ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomPacket 3 anyone?
It took 9 days from the Embassy receiving ours to us getting packet 3. I'm sure it'll be there sometime this week. You can call DOS at 202-663-1225 then option 1 then option 0 to talk to someone. Give them your London case number and I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you if Packet 3 has been sent, when they received it back from you and then when your interview is.
GrahamandMeganMaleScotland2008-09-02 04:12:00
United KingdomPolice certificate
QUOTE (Nicoxcx @ Aug 29 2008, 04:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
and just for further confirmation I already have my police certificates (I got a copy also) from ACPO so yep they do Scotland to, although they should make it a little clearer.

It is also nice to be sent a single A4 piece of paper saying 'No Trace' and thats it biggrin.gif .


It is always nice to see that I agree!!!!!!!!
GrahamandMeganMaleScotland2008-08-30 10:27:00
United KingdomI-134 Example Form Issue
Just back from London and had something to eat. I'll give my full review once I've talked to Megan and let her know exactly what happened.

What I will say though is that the example form for the I-134 on here is slightly wrong. The issue relates to Question 11:- I intend do not intend to make specific contributions to the support of the person(s) named in item 3.

(If you check "intend," indicate the exact nature and duration of the contributions. For example, if you intend to furnish
room and board, state for how long and, if money, state the amount in U.S. dollars and state whether it is to be given in a lump sum, weekly or monthly, and for how long.)

On the example form it say to complete it with the following:- N/A (K1 Visa for permanent residence)

That is simply not correct and our visa was almost delayed due to this fact. But after a bit of pleading with the CO, who I won't name, he changed it for me after telling me that it wasn't completely accurate. The box for INTEND has to be checked and then stated that it is as "Financial support with the K1 Visa."

Thankfully the CO helped us out and I am now awaiting delivery of my Visa, but just to let everyone know that the form isn't correct.
GrahamandMeganMaleScotland2008-09-04 17:00:00
United KingdomU.K. Footie Thread
QUOTE (Nicoxcx @ Aug 30 2008, 08:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Glasgow Rangers and Arsenal for me!.


I used to like you as well wink.gif C'mon the hoops!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only kidding, *cough*Raith Rovers*cough* and Aston Villa for me!
GrahamandMeganMaleScotland2008-08-30 16:04:00
USCIS Service CentersStatistics "Time Line Page"
Unfortunaly, many people don't update their timelines, so I wouldn't worry too much about the statistics. I found Igor's list to be very reliable while waiting for my NA02, but some of the others are just the result of relying on people to keep those up to date (also, they don't include the poeple who aren't smart enough to use VJ :P )...At least that is what I tell myself to feel better...lol

Jackie
bahisgirlFemaleMorocco2010-06-13 21:09:00
USCIS Service CentersWrote the check to "USCIS" - not Dept. of Homeland Security!
I actually did this very thing...they simply cashed the check and started my application...no big deal. Good luck.

Jackie
bahisgirlFemaleMorocco2012-08-30 11:01:00
Waivers (I-601 and I-212) and Administrative Processes (221g)I WAS DENIED IN MOROCCO CONSULATE

can i know how to contact my sengator or congressman please help me ?


Sorry to hear about your denial, that consulate is so tough sometimes. I consider myself and my husband lucky to have gotten through.

As for contacting your senator, your fiance, the petitioner will have to do that. I found mine when I needed to by googling "how do I contact my congressman?" and I just followed links from there based upon my address.

Good luck to you, I hope they can get you another interview.

Jackie
bahisgirlFemaleMorocco2011-03-29 10:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
QUOTE (Rob_Lesya @ Sep 26 2009, 01:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I'm going to bite my tongue really, really hard in order to avoid responding to some of the absolutely ridiculous advice that's been given so far in this thread regarding conditions in Russia and how much more wonderful certain other destinations might be.

I simply want to add one fact that you and Tanya might not be aware of --- she doesn't necessarily have to travel all the way to Moscow to obtain a tourist visa. Kemerovo is one of the areas which has a choice of going to either Moscow or Ekaterinburg in order to apply for non-immigrant (i.e., tourist) visas. Ekaterinburg is much closer and might be a better choice for her if she were planning to travel by train. If you eventually apply for a K1 or some other visa to allow her to immigrate here, then she would have to apply in Moscow for that visa.

If you're serious about having a real relationship with this girl-- visit her in her hometown, meet her family, her friends, see how she lives. You'll have an entire lifetime in which to take vacations together.


