Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	sample driving tests in Russian	Does anyone know where I can get practice tests in Russian? My fiance wants to take some practice tests prior to taking the actual driving knowledge exam at the division of motor vehicles in New Jersey. any direction or ideas on this are greatly appreciated. Thanks. Tim	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-11-04 20:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Seeking couples for friendship	Why not let her just make new friends, nationality notwithstanding? If you are doing your part of the bargain, she will not NEED friends, she'll have you. Aren't you her best friend? Thank you all for replies and good advice. Of course I want to spend as much time with my fiancee and of course we are best friends! and true, of course, it doesn't have to be a Russian or Ukrainian couple for friendship. So, I understand all that! I was just hoping to find a female friend or friends that Tatiana can spend some time with while I am at work during the day. Unfortunately, I commute to my job about 75 minutes one way (I leave at 5:10 in the morning and return at 7pm). There will be some days I will try to get home earlier and I am going to ask about working from home a few days a month. I realize a lot of the guys on VJ have plenty of money and free time but that is not my situation at this time. Anyway, it seems this will be a much more difficult goal. There are many Ukrainians and Russians in the tri-state area but that doesn't mean they all would make "good" friends (as someone noted earlier). There is an eastern Ukrainian Meetup group in Eastern Pennsylvania I think I will also try.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-07-11 23:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Seeking couples for friendship	I apologize for not being clear. My fiancée is still in Ukraine and she will be having her interview very soon. Assuming all goes well, she will be arriving in America this summer or early fall and we will marry. But I thought now would be good time to try and reach out to some people before she arrives. We are not into kinky or weird behavior and no wife swapping. Thanks.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-26 14:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Seeking couples for friendship	Hello All, I am looking for Ukrainian/Russian couples for friendship: If you live in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania or Connecticut, that would be perfect as we are looking for friends that are “reasonably” close to us in western New Jersey near Easton Pennsylvania. If you are heavy drinkers, heavy smokers, or do drugs, it is not a good match. Ideally looking for American (or from any country) men with Ukrainian/Russian/Eastern European women (or any woman who knows Russian and English), living in America. If this is not you but you know someone, please let them know. Thank you.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-26 12:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Church wedding in Ukraine	Thank you everyone for the advice and information.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2012-03-15 20:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Church wedding in Ukraine	My wife (Ukrainian) and I (American) were planning a wedding ceremony in Ukraine, in a church. We already married legally in the US after her arrival on a K-1 visa. She has her green card and employment card. I was just curious to hear from others who did something similar? Did you need to sign anything in Ukraine before the ceremony? like registering with the local government? I would expect our legal US marriage trumps anything else and it wouldn't matter what else we sign outside the US? Just curious to hear from others. Thank you Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2012-03-14 22:23:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Divorce	Sorry if this is in the wrong place.  Need some help.  I'm an American citizen married to a Ukrainian woman.  We married in the US December 2010, before her fiancé visa expired.  She left the US in March 2011 to return to her homeland Ukraine.  Long story short, we both want a divorce.  We have no kids.  My attorney made mistakes in the divorce process and here we are a year and a half later still "married" but wanting a divorce.  She has never returned to the US since she left in March 2011.   Question 1:  Can anyone please recommend an experienced international divorce attorney for a second opinion. I am losing confidence in my attorney but feel "stuck" and too deep into it to replace my attorney, but would like a second opinion on what to do.   Question 2:  If anyone else has been through a divorce with a Ukrainian woman, could you please share what you did.  Is it true she has to travel to the US Embassy in Kiev to have a notary there as a witness at the embassy?   Thank You.   Tim (Knoll)	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2014-05-13 21:23:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Americans Divorcing Ukrainians	barron555:   "No different than any other divorce?.... Why do you ask or what do you expect?"   Knoll:  Apparently it is.  My "wife" lives in Ukraine and can't legally return.  It has been over 2 years since I started the divorce process (we were married in the US) and I'm losing confidence in my divorce attorney.  After failed attempts to serve her, he said that he would need to send divorce papers to Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ukraine.  They would then have up to 6 months to serve her papers.  If they do not serve her in 6 months, the US can take over and go into default mode, however, they would need to leave the case open for 12 months for her to challenge the divorce.  My attorney claims that this approach of getting proof of having been served, is the only proof of being served the US court will recognize (this assumes she does not want to sign and the goal then being default).  