ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting ready to cross the border
QUOTE (mox @ Aug 3 2009, 02:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
they're going to ask him a few rote questions about the visa he's traveling on


What types of questions might these be? Just, "What is the purpose of your visit?" and "What type of visa do you have?" ? Anything else?

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help. And yes, I do realize that there's really nothing to worry about. For his self-confidence though, I'd like to give him a short list of possible questions, if anyone remembers what they are.
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2009-08-03 16:23:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting ready to cross the border
Finally, the wait is almost over! My husband will be immigrating next Sunday!
Anyway, he doesn't speak much English, so I'm trying to prepare him for possible questions they might ask, but it looks like there aren't many, if any at all. At least, that's what it looks like from reading JFK POE reviews. The only thing he has to worry about is that his visa says it is CR/1, but actually he should get an IR/1/permanent greencard, because our second anniversary recently passed. I will make sure he makes a point of reminding the officer of that fact. Other than that, anything else I should do to prep him?

Thanks!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2009-08-03 13:28:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSuperstitions
QUOTE (GiGii @ Dec 9 2008, 03:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Also heard that if at family dinner a fork falls to the floor, and unexpected guest will arrive hungry.


If a fork calls, it means a female guest is coming, because the word "fork" ("vilka") in Russian is feminine. If a knife ("nozh") falls, it will be a male guest.

And the soap thing...once, when I was getting ready to go back to the U.S. after a summer in Moscow, my (now) mother-in-law gave me about 10 bars of soap....hmm...

Don't forget you may not, under any circumstances, sit on a cold surface, as you will become sterile (women) or get hemhorroids (men).

Also, unmarried people should never sit behind a table corner, or they will never get married.
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2009-02-08 14:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHomestay visa for spouse of Russian citizen residing in the U.S.
Thanks, everyone! It looks like a tourist visa is the way to go. I did not realize they could issue hotel confirmations as well. That is quite a relief.
I do have one more question: For anyone who recently applied for a tourist visa, did you get the visa for a full 3 years, or only for the duration of your stay?


Regards,
Alexandra
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2013-01-23 07:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHomestay visa for spouse of Russian citizen residing in the U.S.
Hello! I was wondering if anyone has had the experience of obtaining a homestay (private) spouse visa to visit Russia with their Russian spouse. Tourist visas used to be the way to go, but now it looks like they are requiring hotel reservations and such for the duration of the stay. I would be staying with in-laws, however, and would not require a hotel. Normally private visas can be a pain to obtain because getting an invitation from the inviting Russian party requires them standing in line at Russian government offices and then possibly waiting months for the document. However, I recently found out that if you are the spouse of a Russian citizen who has permanent residency in the U.S., and you plan to travel to Russia together, then the Russian spouse can write a letter of invitation him/herself, without waiting for any documents from Russia. Some information about this can be found here: http://www.ruscon.or...sa_dep_ENG.html
One of the obvious downsides to this seems to be that the visa will be issued for 3 months only, not 3 years, like most other types of visas for U.S. citizens as per the new visa agreement.
Has anyone tried to obtain this type of spousal visa before? The part I don't understand is that you are supposed to specify the dates of your visit to Russia (and possibly even provide a copy of your ticket, though I am not sure). Generally, I think it is a bad idea to purchase tickets before you have received your visa, in case of denial, delayed documents, and other unforeseen problems. For this reason I am a bit hesitant about this type of visa. Does anyone know if it's possible to get this visa and just give them a three-month period of time, and then decide on the exact dates later?
We have been trying to call the consulate as well, but they are quite difficult to reach.

