ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInterview CANCELLED!

incompetence and stupidity of our government.

I'll take our government any day over what I saw in Russia.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-27 07:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInterview CANCELLED!

Is there any way she can enter this country and live with me while this mess is being untangled?

Having filed an I-129F petition does not mean you have a K1 in your passport. Thus you can apply for a tourist B2 visa. It would be an uphill battle trying to convince the US consul you will return to Russia and the I129F doesn't help. But in theory you could get a job in the US and get a work visa. I know it is all not practical, but you asked if there is a way.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-26 16:58:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusI 94 A number
You can always double check that number with the A number provided on your NOA2.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-25 14:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThings we already suspected.

I've been in both Moscow, and Seoul (#2 on the list) and neither one of them is anywhere near as expensive as right here in the good ol' US of A!

Couldn't agree more. Try putting a 1 week vacation to Disney World together! You can easily get a few weeks vacation to Mexico for that kind of money.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-27 18:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusThings we already suspected.
"NEW YORK - Moscow has eclipsed Tokyo as the world's most expensive city, a new survey says."
...
http://news.yahoo.co...xpensive_cities

Yet another reason why finding a bargain is hard in Moscow and limiting your stays makes a lot of sense.

Edited by Satellite, 26 June 2006 - 11:49 AM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-26 11:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWhen your spouse returns to Russia
I'm not even sure how the whole issue of renouncing citizenship came up. A Russian citizen does not have to renounce their citizenship when they receive a green card or US citizenship. However, a year ago Vladimir Zhirinovsky proposed legislation that would strip citizenship from women who married foreigners. But apparently that never got anywhere.
http://www.amren.com...ians_concer.php
There is really nothing to worry about. Keeping the Russian citizenship is a good thing. Since only Russians can "own" land in Russia. You also save on the visa fees and if you are at retirement age there is the wonderful $50 - $100 pension :P
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-21 10:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWhen your spouse returns to Russia

I would appreciate tips and advice, especially from those whose spouse has returned to Russia for a visit after going through the K-1 process. I don't want to be blind-sided.

This is a non-issue. The only people in Moscow checking for a US visa will be airline security staff. Just have Irina show them her greencard and she's good to go.

It seems like both of you should re-read the following thread posted not so long ago:
http://www.visajourn...showtopic=14934
But mostly I agree with the second poster that the Russian authorities should not give you any problems. Russian authorities the "exit" border patrol which are separate from airline employees can act completely arbitrarily and can prevent anyone from leaving for any reason if they really wanted to. If you have a different name on your green card and Russian passport you can cover yourself with the consulate amendment to the Russian passport or going through the lengthy and complicated process of changing all documents to one name. But really what happened in the thread above is rather unusual.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-19 10:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWife not allowed to leave Russia for U.S.
I forgot to mention that in order to register at the Russian Consulate you need a green card. They actually care that you are truly a permanent resident in the US. But they will still do an amendment to a passport without registering.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-26 16:34:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWife not allowed to leave Russia for U.S.
slimjimxpl,
Russians are big on registration. For example in Russia all Russian citizens by law must register an address where they live with the authorities. This is part of the old Soviet control which has remained. For communal living the amount of people registered per flat determines the utility bill and the like. Also the registration in Russia is used for all sorts benefits including getting a job to buying a cell phone. Otherwise the Russian citizen faces burdensome fines at every juncture that registration is required.
Now in the US the Russian registration means nothing to US authorities. A Russian citizen does not have to register at a US consulate. But in this case the Russian citizen is treated as a temporary visitor and not a permanent resident in the US to the Russian authorities. Keeping a local registration back in Russia is one option, although it can be burdensome on the family members that are left behind. Having no registration is fine too as long as you stay away from Russia or are prepared to pay fines.
Now the greatest perk of registering at a Russian consulate in the US is that the Russian citizen gets a registration that is good in every city for up to 90 days while traveling on return "temporary" trips to Russia. Otherwise by law Russian citizens like foreigners must register in every city they stay in for over 72 hours. Moscow is notorious for stopping everyone to check their documents to check these matters.
Other benefits of being registered include receiving permanent resident recognition by the consulate for services like passport renewal and other citizenship issues concerning Russians. Once again, if you have no intention of ever dealing with Russia you can do nothing.
It's okay either way, if it is too difficult don't bother, it is not the most important thing in the world.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-25 23:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWife not allowed to leave Russia for U.S.
You ask some very good questions, many of which I have asked in person at the Consulate in San Francisco. Here is my best understanding of the responses I got.

