USA

01The country in 30 seconds

The US is formally open to Russians, but in practice it is one of the hardest countries to move to. Consular services in Moscow have not operated since 2021, so the visa has to be obtained abroad.

• A B1/B2 tourist visa is realistic, but requires travelling to Warsaw or Astana
• ESTA and visa-free entry are unavailable to Russian citizens — Russia is not in the Visa Waiver Program
• There is no digital nomad visa in US immigration law, for anyone
• Legal work is possible only through an employer (H-1B, L-1, O-1) or with a green card
• The investor route, EB-5, starts at $800,000

02Who it's for

A good fit if:

• A US employer is ready to sponsor you
• You have a strong O-1 or EB-1A profile: publications, awards, press, patents, industry recognition
• You are transferring inside a multinational company on an L-1
• You have $800,000+ for an EB-5 investor visa
• You have a close relative who is a US citizen or permanent resident

Not a good fit if:

• You are a freelancer or remote worker looking for a legal way to live and work from the US — that visa does not exist
• You plan to "come on a tourist visa and look around" intending to stay — that is a direct ground for refusal
• You need a fast, predictable move: here timelines run in months and years
• Your budget is tight — the US is expensive, and healthcare is brutally so

03Entry & visa

The US Embassy in Moscow has not issued visas to ordinary applicants since 2021. All consular services for Russian citizens have moved abroad.

• The State Department designated two main posts for Russians: Warsaw (Poland) and Astana (Kazakhstan)
• If you hold legal residency in another country, you can apply where you actually live
• Applying in an arbitrary third country is formally possible, but non-resident queues are noticeably longer and you will be asked to explain your connection to that country
• ESTA is not available to Russian citizens — you need a real visa in your passport, even for a few days
• The MRV fee for B1/B2 is $185. A separate $250 Visa Integrity Fee was written into law, but at the time of checking its collection was not uniformly implemented — confirm on the specific embassy's site

Timelines are unpredictable and shift monthly. Reports put Warsaw slots within weeks, while Astana's B1/B2 queue has at times approached two years.

04Residency & legalization

There is no simple path to permanent residency for an ordinary person without an employer, relatives, or capital. The realistic options:

• Through an employer: first a work visa (H-1B, L-1, O-1), then the company files a green card petition under EB-2 or EB-3. This takes years
• O-1 and EB-1A: for people with genuinely outstanding achievements. EB-1A needs no employer, but the bar is high and must be proven with documents
• EB-5 investment: $800,000 into a project in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA), or $1,050,000 in a standard area. The amounts are scheduled to be indexed upward from the start of 2027
• Family: marriage to a US citizen, or close family relationship with a citizen or permanent resident
• DV lottery: Russian citizens are on the list of eligible countries — this was verified, Russia is not among the excluded countries. However, at the time of checking, DV visa issuance was paused under updated State Department guidance dated 31 August 2026: applications are still accepted and interviews still scheduled, but no diversity visas are being issued

Separately: in January 2026 a pause on immigrant visa issuance was imposed on nationals of 75 countries including Russia. In August 2026 a federal court ruled it unlawful. The case is still in litigation and the outcome may change again.

05Work & taxes

You can only work legally in the US if you hold a status that permits it.

• H-1B — for skilled specialists, employer-only, with an annual cap lottery. Through 2025–2026 an additional $100,000 fee on new petitions was fought in court: the policy was vacated, then appealed, and its status remained unstable
• L-1 — intra-company transfer, requires at least a year of work in a foreign office of the same company
• O-1 — for people with extraordinary achievement; still needs a sponsor or agent
• There is no freelancer or digital nomad visa in the US
• On a tourist visa you cannot work for a US company. Remote work for a foreign employer is not expressly permitted — it is a grey area, not a legal route

US taxes:

• Tax residency is set by the substantial presence test: at least 31 days in the current year, plus 183 days under the formula "all days this year + 1/3 of last year + 1/6 of the year before"
• Once a tax resident, you declare worldwide income, not just US income
• A closer connection exception exists if you spent under 183 days in the US this year and kept a tax home abroad

Obligations toward Russia:

• You must notify the Russian tax service (FNS) within one month of opening, closing, or changing the details of a foreign account
• An annual report on movement of funds in foreign accounts is due by 1 June of the following year
• Those who spent more than 183 days outside Russia in a calendar year are exempt from that report, but this does not automatically remove the account-opening notification duty — check the current wording of the law

06Banks, cards & money

Opening an account is realistic, but not on day one and usually not remotely.

• Major banks (Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, PNC) open accounts for non-residents using an ITIN instead of an SSN, normally only at a branch in person
• An SSN is issued to people with work authorization. Everyone else needs an ITIN, which takes roughly 9–11 weeks to obtain
• Some banks will open an account without SSN/ITIN using a passport, visa, and proof of address. Terms vary branch to branch — call ahead
• Russian citizens should expect heavier compliance checks: banks look harder at source of funds and links to sanctioned entities. One bank's refusal is not every bank's

Russian cards:

• Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks do not work abroad — they only function inside Russia
• Mir cards are not accepted in the US
• What actually works: a card from a foreign bank, cash, or a card opened once you are in the US

07Renting a place

Rent is the single biggest expense, especially in New York.

