Anatoly Kucherena, who was visiting the American at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport today, said that migration officials are still looking at this asylum request and that this process had been drawn out.
Kucherena said that Snowden is staying in the transit zone "for now" and "intends to stay in Russia, study Russian culture."
The lawyer did not immediately comment on a Russian news report that said Snowden had received a document earlier today allowing him to enter Russia from the airport.