ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGoing back to Russia to renew a passport
QUOTE (workin4somethin @ Jan 24 2009, 08:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Satellite @ Sep 19 2008, 07:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I have spoke to the people here in San Francisco regarding this issue the solution is as follows:
1. Have your original marriage certificate appostiled at the secretary of state.
2. Translate appostile and marriage certificate into Russian.
3. Pay consulate to have them certify it and put into one document good in Russia.
4. Remove consulate registration.
5. Now go to Russia to the place where they make internal passports.
6. Get registered / propiska in the local Russian area.
7. Change the internal passport name using the Russian consulate approved marriage certificate.
8. With the new Russian internal passport go and make the external passport in new married name.

Since we were married in Russia and my wife is registered property owner, she should be able to do this using only Steps 5, 7 & 8, right?
Of course, since the other steps involve getting the US marriage certificate to be of any worth in Russia.

SatelliteMaleRussia2009-01-24 21:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGoing back to Russia to renew a passport
QUOTE (novotul @ Jan 13 2009, 05:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Satellite @ Jan 12 2009, 09:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (novotul @ Jan 12 2009, 05:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
There are special cases. Mid-east scholars, for instance, may need to travel to Israel and also to Syria, Lebanon, or Saudi Arabia. Is your passport has an Israeli stamp, you are likely to be denied entry into those other countries. For purposes such as, you can get two blue US passports.
If you simply tell Israeli authorities what your travel plans are, they will not stamp your passport.
Yeah, you can do it that way -- but it may come back to bite you if you are accumulating business expenses to write off on taxes. For that purposes, it can be useful to show that you were legally in Israel.
Wouldn't a copy of the ticket and a copy of the credit card statement which usually details airline tickets and destinations be sufficient for tax purposes?

SatelliteMaleRussia2009-01-15 10:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusGoing back to Russia to renew a passport
QUOTE (novotul @ Jan 12 2009, 05:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
There are special cases. Mid-east scholars, for instance, may need to travel to Israel and also to Syria, Lebanon, or Saudi Arabia. Is your passport has an Israeli stamp, you are likely to be denied entry into those other countries. For purposes such as, you can get two blue US passports.
If you simply tell Israeli authorities what your travel plans are, they will not stamp your passport.

SatelliteMaleRussia2009-01-12 23:16:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
Come on guys, Russian isn't as hard as Chinese or Hebrew!
Russian is ??????? ? ???????! If you try hard, you can learn it. The only problem might be age... the older you are... the harder it is to learn the language.
The cases and conjugations aren't as bad as they seem to be. You just need someone to explain how they work. I've had lots of american students who now speak very good Russian.
Learning Russian is NOT impossible!

seanconneryii,
Why didn't you find a French lady then? I find your words very offensive. Feel sorry for your spouse too. Do you think it's easy for her to say such simple words as "Better" or "water" in English?

-Olga.

Edited by Satellite, 03 March 2008 - 04:02 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-03 16:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Mar 1 2008, 08:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It's not very "cricket" to have two people posting under the same user name. And why do I have this nagging feeling in my gut that maybe only one person is really posting...maybe there is no Olga posting. Maybe we're being played? It's pretty easy to get a user name...yes? Not rocket science. If Olga wants to post...get a user name and post.

If we honor the one person per user name rule...why are folks so happy to play along with this oddball situation?

Maybe a moderator might want to do something here?

