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I am a Russian citizen working for a US-based company. In April, I need to travel to the US for business matters.

My current US visa has expired, and there's no problem with that, since I'm just waiting for an invitation my company should send to me. This is a routine and well established procedure, so there's nothing to worry about.

The only problem is that I need to fly to Cyprus as soon as possible for some other reasons. So, the question is - is it OK to apply for a US visa in a country in which I am non-resident (Cyprus) if I am presenting papers (invitation, plane tickets and so on) relevant to a third country?

Robert Columbia
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shabunc
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1 Answers1

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The answer is yes you can apply in Cyprus for the US visa but if you're not a permanent or long term resident of Cyprus you should be prepared to reasonably prove why you couldn't go back to Russia to get the visa.

The site for information and applications for US Visa processing has changed to USTravelDocs and while Cyprus section doesn't contain a specific FAQ the section for Russia addresses this very question:

Q.1 If I am a citizen of another country, can I apply for a nonimmigrant visa in Russia?

Any person who is legally present in Russia may apply for a visa in Russia. However, applicants are generally advised to apply in their country of nationality or residence. It is generally easiest to demonstrate your strong ties abroad in the country where you permanently reside.

So yes you can apply but the residency question is likely come up.

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Karlson
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