ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

Have you ever thought about retiring in Russia so your dollar could go a little further?

Slim, are you hedging your bets that oil prices will continue to fall and the Russian economy will suffer in the near future. Otherwise the cost of living in Russia is rising rapidly. Major inflation of over 10% in the last several years and dollar rate keeps falling. I can't imagine it being as good as some other third world countries people choose to retire in.


the people are wonderful and friendly (something you don't see much here in the good ol' USA) and it is far less expensive to live there...they do earn far less then we do though.

Marc, obviously you haven't experienced Russia as a local or understand the language well enough. Most Russian people in Russia are extremely rude and unpleasant. Customer service is non-existant and the kind of insults and harassment, I as a Russian speaker, hear on my trips to Russia makes me want to run right back to the good ol' USA in an instant. Obviously if the people you are interacting know before hand that you are an American they will be very nice and courteous to you, but when they don't know who you are, it is another world. Perhaps I have gotten used to our "fake smiles". That is certainly not Russian culture.
It is definitely cheaper to live in Russia if you live like a local. Ride public transit, live in an old flat, etc. But as soon as you start wanting western accommodations be it in transportation, service, or housing I think it is even more expensive in Russia then here. Also there are a lot of hidden costs like bribes and fines. Random stops on the streets or while driving. Random and arbitrary enforcement of other laws be it tax law or home inspections.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-18 13:59:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

Having a house that is smaller than mine that costs 5 to 10 times more is not something to brag about... and in the end, what does it matter UNLESS you plan on moving when you retire (which most people do not )... you will just have an expensive house and no or little other assets to live on

I disagree with you here. What has recently become very popular here, is doing a reverse mortgage in your retirement years if you haven't any other pension options such as defined benefit plan or the now more common defined contribution plan. A reverse mortgage will be a form of annuity where upon your death the life insurance company or the mortgage company forecloses on your home. I find this option more as a last resort, but if the idea is to not move upon retirement and receive a steady income, this plan makes sense.
Granted their won't be much of an inheritance to pass on, but with the modern high life expectancy, I myself am not expecting anything for another 30-50 years anyway.
Peace on all the subjects we discussed in our posts. I find them agreeable. :)

Edited by Satellite, 12 October 2006 - 03:09 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-12 15:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

you will have to have two incomes to do it.. which also means you will spend a lot more money to do 'things' since you are both working and neither have the time to do them... and you will not be saving for retirement, but will work well into your 60s or even 70s... this is exactly what I mean by people THINKING they must have two incomes to make ends meet.. you do not..

We certainly need two incomes if we don't want to rent the rest of our lives. I have to agree with you on that. But I disagree with you about working well into our 60's and beyond. Our greatest asset and retirement benefit is our over priced real estate. Guess what happens if we wanted to retire in Texas? One decent home sold in San Francisco gets you a whole block of decent homes in Texas.

If you wouldn't trade it for anything then don't complain, because different lifestyles are possible elsewhere in America. If you love California and what it has to offer, then you've chosen that lifestyle, so don't tell us how the other figures are skewed.
...
Apparently you don't care to move, so don't criticize the lifestyle of somewhere else or say "he's out of touch with reality", especially if you've never lived there, or never been there, even.

I wasn't really trying to complain. Sorry if it came out that way. I was simply trying to bring up a counter example of a place in America, a rather big and populace place where the breadwinner lifestyle, may be feasible but not practical.
And back to Texasproud who is a big advocate of the breadwinner lifestyle, I voiced my opinion how disappointed I would be in my wife if she was only a homemaker. I think of her as smart and brilliant, and we can always hire someone to clean the home if she is very successful in her career.
Just a different view of life. I guess I read too many feminism books and was not pleased with the 1950's breadwinner lifestyles. And if what you are describing modernly is somehow different, then clue me in.
What is different as I understand according to the articles I posted is that government programs and assistance has all gone down and the price of living has gone up. Making the breadwinner lifestyle in general difficult if you are someone one like me who does enjoy two cars, a nice vacation, a nice home in nice location, etc.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-11 14:23:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

So I don't think he's stuck in the 1950's... I think you're stuck on the coast!