Thank you!
Alexandra
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2013-01-19 10:04:00
US Citizenship General DiscussionRescheduling N400 interview (by e-mail!)
I just wanted to give a brief description of our recent experience rescheduling the N400 interview, in case it is helpful to someone else. There are many horror stories on Visajourney of people's applications getting lost, of the processing dragging on forever, etc. Some people also advise never to ask the USCIS to move the date unless you have an emergency such as a death in the family. I have to admit these stories scared us, and we thought long and hard about whether we should attempt to have the date moved. However, because we had a long-planned vacation scheduled for the week of my husband's interview, we decided to try our luck at getting his appointment rescheduled. While I know that many people have had bad experiences in the past, I am happy to report that for us it was a fast, easy, efficient process. Please note that our local office is in Washington, D.C., and things may be different at other offices. On the other hand, according to Visajourney and USCIS statistics, Washington, D.C. has one of the longest processing times for the N400 journey, so I'm not quite sure what to make of that.
Here is what we did:

8/25: received notice that an interview had been scheduled for 9/27
8/26: sent an e-mail to was.interviewreschedule@dhs.gov, an e-mail account that exists just for the purpose of rescheduling interviews in our area. Note that they do NOT tell you in your interview letter that you can send a rescheduling request by e-mail; they say that you need to send the original letter along with an explanation note by snail mail. I found the e-mail address here: https://egov.uscis.g...or.statecode=DC
8/27: sent the original interview letter and explanatory note to them by snail mail, since we wanted to make sure we had all our bases covered.
8/27: received e-mail confirmation that our request to cancel the 9/27 interview had been received. The confirmation came less than 24 hours after sending the request!
8/29: received the same cancellation confirmation by snail mail
9/4: received a new interview date of October 5 - only one week later than the originally scheduled interview!

As you can see, the whole process took just over one week, and the interview was also delayed one week only.
I believe the key to this was the fact that we submitted a request by e-mail. If your local office offers the option to send a reschedule request by e-mail, I would highly recommend you try it!
That said, I would not recommend trying to have your interview rescheduled if the original date is only slightly inconvenient for you. I would always try to rearrange my own schedule before asking the USCIS to rearrange theirs, because you never know with the USCIS (what if your application does get lost and the process is delayed for months?). I also read somewhere that it may be very difficult to have an interview rescheduled a second time, so you should try to avoid that at all costs.

Good luck on your own visajourney!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2012-09-04 16:09:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionConditional permanent residency: does it apply to us?
QUOTE (J&D @ Dec 3 2008, 08:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They just often need to be reminded of their own laws.

I was told at POE that I had a 2-yr GC and needed to remove conditions on my second wedding anniversary. When I asked the Customs and Border Patrol officer if he meant the second anniversary minus 90 days of my entry to the US, he had to look it up and found I was right.



Good to know. I will definitely make sure my husband reminds the officer.
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2008-12-03 13:28:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionConditional permanent residency: does it apply to us?
QUOTE (Haole @ Dec 2 2008, 03:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (sashitaski @ Dec 2 2008, 09:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (payxibka @ Dec 2 2008, 02:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
it is based on the age of the marriage when the greencard is issued..... for your situation, that will be the same date of first US entry for your spouse... if that is after 2 years, then a 10 yr card will be issued



Thank you!!

Tell him to remind the IO at his POE that he's been married for more than 2 years.



I'll do that..do they often forget to check?
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2008-12-03 01:49:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionConditional permanent residency: does it apply to us?
QUOTE (payxibka @ Dec 2 2008, 02:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
it is based on the age of the marriage when the greencard is issued..... for your situation, that will be the same date of first US entry for your spouse... if that is after 2 years, then a 10 yr card will be issued



Thank you!!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2008-12-02 14:33:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General DiscussionConditional permanent residency: does it apply to us?
Here is the situation. We have been married for just under 1.5 years. I just filed the I-130 through DCF in Moscow. I am expecting my husband to have his interview in 2-3 months. However, we do not plan to go back to the U.S. until summer, of course within the 6-month time frame he has to go in. I have to go back a month before our 2nd wedding anniversary to finish my MA degree, but the plan is for my husband to come over a month later, that is, after our 2nd wedding anniversary. Now I'm trying to figure out if he will receive conditional permanent residency, or not? If everything goes as planned, his interview will take place BEFORE our 2nd anniversary, but he will only enter the U.S. AFTER. I have read conflicting information on different sites. For example, here http://www.visajourn...mp;page=i130faq it says "...unless the couple has been married for two years at the time of the interview." But here http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/***removed***/remove-conditions-marriage-permanent-residence.html it says "...on the day you were lawfully admitted to the U.S. on an immigrant visa."
I'm confused! So is it that we need to have been married two years on the day of the interview or at the POE? I thought it was POE, but now I don't know anymore.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2008-12-02 14:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresChange of address question
Do you only have to report changes of address (for both the petitioner/beneficiary, and co-sponsor) until you finish the immigration visa process? That is, until you have your green card in hand? Or do you have to keep reporting changes of address forever/until you receive citizenship?