Thank you Rob. I think it has been determined that I will visit her there. I am excited to see her in Russia. Thank you for the advice on Ekaterinburg. I am not sure if she knew about this either. Thank you very much.
Chris MMale02009-09-26 12:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.



QUOTE (clueless_in_usa @ Sep 25 2009, 10:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Chris M @ Sep 25 2009, 09:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Well her story goes something like this... She is 28, I am 34. She has a degree in economics and will have another degree in finance in February. She has gone as far as taking video of herself in her class while her teacher is teaching (which I thought was very cute). This is one of the reasons we are waiting til the spring. We thought the weather would be better and we would have more time to get to know one another as well. She is a very sweet girl and you can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice she is true. I really don't want to put her on trial here. I appreciate the help, but I do not think her honesty the issue. She did tell me she was married (to a Russian) before, and the reason she left him was because he drank too much. I can truly appreciate her courage and honesty in that. She has showed me through pictures and video the area in which she lives. She is in these videos and has addressed me continually. She has stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning emailing me when she has to be at work the next day.

So to me she is a good person with a big heart. I am not a gullible guy, but I admit the first month and a half of conversation I was trying to figure her out as well. Of course I do not want to be taken for a fool, but I can assure you she is a great girl who has a lot to offer. I appreciate you al looking out for the "New Guy," but I do not want to question her intentions anymore.

So on to other issues... I guess I will be thinking about where we want to go. It seems like there are many options. If I did DR I would be fine, but it would be along trip for her. If I go to Russia it would be a long trip for me. either way I think we will bother be tired. Oh well, the world is not in one time zone. I know we have some time to think about this, so I will continue to run this by her to see what she wants to do as well. Either way we are 12 hours apart and someone, or both of us are going to be tired. ha ha.

Thanks again guys.

My friend don't ask me why, but if you were born between 11-FEB-1975 and 30-JAN-1976 and she was born between 5-FEB-1981 and 24-JAN-1982, that is a very bad combination and you better run for the hills, because sooner or later you are going to feel oppressed and very unhappy as a result.

These relationships are sweet at the beginning, but the differences run so deep that you two will have a difficult time making it work, no matter how hard you try. I understand that every personality is different, but I learned the hard way. So, why tempt fate?

If any of you falls outside those dates, then everything should be more workable. Believe me only if you want, but I am not joking about this. Sorry for being negative, but ... star_smile.gif





That is amazing... I got the same thing in a fortune cookie the other day. I had no idea I could get psychologist helps from this site too. Come on guys, I am asking basic questions of how to go about meeting someone. I have never believed in all that fortune teller ####### and never will. I am looking for advice and not a psycho analysis on what kind of person I am, or girl she is. To be honest I have been on this site for less than 24 hours and all this talk about who I should or should not date because her birthday falls on the year of the Rat (or some other rodent), has gotten me a little discouraged. I would talk to my Italian mother if I needed this advice on who to date. So far the site has lived up to it's nuthouse name, thanks Mox. ha ha

I am not trying to be rude here, but being honest. I realize this will be a hard, arduous journey, but if she's worth fighting for, then dammit I'll be on point.

So on a lighter note, I am perfectly happy with going to see her is Russia or Ukraine (or some place we both would not have a problem seeing each other), and we talked about it. I am definitely OK with it. Again, I believe she is worth it.

Edited by Chris M, 26 September 2009 - 11:35 AM.

Chris MMale02009-09-26 11:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
Well her story goes something like this... She is 28, I am 34. She has a degree in economics and will have another degree in finance in February. She has gone as far as taking video of herself in her class while her teacher is teaching (which I thought was very cute). This is one of the reasons we are waiting til the spring. We thought the weather would be better and we would have more time to get to know one another as well. She is a very sweet girl and you can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice she is true. I really don't want to put her on trial here. I appreciate the help, but I do not think her honesty the issue. She did tell me she was married (to a Russian) before, and the reason she left him was because he drank too much. I can truly appreciate her courage and honesty in that. She has showed me through pictures and video the area in which she lives. She is in these videos and has addressed me continually. She has stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning emailing me when she has to be at work the next day.

So to me she is a good person with a big heart. I am not a gullible guy, but I admit the first month and a half of conversation I was trying to figure her out as well. Of course I do not want to be taken for a fool, but I can assure you she is a great girl who has a lot to offer. I appreciate you al looking out for the "New Guy," but I do not want to question her intentions anymore.

So on to other issues... I guess I will be thinking about where we want to go. It seems like there are many options. If I did DR I would be fine, but it would be along trip for her. If I go to Russia it would be a long trip for me. either way I think we will bother be tired. Oh well, the world is not in one time zone. I know we have some time to think about this, so I will continue to run this by her to see what she wants to do as well. Either way we are 12 hours apart and someone, or both of us are going to be tired. ha ha.