Wouldn't trade it for anything. Love California and what it has to offer. I think a majority of the US population is on the coasts, and that breadwinner number is closer to 25%.
Here are some inspiring articles on the subject.
http://www.contempor...m...&ext=mintz1
http://www-scf.usc.e...kjen/coontz.doc
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-10 15:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

I will say you are completely wrong in that you need two incomes to make it in the US.. I would say about 75% of the men who I work with are the sole breadwinner in thier families and the women stay at home with the kids.. some will take part time work, some will do full time for awhile and then drop out again.. but IT IS THEIR decision.. the man has to work and does not have this option... How many couples do you hear that the woman is making a lot more than the man and HE stays at home with the kids?? NOT MANY..

Why do most want two incomes??? They want expensive cars... a boat, a big house.. cable TV, cell phones for everybody... expensive vacations.. maybe even an RV, private school... big screen TV, Starbucks every day (or twice)... eating out all the time.. buying fast food for the kids.. many ways to waste money and say you need two incomes to get it... but, change the livestyle and you do not need that much income...

I will have to vehemently disagree with you! Are you stuck in the 1950's? Where did the 75% breadwinner number come from? My wife and I both have to work full time and its doubtful we'll ever buy a house in San Francisco. Median home price for a 2 bedroom 1 bath is $750,000. Do you know what the mortgage payment on that would be?
We struggle now to make ends meet on two incomes. Rent alone is eating up $1,100 for a one bedroom, where the landlord is living right above us. Welcome to reality here in California. Two doctors or two lawyers are priced out of the market without a substantial down payment or inheritance to even buy a 2 bedroom home. We would love to even go on one vacation a year, have two cars, etc...
And even if the cost of living wasn't so high in California, I would love to have the things you think two incomes can buy. What's wrong with a woman that earns more than a man? I would be so proud of my wife if she did that. By the way, my mother as a registered nurse is making nearly twice as my dad who is an electrical engineer. And such couples are not alone. The Filipino community for example has almost all the women go into nursing with the men working part-time and taking care of kids. Not sure how they do things out in the middle of the country, but that's how things work on the coasts.

Edited by Satellite, 10 October 2006 - 11:25 AM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-10 11:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

I know of many Russian woman coming over on an American Camp type visa. Many of them worked at a camp site with me years ago.

You are probably referring to J-1 visas. There are about 12 different reasons for getting them. But the basic idea is cultural exchange. The theory is, that these generally university students between their 2-4 year, they have 5 year programs in Russia, will visit here and take back their experience to Russia to apply there. In reality this becomes the only plausible way to get a visa to the US as a young single female. However, competition is high for participation in these work programs. Usually a really good TOEFL score, and sometimes a bribe goes a long way. Also the ladies must pay for the program and all travel costs which makes it prohibitively expensive for many Russians without sponsors. Initially I wanted my fiancee to visit me this way, but the uncertainty and length of time for being accepted into the program made us think otherwise and just do the K1.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-09 14:07:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

She had a nice job... not great paying job, but a teacher at an art university..
She has a two room flat in the middle of St. Pete.. shows ownership..
No car.. bad there..
TWO children.. that were not coming on the visa...
But, unless I can appeal... it is water under the bridge...

Texas Proud, you just don't get it? It isn't about having a car, kids, husband, and flat. It's about having the things that you will want to return to in the eyes of the US consulate. To them her low paying job as an art teacher is something worth abandoning for any higher paying blue collar US job. The point is that, the things she has are all not worth keeping in the eyes of the US consulate and thus they issue a routine denial.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-09-01 21:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHi all... starting my journey

but I read the US site saying the things that you 'needed' to show you would return home and she had them... so I guess the site is not telling the truth.. lesson learned..

