Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
USCIS Service Centers	USCIS Processing Time Information - UPDATED today	Interesting, they went from December 31, 2012 to January 31, 2013 at the CSC and we are still at July 18,2012. I know it's the government but my God they are SLOW! Better start planning another visit to her. I see the VSC is now saying 5 months for a K1 visa. Edited by paws057, 22 March 2013 - 06:28 PM.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-03-22 18:26:00
USCIS Service Centers	December filers	Just looked at Igor's List and there are few approved CSC filers from December 2013, What is going on with vermont then? Looks like CSC is now faster than Vermont Well we have not seen the update for March yet but I doubt VSC is going slower than CSC. Not really sure why there are petitions from December getting approved over the much older ones in the system? Something is going crazy wrong with CSC, maybe it is DACA?	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-04-14 17:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	You're entitled to it if you're married to a Russian citizen. It is hard to get if you are not. Yes, the paperwork is a nightmare, but what in Russia doesn't involve nightmarish paperwork? If you want to live in Russia, though, learn the language. You have a point there!! You should have seen the paperwork we had to do when picking up my luggage at customs!! OMG!!! That woman stamped 7 copies of one form!! 7 copies!!! Yes I am learning the language, it's only fair really! I can't go over there and expect people to speak English! After all it's their country and Russian is the native language!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-07 09:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	I have definitely left that option open with my wife who is from Odessa, Ukraine. That would make a nice city to retire to, but I got at least 32-35 more years before I retire... If ####### hits the fan here in the good ole' USA, then I'm out earlier. I wish I would win the lottery, then I'd stay in Ukraine 3-6 months out of the year. Ukraine from what I read is a little more friendly when it comes to long term visa's than Russia is. Odessa would be nice! True if the ####### hits the fan here it would be nice to have somewhere to go!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-07 09:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	If you are married to a Russian citizen, you can get temporary residency and then permanent residency, and you will have the right to be an independent contractor. However, it's a question of whether you have skills in demand in Russia. Amy mentioned English teaching, which is always an option, but it's not for everyone. I, for instance, hate it. You could always start a business or something though. There is a lot of opportunity in Russia; it is just kind of a risky game to play. Yes that is true but the TRP and PRP are not that easy to get and from what I've read the paperwork is unbelievable!! Work permits can be bought or so I'm told but for a nice price! Although English is my native language teaching it is not for me! I hated English in school! Starting a business is something I've thought about as well but you are right it is risky! Then again it's risky here to!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-07 09:03:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	Look for expat forums. Here is one for Ukraine that a couple of VJers post on. expatukraine.com Most Ukraine expats that can't get residency wound up just leaving for the US every three months (or overnight to an EU country like Romania that doesn't require a visa). The law changes all the time though. Now I think they have a longer residency, and if you are married to a Ukrainian I think there is an answer for that too. Because of the new Russian multi-entry visa, you may have a problem leaving and coming right back. All this is conjecture from me, as I have never been to Russia at all. I also get that you aren't going right now, just thinking about it. Thanks! I found a Russian Expat site and did some looking around last night. From what I can tell immigration into Russia is a paperwork nightmare much like coming here! The difference is I don't speak much Russian!! To be honest I can't read Russian either so that's a huge problem! Guess I better start to study a little harder! I know enough Russian to get what I want at the market and to get around but that's it. Of course a few phrases just for her as well!;)Yes, it's just something to think about for the future maybe when I retire. I also learned that almost anything can be bought there, drivers license, work permit ect. That is 'if' you have the money!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-07 08:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	This topic is discussed here A LOT. Many of us on RUB have either lived abroad or seriously considered it, but there is a very vocal group that would never do it. We actually have some expats posting from Russia and Ukraine too. Vika and I discussed it, but I couldn't make a living in Ukraine. I do pretty well here, and with a new daughter to think about, we probably wouldn't do it. I used to think maybe we could split our time after i retire, but eighteen years from now who knows how we will feel about it? Eighteen years is when my daughter could maybe fly solo. I could retire about then too, if we were set financially. Yes not being able to make a living would be a problem for me as well. I could retire now if I really had to but I wouldn't be rich by any means! Enough to live comfortable in Russia though I think. Not rich mind you just comfortable! I'm still young enough though I'm really not quite ready for the rocking chair yet! I've tried to find information on moving to Russia but have not found anything official really. I mean I can't pack my bags and tell them at passport control 'I'm here'!! There has to be an official way to get there or should I say a legal way to get there and stay long term. The new visa's will allow you to stay for 6 months at a time but having to leave the country every 6 months could get expensive and be a pain I would think?	