a). If she Registers at the consulate in Seattle, can they perform the ZAGS function of registering her marriage too?

Yes, if both people who married in the US were Russian citizens and were married by consulate official. Otherwise no.

If not, then which ZAGS would she have to go to, since she has no registration anywhere else?

She technically would have to register anywhere in Russia. Go to the local ZAGS there with the translated, "apostilled", and Russian consulate certified (they tie all the documents with a string and place a seal / stamp with a signature on it) marriage certificate and have them do it in Russia.

B). If she Registers at the consulate in Seattle, can THEY change the name on her internal passport to her married name?

No.

c). If she Registers at the consulate in Seattle, but they will NOT change her name on her internal passport, then how does this happen, since at this point, she has no registration anywhere else?

Refer to my answer to part (a)(2).

d). If she Registers at the consulate in Seattle, but they will NOT change her name on her internal passport, will they at least add the "insert" to her international passport indicating her new name?

Yes, they did it for us.

e). If she Registers at the consulate in Seattle, will they issue her a new international passport to replace her expiring one?

I don't think so. As all internal passport issues are handled in Russia.

f). If they do issue her a new international passport, and by some miracle they change her name on her internal passport too, then will they issue her a new international passport in her new name?

Once, again, they will not do anything with the internal passport. But if she does register with the consulate they will forever renew her external passport in her maiden name.
You mention not doing anything and waiting for the US passport. It’s a good idea if she no longer wants anything to do with Russia. Because even with a US passport she will not be allowed into Russia itself because she is a Russian citizen with an expired Russian passport or lacking a Russian visa, which she cannot get unless she abandons Russian citizenship. Also, if you are late in renewing your passport the Russians have the audacity to charge you more fees.
Good luck getting responses to these questions over the phone. It was hard enough in person and I still don't understand all of it. Not to mention Russian laws change often and with little notice so all this information could be obsolete pretty soon.
Finally, this processes seems daunting enough when you live 30 minutes from the Consulate, I can’t image the problem of flying in from hundreds of miles away and trying to do this. In my experience it usually takes several trips to get anything done with the Russian officials. The only good thing about working with the consulate is that they are the only official. While in Russia the document scramble could cover lots of “official” places.
And to top it all off, what are the Consulates doing about children who were born in the US who got official citizenship through their Russian parent(s). These kids don't even have internal passports, how would they get their external passport changed to a married name? Crazy system!
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-24 19:25:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWife not allowed to leave Russia for U.S.

Does anyone know if I should apply for a new External passport while in Russia, or is it better to unregister at my place of permanent residence there, register at the Russian consulate here in US, and deal with the Consulate regarding my new passport?

