new visa rules

[Mark Powell]

Another note on the whole visa thing is the new Application form and a new
Migration Card (similar to our I-94 card).  If you look at the Russian
Embassy website, this is the reasoning it uses for both of these forms:

> 1.    Effective April 1, 2004, US citizens applying for Russians visas should
> submit to the Consulate a new Application Form. The new form is implemented on
> the basis of reciprocity and replaces the previous standard Application Form
> and the Supplemental Form. For your convenience, the new form is available on
> our web-site.
> 
>                      Visa Application for US citizens       (download)
>                      Visa Application for non US citizens (download)
> 
>            2.   Effective February 10, 2003 all foreign nationals entering the
> Russian Federation are requested to fill in the Migration Card and present it
> to the Border Control  Officer along with their passports.
> 
>                                  Sorry for the inconvenience.
> 
>                           Thank you for understanding and cooperation.

Perhaps the 21 month passport thing is involved in this concept of
reciprocity. Perhaps the State Department and our Consular Services are
requiring Russian nationals passports to be valid for 21 months after
receiving the visa.

Another example of diplomatic tit for tat.

Mark Powell


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