Sat's wife again:
seanconneryii, Thank you for your compliment. It means that my english isn't that bad. Don't you see a difference between my writing (3 years in the US) and my husband's (Over 18 years in the US)?
If someone would wanna play with you, don't you think he would get another user name to make you believe there are two people posting?
Who made this rule (One person per username)?
As Putin said not so long ago: ?? ????, ??????, ????? ? ????? ??? ?? ?????? ? ???????? ??????? ?? ?????, ??? ? ??? ?? smile.gif))
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-02 01:08:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
Hi dear VJers!
This is Sat's wife, the original poster.
Wow, 21 pages!!! I didn't expect that! smile.gif
Oh my God, I've heard so much new about myself! (arrogant, heartless, lier, etc. etc.) Some of you are really mean here! smile.gif)
Now that everyone calmed down, I apologize again that I've posted this topic. But admit that it turned out pretty entertaining!
Since Satellite never apologizes, I will do it for him! Sorry for calling everyone suckers! (You know that's not true, eh?)
Also, I dont agree with my husband on the "online friends" issue. I have some great online friends, but I prefer to talk to them privately (email, ICQ), and not just post stuff for everyone to see...
I can not write as beautiful in English as some of you on this forum, but I must say that not all Russians are arrogant, please, please!! Not all Russian men are drunks!! These are all just stereotypes.
By the way, I found it really interesting that some people rushed to offer help to my husband after they have read that I left him, and, at the same time, they turned against me (e.g. I became a "mistake of humankind", they suggested my husband to get a lawyer, etc.) But they didn't know what the reason for my "leaving" was! What if he treated me badly? What if I had some other good reason? All they've read was that i left.
Well, I didn't like VJ before, but now I come here more often.

P.S. What do you guys think of this video? smile.gif)
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-01 01:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (obender @ Feb 25 2008, 10:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
people here became so serious these days... congratulations on creating multi-page discussion from two sentence joke...
QUOTE (mox @ Feb 25 2008, 03:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Remember this day well, fellow Ruskies. One day we will sit around the kitchen table drinking vodka and eating pelmeni, and talk of the day that Brazilians, Canadians, Brits, and moderators came to our forum en masse. The newbies will stare in slack-jawed wonder, insisting we're drunk and just making this ####### up. Then Jefferey will slowly pull the charred remnants of a fishnet stocking and his Valentine's hat out, and everyone will be silent.
It has been my pleasure! smile.gif
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-25 20:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (Mags @ Feb 25 2008, 03:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Play nice or I'll stick my mod hat on and bash you all over the head with a cushion.
Such threats are a clear violation of the TOS.
See:
"Permitted Uses....you agree that when using the Service, you will not:
Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Forums"
Moderators are not exempt:
"Moderators.... Their actions and liabilities are fully bound by the TOS."
http://www.visajourn...h...&page=terms
After reading that I think it is reasonable for many members to feel threatened when they express their opinions.

Anyway,
As to AK's debate on foreseeability here is my take:
In law we punish someone civilly (tort) or criminally based on a concept of actual and proximate causation. Thus the actor must (1) be the "but for" (actual) because of an action and (2) be the legal proximate cause (foreseeable) cause. So everyone easily meets the first part "but for" causation in terms of B being offended that A stole his car. Being offended might also be foreseeable, but having B take his anger out on random group of people is not foreseeable.
When something is foreseeable we call it an intervening cause and when something is not we call it superseding. So one classical example is A is at fault in a car accident hurting B. B goes to the hospital and his doctor commits malpractice causing him to die. But for the doctor's actions B would have lived. Should we hold A the original tortfeaser liable? Surprisingly the answer is yes. An example of superseding causes in the same situation is A driving a gas tanker negligently drives it overturns the truck. Gasoline spills onto the sidewalk and runs 15 blocks down the street. B a random criminal lights a match and damages C's property 15 blocks away. Should we hold A liable? Answer no.

Also,
Weren't the cannibal jokes really random and uncalled for by the "drive by" posters? With so many threads on here, wouldn't one of such incredible importance such as cannibalism have its own thread in the "off-topic" forum?
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-25 19:13:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (Bobalouie @ Feb 24 2008, 07:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yup, we have free speech in this country, but that still does not give you the right to say whatever you want, anytime you want. If you don't believe me, walk into a bank and scream "this is a robbery, everyone on the floor" or walk up to the security folks at the airport the next time you are there and scream "I have a bomb". Try your "it was all a joke, no one got hurt because I didn't have a gun or a bomb" defense. See how far you get with that argument counselor. For an aspiring lawyer, you sure seem to be deficient in the common sense and ethical behavior department.
The examples you bring up are methods of unprotected speech. Here are a few more examples to add to your list:
(1) Advocacy of unlawful conduct
(2) Defamation
(3) Obscenity
(4) Fighting Words
(5) Deceitful, untruthful, and misleading forms of commercial speech
Your examples fall under the first category. You can add screaming "fire" in a crowded movie theater. That is the classical case. Now if you think criticizing (i.e. opinions) someone falls into any of the above five categories, you are in trouble.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-25 11:17:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Feb 24 2008, 10:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Many of us met our fiancees and wives thanks to internet web sites and we used email, instant messaging, Skype and Yahoo Messenger or AIM to talk to them long distance.
So...I think Satellite's pity for those of us who use the internet to have real relationships reveals his ignorance of the world around him.
When did I say the internet is not good for communicating? It is a great medium for communication and sharing information. I am all for it. Everyone on here did meet their fiancee in person, before he or she considered doing the visa process? At some point virtual did meet reality. In most cases the two happened to be the same, but you did still meet, right? And the end objective of the visa process is to be together, not to remain virtually apart and ultimately the internet in our cases helped facilitate that.

QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Feb 24 2008, 10:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You don't have the right to make fun or judge anyone else.
The essensce of this country is free speech if you haven't forgotten. Since when did you become the moderator of that when even the government needs a compelling interest before they do.

I did not laugh at anyone's relationship or how it was formed. Not sure where that came from.

As to fellow people on this board, I don't recall the objective being to meet together. Nor do I recall meeting anyone on here. I see VJ as a virtual library of thoughts, ideas, and experiences of real people. And everyone can take whatever he or she wants from it.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-24 14:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
A few things to add to the recent responses:
(1) Unlike many of you here, I did not join VJ for emotional support. When I started going through the process I came here strictly to find: [a] what to file, [b] where to file it, and [c] how long will it take. Because in 2004 when we decided to do the whole fiancee visa thing I was genuinely ignorant of how to do it. Once I filed my papers based on the guides here in early 2004 I would come visit maybe once every two weeks to make sure none of the rules have changed.
(2) I am surprised at how quickly everyone started to hate me the "anonymous poster" for honestly posting that I think everyone takes this whole internet thing way too seriously and at the same token how quickly they disregarded anything positive that has come from my posts in the past.
(3) After my wife arrived VJ has been just a hobby to me, a practice run at answering questions and making arguments about a topic I am genuinely interested in.
(4) Call me traditional but I cannot understand how someone can form "deep" attachments to a "virtual" community of people. For those that have, I feel sorry for you.
(5) "Arrogant, low class, and #######", just to name a few characteristics that have been described about me. I could never form any of those opinions about anyone until I spent at least a few hours interacting with them in person.
Anyway to finish off, in true Russian fashion, as Slim had suggested, here is a video clip of another "sucker" and hopefully an ending message to everyone else: "??? ???e? ??????"

Edited by Satellite, 24 February 2008 - 12:39 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-24 12:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (Kazan @ Feb 22 2008, 09:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We are all a tight knit group here and support each other through a very trying time.
It is a self created "trying" time. Plus all we have done and will do is follow the law and procedure as it was written. Nothing trying in that. At the law firm I worked we did hundreds of visas like this, and there was nothing "trying" about it.

QUOTE (Kazan @ Feb 23 2008, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
They put their trust in this respected forum. I don't think they would appreciate feeling the answers received should be treated as highly skeptical.
All my "suggestions" and "advice" about the VJ process has been highly accurate and I would find it hard to believe that any of it would suddenly become "skeptical". The only thing people should be skeptical about is other people's personal lives, because who would really reveal that to a group of online strangers?

QUOTE (Kazan @ Feb 23 2008, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We reached out to you, Mr. & Mrs. Satellite. We rushed in to offer aid and comfort.
I am confused here. You don't know who I am, where I live, where I am from. I am just an anonymous poster. I find it difficult how anyone on here can offer "aid" and "comfort" to anyone else on here. Those are the kinds of things that can only be done in person in my opinion and not through type written words by anonymous people across the internet.

QUOTE (mox @ Feb 23 2008, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Doing this to their friends on this board.
Friends? Friends are people that you invite in your home, go for a drink with, etc. Not random people you met on an internet board. Acquaintances, at best.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-23 22:02:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (slim @ Feb 23 2008, 09:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I remember the last time Mrs. Satellite posted something using the Mr.'s account.