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-06 13:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	Welcome to the forum. Kinda depends on the country and the relationship, eh? Thanks! I've actually thought about it but will admit Russia is very different than the USA! Not bad just different! Although there are things that would drive most Americans crazy over there!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-06 11:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Ever thought of moving to her country?	Let's say her visa was denied, would you ever consider moving to her country? Just curious really!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-06 11:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	I'd like to get information on getting myself, a US citizen, a visa to Russia. My questions are as follows: 1. How long does it take? 2. I'll be going to visit my girlfriend in Russia and stay with her and her family. Should I get a private visa or a tourist visa? 3. If I get a private visa, I read that my girlfriend will have to send me an original invitation. On FedEx's site I see that it costs $139 to ship from Krasnoyarsk to Dallas. Does this sound about right? It seems awfully expensive for just an envelope. 4. I read that I should book my plane tickets before applying for the visa because they want to see the itinerary. How far out should I book in order to ensure I get my visa before my trip? I'd like to go as soon as possible. 5. Can anyone here recommend an agency through which I should file the application? Any other tips or advice is certain welcomed. Thanks! Hi, I got my 'new' Russian three year visa last week!!) Multiple entries and good for 182 days over three years. not to bad really for an extra hundred bucks!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-30 17:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	it's not for the passport control; it's for getting the visa. Opps!! Yes I forgot about that!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-08 18:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	I have never had to do anything with a hotel. Unless they start to check this more closely with the new system, it won't matter. I have done a private registration (??????????? ? ???????? ???????????? ??????????) with my wife at the post office, but this is separate from a visa. I would agree that renting a car will probably be difficult for an American, but public transportation is good and taxis are reasonable (as long as you know how to negotiate it). If you do rent, one thing that has worked when being pulled over is pretending to not understand or speak any Russian. They have to get you a translator and they won't bother because they probably don't have foundation for a ticket anyways. A good phrase is "? ?? ???????????" which is roughly translated "I am not Monday" but is similar to "I don't understand." It gets the point across. Just say it belabored and with an earnest face. My luck I would get a cop that speaks English but I love the 'I am not Monday' comment!!!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-08 04:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	Tourist visa. No, it's not an official invitation. It's a basic document from a travel agency. My point is that it doesn't mention anything about a hotel. You may be right that everything may go back to the way it was, more or less. In general, I'm just trying to say that there is a change-up going on so any information that is more than a couple months old may no longer be relevant and the OP should be aware of that. I was in Moscow last month, went through passport control and handed them the 'voucher or invitation' as the agency calls it they just tossed it back to me! I had it folded and they just glanced at it and tossed it! So it must not be very important? They also printed out the 'migration' cards for you. Not sure if that is the norm now but it was nice not having to fill them out!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-08 04:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	Thanks everyone for all the helpful replies. I used visahq and have already sent off the application. I have one slight concern, however. The visa questionnaire on visahq's website asked "Type of Accommodation" and I didn't know what to put because if I select "Hotel" it asks for Hotel Name, Address, and Phone Number and these are required fields so I couldn't leave them blank. And since I had purchased the invitation from the visahq, I didn't have the information to fill it in. I chatted with visahq via live chat and they told me to select "Hotel" and put "N/A" in all 3 fields and that they would fill them in when they receive my application. Well, I did that but when I printed out the actual Russian visa application to sign, it actually said "N/A, N/A, N/A" on the application. I decided to call visahq