ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusTravel On Green Card

I understand that a green card holder can travel to Mexico and Canada without a visa. I want to plan a vacation with my wife to the Caribbean or Latin America, and wondered if anybody knows what countries she can travel to without a visa. We have already traveled to Dominican Republic, which I know that she can do even without a green card, so we are looking for another place. Thanks.


We took a caribbean cruise last year, and had no trouble getting into any island regardless of the affiliation of the island. Vika has a 2 year GC and a Ukrainian passport. Dutch, French, US, and independent all worked out. I was told that the islands usually waive, or have really liberal requirements for all visitors. It is pretty easy to check online any that you want to visit.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 09:10:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

I've heard Prague is for single men, not married guys.


Yeah, that must be it.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-01 17:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Thanks Brad. Glad you enjoyed it. I made another one later that's a little longer and has some location titles to ID places.

HERE'S the new one.

And you're welcome to come for a visit any time. The Obolone and shashlik will be on hand.


Thanks again Tim. Like I said, we should have come to Crimea instead. It was cold in Czech too, and I didn't really enjoy it all that much. One benefit was that almost every one spoke some English, so I had zero trouble figuring out the trolley system or the metro in Prague. As for everything else, well....
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 10:25:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Well I've been back in CT for 5 days now and I've recovered from my DIY "Spacibo" exercise. The jet lag fog is beginning to lift and I started playing with movie maker to put a music montage of the trip together.

Here's what I came up with yesterday before the debacle in Madison, WI.

Enjoy the Show.


Nice slide show. And at this point I can say with some authority that we should have gone to Crimea. :lol:
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 09:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

well at the risk of breaking some major LINKS rule here's my thread at RMP.

We stayed in Alupka about 10 km toward Foros from Yalta. We had a great time in spite of some not so great weather in the middle of the week.

And when we get a bigger place we'd be more than happy to put you up and show you around.


All over it. We are opting for another country in October instead of going down to Crimea, but it would be awesome to know somebody there next year. Sounds like you are putting down roots.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-09-13 18:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over
Coolness! Happy to hear it worked out. I'm curious to hear more about Yalta too. Yalta is on our to do list.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-09-12 16:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Since then we've been all over town and Saturday I met her dochka Alex(ina) and grandson Max and we had a great time together. Suffice it to say that everything is going EXACTLY as we had both hoped and I believe the search is over. I feel more at home here than I do in my own hometown. We are completely open and natural with each other and its like we've been a couple for years instead of days.

Ok, time to pack our bags as tomorrow AM we head to the bus station and will be spending a week in Alupka.


Well done!
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-09-06 19:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Border hopping IS an option. I have some things to handle here before I can do that and, well, I'd kinda like to see how well Mila and I do as a couple first. But I will want to obtain PR status when the time comes.

From what I've learned so far,

You have to be married to a Ukrainian for MORE than 2 years before you can be granted Permanent Resident status under the related to a native clause.
The day we marry the 2 year clock starts ticking.
When you get married though, under Ukraine's "we don't want to split up families" rule you can get a visa or special permit (I forget what its called) to stay with your beloved for the entire 2 years until you get the PR. No border hopping.

If anyone is thinking about becoming an expat in Ukraine here's a site with all the good info. http://www.expatua.com/


Great information - thanks. I saved the site to favs too.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-30 21:34:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Awesome! Have fun!


That's not always a good thing! Check out this dude below.

Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-30 19:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Thanks Brad and Awiz!

I haven't moved yet. As for motivation, well you did see the pic I posted of Mila, didn't you?

Seriously I'm retired so all I need is a bankomat to get some cash. When I finally settle in with (get married to) my One and Only then I'll start the process to gain PR status. If its Mila then maybe we'll start the 2 year clock next year sometime. Kto Znayet?

No car this trip. We're using public transport all the way, unless a friend or two is driving.


Are you going to do one of those three months and out for a day deals (over the border for a day - then another visa), or will you apply for residency (marry her there first)?
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-30 16:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Hi Awiz,
She might have a Drivers License, I don't know. We both agree that there really isn't much need for a car in the city though. The bus or Gazelle (I forget the proper name for them) is convenient and cheap. My plan is to move there so I'm sure there's a car in the future so we can tour Crimea (from Simferopol) easier.