• Miami: a one-bedroom runs roughly $2,500–2,650 per month
• Los Angeles: a one-bedroom runs roughly $2,100–2,300 per month
• New York: a one-bedroom is around $4,500 per month

How it works:

• The standard lease is 12 months. Shorter terms cost noticeably more
• The deposit is usually one month's rent, plus first month upfront. In New York a broker fee is often added on top
• Landlords check credit history and income. A typical requirement is annual income of about 40 times the monthly rent
• A newcomer has no credit history at all. Workarounds: a guarantor, several months prepaid, sublets, or rental services aimed at new arrivals

08SIM card & internet

Connectivity is reasonably priced by local standards and excellent in quality.

• Main carriers: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile
• An unlimited plan on a major carrier runs about $50–70 per month for one line, cheaper with multiple lines
• MVNOs (Mint Mobile, Visible, Google Fi, US Mobile) run about $15–35 per month on the same towers
• eSIM can be set up online in minutes, often with no store visit and no SSN — the best option for your first days
• Home internet is $50–80 per month, with 300–1000 Mbps being routine
• Public Wi-Fi is nearly everywhere: cafes, libraries, airports

09Healthcare & insurance

This is the thing people underestimate most. US healthcare is very expensive, and insurance is a necessity, not an option.

• The average emergency room bill without insurance is around $2,800–3,200. Severe cases run past $15,000 before procedures are added
• Unsubsidized ACA marketplace coverage in 2026 ranged from roughly $400 to $1,300 per month for a silver plan, depending on state and age
• With subsidies, the average marketplace enrollee paid about $178 per month in 2026, up from $113 the year before. But subsidies are not available under every immigration status
• A tourist needs separate travel insurance covering the full trip. Cheap policies cost tens of dollars but carry low limits — read the coverage, not the price
• Employers normally provide group insurance. That is one of the main reasons a US job offer is so valuable

10Transport

The three cities work in completely different ways.

• New York: the only one of the three where you do not need a car. The subway runs 24/7, paid via OMNY with a contactless card or phone. Check current fares and the monthly unlimited price on mta.info — they are revised periodically
• Los Angeles: hard without a car. Public transport exists, but the city is sprawling and trips are long. Car rental starts around $40–60 per day; long-term rental works out cheaper
• Miami: in between. You can live car-free in Brickell and on Miami Beach, but outside those areas a car is effectively mandatory

In general:

• Uber and Lyft work everywhere; a cross-town ride is usually $15–35
• Recognition of foreign driving licences depends on the state. Rental companies often ask for an International Driving Permit alongside your national licence
• Parking in central New York and Miami is expensive — roughly $20–50 per day

11Safety & important laws

The US is generally safer than the news suggests, but safety here is hyper-local — the neighbourhood is everything.

• Blocks can differ drastically within a couple of streets. Walk any area you plan to rent in, both by day and in the evening
• Tourist areas of New York and Miami are calm. Some Los Angeles neighbourhoods and certain downtowns are better avoided
• Do not carry all your documents. Keep the passport at home or in the hotel and carry a copy plus your licence
• If stopped by police, do not argue and keep your hands visible. Sort it out afterwards through a lawyer, not on the spot

Common scams:

• Fake "immigration consultants" and notarios promising status for money. Legal status cannot be bought from a middleman
• Calls "from the IRS" or "from USCIS" demanding immediate payment. Government agencies do not work that way and never demand payment by phone
• Inflated bills in Miami Beach tourist bars: check the receipt, gratuity is often already included
• Renting an apartment sight-unseen with prepayment and no lease — a Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace classic

12How much money you need per month

Total: $2,800–3,800 per month for one person on a budget, up to $7,000–11,000 for a couple living comfortably. New York adds 25–40% to any of these figures.

13Step-by-step moving plan

1. Be honest about your route: sponsoring employer, outstanding profile (O-1 / EB-1A), investment (EB-5), family, or tourism for now. Everything else follows from this.
2. Check the current state of the rules on travel.state.gov and uscis.gov — they changed several times during 2026, partly through the courts.
3. For a tourist trip, pick your application post: Warsaw, Astana, or the country where you hold legal residency.
4. Complete form DS-160, pay the $185 MRV fee, and book an interview. Slots are released in waves, so check regularly.
5. Gather evidence of ties to your home or country of residence: job, property, family, finances. This is the main factor in a B1/B2 approval.
6. Budget for the interview trip itself: flights, accommodation, and a visa for the country you are applying in if one is needed.
7. Once you have the visa, plan the first trip: insurance for the full stay, accommodation booked, a return ticket, cash and a working foreign card.
8. If the goal is relocation, simultaneously look for an employer willing to sponsor, or build your O-1 case file. A tourist visa does not convert into status on its own.
9. On arrival: get an SSN or ITIN, open a bank account, get a local SIM, and start building credit history.
10. Do not forget Russia: notify the FNS about opening a foreign account within one month, and watch the 1 June reporting deadline.

14Useful links & Telegram

• US Department of State visa information
• Global visa interview wait times by city
• DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application
• US Embassy in Russia, visa section
• US Embassy in Poland, Warsaw
• US Embassy in Kazakhstan, Astana
• USCIS, US immigration services
• EB-5 immigrant investor program
• Diversity Visa lottery, official page
• IRS substantial presence test
• healthcare.gov health insurance marketplace