directly to confirm and hoped to get a 2nd opinion, but I'm pretty sure I talked to the same girl from live chat, and she just said don't worry we'll fill in that part when we receive your application. I asked "will you just white it out and then write over it?" and with slight pause she just said "yea". So, I left it as is and sent it off as she suggested. So should I be concerned that my application says "N/A, N/A, N/A" where it asks for hotel information? Hi, Question 34 is the one you are talking about I assume? I just put the name, address and phone number of the person I am staying with. Not sure you should be worried though! They did tell me one thing at VisaHQ, if you are trying to get the new three year visa you might be called in for an interview at the Russian Embassy! She told me about 90% of the people in New York are being called in but they are having better luck in Washington DC. Mine is going through DC so I will know soon!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-06 07:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Visa	I'd like to get information on getting myself, a US citizen, a visa to Russia. My questions are as follows: 1. How long does it take? 2. I'll be going to visit my girlfriend in Russia and stay with her and her family. Should I get a private visa or a tourist visa? 3. If I get a private visa, I read that my girlfriend will have to send me an original invitation. On FedEx's site I see that it costs $139 to ship from Krasnoyarsk to Dallas. Does this sound about right? It seems awfully expensive for just an envelope. 4. I read that I should book my plane tickets before applying for the visa because they want to see the itinerary. How far out should I book in order to ensure I get my visa before my trip? I'd like to go as soon as possible. 5. Can anyone here recommend an agency through which I should file the application? Any other tips or advice is certain welcomed. Thanks! Hi, I just sent for the new three year tourist visa so it is hard to say how long it will take? Even with the new changes you still need an invitation and you can get that on the web site you get your visa from. I have always used VisaHQ.com and have had good luck so far. The difference in price from a 30 day to a 3 year visa is only about 100.00. I thought about the 'private' visa but it sounded like a pain and she will already have to fill out paperwork when you register your visa there in Russia! You can do that at any local post office but be advised, you will wait for a while and probably fill out more than one of them! Speed and service is not available! You can still stay with her family but if more than 7 days you will have to register your visa or pay the price when you go to leave the country. The only thing they really need in the application is the dates you will be in country so you can wait to get your ticket if you wish. I always buy mine first but you really don't have to. One piece of advice I had to learn the hard way, if you are flying to another city in Russia from Moscow you MUST get your luggage and take it through customs in Moscow!!! It's not only free but very easy and if you don't you will wait (like I did for 5 days) to get your luggage back and of course a hefty little fine of 120.00!!! You simply walk through customs and then recheck your bag!	paws057	Male	Russia	2012-10-05 15:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	3 Year Russian Visa Accepted	So I just received news yesterday that my application for a 3 year Russian tourist visa was approved, and should be in hand by tomorrow. I thought I would share my experience with the company visaHQ as I have seen a few posts about visa types and to do it on your own or use a company. First off I used VisaHQ based on research done on this site and through, what my fiancee refers to, my "google face", and because I live in a small town where we have Amish and the closest Russian Embassy is 8hours away. That said VisaHQ definitely provided an easy service, fill out documents, make a cover letter, print it all and sign, then ship along with the passport. They do offer invitations, which I opted for since I'll be staying at my fiancee's apartment. This was also a bonus because it meant not needing her to get an invitation for me. Though I had limited interactions with the rep who handled my account, she did call me and let me know they received my documents. She also consulted me on my visa request and told me that if I change it to April 2013 thru April 2016 that I would have a much better chance because I guess asking for May in January is a little far out. It was not a big deal and so I changed it. She submitted everything, and 2 weeks later with no fuss and no problems I have my visa approved. The service rep was always polite and great to talk to, even bullshitted with her a little. I would recommend them if you don't mind spending a little extra money, have limited time, and want ease of the process. Do remember to read everything throughly, and double check everything, before you submit your application. I'm unable to comment on the full benefits and comparison of doing it yourself as I have never done it. Though with some elbow grease, click of the mouse and your own google face you can find your answers, I just hope that my experience helps you along the way. I have used VisaHQ many times now and received my 3 year visa in October of last year. Great company to work with in my experience. I was a little worried when I read somewhere they are asking for interviews to get the 3 year visa. I called them and they said that was only for those that applied in NYC for some reason and it was about 90% of them had to interview. Mine went through DC so there was no problem.