The site is telling the truth. Like you said you need to prove there is something to return to.
Returning to a $200 a month salary/job?
Returning to a small one bedroom flat?
Return to an old Russian Car?
In the eyes of the American consulate those are not the things a single young woman would want to return to.
However, if she presented documents stating:
She had a 5 bedroom cottage.
Husband and two young kids.
She is an executive of a Russian oil company making $5000+ a month.
Now those are things a US consular officer would consider having strong ties to which you certainly would want to return to.
Invitation from a boyfriend in America...and she has to prove she is not a potential immigrant just doesn't go together.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-08-31 21:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMultiple Visas and DHL Express
Each visa "order" might generate a separate envelope in their systems. And I suppose it is possible to have one passport done before the other. Definitely worth calling them and perhaps even the embassy. Because if they don't have the paid slip, you might not even get in for an interview.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-26 11:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow did you know the date the embassy received it?

I am unsure about that link, it appears to have older dates only?

Maybe try this one:
http://moscow.usemba...ar/iv_dates.php

I agree.
I just went off the incorrect link offered at:
http://www.visajourn...e...&cty=Moscow

It's shame they changed the links, because it now makes this site worthless:
http://www.tenthgen.com/Visa.aspx
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-27 09:02:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHow did you know the date the embassy received it?

How did you know the date the embassy received it?

I could tell the exact day the embassy received it, but I could tell if they received it.
Go to:
http://moscow.usemba...r/wwwhcisk.html
Find your case number there and you know that the embassy both received it and scheduled an interview for you.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-26 21:31:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian International Passport Question

My fiancee is fighting not knowing which international passport type to get.
'
There are two: Temp, Perm

Temp is for like tourists
Perm is when you move permanantly out of the country.

Does anyone know what your fiance/e got?

I have never heard of this distinction.
As far as I am aware there are only two passports for Russian citizens:
1. Internal passport. This is like a national ID card and cannot be used for international travel.
2. International Passport.
Have the authorities issue her a "zagran" passport.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-27 13:59:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusDoes K1 visa need Russian PMJ passport?

Does K1 visa need Russian PMJ passport?

What does PMJ stand for?
Here are the closests hits I got from Acronym finder:
http://www.acronymfi...mp;string=exact
None of them seem to make sense.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-27 13:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusProposed Bill against Russian Emigrants
Old news. It was already discussed in both the Russian forum and off topic. Granted I will never find the off topic link.
http://www.visajourn...mp;#entry264881
A good fun read about him can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia....mir_Zhirinovsky
Best quote is about Russian troops washing their boots in the Indian Ocean!
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-30 18:19:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusOpen Hailing Frequencies...

i guess i can top all of the above...

well not me exactly but seemingly european company

www.voipcheap.com

calls to land lines in most countries are free (Russia included of cause), quality is often better than Skype(depends on the region one's calling, Skype prooved to be not too reliable for me). After one trial period you have to put 10euro on your acount. obender

I tried this. It works more like a radio for us. About 1.5 second delay.

No hidden fees.... but you do have to pay 69cents every 14 days.... not what I want to do...

The fact that you found this "stated" fee makes it by definition not hidden. My wife goes through the card in about a week, so this was never an issue for us. If you call less than that, you shouldn't have a large phone bill anyway.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-03 10:50:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusOpen Hailing Frequencies...
Try:
http://www.uniontele...ds/2051//rates/
4.0 Cents to Anywhere in Russia
1.2 Cents to Moscow
1.5 Cents to St. Petersburg.

The trick is to use the local access numbers. And even if you don't have one, use your cell phone during your unlimited minutes like nights and weekends to call those local access numbers.
It's a great deal. My wife goes through about 4 cards at $5 each a month and gets like 8 hours of talk time.

I think these rates even beat Skype.

Also no hidden fees or taxes.

Edited by Satellite, 29 October 2006 - 11:41 AM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-29 11:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting Married in Yekaterinburg

People do buyon credit and use credit cards. Almost everyone I know in Moscow and other big cities have credit cards, buy cars by getting cradit and loans. It is just not as widespread as it is in US.

Like all other topics, Moscow is truly a country within in a country. I and a few rich businessmen were the only ones who ever used a credit card for anything in Siberia, where I spent the majority of my combined 6 months in Russia.
Back in 2004 the only kind of credit cards being offered to the majority of average income earning Russians was secured credit. Place $200 in the bank and get $200 on a visa card. Might as well as call it a debit card at that point.

