I personally gave up on this ever happening and just went through with the onerous requirements to get temporary residency. Just got my permanent residency, after much travail, a month ago; it would be just like Russia to finally get this passed immediately after I did all that!

Not that I'm complaining. It was a lot of hoops to jump through to do everything legally, but I've had friends immigrate to the US and it's the same on that end. In the end, I'm glad I have permanent residency and now don't have to worry about the constantly shifting visa landscape any more.

Still interested to see if this happens, for the sake of a few friends who still get visas. Is the new 3-year visa supposed to adhere to the old 90-days-in, 90-days-out requirement, or can people live here permanently on them?