Moving to another country is not easy, especially when you have to be apart from your family and wait without knowing how long it will take.

In 2020, my husband started a startup in New York - a grocery delivery company. It was a great opportunity for him, and we were very proud of him. But at that time, only he had a visa. My daughters and I stayed in Moscow. It was not easy to make such a big decision, because we had many friends and our families in Russia, an apartment, a car and our life there was familiar. So we should have left everything behind. I was a little scared of it, but at the same time, it was exciting! I love traveling, and I had dreamed of living in another country for a few years, to experience more deeply what it's like to live in a different place.

We had pre-approved visas as a spouse and children, but we still needed to attend an interview in the U.S. Embassy. Because of the pandemic, it was very difficult to get an appointment. We waited for ten months, checking the embassy website every day, hoping for an open slot. It became a daily ritual for me, I checked the website several times a day. I even tried to book appointments not only in Moscow, but also in Kazakhstan and Mexico. Some people really do travel to other countries to get an appointment at an U.S. embassy. At that time, getting a visa for any country was not easy, many embassies were closed due to COVID. Also, I had to pay for each visa. So I chose Kazakhstan and Mexico because I could travel to these countries without visas and the waiting times there were not so long.

It was not easy to make such a big decision, because we had many friends and our families in Russia, an apartment, a car and our life there was familiar.

During all this time, we missed my husband very much. We celebrated our birthdays and New Year's Eve without him, and it wasn't as fun as usual when we celebrated together. We stayed in touch through video calls, but it wasn’t the same as being together.

Meanwhile, my husband was getting everything ready for us. He rented an apartment, bought furniture, and found a school for the children. He was waiting for us and did everything he could to make us feel at home as soon as we arrived.

Finally, we got an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. I flew there with the children and our suitcases. I was exhausted from the long wait and tired after the long flight. My husband met us in Mexico, and we were so happy to finally be together again. Everything went well, and we received our visas. We were reunited. It was a very emotional and special moment for our family. 

We’ve now been living in New York for four years. The United States is more open to immigrants than many other countries. I really appreciate how schools support immigrant children. My daughters received help learning English at school, and everyone was very friendly and positive. I don’t feel different here, there are many immigrants from Russia and other countries around me. I’ve met a lot of interesting people and made new friends.