When I was in Saratov which is a rather big city every where we went they were cash only. I would see signs for credit cards but they would say cash only. Anna said cash is better. I even paid my hotel bill in cash.

The same trend I noticed in major Siberian towns of Novosibirsk and Tomsk.

As far as I am aware there is buying on credit for cars and real estate. But to qualify you need a US salary. How many Russians outside of Moscow make a US salary?
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-15 14:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting Married in Yekaterinburg

We do have a tracking program..... we just don't have an actual passport for it. We are very easy to find. Socials, credit cards, checks, etc., the average American can be located several times a day by using simple financial software.

None of this would apply to Russia. Where society is still cash based. No credit history, no buying on credit, or credit cards. Thus the internal passport and local registration remains the primary method of tracking.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-14 13:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting Married in Yekaterinburg

What about someone who has always been single, never married? How do you prove that you've never been married?

If you were not married before ZAGS might ask you to provide a certificate that no impediment exists to the marriage. The United States does not require such a document. If such a document is requested, you need to prepare an affidavit with basic biographical information about you and your fiancé. The information should be in both English and Russian. It is important that the Russian transliteration of your name be identical to that on your Russian visa and that all information pertaining to your Russian fiancé be correct and accurate. Your affidavit should be apostilled in the U.S."
Based on this information you will have to return to the US to have your affidavit of never being married or all previous divorce decrees apostilled. Leaving to Russia without knowing all the information and facts on how to get married or anything else that pertains to dealing with Russian authorities is a huge risk.

Read the quoted part again. It recommends an appostiled and translated affidavit in which you personally state you have never been married

And by that token, why not just say you've never been married? It's not like ZAGS is going to check your home state records?

Russians are big on tracking everybody. Their internal passports state whether they are married and how many kids they have. As well as at what address you are registered at. They are shocked to learn that we don't have a similar program in the states. Thus they place the burdensome requirement on US citizens who want to marry in Russia.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-13 14:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGetting Married in Yekaterinburg
Samo,
Check out http://vladivostok.u...csmarryrus.html
The part that pertains to you is quoted below:
"The Russian government (ZAGS) requires official proof of your legal capacity to marry. If you had your previous marriages dissolved you can provide ZAGS with official divorce decrees and their translations. Please note, that divorce decree should bear an apostille. An apostille is the equivalent of an international notarial seal. Any document which bears an apostille is legally valid for use in all countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961 on the legalization of documents. This includes the U.S. and Russia. To obtain an apostille on documents notarized in the U.S. (including civil records), you must apply to the Secretary of State of the state in which the document was notarized. The Secretary of State's office will verify the notary public's or other notarizing official's signature by placing an apostille on the document. If you were not married before ZAGS might ask you to provide a certificate that no impediment exists to the marriage. The United States does not require such a document. If such a document is requested, you need to prepare an affidavit with basic biographical information about you and your fiancé. The information should be in both English and Russian. It is important that the Russian transliteration of your name be identical to that on your Russian visa and that all information pertaining to your Russian fiancé be correct and accurate. Your affidavit should be apostilled in the U.S."
Based on this information you will have to return to the US to have your affidavit of never being married or all previous divorce decrees apostilled. Leaving to Russia without knowing all the information and facts on how to get married or anything else that pertains to dealing with Russian authorities is a huge risk.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-12 12:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInterview on Tuesday.

I was just looking at her scanned package from Moscow and saw AO Medicina is open on Sunday. She could get her results monday in time for the interview Tuesday. Is that risky?

We did a MOM appointment on Friday with the interview on a Monday morning. We went there for same day results and better price. It turned out fine.

The medical check is good for like 2 or 3 months or something like that. (?)

In terms of AOS, the medical is good for one year.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-13 14:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPolice certificate for minors
You are dealing with Russia. There is no way you are going to get a police certificate before the 20th using regular channels. You are talking about a big bribe to expedite this. But do email the consulate and if they say yes, then it might be wiser to delay the interview rather than making two trips to Moscow. Depending on where you live and if you already bought tickets this could cost you a lot in the pocket book.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-16 20:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny recent interviews in Moscow ?

I know a RW who got a hotel room for about $75 a night. But it is 7 miles from the center.
Anyway different people want different things....