Thanks again guys.

Edited by Chris M, 25 September 2009 - 08:22 PM.

Chris MMale02009-09-25 20:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
thanks again guys. Have a great weekend, and I will be on here much more for sure. I really appreciate the help.

Edited by Chris M, 25 September 2009 - 03:32 PM.

Chris MMale02009-09-25 15:32:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
Yes I do have her address and have sent her a few little things before. The other day Tanya told me she would need to travel to Moscow to go to the US or European embassy for the visas. I told her I was concerned about her traveling all this way to Moscow. She lives close to Kemerovo, Russia in Siberia. She told me "Yes Moscow is far, 4 hours of flight or 2,5 day by train.. But in comparison with distance between us... If it is necessary, I certainly shall overcome this journey." I would just be concerned for her during this long trip, so this would be another reason for me to do all the leg work in getting to see her.

I hate to ask this, but all the K-1 and Schengen tourist visa is new to me. I am quite a newbie too all this an honestly do not know what these are. I can do a search for them and figure them out, but when I say I am green.... I am green. smile.gif

I guess in keeping with my original post about Tanya coming to the US for a visit, what should we do or expect? As another option. If she really wanted to come here or meet in Europe. Is there anything we should be doing other than getting applications together for the visa? Again.... quite green.

thank you all for your help.

Chris
Chris MMale02009-09-25 13:18:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
Tanya is pretty much open to any place for a meeting. She had suggested I come to see her in Russia, but I suggested some place in Europe or here in the US. I thought it would be nice she sees something new. although what you all are saying about visiting her makes perfect sense too. She was OK with coming here, but knew it would be a long process. As you said I am the only one who knows the situation and I have a great feeling Tanya is very true to me. I am sure she would love to show me around and introduce me to friends and family. She did say she would love to show me what Kemerovo, Russia has to offer. She was also excited about seeing me and experiencing something new as well. I love to travel and showing someone the things I have seen is exciting to me too.

Of course I am skeptical about some of this too. We have sent personalized, private videos through YouTube to each other and wrote numerous emails every day for the past several months. I like to think I am a good judge of character, but of course you never know. I am trying not to be naive about the whole thing either, and I would want to say Tanya's intentions are true.

So I am guessing the census is to visit her in her home country?
Chris MMale02009-09-25 12:03:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEurope or US to meet? Visa questions.
Hi this is my very first post on Visa Journey. I hope I am posting this in the right board. If this is incorrect please direct me.

Anyway to make a long story short , I have been talking to a girl from Russia for the past 4 months and we had decided to meet sometime in the spring. I would love for her to come to the US for a visit, so I could show her around this large country a little and see if she would like it here. Or option B is to meet in Europe in a country she has never been to. She is open to either option, and so am I. I have traveled to Europe many times and know my way around very well and would be happy to show Tanya things I have seen.

We started looking at visa options for European countries and the US. It is not hard for me to travel to Europe. A passport and a plane ticket. For Tanya she will need a visa and this could be along process for only a visit. The same thing holds true for a US visit. Although Europe may be easier for a visit I imagine this would be equally difficult. Does anyone have any idea what may be the best option for us? US or Europe? I can imagine there are many things we need to have in order before she would apply for the visa.

Also what kind of things should I be giving her to present to the US embassy in Russia for the visa application? I imagine a hand-written invitation with my contact info and maybe a picture, but is there anything else?

We thought we should start looking at this now for a April/May meeting. This is all very new to us and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Chris
Chris MMale02009-09-25 09:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusNeed help with visa to meet in Paris.
I have a question for you all..... My girlfriend and I are trying to meet in Paris this March. she is Russian and I am here in the US. A friend of hers took her documents to the French embassy today in Moscow. Her friend was in Moscow on business and took her documents to give to the French embassy, but they said she needed to be there. We both did not know this, but the embassy told her friend that she may be able to contact a third party agency who could take care of getting the visa, for a fee of course, but they would help her get the visa. I am still trying to learn more about this, and what exactly happened, but my girlfriend's friend is not returning to her city until today.

also they wanted to know how I got the apartment I put a deposit on. I imagine I can give the French embassy the email of the property owner and all the email correspondence between me and the owner. I gave my girlfriend some of the emails, but maybe I should send more.