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-03-23 15:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Climate	I saw one in which one Russian candidate said his opponent "should be taken in the corridor and shot in the f*cking head!" I am trying to imagine Obama saying this about Romney. I saw the debates in Canada once and they just turn them loose on stage. That was the most entertaining debate I've ever watched, they tore each other up.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-04-07 12:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Interview in Moscow, can I attend?	Yes they (US Embassy) changed the rules I believe last year so you can attend the interview. Of course they will interview you as well but that's fine with me. I'm hoping for a July interview since I have a vacation then and so does she.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-04-29 04:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Shipping to Russia	Well first of all, I am not going there. We're just sending boxes to my wife's parents. Also, USPS is about $70 to $130 depending on the size and weight. FedEx and UPS are complete rip offs. $400 to ship? Are you kidding me? Greedy bastards. I could just Western Union the money and have them buy stuff there =) But thank you for the advice! I will check out meest. I heard they are good Thanks! Good question. I shipped a package to Samara January 18th of this year and she just got it yesterday. Hard to believe it took that long and it was a small package and under 4 pounds to. I have sent some in the past that got there pretty fast, 1-1.5 months but not sure why this one took so long? That was USPS Edited by paws057, 07 April 2013 - 12:02 PM.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-04-07 12:02:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Question Re: 3-Year Russian Tourist Visa	The multiple entry 3-year tourist visa I have says on it that it's good for stays for up to 6 months. I believe that is the maximum per year though but the visa doesn't actually say that on it. This is consistant with both of the sections you quote above though. I received the new 3 year visa in October of last year. From what it says on the visa itself it is good for a total of 182 days in three years. Multiple entries but still says 182 days beside the 'M'. So I'm assuming that's all the time you get? Not sure about length of stay per visit though?	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-03-22 21:50:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	How many days in Moscow for medical and interview?	going off the original post a little....does the birth certificate have to be translated into English even when it's written in Russian?   All important documents have to be translated into English from what I've read, Divorce papers, police reports, birth certificates.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-01 15:18:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Location of Embassy and a question....	Look at the Sticky notes at the top of this forum page, there's a map with photos.   Thanks everyone! Strange how Google Earth came up with a totally different place? I loved the maps by the way that was great. Prices have changed a little but not to much. Visa applications fee is now 240 dollars and the medical is about 175 dollars but it seems the IOM is the place to go. Thank again	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-04 06:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Location of Embassy and a question....	Hi everyone.   I am trying to set up her interview appointment with the Embassy in Moscow. First is the location, since it is the Consular's office we need to go to I typed in the address 21 Nevinsky Blvd. and Google Earth shows one place and Google maps shows another. Amazing! I'm guessing the Consular's office is in the old US Embassy on Nevinsky Blvd because I zoomed in on the building and yes the address was 21. The other place I have no idea what is there? So is that the place?   Also while on the Embassy website trying to set up an appointment I'm assuming they want her bio information since it is her they wish to interview? The information page asks for a 'priority date', so is this the date I wish for the interview and if not what do they want there? The visa is already paid for and I have the receipt number and they have received it and it is on the web site. So I should be good to go for an interview date.   Thanks! Steve	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-02 09:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	One way or Connection Flights from Rus to US	She will not need a visa to stop at another airport in Europe. She will never be allowed to leave the 'secured' area of the airport, thus she is not entering that country.  I also will be bringing my fiancee home sometime this summer. I do not want her to go through immigration at JFK. It takes me forever to get through passport control at JFK and can only imagine how long it would take her. So since we are coming through Moscow I hope to get a ticket that has a stop in Paris or Amsterdam. Then take a Paris or Amsterdam flight to Detroit and she can enter the country in Detroit. I know not the greatest place to enter the country but it's close to home! Yes, one way tickets are expensive for some reason? You would think they would be half the price of a round trip ticket but they are not. What I plan on doing is using the miles I have built up to get an almost free ticket for me and then buy her ticket. Right now I have over 120,000 miles on Delta so I should be able to get quite a discount on a ticket for me. That's good since I have to make two more trips over there. One for her interview and then to bring her home.  