Is it true that for an O-1 visa the stamp in your passport can only be issued in your country of citizenship or country of residence? Or can a consulate in a third country also place the stamp?
Doing it in a third country is possible — it’s common practice for O-1. The consulate listed on the I-797B is not a strict requirement; when booking an appointment you can choose a different one. It’s convenient to check via Visa Appointment Wait Times — there you can see in which countries consulates offer appointments to non-residents and the current O-1 wait times.
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Oh, I didn’t know about Visa Appointment Wait Times, thanks — I’ll go check it out. And where are the queues shortest right now, do you happen to know?
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Russian citizens aren’t tied to their residence permit — you can register at any consulate; for some reason many people think it has to be the one where they’re a resident. But factor an administrative review into your plan — it can take several months, and it’s a real risk that’s often overlooked when planning.
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The lawyer said that for Russian passports Poland is the best option — the risk of administrative processing is lower there. If you don’t have a Schengen visa, you pick wherever it’s possible and where there are slots. One more thing — on the O-1 petition you indicate where you plan to have the interview, but when booking the appointment you can easily choose a different consulate.
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According to the latest info, for Russian passports right now only Poland and Kazakhstan are actually viable — and Kazakhstan is iffy, it’s not clear yet. Poland looks more stable. This, by the way, applies not only to the O-1; it’s the same story with the EB-1.
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I looked at Mexico as an option — for Russian citizens you can enter with a valid US visa, a separate Mexican one isn’t needed. The consulate in Mexico City accepts non-residents for the O-1 (at least that was the case when I looked into it). A real alternative to Poland if you don’t have a Schengen visa.
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If you need to go to China after the stamp — allow a solid buffer for administrative processing; its timing is unpredictable. My lawyer told me the same about Poland — the risk is lower. But even there no one can guarantee when it will be finished. If the date in China is fixed, it’s better not to book flights immediately after the appointment.
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You could also get unlucky with the consulate — it’s very important to choose carefully for the O-1; many countries haven’t really rolled out this visa category yet. I was one of the first O-1 applicants in Serbia myself: the consular officer knew the case inside out and hardly asked anything. But that was largely luck — I could’ve had a different officer and then there would’ve been many more questions. So it’s safer to go where there’s already established practice and statistics for the O-1.
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My I-797B said Poland, but I had the interview in Indonesia — everything was fine, no questions came up. About finding slots: there’s another way — you can go directly to a specific consulate’s page and check the nearest available date; you’ll need the passport number, the petition number and the form number. This trick works repeatedly — you can quickly run through several countries and immediately see where there are actual openings.
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I got O-1B approval while in the US, changing status from a tourist visa. My Schengen was expiring and that whole administrative processing made everything more complicated — if the check drags out longer than your Schengen is valid, the appointment is simply wasted. I’ve heard the risk is lower in Poland than at other consulates, but even there nobody guarantees timelines. If your Schengen is tight, it’s better not to set firm dates immediately after the appointment.
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The status changed to “Refused” even before the interview itself — and only then did a letter inviting me to the interview arrive. Administrative Processing (AP) can start at any stage, not necessarily after the appointment. So regarding hard dates — I agree, it’s better not to plan anything at all until the stamp is in your passport.
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