I guess my question is there another way to get a visa from the French embassy, or should she try to make the trip to Moscow and avoid this agency???? I do not want to see us get scammed for trying to get a visa through this "agency." we are trying to go to Paris in March. they also told her she needs to wait until Jan 20 to give the embassy her documents.

any ideas would be helpful. thank you.
Chris MMale02009-12-23 22:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny fiancee visa documents I can bring with me when I see my girlfriend???

You need a copy of her birth certificate from NSO



What is NSO? Sorry. the two things I came up with during a search is the Nurses Services Organization and the National Symphony Orchestra. I cannot imagine they issue Russian birth certificates. ha ha

She has been married, so Can I translate the divorce decree? Or where, or who should I get this from?

Thanks again guys.

Edited by Chris M, 23 February 2010 - 11:34 AM.

Chris MMale02010-02-23 11:33:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny fiancee visa documents I can bring with me when I see my girlfriend???

It tells you that for the letter of intent for the petition, you use United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You are the petitioner and your fiancee is the beneficiary. Follow the heading with the address of the service center where you will be filing your petition. And as the interview gets close, the second letter of intent (for the interview) is addressed to United States Department of State, United States Consulate, Russia. I used this letter and had no problems.



Awesome!!! Thanks!!!!
Chris MMale02010-02-20 12:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny fiancee visa documents I can bring with me when I see my girlfriend???
Thanks very much everyone. I do have a couple other questions now. I was looking at the fiancee letter of intent, and was hoping someone could direct me to an example that actually has information, or even dummy information, in it. I want to make sure i am doing this correctly is all. The example is good here, but I want to make sure I have the correct information. Also in the letter is a place for United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and United States Department of State, United States Consulate, Russia. Which one do I use? I was thinking about printing a couple of each and giving to Tanya. i imagine she is the one who gets this letter of intent for her application/interview, right?

So I also should ask her to get two more passport photos to give me? I should also get her two passport photos of me as well?

Also I think the confusion lies in what do I give her, and what does she give me. although it seems as long as she signs the G-325a and the fiancee letter of intent (many copies of both to save for mistakes) we should be OK.

Sorry I may be asking basic questions, but I am learning as i go like the rest of you already have. Again. I appreciate the help.
Chris MMale02010-02-20 11:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny fiancee visa documents I can bring with me when I see my girlfriend???
Hey all, so I am meeting up with the girl I have been talking to in a couple weeks. We have been talking for about 9 months now, and we both feel very strong about taking the next step and bringing here here to the US. So my question is, what documents could I bring on my trip to see her that she could sign, or we can fill out together? I know a lot of the documents require a signature (and some work to prepare) and if we are going to be together I thought we could try to get some of the things done in person. A friend of mine suggested I have the G-325 form, but I wanted to see if there was any other things you all could think of for the fiancee visa. As I am sure many of you are aware it takes forever to send anything to Russia. Even a post card take over a month. Ha ha. Any help would be great. Thank you.
Chris MMale02010-02-19 16:47:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusChange of plans.... going to Russia. I need some help though.
It looks like it will be either Moscow or Egypt. Anyone have any experience here? Tanya said Moscow is very expensive, but Egypt is much cheaper and is a beach area with nice weather essentially. I am a little hesitant about Egypt mostly because I do not know much about it. I have been to Europe 12 times and feel good there because I am in my comfort zone. So to take a trip to Egypt is a little different for me. Have you all felt safe there as an American? A friend of mine said look for an all-inclusive resort, but I was curious to hear if you all had any experiences.

I guess I am a little concerned about meeting as well. If I or Tanya get there hours before the other how will we meet? Hotel? Wait at the airport? I am just concerned is all. I know the Egyptian men can be quite forward and I just want her to be safe is all.

Any ideas on Egypt are appreciated. Let me know if you have found any websites for resorts or anything else. I have just begun the search and it has been a little difficult thus far.

Since our Paris plans fell through I am a little apprehensive is all. As I know you all know it is very difficult to travel when a 'needed' visa is involved.

Thanks again guys and girls.
Chris MMale02010-03-02 15:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusChange of plans.... going to Russia. I need some help though.

Sounds like the VISA application package she submitted to the French Embassy was not complete if they had to "call and ask her why she is going to Paris." If she had properly included the trip itinerary and copies of hotel reservations and round trip tickets etc. etc. perhaps she would not have been turned down for the VISA. Moscow is incredibly expensive, so is France. Why not try Poland ? Its still an EU country and if she does a better job on her application she might get the VISA ... supply proof of all places you plan to visit, if you are going then send in your flight information as well.