Thank you!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2009-02-18 12:48:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresLas Vegas Marriage??

[/quote]


We mostly just wanted to keep it a secret that we got married in Vegas ("What happens in Vegas..."). Then we were going to the whole marriage thing there for her friends and family. Will this situation look funny on the visa paperwork? I assume the answer to the next question is "yes", but: Do I have to report the marriage in Las Vegas if we have the subsequent marriage in Lima? Would the two marriages raise any eyebrows? We should probably just contain ourselves and act more like adults, I'm sure smile.gif
[/quote]

I don't know about Peru, but my husband and I had two weddings. The first was in Russia, and the second in the States. We had no problems. In the States, no one knew we were already married (I mean family and friends did, but not the government). The only way they could have found out would be if I had gone to the appropriate government body and documented the Russian wedding, which I didn't. What this means is that theoretically you could have different wives in different countries, which I find kind of absurd. Before you make it official by providing documents, no one knows, so it shouldn't be a problem. In our case we decided that since we planned to eventually move to the U.S., it would be better to have the American wedding license rather than always having to provide the translated, apostilled Russian one.
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2009-03-03 01:28:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I don't know too much about this process--what's the difference between a K3 and a GC? I thought that eventually my husband would get a green card...So I called the American embassy in Russia, and they directed me to immigration services, where I was told that only American citizen residents of Moscow could file the I-130 in Moscow. Is there hope that I could talk someone into it though, or are they pretty strict about that? Right now the plan was to try to prepare the I-130 by beginning of next week and send it DHL or UPS to the States. But, another hassle is that first I have to send it to my parents so they can put a money order in, and then have them send it in. Unfortunately I don't know anyone going to the States in the near future, and I don't think I could find someone that fast. But I'm really worried about the time constraint, any other suggestions to speed up the process, anyone? Oh yes, and about the proving the bonafide marriage thing--how am I supposed to do that? We don't own property together or have joint bank accounts...does the "other documents" proving you're married part include pictures and things like that? Or do we need to try to get friends to sign something in front of a notary public?
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-02 10:55:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen
Thanks so much, Rika! You have helped a great deal, just what I needed!
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-01 05:40:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen

Hello Everyone! I have a question concerning a visa for my husband (as of one and a half weeks!). I am American, but my husband is Russian. He lives in Moscow, and I am currently studying in Canada. We got married here in Moscow, but only the ZAGs wedding. We are planning a second, church wedding in New York for next May. That will be the one for my family and friends. I have already reserved a reception venue and made arrangements with the pastor and the church for next May, so everything is set--except for my husband's visa. He has never been to the States, or out of the country in general, except to Turkey. He applied for a tourist visa once, but was denied. After the wedding, we are coming back to Moscow for one year, because I will be doing my graduate coursework in Mosocw. But after that year, we are planning on moving to the States. So the problem is, what type of visa should he apply for? With an immigration visa you have to spend more than half of the year in the United States, but we are coming back to Moscow after the wedding. So I was thinking that he needs a tourist visa, but I have heard that he is not guaranteed a tourist visa just because he is married to an American citizen, and that they may be suspicious that he will try to stay there on a tourist visa. I am really worried about the fact that he may be denied after I have made all the wedding arrangements there already. He really just needs to go over for 1-2 months, that's it. So is a tourist visa the best way to go? Besides the necessary documents, I guess I write him the invitation, and also I will try to provide a copy of the reception contract and a letter from the pastor. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation from the graduate program yet, that would prove I'm coming back to Moscow. Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice would be helpful, concerning type of visa, approximate processing times, how to improve his chances, and what's the possibility of him getting turned down?
Thanks a lot!
Alexandra


The possibility of the tourist visa being denied is unfortunately very high. Have you made any wedding arrangements yet? I suggest looking into the requirements for him to visit Canada and perhaps have the church wedding there in a border city close to your relatives.