If you want to save money, do your external passport while you are in Russia. But if they take too long you can be in trouble. If you do it at the consulate you are looking at $150 versus less 450 rubles as of 2004 prices for my wife's region. Or you can get the passport done while in Russia and then unregister and register with the consulate. Or if you are really brave you can try to change your name in your passports while in Russia if that is applicable to you.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-24 15:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWife not allowed to leave Russia for U.S.
Everything said so far is exactly correct. My wife did get an amendment to her external passport which states that she also goes by the following married name. But this was done at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco and has their official seal and signature. I don't think they do this service in Russia.
Who exactly did not let your wife out of the country? Exit border patrol or airline employees?
And to add, that those folks like wife who did register with the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, still cannot change their external passport to her married name, because her internal passport has her maiden name. Like I said many months ago, the process of changing the name in the passport is probably more complicated then getting a visa to the US. I feared something like this would happen. Because if you read the general forums you will hear how the Europeans, Canadians, and Australians have no problem boarding airplanes and leaving their home country holding just a regular marriage certificate from the US. Welcome to Russia folks. Good luck and a speedy resolution.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-24 14:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian Citizenship for baby
Please read all the information here:
http://www.consulrus.../consuldesk.htm
In short the Russian consulate in San Francisco will issue your baby Russian citizenship if you follow their procedure. Which will include translating and apostille of the US birth certificate. Filling out forms and paying fees. Then the consulate can add the baby to the Russian passport of the Russian citizen parent. This will get you into Russia visa free but not out. You'll also have to make the baby a US passport. That will allow the baby to exit Russia. Dual citizenship is allowed for babies born of at least on Russian citizen on US soil.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-30 17:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusmissing some food ..

I dont know anything about mares milk but I would think you would want to leave that for the little horses. Can you imagine giving baby animals human breat milk. We are trully a strange species.

I suppose you are also against the human consumption of Cow's milk? We don't give cows human breast milk, but we do drink their brest milk. As a matter of fact a lot of food that is essential to our health comes from diary products. Your logic makes me wonder.
You can find a good read on this subject below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-03 16:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian/American vacation spot

Dominican Rupublic.
What are the requirements for Russians and Americans to enter the country?

You can always check the visa / travel requirements of any national around the world through:
http://www.delta.com...ation/index.jsp
And of course you can always email or simply read the websites of the consulate / embassy site of the country in question.
The requirements for entering the Dominican Republic are the same for US and Russian citizens. Pay 10 entry fee and have a passport.

connecting through Fort Lauderdale.

This flight plan will give you grief. Because the US requires all passengers who transit through to go through passport control, your fiancee will have to obtain a transit visa. That means an interview at the consulate or embassy, paperwork costs, visa cost, and travel costs. If the Dominican Republic is indeed a hot travel spot for Russians, then they must be getting here via a route that does not include the Untied States.

Edited by Satellite, 29 June 2006 - 10:28 AM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-29 10:28:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian/American vacation spot

You do not need a visa for connecting flights in any international airport.

Depending on your nationality this may not necessarily be true. Some foreigners from African countries are required to get transit visas just to make international connections through European airports on their ways to the US even if they have valid US visas!
It is always best to check with the consulate of the country you are traveling through to confirm any such "transit" visa requirements. Or you can do a simple search through:
http://www.delta.com...ation/index.jsp
But Chuckles is probably right on the preliminary assumption that US citizens do not need visas to make international connections.
For example making a connection through Russia and being a US citizen:
"Visa not required if continuing within 24 hours and not leaving the airside (international) transit area. Passenger must hold onward ticket and all documents required for next destination.
If continuing by a domestic flight (also including Belarus); or if airport of arrival is different from airport of departure within the same Russian city (e.g. arriving at Sheremetyevo-2 and departing from Sheremetyevo-1 airport in Moscow): Transit visa required, as entering territory of Russian Fed."
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-19 15:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian/American vacation spot

I would HIGHLY recommend Croatia! ! ! !

Based on Russian newspaper articles, the Balkans are the new hot spots for Russian vacationers. It is cheap and as nice as the other popular places: Turkey, Spain, Egypt, and Tunis.
Personally I can't vouch for any. We did have a great time in Sochi in 2003 if you are coming to Russia and don't want to leave Russia for vacation. At the time the 10-day trip with hotel, airfare from Western Siberia, food, and excursions went for about 16,000 rubles for two. Although you have to deal with the Russian bureaucracy; registration, etc.

Edited by Satellite, 08 May 2006 - 12:49 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-08 12:47:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInternational Banking

there is russian law that prevents any foreign bank activity on russian soil. it's as simple as that. Citibank and citibank branch in russia have almost no relation to each other (except the name i guess).