She did a great job!!!!! We did all of this and we had an agency help her. we had apartment reservations, pay stubs from work, plane ticket, letter from work stating how much she made, bank account info, everything. It was not her, trust me.
Chris MMale02010-03-01 20:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusChange of plans.... going to Russia. I need some help though.
Thanks very much for the information guys. I do have a small stack of documents for Tanya to sign when we meet. i did not think there was much we can do, but at least we can go scout out where the embassy is, so she will know when she comes back. that's fine. Like Juliana said, "be a little prepared."

Slim---- is there anything else you can think of besides copies of birth certificate, I-129F and G-325A ( I made multiple copies of these, so we can at least get her signature. there may be some mistakes, so I think the most important is her signature), passport copies and photos? Do any of the passport or birth certificate copies need to be notarized? anything else you can think of?

It looks like we will be going to Moscow in April. Tanya will already be there for work for a few days, so we thought we would kill two birds with one stone. It makes sense. I am very excited.

So let me ask you all, what is a good site or business to get a visitors visa? a friend of mine gave me one, but I also wanted to see what you all recommend. The one site I went to said they could take care of the "invitation" to get to Russia, which i imagine is required. I thought i needed a hotel reservation or something as well, but it seems as though this invitation will take care of that. Our dates are not set yet, and it depends on getting a hotel or an apartment too. any recommendations on a hotel or apartment in Moscow? Apartment would be better I think.

I was looking through the application on the one site, and it asked about any military service. I was in the Navy, but got out 6 years ago. Could this hurt my chances of getting a visa? I do not want to get denied for yet another visa, but I also want to tell the truth. any ideas here?

Is there anything else I should know about for the application process?

Thanks again folks.
Chris MMale02010-02-28 12:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusChange of plans.... going to Russia. I need some help though.
Well my girlfriend found out her visitor's visa was denied for France/Paris. Long story short.... the French embassy called her to ask why she is going to Paris, then called her manager at work. the manager was not in the office when they called, so they never had a chance to talk to him, and a day later she was denied. we are in a little bit of shock, but are thinking, "What next?" So, I told her I would come see her in Russia. I have not problem visiting her in Kemerovo, Russia, but she said let's try Moscow. Moscow is fine too. the reason she said to try Moscow is so we can visit the US embassy if we decide we want to get engaged. however, I told her I do not think we can really do much in Moscow at the US embassy if we do decide to get married. Now I know we should get married here in the US for getting her here in good time, but is there anything we can really do at the US embassy? My impression is once I return from Russia the application process begins and visiting the US embassy in Moscow does not really help too much.

so the bottom line is if we go to Moscow is there anything we can really do at the embassy if we decide to get married? If there is nothing we can do at the embassy are there other cities that would be better to go to? I was thinking St Petersburg are there any others you all could think of? thanks for the help guys.
Chris MMale02010-02-27 11:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Fiancee passport questions
Hey all,

I have a question and hope I am in the right forum here. I am sitting here in Cairo waiting to come back to the US tonight and we are now officially engaged. We both could not be happier. So now the fun begins. So we met in Egypt, and everything went great, but there were concerns about her passport. A month ago we tried to go to Paris, but her visa was denied. Essentially when the French embassy called her manager at work to ask about her employment he was not there to talk, so rather than call back later they said, "Next." So she now has a stamp in her passport they probably says in French, "Visa was deined for France." So moving forward we decided on Egypt and less than a month later here we are in Egypt. She went home yesterday and I am heading back tonight. Had a wonderful time, but she had a concern about the French stamp saying her visa was denied. Our question is does she need a new passport so that stamp is not in there now? She thought it would be a good idea to get a new one because of the French, but now she has an Egyptian visa in this one which obviously will not transfer. Should we worry about this, or will she need a new one? I looked in the application guide and there really was nothing that said we need to show a copy of the passport for the application. However this may not be true for the interview and she may be asked baout it.

Also I must have not seen in the guide where it says she needs a passport sized photo for the application. I never thought about asking her to bring one, or even getting one when we were here. Is there a ways she could email me the passport photo so I can make the copy, or is it acceptable to look at the many pictures we too and try to find one that meets the specs? I'm sure she could take a bunch herself and then email them to me and I can use one from there. I'm sure we could use DHL or FED Ex to send the photo, but as most of you probably know the Russian mail is slow as hell. Not to say ours is much better.

Thanks again for the help.
Chris MMale02010-04-19 01:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusCouple questions involving sending I-129 F and other documents
Hey all. I had some questions for you all. I am in the beginning stages of sending the application and have some questions.

