any member of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) can qualify if it provides the Chamber with the signatures of two (or more) designated company officials on the company’s letterhead.  These officials are the only ones authorized to sign letters and authorize employees to utilize the visa program.   In order to maintain their status in the program, companies must update their referral letters every January. 

 Who May Apply Using the Program: Company employees going on official business to the United States. Immediate family members of an employee of an AmCham-member company may use this service only if applying together with the employee's application for an official business trip.

How to Apply:  

1.      AmCham applicant/company’s courier must bring DS-160 (see additional information) confirmation page to the Consulate at 12:00 p.m. any working day except Wednesday.  The courier should identify him/herself to the security guards at the front gate of the Consulate as an AmCham representative.

2.      AmCham applicant/courier submits the following applicant’s documents to the Visa Section:

•      International Passport
• DS-160 confirmation page (see additional information)
• One regular format picture (5 cm x 5 cm, color, on a light background, taken within the last six months, stapled to the confirmation page)
• An application letter from the company signed by the designated official
• Invitation letter from the U.S side.
       

3.      Staff member of the Visa section (at window 1 or 2) verifies that the company is on the list for the Visa Program, compares documents with the AmCham references.

4.      AmCham applicant/courier pays the MRV Congressionally mandated fee $131 for each application at the Consular cashier and submits the receipt to window 1or 2 to obtain an invitation for their interview. If the applicant qualifies for the appearance waiver program, and would like to request a multiple entry visa valid for 24 months, the courier should be ready to pay the additional $100 reciprocity fee at the time of the application.

5.      Interview slots for AmCham employees will be generally provided for 8:30 a. m. on Wednesday of the week following the application’s delivery to the Consulate. 

6.      Applicants will need to come to the U.S. Consulate on the appointed day for fingerscanning and an interview with a consular officer.  They should provide their invitations to the security guards at the front gate of the Consulate and follow their instructions.

7.      If the visa is approved, the passport will be returned to the AmCham applicant/courier at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, two days after the interview, at the front gate of the Consulate.  Those who are refused will receive their passports back immediately upon the interview.  If the applicant qualifies for the appearance waiver program, the visa processing will take approximately 3 working days.

 

We kindly request that visa applicants not bring large bags, briefcases or luggage in general to their visa appointment at the Consulate. Prohibited items include weapons (not limited to guns, knives, explosives, mace and pepper spray), flammable and hazardous materials, and any and all electronic devices. We hope this will minimize wait in line, and maximize the safety and security of both the applicants and Consulate employees.

Please note: A company's referral privileges may be revoked if the Consular Section finds evidence of abuse of the referral system.

 

 

S-160 Electronic Application Form Information

Starting December 10, 2009, all applicants must use the new the online application form (DS-160). Frequently asked questions about the new form can be found at http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/forms/forms_4401.html.

After completing the DS-160, the applicant must upload a digital photo and then electronically submit the application.  They will be provided with a confirmation page that includes some biographical information and a bar code with a confirmation number.  The confirmation page and one regular format picture need to be submitted to the Consulate. 

The DS-160 is available in Cyrillic.  Applicants may select “русский” in the “Select Tooltip Language” box at the top right corner of the page.  When applicants point the cursor to English text, a box with a Russian translation will appear.

Step 1: To complete an online visa application, applicants need to download a digital photo.

Step 2: ALL visa applicants are required to fill in the online application form (DS-160). Once completed, the information in the DS-160 will be electronically transmitted. The applicant must then print the confirmation page that includes some biographical information and a bar code confirmation number. Before applicants begin completing application forms they must upload a photo in order to submit the application.

If the online application has not been completed fully and accurately, the applicant will be requested to return with a newly completed application. 

As applicants complete the visa application, they need to save a copy on a hard drive and click ‘save’ often.  All required information should be complete and correct, including selecting the appropriate visa type. For the majority of AmCham applicants it will be either “Business/Conference B1”, “Temporary Employee H1, H2” or “Intracompany Transfer L”.

 Significant errors or information marked as “N/A”, “Nil”, etc. may result in application being rejected. This would require applicants to complete the entire application again.