Thanks, that's what I thought too.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-08 23:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInternational Banking

The problerm with moswt ATM cards is you can only draw out 250 or 300 dollars a day

Am I the only one that sees a difference between an ATM withdrawal which is limited versus an in person withdrawal from a bank which has no such limits? Assuming of course as originally stated that the bank in question has a branch in both countries.

Edited by Satellite, 07 June 2006 - 01:32 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-07 13:32:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInternational Banking
Everyone here is talking about withdrawing. The ATM trick is old news for substituting Western Union. However, I believe the original poster, like myself are more concerned with making a checking account deposit in a bank that has a branch in both Russia and the US. Because as far as I am aware, there is no way I can make a deposit into a Russian bank / ATM machine and expect it to appear on my checking account in the US without doing the full blown money wire, which is expensive on both sides.

Edited by Satellite, 07 June 2006 - 12:50 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-07 12:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusInternational Banking
Based on my observations I saw citibank in both countries. I have no idea how well the ATM / Checking accounts are recognized between the two branches. I also want to know the answer because it would be amazing to deposit say $100,000 on one side and withdraw on the other.
http://www.citibank.com/us/d.htm
http://www.citibank....in/rus/home.htm
Good luck.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-06 10:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

If you are planning to stay at a hotel you MUST have a tourist visa. I don't think they will or can register a "guest" or homestay visa.

This is not true. I had my private visa registered at a Moscow hostel. But like I mentioned before, my private visa was not registered in Sochi, because the hotel did not know how to register foreigners at all! That's what I get for going like a local.

I also scored a Russian version of Windows XP (SP2!) for a very decent price. ;) I had been wanting XP for sometime and I don't mind my little ???? button. Certainly not for the price I paid for it! :)

Russians are masters at pirating software. I got my copy absolutely free. I simply asked one of my fiance's friends and he burned me a copy. Also depending on your version, the langauge change is really just an add on. You can change the language back to English by going to Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-04 21:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

That's a pretty stiff fine!

He started much higher perhaps around 500 rubles when he saw my US passport, but after I started talking in Russian and explaining the situation and how I as a poor student came to Russia to help their economy, I almost got away with no fine :P
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-30 08:33:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

The trick is to get registered for the whole duration of your stay... I've done this and not had any trouble, even when traveling and staying at various locations (different cities).

Unfortunately I have not been as lucky as you. On my first trip to Russia I had a three month registration in Tomsk. Then when we went to Sochi for a 10 day vacation the "local" hotel ($15 a night) didn't know how to register foreigners. They wanted me to go somewhere in the center of the city and register at an OVIR which I knew would be impossible because my "sponsor" which was then my fiance's mother was not on vacation with us! So I didn't go. And despite having a registration good through 3 months, I was forced to pay a 100 ruble fine at the airport for not having a 10 day registration in Sochi!
So be careful with this trick. Although it will definitely work when you are leaving Russia. But since I was boarding a plane to another town in Russia it was obvious I was not leaving Russia. Similarly lying that I was in Sochi for less than 72 hours would probably have failed and got me a bigger fine. I did make the argument that it was the hotel that refused to register. The officer said fine, you'll miss your flight, we'll go to court, bring the hotel agent in, and if what you say is true, you won't have to pay the fine. In other words I paid the fine :P
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-05-26 16:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

I would've been running across the border in that case!

Ironically this is one of the suggestions given by Russian officials if you think you are going to overstay your visa. It is much easier to cross over the boarder and get another visa back into Russia then it is leaving Russia with an expired viss!

I never realized the issue in Russia was that difficult to navigate around with.

One should never heed the official advice given by our government:
"Unexpected and irrational features of the restrictive and complicated Russian visa regime will surprise even seasoned travelers" http://travel.state....s/cis_1006.html
http://www.visajourn...ndpost&p=131660

I may visit one day, but, too afraid of visa problems?