1. In section 18 of the I-129F "Has your fiancé(e) met and seen you within the two-year period immediately receding the filing of this petition?" I had something like this... "Tatiana and I physically met in Hurghada, Egypt, in April of 2010. We decided to meet in Egypt because it was the easiest for both of us to obtain a visa." Do I need to go in to a great deal of detail? Do I need explain how we met in the first place, or only how we physically met? Anyone have an example of what they did? Of course I want to write something very descriptive, but I thought more might open too many questions. Please advise.

2. In section 20 of the I-129F "Your fiancé(e) will apply for a visa abroad at the American embassy or consulate at:" A few people have said, including my fiance, that rather going to Moscow for the interview she can go to Ekaterinburg. This would be much closer to her by a two day train, but I did not see anything stating she could go to Ekaterinburg. Any ideas?

3. Do we need a police record for the application process? She has no arrests or anything, and neither do I, but she did get a police report to say she does not. Do I need to send this with the application packet, or is this something we will need for a later date, i.e. during the interview? I did not see anything in the guide, but wanted to ask.

4. For her notarized papers, are copies acceptable, or am I going to need originals? and should she have a set as well to hold on to for the interview?

5. Last one.... where do I see how much I need to cut a check for USCIS? I know it is approximately $1800, but I wanted to make sure I get it right the first time. However, I see the fee for the I-129 is $455. I imagine the $1800 is for the whole process, maybe not.

Again thank you all very much.

chris
Chris MMale02010-04-25 15:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow many times did you meet before you started the visa application process???
Tanya and I have been talking through chat, email, webcam and mailed letters since last July. We just recently met for one week in April in Egypt. My friend suggested that we might want to meet again, and that maybe I go to see her in Russia to have another visit under our belts. I would not mind going to Russia, but I don't know how I can take more time off from work at the moment. However this could change. My friend said only meeting once may be a little suspicious. I don't know how this would be suspicious, but I also realize to the US government we are only a number on paper. I have to be as descriptive as I can about our relationship for the past 10 months and prove to them we have been in a "relationship" for a long time. He also said that if the initial visa is denied she may never be able to get a visa to enter the US ever again.

I am just curious if this could be true, or if any of you have ever heard of someone from Russia being rejected for only meeting one time. This is kind of scary to me in that I would hate to blow the chance to get Tanya here by only having met once. Do any of you actually know of anyone who was rejected due to something like this?

This is his email below my friend sent me. His wife came here from China in the past year, and they met twice before getting her here.

"She thinks that, although you and Tanya have been chatting online for a long time and you spent time in person, it may look suspicious that you've only met in person one time and that they may reject the visa application. And I know that if someone gets a visa to enter the US rejected, especially the first time, it becomes virtually impossible for them to get any kind of US visa ever again (for the rest of their life)."
Chris MMale02010-05-02 16:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEditing personal info in emails and letters
I forgot to add this too. sorry.....


what about bank statement for the interview? Of course I want to black out my account number, but I thought showing the embassy how much I had in the bank is something they need to see. I would not want to send these statements to Tanya now, because in the next several months the amount in my account can change obviously, but when the time comes for the interview, is it OK to send her a scan of the statements so she has a very up to date balance?

And when it comes to sending the original "Documentary Proof" of having met in the last two years... right now I made copies of boarding passes, passports, birth certificates, hotel receipts, etc... this is probably a dumb question, but I do not send my passport or birth certificate over to her, do I? I know they need originals of everything else, but i cannot imagine sending my passport to Russia is one of them. however, I do have 3 copies of my birth certificate, so sending one may not be a problem.

thanks again.
Chris MMale02010-05-01 09:31:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEditing personal info in emails and letters
As far as phone bills are concerned... we have not used the phone more than 10 minutes total. Tanya is 11 hours ahead of me here, so we have been using a webcam since September. It has worked so much better for us, but of course we really do not have anything stating we have been using the webcam on MSN. However, two months in to talking through email and chat I started sending Tanya post cards in the mail, so we could get a date stamp on the post cards. I started doing this in December and sent one every week for a couple months. she has about 15 of them now, but I still send them to her about every 10 days or so, but seeing everyone's response I am going to continue to send them to her once a week again. Not a problem, and I enjoy doing it. Since we do not have phone records emails and postcards are something we will have to rely on. Of course we took many photos together on our trip to Egypt as well.
Chris MMale02010-05-01 09:18:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusEditing personal info in emails and letters
Hey all... Another question.

