Interfax's Interview

Could you tell us about the statistics regarding U.S. visas issued to Russian citizens in 2006? Is the figure growing and what is the situation regarding refusal rates?

Mr. Pettit:  Approximately 126,000 nonimmigrant visas were issued to Russian citizens during 2006.  This was an increase of eleven percent over 2005, when about 113,000 visas were issued.  Refusal rates have also gone down significantly, from approximately 25 percent four years ago to only 11 percent now.

Several years ago you expressed hope that the visa issuance procedure in Russian-U.S. relations would be simplified and that Russian citizens would be able to travel to the United States without visas. Have there been any moves towards this?

Mr. Pettit: Unfortunately, I think it will still be some time before Russians are allowed visa-free travel to the US.  No new countries have been added to our Visa Waiver Program since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  One important factor for qualifying for the Visa Waiver Program is an extremely low visa refusal rate and Russia is definitely moving in that direction.  This is a reflection of the robust growth of the Russian economy.  

Is the U.S. is satisfied with the current procedure of issuing Russian visas to U.S. citizens? Does the U.S. consider it necessary to increase the validity period of Russian visas or to reduce their prices and simplify the issuance procedure? Is the U.S. prepared to do this on a reciprocal basis?

Mr. Pettit:  We continue to discuss the possibility with Russian officials of expanding visa validity on a basis of reciprocity.  This would help Russians and Americans avoid the necessity of reapplying for new visas every one to two years.  The US side is prepared to move on this quickly, but we understand that this would require legislation passed by the Duma before the Russian side would be able to reciprocate.  Meanwhile, we are trying to improve visa processing by applying new technology as it becomes available.

Has the U.S. taken any measures to tighten control over the status of Russian children adopted by U.S. families, as proposed by the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office? Is the number of Russian children adopted by U.S. families still growing?

Mr. Pettit:  The United States has a wide range of protections for children on its territory, regardless of nationality.  Teachers, law enforcement officials, social workers and health care workers are all required to report any signs of abuse or neglect.  US citizens wishing to adopt abroad are subject to fingerprinting, a criminal record check and a home visit by a social worker before they are authorized to do so.  Unfortunately, despite the growth in numbers of Russian orphans and homeless children from year to year, increasingly complicated bureaucratic requirements imposed by the Russian side and reluctance by some judges to approve international adoptions have caused a significant drop in the number of foreign adoptions.  During 2006, the number of Russian children adopted by Americans dropped 40 percent from the number adopted in 2004.  We would welcome this development if more children were being adopted by Russian families, but the decrease in foreign adoptions has translated into yet more children living in institutions without families.

Some media reported on the refusal to issue a U.S. visa to Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska. Is this true? Is there any ‘black list’ of Russian businessmen, politicians or other citizens ineligible for entry to the U.S.?

Mr. Pettit:  I cannot address individual cases, but it is true that we check all visa applicants against a data base of individuals who might be ineligible for entry into the United States under our immigration laws.

Is Russia being considered for inclusion on the list of countries that participate in the ‘green card lottery?’

Mr. Pettit:  It is certainly possible.  Participation by a country in the so-called "green card lottery" is determined strictly by the number of nationals from any given country who immigrate to the US during the previous five years.  When that number exceeds 50,000, then the country is excluded from the lottery for the next fiscal year.  As immigration rates from Russia fall, it becomes more likely that individuals born in Russia will once again qualify for the program.

What are the current trends of immigration from Russia to the U.S.? Are the number of migrants growing or not? Is there any migration from the U.S. to Russia?

Mr. Pettit:  Immigration from Russia to the US seems to have peaked and is now falling.  We only see a portion of those individuals, i.e. those who receive immigrant visas here in Moscow.  Those numbers have fallen from 8147 in 2005 to 7476 in 2006.  Other immigrants include participants in various refugee programs and individuals who went to the US on a nonimmigrant visa and changed their status to immigrant.

How many Soviet and Russian citizens have moved to the U.S.? Do the U.S. authorities take possible involvement in terrorist activity or corruption into account when taking a decision to issue an immigrant visa?’ Do the U.S. authorities send relevant requests to Russian law enforcement agencies?

Mr. Pettit:  I do not have the historical statistics reflecting immigration from the USSR and Russia to the US.  As your readers probably know, emigration from the USSR was very restricted for most of its history and most immigrants to the US from these countries were refugees.

Membership in a terrorist organization or involvement in organized crime would be a negative factor in qualifying for a visa.  Immigrant visa applicants are required to provide a police certificate from their country of residence as part of the process.  All applicants are also vetted through US law enforcement data bases.

Do the U.S. authorities still refer to the notion of ‘political refugee,’ as far as Russian citizens are concerned? What status do former KGB General Oleg Kalugin and Chechen separatist envoy Ilyas Akhmadov enjoy?

Mr. Pettit:  Again, I cannot address individual cases, but US immigration law does recognize the concept of political asylum.  Asylum claims are considered on the basis of individual circumstances and can be valid for citizens of any country in the world.  To the extent possible, the US applies universally accepted standards in determining asylum claims based on a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group or political opinion.

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