Well planned tourist visits are as simple in Russia as any where else. Assuming you are staying in hotels and going through official tourist channels. I'd be more concerned about the outrageous prices for tourism in Russia which is starting to to hurt that sector of their economy.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-04-29 14:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

Okay, MONTHS might not have been exactly right, but it can certainly take longer than four days.

Months might be closer than you think! Austin got off easy in my opinion. When I was getting my private visa registered at the OVIR I discussed visa overstays with the person in charge over there. She told me that a lady from Israel had over stayed her visa, was denied boarding at the airport in Moscow, and sent back to Siberia where her visa sponsor was. Then 1 month later through a court order received a stamp in her passport that she could exit Russia and a 5 year ban on re-entry to be placed in her file. I don't know if that file makes it back to the Russian consulates in the US or even circulates within the Russian computer system, but what a pain in the butt. Poor lady probably lost her job back home and all that good stuff.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-04-25 11:18:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia
The part about this whole process that has always puzzled me is the use of companies for issuing and registering visas. It is essentially paying someone "extra" for the same government service. In political science this is very inefficient. The second part that puzzles me is why people rely so much on these companies rather than their own fiancees who are citizens of Russia and know their system best?
In comparison, imagine if your fiancee prior to arriving to the US, paid some firm $100 to pick her up and help her fill out forms for her Social Security card. This hypothetical firm took orders online and said getting a SS card for K1 visas was quick and easy. I'd imagine you'd be shocked. Because you were just as capable of walking into the SSA office and helping her fill out a one page form. And in hind sight you know she'll get the card and there is no reason to pay a firm. And if there are problems you know how to get them solved here in the US.
And for those that argue convenience and ease, my hypothetical firm is both :)
The same reasoning applies to visa registration and the booking of hotels and apartments. :) (Again, imagine your fiancee paying some firm or guy in the US an extra $50 per night to be able to place an order for a hotel in Las Vegas - through their translated, convenient, and simple website).
This was just some food for thought. Because it always makes me laugh to think that sending your passport directly to the Russian consulate with your ordered tourist invitation, which should be given out for free or a minimal charge to anyone who books at a Russian hotel is less reliable then sending the passport to a firm (extra cost), who then pays a courier (extra cost) to take the passports to the consulate. And the scenario gets even funnier if you happen to live within 25 miles of the consulate.
My final advice on this is to use the private visa if you know you are going to Russia, going less than twice a year, will be staying with your fiancee, and you are planning your trip more than 4 months in advance.
Otherwise default to the tourist visa for hotel stays and short notice trips.
And for people that go frequently the business visa is the best.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-13 10:43:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

I have not had a problem registering my visa at the OVIR, but we did check in advance and made a contact at the office so we had a persons name and they were expecting us. Payed the small fee at the bank and brought the receipt and were in and out in less than half an hour. Not sure what one would expect if they just showed up at the OVIR.

I am in the same boat as you here. Twice my fiancee ordered the private invitation without any troubles paying half of what it costs for a tourist visa. I received the invitation with no problems in 2003 and 2004. Similarily we registered at the OVIR in less than 1/2 an hour + 1/4 hour at the bank with the 25 ruble fee. No fines or bribes. All legal. No hotel tricks and the like. Nobody was even expecting us at the OVIR and we didn't know anyone there. My fiancee simply called and asked what time they do visa registrations and we showed up accordingly.
I guess some people just have more trouble than others.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-12 02:39:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

In general, in Russia, plan on keeping a crisp $100 bill in your passport. If you get stopped on the street, it is best to give whoever is stopping you a "tip" for their trouble. $50 is reasonable outside of Moscow. FYI - the bribes I've paid in Russia have been for my wife's papers, not mine.