Seems from time-to-time she gets a little upset with him and takes it out on the VJ forum. Expect another in about six months. (Cum grano salis.)
Haha Exactly, Slim!! I am surprised you didn't write a book in reply to my post like last time! smile.gif) You know, almost anything on the Internet should be taken with a grain of salt.

I apologize that my husband call you suckers. I was really shocked by this myself!
My husband said that since he is "the smartest guy in the room", whenever he passes the BAR exam, he is going to stop going to this forum because he will have better things to do. He was gonna lie to you guys and say that I got my citizenship and left. He was gonna put this as the reason of him leaving the forum. So yes, just like Slim said, I was upset, and decided to post this topic.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-23 14:35:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
QUOTE (Don E @ Feb 23 2008, 05:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I hope that you enjoyed the heck out of your "joke", because it cost all of your credibility with me. I have no respect for anyone who would do something like this.
This one was beyond me, my wife wants me to stay away from here so she runs into the kitchen and says look what I posted under your account. And then we both started laughing at it. Anyway, regardless of what anyone believes, I think anyone on here is allowed to joke and laugh about themselves. Lastly, what exactly are you going to "discredit" the law and its application whenever I say it tongue.gif Or perhaps my personal experience? I've been on here for over 3 years I think I'll be fine.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-23 10:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
She didn't go anywhere. She is just having fun with my account. Suckers! For believing such a thing.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-22 23:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy wife left me!
Unfortunately she left me...
I do not know what to say... I will not write here again... sad.gif
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-22 22:15:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHas anybody done Medical Examination in Vladivostok?
QUOTE (Evgeniya @ Mar 27 2008, 11:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
and it is pricey to fly back and force to Moscow.
Who said anything about flying back. You can schedule your medical a day before the interview at MOM if you wanted to to. All the other clinics make you wait for the next day for results. That way you only lose one day at most unless your interview falls on Monday. Have the visa scheduled for office pickup and you could be on a plane to the US in less than a week. Rent a place from a local at http://www.irr.ru/ or some other version of a Russian craigslist to get the best deal.
Here is the link for the clinics and pricing:
http://moscow.usemba...record_id=ivmed
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-28 08:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHelp with sending documents to Sochi
Last time I checked it costs just $0.90 to send a letter to Russia using the USPS. Since all of you know the process is going to take somewhere between 6 to 12 months; why not just spend a few dollars sending the documents using plain post at first. Send a few out. If in that time period all your attempts fail, then go with the expensive DHL or Fedex. We had success doing this. Our documents took two weeks to get to Tomsk from California and back
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-22 00:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHelp with sending documents to Sochi
Just send your fiancée an email asking her to write her address in Russian for you. Why break your head on this, especially if there is some strange local variation to her address.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-21 09:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusHelp inviting parents from Russia for visit (visa)
QUOTE (Chuckles @ Feb 7 2008, 01:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Do I send a packet with documents that prove I can support her while she is here to Moscow? Do I need proof of citizenship/marriage/permanent residency from me or my wife to send? Am I supposed to send a separate invitation letter to the embassy? I see some conflicting information about this.
Where have you been? This has been discussed numerous times on here.
Basic idea is this:
Your mother in law applies for the visa. Her application is based on two prongs (1) valid reason for coming (seeing her daughter) and (2) she is not an intending immigrant i.e., she has strong ties to Russia.
The first prong is proved using your wife's green card and her birth certificate. The second prong is the difficult one. Common proof used is (1) high salary; (2) real estate ownership; (3) expectancy to return to work; (4) health insurance; (5) other friends and family staying behind in Russia; (6) car ownership; (7) sufficient income to buy plane ticket and cover necessary expenses while in the US.
You can write your letter of invitation and have her take it to the embassy. That will go towards prong (1) the easy one. Sponsorship letter I-134 or other affidavit will cover prong (7) of prong (2), but will show two things: (1) you will provide funds for her travel and stay and (2) leave an impression that your mother in law lacks the other prongs because she can't even come up with the money to buy her own plane ticket, thus making her a likely immigrant. Don't forget the embassy assumes all applicants for tourist visas are intending immigrants and the APPLICANT must disprove this presumption.
As for actually applying, it is done through a third party carrier Pony Express. They take all your documents, application, and passport and mail it to the consulate / embassy. Then they notify you of your appointment.
http://moscow.usemba..._id=nivapplying
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-02-08 02:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belaruscall History records
You should address your question directly to beeline. Very few Amerians on this forum use Beeline.