Learning Russian is a challenge but I'm using the Pimslur program and it seems to be pretty good. She is teaching me right now which is even better but when at home I use the other program for now. Good luck!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-05-17 06:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Police & Birth Certificate Translation	The police and birth certificates for my fiancee are Russian... do they HAVE to be translated into English? Some say that it is not necessary because the officers at the embassy speak Russian.  someone please shine some light on this, my fiancee is about to receive her packet from the embassy   Yes, it is my understanding that everything must be translated into English. I did read the police certificate does not have to be certified though, in other words it doesn't have to have that little blue stamp on it. You are right they do speak Russian but when you come through passport control it is doubtful if they do? Since they will open the packet and look at the documents they better be in English. My finacee's daughter is a certified translator so believe me that helps. Edited by paws057, 01 June 2013 - 03:02 PM.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-01 15:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian Cuisine?	Funny before I went to Russia I didn't know tomatoes and cucumbers, cheese and cold meat were breakfast food. The only dish she has made so far I didn't like is shredded squash (which I got to shred by the way and it was like shredding a rock) OMG! It was terrible and I couldn't even stand the smell of it. Other than that I love the food there!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-03-22 21:39:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Paid Visa Fee, Russian Standard Bank--wait time?	ok...i was able to add the receipt number, but WTH?! there are no appointments available for MONTHS?    that doesn't seem right   Check the web site twice a day for dates. Last week they didn't have any for July but yesterday they had the month of July up for appointments and I got one on the 18th. It seems they do one month at a time now. They had many dates still there so good luck!   Edited by paws057, 15 June 2013 - 04:08 AM.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-15 04:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	New Gun - Tokarev TTC	Check out Appleseedinfo dot org (I think it violates TOS to link to other sites on here.) or just google search for it.  There's one at SCSC this weekend. You could sign up for it or just stop by for a bit to see what it's all about.    Unfortunately I have to work this weekend!  I will check it out though, Thanks!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-20 08:34:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	New Gun - Tokarev TTC	I like armslist. I've had good luck with our Ohioans for Concealed Carry "for sale" section as well. In Cincinnati we have pistols and rifles starting to come back - and at pre-hysteria prices. Ammo is hit or miss and there's never any .22LR except when someone offers up a brick for $50+ or a few small boxes of CCI mini mags hit the shelves at $8 each. If you need ammo right now, you're in the wrong market. Better to have a buddy who knows someone who knows someone and is a friend of a friend, secret handshake, or do like I do - check the boards a few times a day and scour the earth for good deals!  If you're in Perrysburg, I'd recommend checking out the Sandusky County Sportsman's Club. I go up there for Appleseeds a few times a year and would like to get out to the Black Swamp Carbine shoots they have each month. A good buddy of mine is a board member out there and he's a top-notch instructor. They're having an Appleseed this weekend. You should totally check it out. Tell them slim sent you.    I'm a member of the Sandusky County Sportman's Club and its a great place to shoot. My work schedule is a nightmare and it always seems the weekend they have the Black Swamp Carbine shoots Im working. I did get out to the last though the guys from ADCO had an MG34 & MG42 an MP5 and an old Soviet gun they used in the battle of Staligrad. Those MG's were sweet! I got there late (was talking to my girl) so they were done with the shoot and were just playing. But one of hese days I'm going to go shoot in one.   I hate to seem stupid but what's Appleseed, I've never heard of it?   I got most of my ammo before the prices went sky high and got the rifle just in time. Still have some ammo on order and I have a feeling they have it but don't want to sell it at the price I got it for. So I'll wait ! Sooner or later they will get tired of sitting on it.