You guessed wrong. Paying for/spending an hour to get a passport photo, paying for a visa, my wife writing an invitation letter in lieu of hotel reservations (and hoping it’s formatted correctly) and then waiting several days to find out if we jumped through all the hoops correctly. Hassle +cost + uncertainty instead of just getting a passport stamp.
The uncertainty is very frustrating. Booked tickets for 75 day visit beginning in August a few days before the latest news. Should be able to obtain a 60 tourist visa plus a 30 day extension if needed.