Are you kidding, I wanted the exact same apartment you are paying for! But I could never afford it and still can't. In my day, we stayed two nights at a horrible Moscow hostel for $50 a night. And the rest of the time for free in a suburb of Moscow that was about 25 miles away at her uncles flat. But public transportation is awesome in Moscow. Even from our distant spot we could make it to anywhere in Moscow in about 1 hour. Train ride from Korelov to Moscow was 9 rubles one way at the student rate.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-03 10:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAny recent interviews in Moscow ?

200 per night
Anna is staying at
White House Suite (o)
http://www.cityrealt...apartments.html

Did you know that a typical one bedroom apartment can be found in Moscow between $500 to $1000 per month? Why in the world would anyone pay $200 a night? A Russian lady can then take that monthly rental and drop it by half through negotiation if she is staying less than a week.
Go to http://irr.ru/ or check out the local paper in Moscow.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-03 09:09:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAlaska, Texas, California

The conclusion that I got from this thread and the other ones is that AKDiver is basically saying: "Texas and California SUCK!!! Alaska ROCKS!!!! And if you don't like that, GOOD! Stay in Texas and California!"

Not necessarily. If you look at the list it includes three states with one the highest populations in the US: California, Texas, and Florida. These states by their sheer number of people are likely to produce a lot of migration to other states by the normal movement of people. So it would be interesting to see as a whole, what percentage of the total population of all the states listed on that list moved specifically to Alaska. The numbers could easily prove that a very small percentage of all the people that moved from those six states in the last 10 years, moved to Alaska! Thus, one could conclude that of all the states to move to, Alaska is the least desirable.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-14 13:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAlaska, Texas, California
akdiver,
Overall aren't these numbers way too small to draw any kind of significant conclusion? The article said in the past 10 years.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-13 14:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belaruspolice report for Moscow embassy

I am curious if anyone translated their police certifcate? (or if others didn't and still passed.)

We did not and did just fine.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-21 01:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusTourist Visa for Brother

If memory serves me correctly any LPR can apply for his or her parents to immigrate to the USA and there isn't a wait beyond the typical I-130 filing.

This is completely incorrect. An LPR cannot sponsor their parents for immigrant benefits. A USC, however can and his parents will be considered an immediate relatives so the process is in theory just as fast as bringing over a spouse on a CR-1/IR-1 visa.
Brothers and sisters can also receive immigration benefits based on their USC siblings but they are put in the fourth preference category rather than immediate relative. Thus the wait time is closer to a decade or longer depending on what country you are from.
As far as the tourist visa is concerned the same burden holds true for close ties to Russia. Just because you have a good reason to come to the US, doesn't mean you are excused from proving you won't stay. Perhaps it is a tad easier for parents because they are usually in an age where staying illegally and trying to make it here is impractical.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-27 11:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical exam in Moscow
Despite what everyone says I think they are all the same. Price was our number one concern followed by closeness to any metro station.
Here is the list.
http://www.usembassy...record_id=ivmed
We went with MOM or IOM as they call it now, because it satisfied both.

Edited by Satellite, 26 November 2006 - 11:46 AM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-26 11:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInconsiderate update!!

A lot of these women are MAJORLY "heetri"... cunning like a fox contemplating the henhouse and very very sophisticated at using their femininity in order to manipulate things to their own advantage. I truly believe it's in their culture, it's in their genes and it's in their mindset.

http://www.toostupid...ave/fool_me.htm
Dan,
I sure hope this won't be you if the second time around another "??????" lady leads you down the same path as the first.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-15 23:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInconsiderate update!!

Yes, I forgot that part in my previous post... kick her out of the flat!

I'd be careful about what kicking anybody out. The Russian lady could simply bring a false claim of sexual assualt against this poor guy and the miltia will have him locked up for days before they let him out. Who are they going to believe? And you don't even want to know what kind of treatment he'll get in a Russian jail cell.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-10-18 23:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusLess than a week to go

There are many, many small businessess that need help but which simply can not afford to pay employees "on the books".