Russ, you over paid drastically. I've paid for my wife's paper's as well. But 250 rubles ($8) in Novosibirsk and 100 rubles ($3) in Sochi. I would never give them anything more. I speak perfect Russian. I claim to be a poor student. I talk with them kindly. Joke with them about my experiences in Russia. Tell them how much they'd be respected in America and how much money they'd make. I even invite them over for tea. :P This tactic even got me out of a 300 ruble fine for making an incorrect left turn while driving because the sign was hanging about 100ft in the air and I couldn't see it! These officers know how much Russians make per month. It is unrealistic to ask for more. Only if the officer begins to insist that we go down to the station would I consider raising the bribe beyond 500 rubles. I've been to Moscow as well. And talking is the best, just as long as you are not in a hurry. And the best of course if to let your fiancee do all of it. And just sit back and watch. Don't be the "rich" American throwing his hard earned dollars around, unless it is absolutely necessary.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-07 11:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia

(By not possible, I mean it would take 5-10 visits to various offices to get the necessary paperwork. In Lipetsk, they wanted letters from the police, employer, FSB, etc for the person sponsoring the invitation. Each of these letters would take the better part of a day to get). For us, the effort was more than for an I-129F and AOS combined. (hence, why we have never been able to get one)...
They still made me pay fines, though.

I guess the process for getting an OVIR invitation various widely by region. So much for Putin's centralization plans. My fiancee simply had to fill out a basic form, with a few details from my passport and get a slip from the government bank that she paid the fee. She did everything in less than a day. Then they actually called her when the invitation was ready for pickup.
Why did you have to a pay a fine? If you came within 72 hours not counting holidays and weekends there was no reason for that.
My favorite story at the OVIR was a Ukrainian pensioner visiting her kids in Siberia. She crossed the border into Russia by train on Monday but the train didn't arrive into Tomsk until Thursday. The officials made her pay a 1000 ruble fine for late registration. And Ukranians don't even need visas, they just need to register. She was fighting it out when I was there. I hope she won her case.
On a side note, my fiancee did have to affirm and sign that she was going to be my "sponsor" in Russia. It always makes me laugh because I am coming from America and end up spending more than she makes in a year in one month.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-07 11:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia
Others on here can post their experience about the difficulty or ease of registering a tourist visa at the OVIR. Like I said before, officially the OVIR should refuse to register tourist visas. If you do not plan on staying at a hotel go with the private visa. Email your fiancee a copy of your vital passport page and have her make the homestay invitation. It will take roughly 4 - 8 weeks to get the invitation letter to your fiancee. Then have her send a certified letter using Russian post. You should receive it about two weeks later. My estimates are based on my experience from the OVIR in Western Siberia.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-07 00:59:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia
No matter what visa you use if your stay is longer than 72 hours you must register. Since you are going to be staying in her home you will have to register at the OVIR, unless you can find a hotel that will do the registering for you without you having to rent a room there. This "scam" and go "around" of official registration laws has been tough to do as of lately. Also most OVIRs won't register a tourist visa anyway. I am shocked at the long wait. Usually the OVIR has special hours during the day when they register foreigners. Coming at the right time with all the documents filled out and bank slip paid will speed up the processes. Your fiancee should call there and find out the exact procedure to make things easier.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-06 21:54:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRe-visiting Russia
I was little confused by your original post. Do you plan on staying in Russia around 90 days?
In that case you should apply for a private visa which will require your fiancee to go to the OVIR and make an invitation. The private visa is good for 90 days as all tourist visas are limited to 30 days. Also in my opinion registering a private visa is easier and gives you more flexibility than the tourist visa which favors hotel accommodations for each day you are in Russia. And a private visa is cheaper than a tourist visa based on the prices offered online for the invitation form. Although it does require a few more steps and you actually receiving the invitation.
Also be careful not to mention that you are "married" under the church-ceremony. Don't' bring any pictures of that "wedding" to US immigration officials to avoid unnecessary confusion.
Otherwise good luck! Lots of cool pictures on your site.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-03-06 18:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAP what the hell for? Dont change name!!!!
Another key advantage for our Visa Waiver Program countries is that when you are still in the "dating" part of the whole visajourney you can actually come and go as you please. Not to mention you guys actually have jobs with incomes closer to if not higher than what Americans make. Sure makes life a lot easier while you are apart or planning visits. While our mostly "poor" Russian ladies have to decide to marry us without even seeing America. For us that was the biggest barrier to overcome. I can handle the wait apart, but the fact that only I could realistically visit still drives me nuts.
See for example:
http://www.visajourn...showtopic=21098
But there are plenty of other threads with similar problems in getting a tourist visa.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-10 17:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusAP what the hell for? Dont change name!!!!
Meauxna and Ceriserose,
The only reason people are concerned about this issue on the Russian forum is because a fellow VJ member dealing with Russia had the following unexpected experience:
http://www.visajourn...showtopic=14934.
Because Russian authorities have exit border patrol they can enforce arbitrary and capricious judgment in terms of how to control their own citizens. Thus as in the story above, the certified marriage certificate is as a good as toilet paper to "some" Russian authorities.
But in my opinion you should have no trouble using your AP, airline tickets in maiden name with certified marriage certificate. If you want to go all out you can even get the thing translated, appostiled and certified by the Russian consulate, thus making it a legal document in Russia.
However, a better question to ask is, why the rush to return to Russia? My wife didn't go back for 1.5 years and she won't be going back anytime soon either. There are so many wonder and truly relaxing places to go on vacation to. Why Russia? Sorry to rant...just another unhappy ex-pat speaking here.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-07 22:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusNVC processing