Yes, the thing is, I have made all the arrangements! The reception venue is booked, the arrangements with the church and pastor have been made! Money has been paid and contracts signed! This is not looking good now, I don't know what to do! Any other suggestions?


Oh dear... when is the date? Sometime in May? That may be enough time to get a K3 visa if the tourist visa is denied, but with the K3 he'd have some complications with going back to Moscow for a whole year, but I don't think those complications are insurmountable. I'm not sure about the timelines for a K3 for the embassy in Russia though. Something that would help the tourist visa application is proof of your studies in Moscow, especially if you've already been accepted somewhere and paid some tuition fees.


Yes, the wedding date is May 18th. You know, I was thinking that maybe the K3 is the way to go. My only questions then would be concerning financial issues. Since I am a student, I do not own property, and I do not have a huge bank account--i.e., I cannot prove that I can support my husband in the United States. We would be living with my parents at first, and then find a place to rent--do you know if it is possible to use my parents' financial information to support him? And also I did not do my taxes last year becasue I was living and studying in Canada and therefore did not work in the U.S., and also because I was a dependent of my parents (before I got married, that is, which was just over a week ago). Any insight on these issues? If that can be worked out, then maybe I should skip the tourist visa and we should just try for the K3 and later apply for the exemption, because unfortunately at this point I have no documents proving my future studies in Moscow.


Yeah, sounds like starting asap on the K3 is the way to go. You'll need a joint sponsor - hopefully your parents would be willing and able.

When you convert your earnings in Canada to USD, is it more than the threshold before having to filing? If so, you'll need to backfile. www.irs.gov is a good site and calling their helpline is surprisingly helpful. No matter where a USC lives in the world, if they earn over the filing threshold they're supposed to file a tax return. Income up to $82,000 something can be excluded so you don't have to pay any taxes just file. It doesn't matter if you were a dependant of your parents - if you earned over the threshold, you still have to file. Call the IRS though - they'll help you sort it out.

All the financial stuff can be worked out later once the I-129f is approved and being processed at the NVC. I would get the I-130 and the I-129f in the mail ASAP. Have your husband print off the G-325a form (all four) sign them and send them to you quickly. That's all he needs to do at this point though I believe.

EDIT - Do you have the marriage certificate? If it's Moscow, get him to mail a copy to you quickly.


Margot--I cannot thank you enough! You have been so helpful answering all of my questions so quickly! Now, a few more details: I am still in Moscow right now, and will be here until August 28th. What can I do from here, without being in the United States? I only today decided to go the immigration route, so I'm kind of lost! We need to apply for the I-130 before the K3, is that correct? And what is the I-129f? Are those the first two things that need to be done? Is there a section of this site that explains the process step by step? And can I do anything here , or do I need to wait until I go to the U.S.? Can I have my parents prepare something for me? As for the marriage certificate, should I have the original in the United States, or should my husband keep it with him here in Moscow? And what is the G-325a? Sorry for bombarding you with questions. Thanks in advance! p.s. Regarding taxes, I did not make money over the threshold anywhere, so I guess if I call the IRS they could maybe just provide me with some document that would say that?
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-01 04:59:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen

