Russian visit to the USA?
 

I have a friend from Russia that is trying to visit the USA and went through a travel agent called Pegas Turistik that will fly from Moscow to Los Angeles. He said that in order for the travel agent to allow person to aboard flight they must prove they have the sum of $3400.00 for living expensive s while staying here in the USA. Does this sound right? Does a Russian traveler have to go through a travel agent like Pegas Turistik to enter the USA?

Don't know if a traveler needs to go through a travel agent - they should apply to the nearest US embassy or consulate to where the person lives. However, typically for someone to be issued a tourist visa they do need to prove that they have sufficient funds to cover their expenses. $3400 seems a modest sum - unless they have bought a tour in which they pay for everything in advance.

If someone want to some here to visit independently - they need to be sure they have enough to cover their costs. They should also have trip and health insurance - since the healthcare system in the US is fee for service (NO free care) and MD visits and medications are typically VERY expensive versus what they are in europe.

Probably need to be on the Americas forum..

Well -

people on the US forum won;t know about Russians getting a visa to come to the US. Can certainly ask there as well - but the OP really needs to talk to the people they need to get the visa FROM.

I suspect the OP is thinking about the "invitation" requirement that, for U.S. citizens wishing to visit Russia, is part of getting a standard visa. Such invitations are often procured through travel agents. But I'm pretty sure that the U.S. does not require such an invitation for Russians applying for a visa to enter the U.S. Ties to home, adequate funds, yes. I'm not aware of any set requirement like $3400 though.

I suspect there is a misunderstanding. It is not unusual for Russians to book thru a travel agency, more often than not, they have good deals on airfares. But it is not a requirement to book thru an agency. The agency is most likely giving advice on obtaining a US visa & having sufficient funds maybe one of the criteria. Russian travel agents are usually very knowledgeable about visas, since they need one for practically everywhere.

What type of visa is the Russian friend applying for? These links might help

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/visas.html

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ru/