Expert: Aaltje van Zoelen - 6/24/2008

Question
Please help if at all possible. I have a Pen-pal friend that we have talked from Russian for months. He is wanting to come to the U.S. and work. I have a place for him to stay and work would be no problem for him to find. He is a nurse. He is in Moscow now to obtain visa and they are telling him before he can get the visa he has to have a round trip ticket. I'm not sure what type visa but its for 3 years he said. Is this true that he must have round trip airfare before he can get visa? He thought he could get visa and save for airfare. Please advise as soon as possible.
Many thanks,
  Jason

Answer
My apologies for the delay in answering your question.  Yes.  everyone asking for a visa has tp have round trip air tickets in hand before they get a visa.  This is true not only for Russia but all other countries in the world.  It is just to make sure that he has the tickets to return home after his visa expired.