Hello Everyone! I have a question concerning a visa for my husband (as of one and a half weeks!). I am American, but my husband is Russian. He lives in Moscow, and I am currently studying in Canada. We got married here in Moscow, but only the ZAGs wedding. We are planning a second, church wedding in New York for next May. That will be the one for my family and friends. I have already reserved a reception venue and made arrangements with the pastor and the church for next May, so everything is set--except for my husband's visa. He has never been to the States, or out of the country in general, except to Turkey. He applied for a tourist visa once, but was denied. After the wedding, we are coming back to Moscow for one year, because I will be doing my graduate coursework in Mosocw. But after that year, we are planning on moving to the States. So the problem is, what type of visa should he apply for? With an immigration visa you have to spend more than half of the year in the United States, but we are coming back to Moscow after the wedding. So I was thinking that he needs a tourist visa, but I have heard that he is not guaranteed a tourist visa just because he is married to an American citizen, and that they may be suspicious that he will try to stay there on a tourist visa. I am really worried about the fact that he may be denied after I have made all the wedding arrangements there already. He really just needs to go over for 1-2 months, that's it. So is a tourist visa the best way to go? Besides the necessary documents, I guess I write him the invitation, and also I will try to provide a copy of the reception contract and a letter from the pastor. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation from the graduate program yet, that would prove I'm coming back to Moscow. Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice would be helpful, concerning type of visa, approximate processing times, how to improve his chances, and what's the possibility of him getting turned down?
Thanks a lot!
Alexandra


The possibility of the tourist visa being denied is unfortunately very high. Have you made any wedding arrangements yet? I suggest looking into the requirements for him to visit Canada and perhaps have the church wedding there in a border city close to your relatives.



Yes, the thing is, I have made all the arrangements! The reception venue is booked, the arrangements with the church and pastor have been made! Money has been paid and contracts signed! This is not looking good now, I don't know what to do! Any other suggestions?


Oh dear... when is the date? Sometime in May? That may be enough time to get a K3 visa if the tourist visa is denied, but with the K3 he'd have some complications with going back to Moscow for a whole year, but I don't think those complications are insurmountable. I'm not sure about the timelines for a K3 for the embassy in Russia though. Something that would help the tourist visa application is proof of your studies in Moscow, especially if you've already been accepted somewhere and paid some tuition fees.


Yes, the wedding date is May 18th. You know, I was thinking that maybe the K3 is the way to go. My only questions then would be concerning financial issues. Since I am a student, I do not own property, and I do not have a huge bank account--i.e., I cannot prove that I can support my husband in the United States. We would be living with my parents at first, and then find a place to rent--do you know if it is possible to use my parents' financial information to support him? And also I did not do my taxes last year becasue I was living and studying in Canada and therefore did not work in the U.S., and also because I was a dependent of my parents (before I got married, that is, which was just over a week ago). Any insight on these issues? If that can be worked out, then maybe I should skip the tourist visa and we should just try for the K3 and later apply for the exemption, because unfortunately at this point I have no documents proving my future studies in Moscow.
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-01 04:37:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen

Hello Everyone! I have a question concerning a visa for my husband (as of one and a half weeks!). I am American, but my husband is Russian. He lives in Moscow, and I am currently studying in Canada. We got married here in Moscow, but only the ZAGs wedding. We are planning a second, church wedding in New York for next May. That will be the one for my family and friends. I have already reserved a reception venue and made arrangements with the pastor and the church for next May, so everything is set--except for my husband's visa. He has never been to the States, or out of the country in general, except to Turkey. He applied for a tourist visa once, but was denied. After the wedding, we are coming back to Moscow for one year, because I will be doing my graduate coursework in Mosocw. But after that year, we are planning on moving to the States. So the problem is, what type of visa should he apply for? With an immigration visa you have to spend more than half of the year in the United States, but we are coming back to Moscow after the wedding. So I was thinking that he needs a tourist visa, but I have heard that he is not guaranteed a tourist visa just because he is married to an American citizen, and that they may be suspicious that he will try to stay there on a tourist visa. I am really worried about the fact that he may be denied after I have made all the wedding arrangements there already. He really just needs to go over for 1-2 months, that's it. So is a tourist visa the best way to go? Besides the necessary documents, I guess I write him the invitation, and also I will try to provide a copy of the reception contract and a letter from the pastor. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation from the graduate program yet, that would prove I'm coming back to Moscow. Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice would be helpful, concerning type of visa, approximate processing times, how to improve his chances, and what's the possibility of him getting turned down?
Thanks a lot!
Alexandra


The possibility of the tourist visa being denied is unfortunately very high. Have you made any wedding arrangements yet? I suggest looking into the requirements for him to visit Canada and perhaps have the church wedding there in a border city close to your relatives.