I am trying to find if others in the same circumstance have had to do the same.  This does not sound right.  My wife finally is now willing to sign divorce papers.  So, regardless, I want to know what others have done in my circumstance so I can see if we are doing it correctly.  We have no kids.   My goal in this post is to find out what others have done in my situation to get divorced.  I will then have a better sense if my attorney is on track.   Thanks.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2014-05-26 23:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Americans Divorcing Ukrainians	Hi,   Looking to connect with any American citizens who have divorced or are in the process of divorcing a Ukrainian citizen.   Thank You.   Tim Nollstadt	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2014-05-24 09:59:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Hotels near US Embassy	Thank you wifetobe, There are a few places within walking distance to Independence Square that are under $300 per night, so I will stay focused on these. However, I am going to wait a bit longer in the hopes that someone has a personal testimony about one of these places in particular. I would be interested in hearing someone's personal experience before booking. I have had bad experiences in the past with respect to accommodations and want to avoid pitfalls this time. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-04-28 11:33:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	Hotels near US Embassy	Hi, I read FAQ and tried to search but did not find my answer. Can anyone recommend where I can stay while in Kiev for my fiancée’s visa interview this coming May? Preferably some place hotel style within 1 mile of US Embassy. No apartments or places without a 24 hour lobby or front desk please, and some place no more than $300 per night. Sure it is easy to find places on the Internet but I am looking for someone’s personal testimony. I am grateful for your response and thank you in advance. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-04-28 10:43:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K1 Interview in Ukraine	Thanks fwaguy, That is reassuring to hear. I will check with my attorney to go over the checklist and be sure I am not missing anything. The impression I got from calling the Embassy to schedule the interview is that they are very “ cold” and “rigid”. It seems like if you forgot or lost one document, they would send you both away. I think if I had assurance the interviewers were more reasonable, I would be more relaxed.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-04-28 11:46:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K1 Interview in Ukraine	Thank you Masha! This is great information. I have been to Kiev before but had poor experiences with apartments. In my opinion, they can be dangerous for foreigners who are alone and can't speak the local language. I agree completely about staying away from dark areas and alleys. I try to blend in and speak as little as possible when I visit. I will be sure to read your review. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-04-28 11:23:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	K1 Interview in Ukraine	Hello All, Our K1 interview is this coming May 21st, 2008 in Ukraine. 1. Are the interviewers expecting us to be dressed up as in men wearing a suit and tie? Is it the norm for men to wear a suit and tie to the interview as they accompany their fiancée? Is that what others are doing? 2. Can anyone recommend a safe hotel or lodging within approximately 1 mile of the Embassy where the interviews are held? What would you recommend? (No apartments please). My fiancée does not live in Kiev otherwise I could stay at her place. 3. So, obviously couples may typically have a few days before and/or after their interview which leads me to the question, what do others do to keep safe all their critical documents with so much personal information on them? Do you leave them hidden in your hotel room or apartment? Thank you in advance. Tim	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-04-28 08:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Trying again after denial	Dear Readers, If a fiancé is denied her fiancé visa, will both the man (petitioner) and woman (beneficiary) be permanently denied upon subsequent application submittals (whether you both apply again together or with different people)? In other words, do you both only have only one shot at getting approved for a fiancé visa? Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 13:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance visa approval by state	I never expected the volume of responses but I wanted to thank everyone who has responded. I am grateful and chances are you have helped (or will help) other newbies by responding to my post. I was not aware of the centralized centers for processing until after posting this. I thought that each state government also decided who gets approved. Knowing how corrupt New Jersey is, it was rational to have concern, if they were deciding. Thanks again. QUOTE (noll @ Oct 19 2007, 01:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dear Readers, Does anyone know if residents of some states have it easier to get approval than other states? For example, all other factors aside, is it more difficult to get approved as a resident of New Jersey versus any other state? If the reviewers are denying a higher percentage of applications just because they don't like New Jersey, then I will move before I submit my application. This is why I am asking. Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-20 17:16:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance visa approval by state	Dear Readers, Does anyone know if residents of some states have it easier to get approval than other states? For example, all other factors aside, is it more difficult to get approved as a resident of New Jersey versus any other state? If the reviewers are denying a higher percentage of applications just because they don't like New Jersey, then I will move before I submit my application. This is why I am asking. Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 12:58:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	I wanted to thank everyone for replying to my post. You have helped a lot, as well as other newbies. I apologize to anyone I may have annoyed as well. I am a firm believer in understanding potential outcomes and avoiding pitfalls, before going forward with the process. Sure, if you are in your 20's or 30's you have the luxury of time on your side to recover from mistakes (as well as lots of time to build a relationship before submitting paperwork). It seems for most of the guys on this forum, their girl is already in love with them (which makes everything easier because she is motivated for success too). If my girl were here, I am confident she would fall in love with me. She has already told me she likes me very much and believes I am the one for her. Thanks again. My best to all! Noll QUOTE (noll @ Oct 19 2007, 01:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dear Readers, I am trying to find people who have been denied fiancé visas due to insufficient communication exchange. My biggest concern is frequency of communication exchange from my girl and more specifically, e-mail (or lack thereof). Have you, or do you know someone, who has been denied issuance of the fiancé visa due to insufficient number of e-mail responses from your girl? Does anyone know how heavily the reviewer’s look at frequency of e-mail exchanges or communication in general? If everything else in the application is “perfect” except there are very few e-mail responses (one every 5 or 6 weeks), will they deny the visa? Has this happened to anyone? Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-20 17:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	Thanks Dan + Gemvita. This is a reassuring reply. We are somewhat early in our relationship. We exchange text messages and talk on the phone, and very sporadic e-mail (for every one of my 6 letters I may get one reply). Plus, we have met in Kiev this September. The reason I became worried about the e-mail scenario was after a consultation session with an attorney who strongly suggested at least two e-mails from her per week. I have a better chance to make it across the Atlantic in a canoe than to get her to reply twice per week. If I tell her they need more e-mail to approve her visa, then she will be motivated to write more, maybe twice per month, and we should be okay. Noll QUOTE (Dan + Gemvita @ Oct 19 2007, 11:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (noll @ Oct 19 2007, 10:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ? My fiancee and I hardly use email as a form of communication. Instead we use IM and VoIP. If you have other evidence, you should be fine. Everyone is unique, and we each use different ways of communication.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 23:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	Thanks for the good luck wishes. It's not so bizarre actually. I have not asked her yet if she would like to come to the US to be with me. When I do, I can talk to her about the process and tell her what they look for in the number of e-mails. Most girls are not going to write a lot to one man until they are falling love with him, especially if they don't have their own computer and they struggle with English. This is where I am at in the process. But it looks as though no one has been denied because of too few e-mails. So I am less concerned about it now. Who are these lucky guys that actually have their girls write frequently to them? All the best to you as well. QUOTE (~Laura and Nick~ @ Oct 19 2007, 11:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Noll.... I'm sorry but I find this so bizarre. Why you are needing to coach your girlfriend in to writing you more is beyond me. If you have communication on a regular basis, telephone, email, instant chatting online, letters, etc. you should be fine. The fact that you are saying you actually have to ask for emails is a little strange. Best of luck though.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 23:14:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	[quote name='joeyjoey' date='Oct 19 2007, 02:09 PM' post='1269141'] Email would be only 1 part of you proving a relationship. In order to prove there's a bonafide relationship, 1 email every 5-6 weeks may not convince the Consulate. The Interview is the Consulate's opportunity to evaluate whether a true relationship exists. It's on you to prove it. I know that we would not have made it if we only communicated every 6 weeks. Do you have telephone records? Do either of you write letters? These would help your situation. Fernanda and I wrote letters about once each month. I kept all the ATT long distance bills. We did not even include our sporatic emails as evidence. Along with proof of multiple visits, hotel receipts with both our names and many photos together or with friends/family, and her wearing the engagement ring to the Interview, her Consulate interview for the K-1 was approved in about 4 minutes. Be prepared to have more evidence at Interview time. Thank you for your reply. Yes, I do have other forms of communication from her but I was under the impression that e-mail has the most weight for approval. I like the engagement ring to the interview idea. If they need more than one e-mail per month, than I will stress to my girl to reply more often. Your point raises an interesting question. Would submitting sporatic e-mails or 8 of my e-mails to one of hers, making our case worse, I wonder?	