I know emails do not show proof of meeting in the past two years, but as stated in the guide it can show an on-going relationship. We got engaged when we met in Egypt a few weeks ago. I have been talking to Tanya for the past 10 months, and decided to take one email from both of us for every month we have been talking and put it in with the application. So in all I have 10 for each of us, 20 total. I tried to pick the emails that were short and sweet, and did not show too much about our conversations. However my question is, what can I edit out of the email? I imagine I want to leave the email address and date in there to show who is writing who, but what about the body of the letter? There is nothing too personal in these emails, but I like being a little private. The guide says this; "emails (you can edit personal info with a marker), letters (edit personal info also)." Any ideas are helpful.

Tanya just sent her signed documents through DHL today, so we are hoping they will be here by next week. I am hoping to get the application out next Monday, May 10th. We both have been working very hard on the application together. As all of you are aware of, it can be mentally exhausting. I think I have re-checked everything a hundred times, and I am hoping my "#######-ness" will benefit us in the end. ha ha.

Thanks again.
Chris MMale02010-04-30 14:10:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusProcessing time and visa question
Thanks guys and girls.

--Of course the very last thing we want to do is make plans. That would almost be like planning a trip overseas without having a passport.

--Not going to count days because that would make us crazy.

--I never really liked the prom, so I will wait for the rest of our lives instead of one date. :)

In the end getting Tanya here is the most important.

Thanks again all.
Chris MMale02010-06-22 20:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusProcessing time and visa question
So I sent in the I-129F application over a month ago, and the USCIS says they received the application on May 20, so a month ago, according to the online status checker thingy. When I look at the processing times I see the Vermont Service Center as 5 months for processing. My question is, I imagine this is only the amount of time the application will be with USCIS in Vermont, or wherever, right? Let's just say a perfect world scenario is they do not need any RFE's and the application gets sent to Moscow for the interview after the 5 months. Of course I know this may be very hard to come by, but I am being optimistic, and probably too optimistic, but I'm an optimist. ha ha. Could we technically have the visa in 6 months? So from May 20 to November 20. This is all very hypothetical, and we are not counting the days just yet, so we don't get our hopes up, but it's nice to get an idea at least. With all this information, and the "perfect world" scenario do any of you think it would be possible to get my fiancee her by the end of the year? I do realize my fiancee will have to quit her job, move out of her apartment, sell some of her big items, etc..., but I thought I would ask.

I hope I did not forget anything, but I am curious to hear if any of you had a "perfect world" scenario and how many days it may have taken you all. We both have nothing to hide, and both of us have lived in the same place for over 5 years, no criminal records, she has had the same job for 6 years, I the same job for 3, no children, etc...

Let me know, and as always I appreciate the help.
Chris MMale02010-06-22 11:20:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusBank and employment documents after NOA2
Nope, not trying to beef up the income level above the poverty line, so I will not even send my account statements.

So I will get my IRS statements for 3 years and a letter of employment and salary from my company.

Thanks again guys.
Chris MMale02010-07-09 09:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusBank and employment documents after NOA2
OK. That sounds good. I'll just work on my company getting me an employment letter, and of course I will wait until we get an interview for the pay stubs.

Also I imagine you meant to say IRS right? I am guessing I could send my last 3 years of IRS tax forms?

So I really do not need to broadcast how much money I have in my accounts either? I would much rather not send my balances 6000 miles away just in case it got "lost" in the mail.

Thanks Phil.
Chris MMale02010-07-09 08:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusBank and employment documents after NOA2
Hey all,

So I keep reading on here about getting everything together after receiving the NOA2. I know my NOA2 could be another 2 months or so, but I want to have everything "almost" ready to go. I hate being late for anything, so I am trying to be proactive on getting my letter of employment and banking statements together. I received my NOA1 on May 20, and I know it has not been 2 months yet, but like I said I want to be proactive. It seems like it can be a real pain to get my proof of employment and salary from my company. They outsourced this believe it or not, so it has been a pain (This is another story).

Two... I am going to call my bank today to ask them about getting a letter and statement from them with the date I opened my account, balances and deposits for the past year.

So my question is... is this too early to try and get these documents? I want to have them dated kinda close, but at the same time I don't want to wait because who knows how long this could take.

I imagine I just cannot log on to my bank accounts and print my statements, or can I? Of course I will still need a letter stating when my account was opened, but at least I can just print what I need from the website.

Is there anything else that some of you ran in to that may have been a pain to obtain that I should be getting now?

Your thoughts are always helpful and appreciated. Thanks.
Chris MMale02010-07-09 08:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?
thanks Slim. I only called the NVC automated line once a day, so not to worry. I send Tanya a post card once a week and several emails a week as well. Like you said I need to focus on other things.