Well, in 2 days 10.5 hours I should be wheels up and about 20 hours later its huggie, kissie time.


Have a great trip! What was your motivation to move there? As an aside, if you get a car there and tour, beware of the highway police. They are notorious entrepeneurs :lol:
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-30 07:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

Very true. Depends on your state and their rules for issuing a license or permit. Some require you have an EAD or Green card even to get a permit. For Vermont we only had to show her visa and our marriage license AND the I-797C showing we had filed for the AOS. We also lived in an area with many miles of "private" roads that are not subject to state law, you can drive on those without a license and they are very rural and quiet places to practice (still dangerous to mailboxes). Check your state regulations.

SOME states will accept a foreign drivers license for a certain number of days...in Vermont it is 60 days.


I was only talking about actual driving, not the license itself :lol: Presumably if she already has a license, she has some experience driving. Starting from scratch was a slow, torturous, scary process for my wife - and not too pleasant for me either :lol:
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-29 08:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusStarting Over

I hate the minivan taxi I would rather walk. I already warned her there is no bus here and not many taxi. first thing on the list get her driving.


Hopefully she has a Ukrainian license already. Otherwise you MIGHT find getting her driving soon is easier said than done. It took us awhile, and I hired an instructor too. There are lots of driving threads and info. here if you search. Good Luck!
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-08-28 06:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPlease help! Med exam told my fiancee she could not go to interview because she did not have her adolescent vaccination records!!!!! She never went

Good points Eekee, we just haven't had any problems with the cards Alla has. It has been a good way to transfer money for us.



Bank of America, just get an ITN and open an account.


Careful here folks. Each bank has its own set of fraud alert criteria. The only way to be sure that a card won't be shut off is to ask questions and take steps with the bank. Gary's opinion is probably the norm - if my cards have worked, than that type is probably OK. You just never know when your bank is going to change a policy somewhere and then you will be SOL.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-03 07:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPlease help! Med exam told my fiancee she could not go to interview because she did not have her adolescent vaccination records!!!!! She never went

Thanks for the info Brad. Very good stuff.

I wish I COULD just buddy up with the branch personnel, but they always refer me to the 800 number to set up the travel use.

Its Banknorth if that tells you anything. And I have to give them credit too. About a year ago I was home and suddenly my debit card wouldn't work and of course the branch was already closed for the day. It turned out that their fraud protection system flagged a suspicious transaction and froze the card. Apparently some Travel Agency in the Caribbean tried to buy a plane ticket with my card number. Got a new card the next day and was good to go ever since.

I really don't know anything about Banknorth at all. Most of the awful banking related nightmares I have read about here on vj can be avoided with some planning. I never much considered how I would handle moving out of the country permanently to a place where the banking system is, shall we say, a bit less stable than ours. I am reading your posts with interest B-)
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 14:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPlease help! Med exam told my fiancee she could not go to interview because she did not have her adolescent vaccination records!!!!! She never went

I told my Credit Union that this account was to be used only when I travel to Ukraine, to help separate my expenses. They put a note on the system, and it was never questioned, and over 3 years I have never had a problem with the card, except that it did expire and I recently had to send a replacement to Iryna's mother.
I pay no ATM fees, no transaction fees, and the account is free with a $1 minimum balance. I also get at or near the exact daily conversion rate. Again, this is through a Credit Union. I am sure a standard bank will find many ways to get ATM fees, transaction fees, and currency conversion fees from you, although it would still be much cheaper and more convenient than wiring or Western Union, etc. I do get charged $1 per transaction over 5 withdrawals per month, but that's only happened once or twice. And even if someone stole the card and somehow knew or guessed the PIN, I never keep more than a few hundred dollars in the account, as I transfer the money into it free over the web on an as-needed basis.


We have an ATM for a similar account for Vika's parents. Also never had a problem. In my experience you just want to avoid transactions overseas that have no explanation in the system.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 11:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPlease help! Med exam told my fiancee she could not go to interview because she did not have her adolescent vaccination records!!!!! She never went
I work at a bank and deal with this stuff every day (including personally when I travel).