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 22:51:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	Thank you for your reply and advice QUOTE (Rob & Jin @ Oct 19 2007, 01:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (noll @ Oct 19 2007, 11:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dear Readers, I am trying to find people who have been denied fiancé visas due to insufficient communication exchange. My biggest concern is frequency of communication exchange from my girl and more specifically, e-mail (or lack thereof). Have you, or do you know someone, who has been denied issuance of the fiancé visa due to insufficient number of e-mail responses from your girl? Does anyone know how heavily the reviewer’s look at frequency of e-mail exchanges or communication in general? If everything else in the application is “perfect” except there are very few e-mail responses (one every 5 or 6 weeks), will they deny the visa? Has this happened to anyone? Thank you. Noll They may its very subjective, how many visits have you made during the process ? phone records, letters ? remember they are looking for evidence of a ongoing relationship, so they look for all these things.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 22:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	I am having a difficult time getting my girl to write e-mail more than once per month. I am trying to get an idea of what things trigger denial so that when I talk to my girl I know what to stress to her as important. For example, if they are okay with one e-mail per month as long as there are other forms of communication, then I am not going to push her for more e-mail. If on the other hand they deny applications with fewer than one e-mail per month, regardless of any other communication, than I will stress to her to write more. So I am looking for someone who has been denied and told specifically because they did not have enough e-mail exchange and by how much. If no one seems to have been denied for this than I am not going to sweat it. QUOTE (rebeccajo @ Oct 19 2007, 09:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What's up with all the dismal questions, noll? Are you just fretting over something that hasn't happened yet?	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 22:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	QUOTE (Gwen666 @ Oct 19 2007, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> E-mail is only one piece of the picture. How heavily it will be weighted will probably depend on what other proofs you are bringing...phone records, proof of trips, etc. If that is you only proof, you might be in trouble if you only have a few e-mails. However, this is also completely arbitrary, dependant largely upon what Consulate you're going through and what the actual interviewer makes of the situation. Thank you Gwen666 for this insight. So, from what you are describing, it sounds like most people make it to the interview stage even if their e-mail exchange was dismal. It sounds like it is at the interview stage where they make the ultimate decision. If I have a ring on her finger that should be convincing enough? The problem is, I can't get my girl to write e-mail more than once a month, if I am lucky.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 22:18:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa denial	Dear Readers, I am trying to find people who have been denied fiancé visas due to insufficient communication exchange. My biggest concern is frequency of communication exchange from my girl and more specifically, e-mail (or lack thereof). Have you, or do you know someone, who has been denied issuance of the fiancé visa due to insufficient number of e-mail responses from your girl? Does anyone know how heavily the reviewer’s look at frequency of e-mail exchanges or communication in general? If everything else in the application is “perfect” except there are very few e-mail responses (one every 5 or 6 weeks), will they deny the visa? Has this happened to anyone? Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-19 12:50:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Intent To Marry document with the I-129 submittal	Dear Readers, I have hired an attorney to help me with the K1 visa process. In my research, it seems all that is required is a simple declaration with signature of inent to marry within 90 days upon fiancee's entry into the US. Makes sense to me. On my attorney's form, they are asking for a detailed "love story" of how we fell in love complete with the date I proposed and became engaged. We are not "officially" engaged yet but of course it is our intention to marry. How have others completed this form and is it a requirement to have the detailed "love story" with the date of engagement? Thank you. Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2007-10-28 11:25:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Church marriage after having K-1 visa in hand	Thanks again everyone for your advice and input. I am grateful. Understood that there is risk, even if it is tiny, it can be devastating. It has made me rethink things. For those frustrated replying to the same questions over and over, you do help people each time you “repeat” your information. Your help is not wasted and it helps many more people than just me. Folks, time to move on and stop the arguing with each other and spewing of unfounded accusations. It’s childlike and not constructive. You are embarrassing yourself. Thanks again, all the best to you.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-26 12:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Church marriage after having K-1 visa in hand	Thank you all for your replies! I am considering all information shared. It would be great if I could connect with someone who had an "unofficial” wedding ceremony in Ukraine after their fiancée has her visa in hand. Surely, it has been done before. Of course, I understand we must marry in the USA officially and legally. I respect the process and the entities involved issuing the visas. For those indicating “fraud”, I have no intention of behaving fraudulently. I don’t see how an “unofficial” church ceremony is “fraud” or undermining the system. As I said, I respect the process and the people involved. I plan to take all the proper steps required. Otherwise, it seems strange to have a church wedding long after you have been legally married and living together. It’s backwards. It just wouldn’t be the same, I think. All that said, I understand the points implying “why risk it”. I’ll weigh that sentiment in my decision, but will most likely go through with a simple undocumented ceremony as indicated.	