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-18 21:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	New Gun - Tokarev TTC	at this moment luckygunner is a huge rip off, in my local walmart I saw .223 for normal price about $5 per 20, and they sell them 3x times more, and even before this all started they prices were on the high end anyway, but then again everyone doing it now since people still panic buying at any price, if you shop around there are other places that have some inventory on hand, just two weeks ago I stumbled on some 9mm at about $0.20 per round considering they sold everywhere at 0.40-$0.60 per round. Well maybe if someone need one or two boxes then it is ok but if you need 1000 rounds prices are ridiculous   Yes, they are expensiveI that's for sure. I got some 9mm for 230 a thousand which is about normal for around here. But the stores here don't have any at all. No .223-.5.56 or 9mm. None of the stores have .22 cal at all. I ordered some .223 back in December and am still waiting to see them. I have a Bass Pro Shop about 5 minutes from the house and they have nothing! No pistols to speak of and very little ammo. There is a whole section on the ammo shelves that hs been empty since December. I would however like to be making the money luckygunner is making right now!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-17 06:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	New Gun - Tokarev TTC	Very nice!  I saw a couple reviews of that handgun and was impressed.  My first handgun purchase was in December; I went with the Glock 22.  I really like the gun's feel, it's simple to field strip and clean, and since it's full-size I think the recoil is manageable.  My only problem is that it's impossible to find .40 S&W ammunition!!  Well, in the past two weeks or so I've noticed that stores have .40 cal back in stock again, but since this is my first firearm purchase I just can't wait for ammunition to get back to "normal" price so I can stock up.    How much did the 7.62 X 25 MM run per round, when you bought it in bulk?  Ammunition cost is something that's making me think of buying a smaller-caliber firearm, so that practicing is cheaper.   As for my next gun believe it or not I think it'll be a little .22 caliber pistol.  I really really want to get my wife shooting, and since we had WWIII in the household when I first got the Glock, once I warm her up to the idea of practicing shooting for self-defense I don't want the recoil to scare her away.  I actually read an interesting article about .22 handguns that made the following points: --penetration lenth is about equal for .22 vs. 9 mm or .40 --yes, bullet expansion is much less for .22 HP bullets vs. .40 or 9mm hollow points --but, think about how accurate you'd be with a .22 vs. a  9mm or .40 --also, think of the fear factor-most dangerous people will stop doing what they're doing out of the fear of having been shot or not wanting to be shot, regardless of the caliber size/bullet expansion --yes, if the dangerous person is high on drugs/adrenaline/whatever, the reduced bullet expansion of the .22 might mean the danger doesn't stop   Oh one more thing on the Glocks:  My friend got the mid-sized .40, the Glock 23, and found out that you can buy conversion barrels for Glocks.  So you can shoot 9mm ammunition in a .40 caliber model with the conversion barrell!  That, IMHO, is awesome...it's like two guns in one!!   So, enjoy your Tokarev, Slim, and I hope your wife becomes accurate with it, too!  The family that target shoots together, stays together      You might want to try luckygunner.com for ammo. They have ,40 cal but of course are not giving it away. Depends on what you want to spend?	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-16 18:58:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Medical at IOM	They said correct. In the morning she will have to go to the IOM office (address: ??. 2-?? ?????????????? ?. 12) to fill the paperwork, pay fees and to get a big envelope with papers. But there is only administrative personnel by this address, so with papers your fiancee will get, she will have to go to the clinic which is actually different organisation and on different street (address of the clinic: ??????? ????????, ?. 2) and there will be actual medical examination. It's not far away, but worthe to use a public transport. If she will be done with medical exam by noon, she can get results same day after 4pm at 2nd address (in the clinic again, she will not have to go back to the IOM office at all). Thank you! The second address they gave her was Romanov Lane so it must be the place you are talking about. I guess I just thought it was all done at the same place and was a little worried when they gave her another address to go to. Thanks again for clearing that up for me!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-21 18:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Medical at IOM	My fiancee set up her medical today at IOM. They told her part of it would be there and the other part at Library Of Lenin Medical Office? Has anyone else heard of that or had to go there for their medical? Or is that just where you pick up the results? They said it would be ready at 4 pm that day so that is good!	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-20 13:32:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	getting a Noa2 while on vacation in Russia	Processing times in embassies vary for many reasons.  However, without an embassy number you will not be able to complete the medical exam.  That number is necessary for the documents related to the medical exam to be completed.  The results are then placed in a sealed envelope to be brought to the embassy at the time of the applicant's interview.  You should understand that all embassies have differing schedules, they all close for holidays, both American and their country of situs.  And the demands for visas change daily.   Are you talking about the number that is in the bar code of your appointment confirmation? Other than that there is no other numbers.