The main reason OFAC would be a concern is the country you are sending money to, or drawing it from. For example, if you send any money to Belarus you get flagged (not stopped), because Belarus is on the OFAC list. The list is not just for terrorism, but also is a catch all ####### list for countries our government doesn't like us to do business with.

In addition to OFAC, there are limits on the amount of money you can send, and the type of instrument you can use, without getting reported to IRS or the FBI. In LL's example above - sending a wire for $15k to Ukraine gets you reported to IRS (but will not in any way effect the transfer). Sending a cashier's check to Ukraine for even a lesser amount (down to maybe $4k) gets you reported to FBI, and a pattern opens an investigation perhaps. Sending a wire for $15k to Minsk or Havana gets reported to both. None of this will prevent legit transfers, they just cause the bank to fill out suspicious activity reports (SARs), or suspicious transaction reports (STRs).

You should be able to use your credit and ATM cards in any country that accepts them, without restriction. The key is to inform your bank what country or countries you will be in, and have some end date in mind. If you are moving permanently like Tim is, you should say that you are traveling extensively for a year, and visit your bank in-person when you come back to the US so you can roll the date back in their system. Make friends with your branch officer and they will have no problem doing this.

Edited by Brad and Vika, 30 October 2010 - 11:32 AM.

Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-10-30 11:31:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusKiev Interview completed in June 2010--late update

I see...I had a decent amount of info in the packet. Maybe she said something slightly off that made the lady ask a few questions.


That could be. Or as suggested, the CO might have been new, or having a bad day, or something. Post your story in an embassy review though (blue bar up top).
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-10 08:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusKiev Interview completed in June 2010--late update

I never felt like anything was odd and the lady giving the interview even said that it was really great that I showed up for the interview and it obviously meant we were serious. Maybe they changed made some changes and ask a short list of questions as SOP. It would be interesting to hear what other people are being asked in the past few months if anything.


I say odd only because at the visa interview you only have to prove 1) you have met in the past two years, and 2) you intend to marry within 90 days of her arrival in the US. I don't think that has changed. At AOS there will be a slew of relationship validating questions, but early on - not so much.

I have heard about some beneficiaries (mostly young women) that get more questions when they show up alone, but usually with the USC in the room they just pass you through. Some other places, like PI and Vietnam, have some questions about family and the way you met too, but I have never heard of that in Ukraine.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-08 09:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusKiev Interview completed in June 2010--late update
Happy all went well. I was surprised to hear there were relationship validating questions during the interview, given that you were standing there. Pretty unusual for Kiev I think.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-07 11:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws

Ok, first off I share a birthday with my MIL, can you say bonus points. She thinks that I am wonderful and that her daughter is so lucky. . . See you can fool them. She has a thing about putting her hand over an area that "hurts" to check it and has a home grown recipe for any thing that ails me. If I here one more time about the grass that I need to eat to get healthy. . . Seriously, she is a fantastic person.


Puking in my shoes... seriously
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-10 22:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws

:rofl:

My MIL knows it and agrees with Alla! Alla can't STAND it when I am not "doing something". She needs to get over that. :lol: (Alla hasn't come home from class yet)


I will pass that along. Just so you know Gary, I have zero hope for any change, based on today's hysterics. :lol:
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-10 22:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws

My MIL is one the most caring women I've had the chance to meet. My wife is always in trouble with Mama because she does not let me rest and always has me running all over town on my day's off. :)


MIL is unaware of how it drives my wife absolutely MAD when I am sitting idle longer than 5 minutes. She gets wound up about an hour after she wakes, and stays that way until she has boku activity.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-10 10:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws

you must have too much money still. :hehe:


I wouldn't say those things are always unrelated, but in our case it has more to do with her daughter's relative happiness. I would bet that is also true for Gary - as he seems to be the honeydo king. Please don't misunderstand, Vika's mom was not thrilled that Vika was moving so far away, but so long as she reports to the mother ship (see what I did there? - I am so clever :dance: ) that she is happy, and made the right decision - the world is good.