Yes, the thing is, I have made all the arrangements! The reception venue is booked, the arrangements with the church and pastor have been made! Money has been paid and contracts signed! This is not looking good now, I don't know what to do! Any other suggestions?
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-01 03:56:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresSpouse Visa for a Russian citizen
Hello Everyone! I have a question concerning a visa for my husband (as of one and a half weeks!). I am American, but my husband is Russian. He lives in Moscow, and I am currently studying in Canada. We got married here in Moscow, but only the ZAGs wedding. We are planning a second, church wedding in New York for next May. That will be the one for my family and friends. I have already reserved a reception venue and made arrangements with the pastor and the church for next May, so everything is set--except for my husband's visa. He has never been to the States, or out of the country in general, except to Turkey. He applied for a tourist visa once, but was denied. After the wedding, we are coming back to Moscow for one year, because I will be doing my graduate coursework in Mosocw. But after that year, we are planning on moving to the States. So the problem is, what type of visa should he apply for? With an immigration visa you have to spend more than half of the year in the United States, but we are coming back to Moscow after the wedding. So I was thinking that he needs a tourist visa, but I have heard that he is not guaranteed a tourist visa just because he is married to an American citizen, and that they may be suspicious that he will try to stay there on a tourist visa. I am really worried about the fact that he may be denied after I have made all the wedding arrangements there already. He really just needs to go over for 1-2 months, that's it. So is a tourist visa the best way to go? Besides the necessary documents, I guess I write him the invitation, and also I will try to provide a copy of the reception contract and a letter from the pastor. Unfortunately, I don't have any documentation from the graduate program yet, that would prove I'm coming back to Moscow. Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice would be helpful, concerning type of visa, approximate processing times, how to improve his chances, and what's the possibility of him getting turned down?
Thanks a lot!
Alexandra
sashitaskiFemaleRussia2007-08-01 01:22:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)Different process for a 2 year old?
Hi All.

My wife's and daughter's cases were approved last week, so they both (cases) have since been sent to NVC.
I understand how to move along with regards to my wife's case.
What I can't understand is how to, for example, select an agent for my 2 year old daughter. Should one of us (her parents) fill out the form on her behalf?

I would appreciate an answer.

Thank you.
AVMNot TellingRussia2008-04-17 14:52:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresInterview appointment cancelled by accident
Thank you!
I do check the availability on the Embassy website every day and call their call-center once a week. and still there are no appointments available. We are confused about the timing. I mean untill when we should have the appt before the petiton expires. Does the petition validity date matter at all?

Thank you for your information and advice.


Check the available schedule online or talk to a live customer service rep to tell you exactly the available dates as they could change a lot.

It should be tied to the medical exam date (6 months from exam date) and not your petition validity date on I-797

Good luck!


idusevichFemaleRussia2013-01-06 17:08:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresInterview appointment cancelled by accident
Dear friends, please advice.
I scheduled my K-1 visa appointment in Moscow for Jan. 29th 2013. Then I thought I could check if there was something earlier. To do that I first had to cancel my current appt, which I did. There were no more appts available, and even the one on Jan 29th was gone. Since then I have not been able to get a new available date. We are quite nervous, because our petition expires on Feb. 28th.
Has anyone had a similar experience? I have tried to contact the Embassy in Moscow and they wrote that I could book my appt any time until April 29th. Can this be possible if our petition is valid until Feb. 28th?
Thank you!
idusevichFemaleRussia2013-01-05 17:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresBiometric (ePassport) versus regular passport for K1 visa

Thank you. That is what we thought, but just wanted to check just to make sure.


Yulia+VictorFemaleRussia2013-05-22 20:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresBiometric (ePassport) versus regular passport for K1 visa

The beneficiary's current passport is about to expire and needs to be renewed. An ePassport is going to take a lot longer to receive while a regular passport (without an electronic chip in it) can be prepared in a couple of weeks and,therefore, is a preferred option for us. Do the embassies care which passport they have to place a visa into? The interview will eventually be in Moscow. Also, could there be any other problems with an old-style passport during immigration into the US? Thanks to everyone who can answer and help us with this!