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-23 19:03:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	getting a Noa2 while on vacation in Russia	You can access the information about the NOA2 online.  Once that has been completed it will be sent to the NVC (National Visa Center) for processing before being assigned an embassy number and sent to the embassy.  That number is the important item for you.  With that number you can schedule an appointment and the all important medical exam.  Check up on the next steps since the estimate for your NOA2 is in mid to late June.  You might get lucky, but occasionally NVC can go slow if someone has a "special" name.  You might want to make sure that you have any documents your fiancee will need from you before you make the trip.   I don't remember getting an Embassy number? When I went to the Embassy website and signed as a new user they already knew the case. I entered her information, paid for the visa, waited two days then tried to set an interview date. I had to wait because I wanted one in July and they were still on June. But about a week later they put July up there and I got a date then.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-20 08:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Rolling onto the next stage	Congrats! Now it's on to Moscow.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-28 07:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	best way to mail documents to russia	I was just doing some quotes and fedex is $130-180 about week long delivery time and usps $40 for the envelop and $70 for small box with 3-5 days delivery hm... usps sounds too good to be true in delivery time   I have sent many small packages and cards to Russia and believe me it's going to take some time to get there. Once I sent a small package and at the same time sent a card. Twp weeks later I sent another card and they all arrived on the same day, of course that was two months later as well. The guy at the post office told me once it leave this country they have no control over them so I would use DHL or someone else and not the USPS.It you are going to the interview take the documents with you and save the money,	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-09 08:14:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	10 Year Green Card	Well, Tanya received her 10 year permanent Green Card yesterday. No interview. Easy peasy. Expect divorce request any day now...:-)   Her son's immigration interview in Kiev is July 9th. Overall our immigration journey has been fairly painless (except for the fees..of course).   To celebrate we went looking for goats but we could only find these fake sheep....   Congratulations! Good thing about the fake sheep is they don't eat, bad thing is you can't eat them either.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-20 08:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	MVA frustration	If something ever has to go wrong somewhere - it happens at an MVA office (well, MVA for Maryland, can be DMV or whatever in other states). So I planned to get done with my vision screening and knowledge test today and schedule the skills test, so I can get my Maryland DL. I gathered all the necessary paperwork: proof of residence (including a copy of the marriage certificate), social security card, my passport, certificate of completion of Safe and Sober class (local requirement for out-of-country drivers), my Russian DL and my international DL. Me and my husband waited in line and finally got to the clerk... And after looking at my Russian DL for about 5 minutes straight, she says that they need a translation! And not just a translation, but the one made by an MVA certified translator (and there are only like 7 or 8 of them). I said that it was clearly stated on their website that they might need either a translation or an international DL (which is basically just a book with translations to a bunch of different languages INCLUDING ENGLISH). She acted like she didn't know what the website said, so my husband asked her to look it up on her computer - she said that they weren't allowed to look at their OWN website while they were at work She called 2 supervisors and they weren't any help. I don't know what's wrong with this whole office, I wanted to find somebody to complain to, but my husband stopped me. It's all fine - we already arranged a translation with a very nice Russian lady, who happened to be a certified translator and it will be done tomorrow, so we can go back to MVA. I don't understand though - you either work according to the information provided on your official website or just get the website straight, stop giving people information, that's clearly misleading! Just wanted to share, I got really frustrated because of that today. Sounds like a typical day at the BMV. Believe it or not they are better than they used to be.	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-06-24 04:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Where is everyone from in Russia?	Vera is from St. Petersburg, her mother is from Belarus and my grandmother from the Ukraine. How is that for covering al bases of the forum!   You know I saw Vera in the US Embassy last Thursday! I was there with Natasha to get her visa and if I remember right she was the first one to be interviewed? Just out of curiousity since there's already a thread about the US: where are the beneficiaries from in Russia? I'm in Moscow, me.   Natasha is from Samara, Russia	paws057	Male	Russia	2013-07-21 06:15:00