In this situation the employer should hire you as an independent contractor (IRS 1099). The employer's tax liability is almost nothing yet you are both completely within the tax law, assuming you fall under the definition of an independent contractor.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-12-05 13:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusLess than a week to go

Is this what they did for you Satellite, or did you have to do the co-sponsor thing?

We did the co-sponsoring thing. Parents were plenty over. This is the first year we broke poverty :P But then again living in San Francisco anything under 100k a year is poverty, it makes no difference really. What can you expect from two full time students.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-12-02 09:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusLess than a week to go

The good news is if you have a co-sponsor and he only had an income of $ 10,000 last year and you can show a w-2 for $ 9,000, they should look at the total which gives you over the nearly $ 16,000 you need.

I can't find you an exact source but I remember reading on VJ many times that each "co-sponsor" must meet the poverty guideliness separately, because otherwise you can gather 16 friends who only make $1,000 who would be unable to support themselves on that let alone another person! The aggregate theory fails, although I like it in some contexts.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-28 20:00:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusLess than a week to go

She's sending YOU money, not the other way around. That's going to say a lot to the interviewers!

I couldn't agree more!
The CO could find her inadmissible under INA § 212(a)(4)(B ):
"In general.-Any alien who, in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible"
The CO would ask, what will happen when this visa applicant leaves Russia? She will no longer be able to send money to support herself and her USC "sponsor".

She "only" sent me one fat amount of money through WU a couple of months ago to bail my sorry ### out and prevent eviction (which tapped her out). I will definitely suggest to her that she show this receipt to the Embassy folks!

Moral of the story, be careful on how this will be interpreted. If you or one of your co-sponsors don't break 125% poverty line based on the I-134 formula, this "bailing" out money could send the wrong message.

teukros,
I was and still am a full time student throughout this process. Not once did I put my lady ahead of my education. What that meant is that there are times when we spend less time with each other and during the visa process I only saw her while school was out, only called a few times a month, and didn't write when I was busy with school. Something to keep in mind if you want to try for your RN license!
RNs make great money and are in shortage. Complete your goal, it will help you more in the long run.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-11-25 13:17:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusCheck out the AirFares...

This might be a little off topic from the original post but when you have an overnight in London lets say, who provides the accommodation? Is the airline or the individual?

Individual! You can stay at the airport over night for free if you like. That is what most Russians do at train stations and airports.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-12-08 10:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusTourist visa for Russia...

If it works out I will really have to be be in a bind to pay to have someone do it for me ever again...Saved about a $100USD by doing it myself but we will see if it is a bargain, should know in about 10 days if everything is ok.

I have only done this myself - I don't see why it is necessary to pay anyone else. The only thing you really need is the invitation, which you should be able to get from a hotel for free, or by paying an agency about $30.

I've been preaching this for over a year on VJ. But everyone used to say how much easier it is to pay the extra money. Because I preferred not be tied down to hotel or apartment and stay longer than 90 days, my wife always did the private invitation for me. Only costs a couple hundred rubles for her to get (actual price OVIR charged).
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-12-19 19:25:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThe definition of Frustration....

I have written up some letters and will send them off to USCIS and NVC, possibly Moscow. Notarized and saying I did not submit such a request and well as another statement of intent to marry Anna within the 90 day K-1 visa period.

This is a great idea, however, I still think it would be stronger if you both submit letters of continued intent to get married and statements that neither of you asked for a withdrawal.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-12-14 18:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusFinancial Info (prior to interview)

if I were you I would just use the income from the job and screw the rest. Why bother to try and prove the assests/stocks/savings when your job provides more then enough income for them to approve you?

I concur 100%. Go with the W2, Tax return, employment letter, and I-134. We did just fine based on those things only.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-02-16 17:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusOur POE
Sorry to hear about your experience.
But at best all we can do is keep track of such experiences. Putting together data showing a strong consistency in poor behavior at a particular POE or by a particular POE officer will make it easier for anyone who wants to bring a strong case in terms of complaining.
Unfortunately the experiences at every stage of this process vary greatly.
For example, at LAX we got through in under 30 minutes, with 25 of those minutes spent standing in the long queue along with everyone else.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-04-02 18:09:00