Yulia+VictorFemaleRussia2013-05-22 11:01:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresShould my fiancee get a new Social Security Number?

Thanks, Harsh_77. Since she has her card in possession physically, then there is no need to ask for replacement, correct?


Edited by Yulia+Victor, 28 June 2013 - 04:57 PM.

Yulia+VictorFemaleRussia2013-06-28 16:57:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresShould my fiancee get a new Social Security Number?

We are in the process of filling out form DS-230. Question 43 deals with SSN previously applied for. My fiancee visited the US two years in a row on a J-1 visa and had gotten her SSN 4 years ago which is currently in her possession.

 

Would you recommend applying for a new card or keeping the current one and is it even active still, after 4 years? The question is as follows: "Would you like to receive a replacement card?"

 

Your help is greatly appreciated!


Yulia+VictorFemaleRussia2013-06-28 16:52:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBoth I-130 and I-129 packages returned
Thank you very much for your replies. I filled in that 4 page form by myself and definitely couldn't make any mistakes. All I wanted to know is if anyone has ever heard of both packages being returned to the petitioner. For me is seems rather weird and some people who has gone through the process think that way as well, they told me that even if the visa guys ever needed any additional papers they just informed about the petitioner either by email or regular mail, but never sent any papers back. I only want to know if I am the one who has such problem or not.
natteNot TellingRussia2006-10-29 15:23:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBoth I-130 and I-129 packages returned

I personally have never heard of this happening. If he can't see anything wrong with the petitions I would suggest either hiring an attorney or making an infopass appointment to see if they will point out the problem.

You see, he hired an attorney at first, but that person made such a mistake while filling in the forms, that they were not accepted at all (the person misspelt my husband's last name having a birth certificate in front of him), now that attorney has disappeared. So we have to go through the whole process on our own.
natteNot TellingRussia2006-10-28 16:40:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & ProceduresBoth I-130 and I-129 packages returned
Hy guys,
Probably some of you know what it means. My husband is a n US citizen and he was applying for K-3 and K-4 for me and my daugher (we are in Russia) in March. We got NOA-1 for I-130 in May, so he sent I-129 papers immediately. A few weeks ago my husband called me saying that both packages from California and Missoury returned because "they couldn't verify spouse's address". Does anybody know what it means and why they came back? As I know they usually send a note asking to send them some additional papers or verifications, but none who has already gone through the whole process has ever heard of the return of papers.
Any ideas?

Edited by natte, 28 October 2006 - 12:32 PM.

natteNot TellingRussia2006-10-28 12:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSuccessful Interview!
QUOTE (Don E @ Sep 3 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks everyone! We are both very excited!! Tania is still trying to determine how long it will take to get everything done that she needs to get done before she leaves. Once she knows the earliest date that she'll be ready, then I can get some flight reservations made. That's the next challenge for us. Flights from Tomsk are getting difficult to book on short notice and more and more expensive in general. But, if things work out, she should be here in about two weeks, give or take. smile.gif

On a side note, I had been thinking that we could track the pick-up and shipment of her visa by DHL tracking, but DHL told her that they don't enter tracking info for visa shipments. I'm not sure that I understand why, but I guess that's why I've never read about anyone doing this.



Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!Thats the best part now:)reunion!Yay!!!!!!!
they do track the visa shipments.when she paid dhl she got a recied and it has a tracking number on it.she even can arrange to go herself and pick it up in dhl main office instead of waiting at home or hotel...
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-03 12:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusVisa Approved
Great news!!!!!!!congratulations!
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-10 13:20:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
Oh, come on, AKDiver: the VP has to be a birthright US citizen
[/quote]


that might change:)i would like to see Arnold Schwarchenegger working on it:)
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-10 12:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
QUOTE (KGSodie @ Sep 3 2008, 07:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 2 2008, 04:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kotenochek @ Sep 2 2008, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I do not really rush to get it,i am just worried if they sent mail and i never got it and missed in terview..could this happen?
Anything is possible. It's even possible that you are secretly being vetted for vice president.