Edited by Brad and Vika, 09 November 2010 - 11:08 PM.

Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-09 23:08:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws
Y'all slay me!! Just slay me!! :rofl: :rofl: My MIL has never said a critical word to me (at least not to my face).
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-09 20:17:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian (RUB) Mother in laws
And there you have it. It all depends on who you are related to.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-07 22:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

I wonder if they get an allotment or voucher :devil:

Its a kind of incentive for hitting their quota, in lieu of pay. Remember the paddleballs Mel Brooks handed out in Blazing Saddles? Like that I think.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-14 08:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

probably just spilled jelly donuts on it


Well they do say that they have to scan it whenever they touch it.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-13 09:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

well file was touched 11/09


Good news, and you know the file hasn't vanished or anything.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-12 06:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

Brad got lucky, I think. :lol:


No doubt about it. See my ####### topic.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-07 22:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

You may want to hold off on doing the repairs until after she arrives. Your new choices may not be the same as her new choices and it'd be a shame to walk into Home Depot one day and hear, "Oh, we should've had that color in our living room." Plus, it'll give you guys a chance to do something together and also make her feel included in the transformation process. She can build her own nest.


Ditto that. I just had my place decorated before Vika and I comitted. My house was new, and fortunately she found most of it acceptable. I have read some really funny stories here about women who did not appreciate their guy's taste though. Gary even left his house mostly unfinished if I recall, and still had issues with the amount of work she had to do to get it the way she wanted. :rofl: I would suggest you leave the old stuff, and be very careful about how much latitude you give her in replacing it too. Kharkovpoacher said "do whatever you want" to his lovely bride, and that statement can also be frought with danger. :lol:
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-07 09:39:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

FSU teenage boys are far less sensitive than FSU women. :lol:


Any one anywhere, is less strategically sensitive.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-06 16:30:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

We are using a driving school since I do not have the patience to teach. I tried but too much "Curb! Curb! Watch the curb". . .


I am convinced that a driving instructor was good for my health too (mental and physical).
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-06 09:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

I think her son will be an easy one since he has a license. I might just take her to a friends farm and turn her loose so she can get a feel for driving.


I liked to use mall parking lots on Sunday morning. A little more street like, but not at all dangerous.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-02 07:13:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusfiled today

I am sure it will be worth the money to have it done by a professional


We found that learning in a small, driving school car was the best thing. She practised in my big boat, then the test was easier. We had her test in the driving school's car too.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-01 18:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusVeterans Day
Thanks VV, and I want to add a happy belated birthday to all of us former Marines.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-11 11:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusUkraine Name Change.. Oh my .......

Is this immigration 'card' the same thin piece of paper I filled out when I entered in early August where they stamped it and then one of Inna's friends told me "dont lose that piece of paper!"


And when I left in November they just took it when I went through passport control


The very same
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-28 08:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusUkraine Name Change.. Oh my .......

It is a national decision. It's not something that one city or airport can decide not to do independently.

You now only need a migration card if you are travelling internationally with an internal passport--I guess only Russians etc. in Ukraine would need to fill one out now:

http://www.expatua.c...hp?topic=6849.0


Cheers!
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-25 10:32:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusUkraine Name Change.. Oh my .......

I give them my passport and that white card you have to fill out. No questions asked, they stamp it and I go on my way.


Just an FYI - in Odessa about a month ago, there were no white cards at all. I thought they had run out of them or something, and I would have a problem leaving. There were no questions, and no one asked for a card, so I can't say for sure, but Odessa might have stopped the practice.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-25 10:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusUkraine Name Change.. Oh my .......

That is comforting to hear...

What about the stamp for subsequent trips to Ukraine / USA... if traveling on greencard will passport control give trouble (are they looking for such stamp?) for not having the "stamp" in her international passport... at this time We're planning to come back to Ukraine for a visit every few months once we get greencard (we may consider going on AP but the time differences to greencard seems not too bad).


Vika has been back to Ukraine twice on her GC, and once with AP. She has no stamp anywhere in any passport that says she lives elsewhere. They don't care.
Brad and VikaMaleUkraine2010-11-24 07:36:00