In all of my jobs we always knew where any case/file/job was in any process. Any customer could call and ask and we could track things down and let them know where things stood. I've worked for small organizations, non-profits, huge corporations, and city, county, and state governments.
Why can't USCIS do this?

Because the USCIS is not a private company. A private company has incentives like staying in business so they try to keep their customers happy. The government, on the other hand, has a monopoly on this "service" with no incentive to perform except perhaps a voter overhaul. But nobody wins an election on improving USCIS efficiency.
Lastly in terms of efficiency the government is not. From a philosophical point of view the government must serve other principals and that makes it inherently inefficient.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-06-27 10:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusguide translation?
You can also try using this link and plugging in the website in question to get a rough translation:
http://babelfish.alt...om/babelfish/tr?
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-08 18:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussia Visa

Oh, I will say that you would not want to do anything in regards to trying to get her a Visa because if yoiu apply for the K-1 that could come back to haunt you. Especially if she is denied a visa.

Are you saying this based on experience or other people's accounts?
If so please share.
Otherwise you are completely wrong. The B2 tourist visa is completely different from the K1/K3 visas. One is about proving ties to Russia which is the biggest burden versus the K visas where immigrant intent is actually a requirement. My fiance was denied a tourist visa. And was easily granted a K visa without any mention of the denial. Which as I heard is true of most cases. In very rare circumstances where someone lied on their visitor's visa application would it possibly come back to haunt them on any future visa.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-21 00:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRecent Moscow Interview Questions for tourist visa??

I do believe Chuckles is right on though, having traveled to other "western" countries with visas showing you honored them would be a big bonus!

Just wanted to add that a distant relative of mine was recently rejected for a tourist visa to visit my uncle's family which he had seen just 6 years ago and travelled on a valid US business visa. So even traveling and returning from the US makes no difference to them. And he actually makes a decent living in Russia, has children, property, and a wife. Apparently the CO he interviewed with thought he would abandon all that. Good luck for those who are trying.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-10 17:33:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusShould I fly to Moscow for interview?

Should I fly to Moscow for interview?

If your fiancee is from a "deep village" in Russia I'd strongly recommend it. Many Russians from those villages have never been outside their home town, let alone to a big city like Moscow. So you guiding her along in Moscow and accompanying her to the US if all goes well might be worth the trip. But otherwise, it is not that important, because there is little you can do except incur a big expense for yourself trying to live like a westerner in Moscow.
SatelliteMaleRussia2006-07-29 09:46:00