Edited by Satellite, 26 March 2008 - 11:31 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2008-03-26 23:28:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
QUOTE (slim @ Apr 9 2008, 07:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The direction this thread was going in was if you didn't pay for your wife to have a driver to/from the airport and interview, the nice hotel, etc., then you really didn't care about her safety because you were a cheap ####### and would rather save $100 than "ensure" she was safe. The way I see it, if you pay for her to have a driver, a nice hotel, etc. the only thing you're really ensuring is that she's going to assume you're willing to pay for her to have the nicest things whenever she's associated with you. And that has nothing to do with security at all.
Agreed. And you know when it shows best; when we go out once a month to some little cafe to eat for under $15 my wife is appreciative and excited about it; and when you pay through the roof, then all you get is, why did you take me to this lousy place, the food is nasty, and why only $30 a plate?!
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-09 10:56:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
QUOTE (mox @ Apr 8 2008, 04:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Then you have a poor memory, perhaps because your body is too cheap to allocate the proper number of neurons to this information. wink.gif Nobody to my recollection paid $150 for a cab between SVO2 and SVO1. It might have been as high as $60.
My poor memory:
http://www.visajourn...h...341&hl=taxi [Turboguy is offered $100 taxi each way]

"Wife says that if you do NOT do this, if you are fool enough to just show up at the airport and look for a taxi, you will pay at least $100 in Kazan, and $200+ in Moscow. They know you are stuck and simply will not take you for less. Pay heed!!!"
[Ak's Wife warning of $200 cab Moscow prices].
http://www.visajourn...mp;#entry371374

Both Mox and Seanconneryii admit to paying $60.
http://www.visajourn...h...l=cab&st=30

Russ says minimum $50 to SVO.
http://www.visajourn...h...2203&hl=cab

It's unfortunate the forum got restarted in early 2006, otherwise I could have found more cases of excessive cab paying.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-08 19:44:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
You guys had quite a discussion about cheapness while I was working all day!
I am jealous I want a job that will pay me the kind of money some of the older wealthier people on this board have and still be able to discuss cheapness all day!
I also noticed $30 being thrown around as the price of a cab from SVO2 to SVO1. As far as I can remember, nobody on here ever mentioned that. Instead it was something like, I haggled and got the price down from $250 to $150 from SVO2 to SVO1. And that's when I would interject in amazement.
As far as ages. I was 20 when I made my first trip to Russia in 2003. I had to save all my in school earnings for about 12 months to spend $3,000. Next year same thing but needed double the amount with my wife coming over and all the extra costs in sponsoring an immigrant. Back then I didn't even have a credit card to my name, so I couldn't spend the extra money if I wanted to.
I guess the best option would have been to wait until I was 30 - 50, divorced, and financially successful.

And when someone one here asks, what is the "cheapest way to..." in Russia, what I am supposed to say...go see some website catered to Westerns vising Russia and get ripped off like everyone suggests?

Speaking of financial troubles, I actually landed a job working for a Bankruptcy firm two weeks ago. I guess it is a perfect fit.

Edited by Satellite, 08 April 2008 - 06:54 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-08 18:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
QUOTE (Bobalouie @ Apr 7 2008, 05:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yea, whats another $150-200 on the ol' credit card? wink.gif
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 7 2008, 07:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I guess I've been going to the FSU for so long I've gotten desensitized to the crazy costs there. When I think of what I've paid for airfare, taxis, renting houses and flats and the restaurants...well one extra night in Moscow seems like pocket change.
Well there is little you can do about the cost of airfare except fly in the off season, sometimes between February and April or September through November. We never use taxis in Moscow, so no cost there. The bus / group taxi costs under $1. We never rented at Western rates, but rather stayed at my wife's uncle's flat in the Moscow suburbs. But if we had to rent it would be at Russian rates sharing some room with locals in those same suburbs an hour away by commuter train. So yeah, $150 is a lot when that money would be better spent here in the US on something like AOS.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-07 23:01:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 6 2008, 01:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I choose love and I'm not willing to accept even a 1 in 1,000,000 level of risk when it comes to my wife's safety and well-being.
With such an attitude you better higher a several body guards to protect your wife. Because your odds of getting sexually assaulted right here in America is way higher than at that clinic.

QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 6 2008, 01:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Or are you challenging the story's truthfulness?
I think everybody has different levels of sensitivity. Likewise language translations tend to cause strange interpretations. Some people also like to over react and exaggerate. I think there is certainly some truth to the story. But I like averages when it comes to strange incidents.

QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 6 2008, 01:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Satellite, I have a feeling you'd make your wife walk down a dark alley at midnight to save a $1.
Depends on where the alley is located and the odds of somethings going wrong. I am not conclusive or head strong like others. I think things through rather than act irrationally out of pure principal.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-06 18:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMedical Exam in Moscow
QUOTE (novotul @ Apr 4 2008, 04:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My wife (fiancé) then had a terrible experience there back in 2005. The only advantage of MOM is that it might be $5 cheaper. The disadvantages can fill a substantial list.
There is always one bad case in any operation. You've also done a great job of spreading the negative word here on VJ.
Unfortunately many others including myself had the experience at MOM described below:
QUOTE (Neonred @ Apr 5 2008, 07:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
My wife and her daughter had their medical in MOM in 2006 and had no problems at all. Most reports lately have been positive.

And if it was only a $5 savings it would make no difference to me. But when you are on budget, limiting the amount of days you have to be in Moscow is crucial. For us it was a better calculated risk to stay less in Moscow, a savings of several hundreds of dollars and be subject to a 1 in 100,000 or chance of getting the rape with an instrument scenario. Also back in 2004 no reports of "rape" were mention regarding any clinic in Moscow here on VJ.

As for my wife, her checkup was typical. A chest x-ray was as sexual as it got.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-06 14:20:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian computer for USA?
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 11 2008, 09:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I dated a Russian woman who lived in the USA...she was the worst of both worlds. She'd been here 12 years and was separated from her husband but didn't want to divorce him because she had such a good deal. Every time I turned round she as buying some big ticket item (flat screen TV, leather furniture, oriental carpets, etc).
Well that's what time and knowledge of life in the US system can do. So I think your encounter can serve as a good predictor of what can come in the future in all of our relationships.

Edited by Satellite, 11 April 2008 - 09:38 PM.

SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-11 21:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian computer for USA?
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 9 2008, 09:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Provided you want a lady...
Plenty of former USSR guys here too. Myself included.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-09 19:25:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusRussian computer for USA?
QUOTE (slim @ Apr 9 2008, 06:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Yeah, DCF seems to be the way to go if possible.
Nah, the best is to find a Russian lady already here (with papers) with all the qualities that are over there!
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-09 11:06:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusPoll - Russian filers - Any delays with receipt of visa?
Where is the option for not delivered but rather picked up from DHL office? Many of us did that as far as I understand.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-02 20:33:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusanyone else having trouble receiving sms from megafone mobile in moscow?
Back to the original topic:
As far as I am aware there is nobody on here who works for Megaphone, T-mobile, cingular, or any other wireless company being thrown around. Why aren't you guys emailing and calling the support staff of those companies. They hold the answers if any, not us.