So this website you speak of that I should check once a week.... where is this? I do not have a web address, but I think I will need a case number from the NVC, right? Or is this the EAC number I got on the NOA 2?

Thanks.
Chris MMale02010-08-25 12:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?
OK, so my NOA 2 is dated July 30. I received the letter on August 5. I have been calling the NVC number every day for a week now 603.334.0700, and there is no record of my application. Is this normal? I believe the timeline on VJ said 2-4 weeks and I think I am jumping the gun here, but I am hoping this is all just normal. What happens if the NVC does not receive the application? Who do I contact?

Tanya tells me not to worry. ha ha. She's probably right.
Chris MMale02010-08-25 10:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?
OK, to check the embassy site does this mean I send an email to them with my EAC number? What is an MOS too? I think the MOS is something I get from the NVC, right? Or is there a log-in page to check the status on the embassy website? I thought this was something I had to email them once a week to see what the status is and interview time (consulMo@state.gov).

I printed the forms from here... http://moscow.usemba...ov/fiancee.html (DS-230, DS-156, DS-156K and I-134) so I can go through these forms together with Tanya. Some of them I can do in English, and then send them to her for her to sign, date and take with her to the interview. I imagine this would be OK. Hopefully the embassy will send her these to begin with, but I like covering all basis.

She lives about a 2 day train ride from Moscow, so how does getting a medical exam work since she is not in Moscow? Essentially I was thinking she would do this a few days prior to the interview, but is there a better way? Can she do this in her town? Although I am guessing it would be dumb to schedule a medical exam in Moscow now since she does not have an interview date and time.

She has a police report that is 4 months old. Should she get another? It is translated as well.

I just sent her the website Barron provided and gave her the Russian version so she can see what she needs.

One more thing... my NOA2 is dated July 30, 2010. I started calling the NVC for the first time today. They have no record of it when I enter the EAC/Receipt number. I received the NOA 2 in the mail on August 5, so it has not been 2 weeks since I have had the document in my possession. Is this normal? I want to make sure they have the documents and hope they will shortly be on their way to Russia, so should I not be worried with this? It is all automated, but I think I called 5 times today.

Thanks again guys.
Chris MMale02010-08-18 15:23:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?
OK (As I am smacking my lips with my index finger). ha ha. Thanks.
Chris MMale02010-08-18 13:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?
Barron,

So these forms are the DS-156 form for fiancee visa application? No when I read through the State Dept website I am seeing this "Universal application" called DS-160. So I am guessing the DS-156 is not needed now. This is what I am seeing here....

U.S. Embassies and Consulates Requiring the Form DS-160

All U.S. Embassies and Consulates that process nonimmigrant visas now use the new online DS-160. Therefore, visa applicants will need to apply using the online DS-160 for most, but not all, nonimmigrant visa categories. Review the FAQs for exceptions and to find out which nonimmigrant categories continue to use the DS-156 at this time. It is important that you review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for guidance on using the new online form.


Of course I am hoping Tanya receives all the necessary documents, but like you said things could get lost in the mail.

Are there any other documents I need? I have the I-134 ready to go, and it looks like I need the DS-160, and maybe the DS-156. Any others, as far as documents go?
Chris MMale02010-08-18 13:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGot the NOA2... now what?

Wait until the interview is scheduled to send the stuff. Send the most recent pay stubs when you send. How many times have you two met? Lovey dovey emails and other records are just as important to proving a relationship as hotel receipts.


Is the interview something I need to schedule with a call to the Moscow emabssy, or is this scheduled by them? My understanding is once the application has been forwarded to the embassy by the NVC, the embassy will process this, and prepare a letter to my fiancee which will contain a list of sanctioned medical exam places, and interview date and time. The flowchart area called this "Forms and Checklist sent to Beneficiary." So the interview date and time will be in the packet of info sent to my fiancee once the application has been processed at the embassy?

I will have the most recent pay stubs ready to go when I need them.

Love Dovey emails..... Check. We did send emails to each other almost every day, and most times more than one a day. Most of the time we talk via video chat, and a little bit of chatting for which we have a chat history for the past year. Also I made it a point for the last 6 months to send a snail mail post card every week. Most of them have made it to Russia, but we have over 25 of them with post marks on them. I thought it could not hurt to have too many.

We tried to cover as much as we can to prove ourselves when the time comes. Hopefully it will pay off.

so bottom line is wait to send my original proof of meeting, 325A, and I-129F and I-134 until we have a confirmed interview date?

Thanks again Barron.
Chris MMale02010-08-16 19:38:00