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-23 22:12:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Church marriage after having K-1 visa in hand	Hello All, I did search before writing this but did not find anything specific on this topic. Sorry to those in advance if this comes off as a stupid question or offends anyone. Here's the plan: Assuming my fiancée receives her visa in coming months, once she actually has it in hand, I was planning to fly to Ukraine and marry her in her church there amongst family and friends (that is, have a formal church ceremony). After the church wedding ceremony in Ukraine, we would return together to the USA. Can doing this jeopardize her K-1 visa if say somehow the authorities learn that we married in the church in Ukraine, before using her visa to travel to the United State? Do they even care? Who else did this and did you get a marriage certificate from the church? Thank you. Knoll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-22 21:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	having two marriage licenses	Thank you all for your advice and information. TK Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-11-13 22:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	having two marriage licenses	Clarifying my earlier post: If I marry my fiancée here in USA (i.e. have marriage license/register), can we do the same in her country (register and file marriage license) Ukraine to satisfy the parents and family? Thanks	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-11-07 13:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	finacee wants to return to Ukraine	Thank you all for your advice and information. I agree with most that the most sensible thing to do is to marry here, THEN go to Ukraine (after receiving the green card in 2-3 months or so) and have the full blown church ceremony, or whatever, so that everyone is happy. I too am puzzled why my fiancee can't seem to understand this. The mother seems to have a lot of control on her daughter and her decisions. Of course I would never prevent her from returning to Ukraine, don't be silly. She is free to return. If she chooses to return, I will probably take that as a sign that she is not interested in me and wants to end the relationship. Although she talks about getting married in Ukraine I am not keen on this approach after all we have been through these past two years and the K-1 process. There is so much uncertainty doing this and it is not a good idea I think to be registered in a country where you have no plans to live. TK Noll	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-11-13 22:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	finacee wants to return to Ukraine	I have two questions: My fiancée is here with me in US with her K-1 set to expire on December 8th. I have everything lined up for the marriage ceremony on November 27th. The short story is her parents gave me their blessings for marriage when I visited them in Ukraine but now they are against us marrying. My fiancée was still ready to go through with the marriage but we had an argument a few days ago and now is bent on returning to Ukraine. The parents say the only way they will approve marriage is if we marry in Ukraine. Having her return to Ukraine, marrying in Ukraine and filing a K3 is not a smart move in my opinion. There is no guarantee they would issue a visa and it could take a long time. I am urging her to marry here and then we can return to Ukraine for a church ceremony with her family. Any advice please to get through to her? Second question: If we marry here in USA can we still register in Ukraine to satisfy the parents and family?	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2010-11-07 13:49:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Fiance Visa / Attorneys	Hi, It is a shame many seem to have had a bad experience with an attorney. However, they are not all bad and in fact can be invaluable. An ethical and decent attorney can be worth it. There is no need for so much cynicism. I hired Holmes & Lolly and my experience was good. My caseworker was friendly and helpful. She replied to my e-mails and took my phone calls. They “hand-held” us through the entire process, made it stress free and easy. So, because CasandraApple had a bad experience does not mean it is a “bad” idea to hire Holmes & Lolly. I hired them in November 2007 and now I will have our K-1 interview this month May 2008 in Ukraine. The advantage of using a good attorney is they will take the information they need from you and fill out the forms “CORRECTLY” without mistakes (and submit everything in the right order). Do you want to take a chance doing it yourself and miss one item or incorrectly enter something and get it “kicked” out only to be delayed, or who knows, maybe worse? The attorney will submit “ONLY” the important data government entities need to see. If you have the money to hire an ethical and decent attorney, this is the way to go. Especially if you are busy and don’t have the time to study the process and complete forms, gather paperwork, etc. It is not only hard doing it for yourself but you are also working with your fiancée to try and get her/him to complete their paperwork correctly. Don’t tell me this is easy. You are kidding all of us. So, consider calling Holmes & Lolly. It can be a good idea because they can remove the stress and anxiety of getting everything done timely. No individual petitioner will ever know the process as completely or when things can change at a moments notice, as an ethical immigration attorney Good luck everyone	Knoll	Male	Ukraine	2008-05-12 12:49:00