It sounds like nothing is going to make you happy until you call them and hear "your case is being processed" so go ahead and call them.


I'd vote for that ticket! At least the visa community would get some representation!


Haha thats so true:))))))
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-03 12:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 3 2008, 01:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kotenochek @ Sep 2 2008, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I do not really rush to get it,i am just worried if they sent mail and i never got it and missed in terview..could this happen?
Anything is possible. It's even possible that you are secretly being vetted for vice president.

It sounds like nothing is going to make you happy until you call them and hear "your case is being processed" so go ahead and call them.



so finally we called,the guy was super nice..we found out they made mistake in our postcode,so good thing we called in...but yeah they said depending on each city that processes green cards takes longer or shorter period..sad.gif((so more waitings to do:)))booooooooo
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 17:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 3 2008, 12:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kotenochek @ Sep 2 2008, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I just worry i am missing something,because on AOs blogs everyone whol filed same time as i did already holds green card
You filed in May. That's only 3 months ago. It took my wife 5 months to get her first PR card. Relax man!



I do not really rush to get it,i am just worried if they sent mail and i never got it and missed in terview..could this happen?
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 16:03:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 3 2008, 12:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You can check their website all day long. It's not going to say a whole lot until they have done something with your case, and they will send you a notice in the mail when they do so. But if you want to check and see, go to www.uscis.gov.



I just worry i am missing something,because on AOs blogs everyone whol filed same time as i did already holds green card
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 15:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
Means they might just send it by mail without interview?and where am i supposed to get that case number?all numbers i have ones on a work permit card...?
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 15:34:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
QUOTE (akdiver @ Sep 3 2008, 12:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kotenochek @ Sep 2 2008, 12:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Since we filed our papers for AOS in May,i already have my work permit for a month now...I have a question,when am i supposed to recieve in mail invitation for a green card interview?Is there any phone number i could call to check my status?
They will send you an appointment notice in the mail informing you when you are scheduled for an interview.

You can call them, spend a lot of time on hold, only to speak to someone who will tell you "your case is being processed."



Is there maybe web page where i could check?i just saw on AOs forum that people that applied with me already holding a green card..makes me scared we did not recieve our invitation....
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 15:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow to find out when is my interview coming?
Hi Guys..

Since we filed our papers for AOS in May,i already have my work permit for a month now...
I have a question,when am i supposed to recieve in mail invitation for a green card interview?Is there any phone number i could call to check my status?

thank you for help in advance...
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-02 15:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSending money to Russia
QUOTE (Brad and Vika @ Sep 11 2008, 07:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The unsure.gif was because I could not understand your earlier post. That was it.




sorry english is my 3rd language....i will improve:)
KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-12 11:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusSending money to Russia
QUOTE (Brad and Vika @ Sep 11 2008, 02:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Kotenochek @ Sep 10 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Western Union should be ok...some guys get over protected over money..come on you should risk if you want to have a woman..what about america,before yo u get laid you would have to take her our for a dinner,make sure you are not a looser and probably you suppose to own a house,at least here in California.So big deal you send her some money...when man gives everything upfront and woman is not dork enaugh to appreciate it more likely she will change her mind,even if she planned scam from start...


What? unsure.gif


well you have to pay for everything..Nothing is free-if you have not figured that out yet:)))
If you asking about prostitution-no i am against it:)))
I am just saying,If you had a girl here,you would have to buy her boobs,and louis vuitton purse,and take her out etc etc...and there is no guarantee she would stay with you after all ..so why you surprised if russian girl leaves?Maybe its not that she scammed you..maybe guy is gross?We all read here stories,but dont really see each other:)))
Yes there are scammers out there in russia and anywhere else..what i am trying to say is ok to provide for woman you love or care about...

Edited by Kotenochek, 11 September 2008 - 05:19 PM.

KotenochekFemaleRussia2008-09-11 17:18:00