As for all your doomsday scenarios, man is creative, we'll survive, adapt and cope.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-06 13:37:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy $20/hour well spent
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 14 2008, 03:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Man, we got get you out of that SF area...QUICK! smile.gif
Nah, you need to spend sometime in SF, maybe the people and culture there could clear your mind about your preconceived prejudices towards homosexuals, woman's rights, etc.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-14 21:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusMy $20/hour well spent
For that had a few seconds to google the answers now that they have been revealed:
http://en.wiktionary...org/wiki/хрю
http://en.wiktionary...
Unfortunately nobody has done an entry for ???? or ????
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-13 10:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWorking in the USA question
QUOTE (groovlstk @ Apr 14 2008, 10:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Whatever you do, do not allow your fiancee to fall into the trap of working for Russian firms or Russian people when she arrives.
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 14 2008, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Why not?
I am sure groovlstk has his reasons but here are the common problems I have seen:
1. Russians continue to operate and treat their fellow employees as if they were in Russia.
2. They might not pay all or some of the agreed upon salary.
3. You learn English at a slower pace.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-14 21:08:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWorking in the USA question
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 13 2008, 12:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I know a Russian couple who came over on a tourist visa for 6 months and have worked the whole time...and they don't know a word of English. Of course, they're probably working for less than minimum wages...but it is money.
Without revealing my sources I too know a Russian couple that came over on a 3 months tourist visa and found jobs in San Francisco as a personal assistant to a 90 year old man for $1400 a month and the lady found a job cleaning homes for two ladies at $10 an hour. Well above minimum wage in both cases.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-13 18:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWorking in the USA question
QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 13 2008, 10:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Cheating the government out of taxes and taking a job from a legit worker is a dubious solution to earning income.
Who said anything about cheating their tax obligations. Ever heard of the Individual Tax Identification Number. The IRS has received tax returns from illegal immigrants through this system for over a decade.
See source below:
http://news.minnesot...onessb_illegal/

QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 13 2008, 10:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
And I wouldn't allow my wife to be a motel maid or scrub floors at some office building regardless of the situation.
Who said anything about scrubbing floors. If your lady has other abilities such as say tutoring math, performing as a musician at weddings, parties, etc., teaching ballet lessons, or even doing freelance translations there are more jobs available to her.

QUOTE (seanconneryii @ Apr 13 2008, 10:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
And let's be realistic, how quickly can a Russian woman with little to moderate understanding of English find a decent job?
Very quickly, if you live in a place with a large Russian speaking community. In San Francisco you can get hired in just about any business that caters exclusively to Russian speakers. Check out the classifieds at http://baraban.com/
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-13 12:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusWorking in the USA question
QUOTE (eekee @ Apr 12 2008, 10:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Maybe she can just get a steady baby-sitting job? It pays pretty well.
House keeping pays well too. And if she has other abilities working for cash never hurts. There are something like 12 million undocumented folks doing just fine here.

But look at things from this perspective. According to the immigration law, all unlawful employment and overstays are forgiven at the AOS interview due to adjustment based on marriage to a US citizen.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-13 10:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and BelarusDs 156 questions?
QUOTE (Bobalouie @ Apr 15 2008, 07:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
36. Has Anyone Ever Filed an Immigrant Visa Petition on Your Behalf?
Yes No If Yes, Who?
Should she out my name there? The fiance Visa is a non immigrant visa right?
It is certainly non-immigrant.
http://travel.state....types_2994.html
Reason: you pay only $131 for it rather than the full blown $375.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-21 10:12:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarusinvitation for my parents)))
QUOTE (Scott and Marta @ Apr 20 2008, 09:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It´s nice if he can get it notarized so it´s clear who it´s from and add a copy of his passport or something.
"For those persons going to the U.S. on tourism, please indicate where you will be staying. If you are visiting friends, please feel free to bring correspondence or letters of invitation from them. PLEASE do NOT bring a notarized form or letter to this effect."
"If you choose to include an invitation letter with your visa application, it is not necessary that it be notarized."
http://moscow.usemba...ord_id=nivtypes
Consulate mentioned no notarizing twice. If I was the CO, I'd be ticked if it was notarized.

QUOTE (slim @ Apr 21 2008, 05:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I believe it's still $100/application.
"The application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa is $100 (effective January 1, 2008, the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee will increase from $100 to $131), payable in cash in Russian rubles. This application fee is non-refundable. This fee should be submitted to Pony Express at the time the application is turned in for delivery to the Embassy."
http://www.usembassy..._id=reqvdocs#nv
Get ready to pay $131 for the application now and Pony Express will charge its fees depending on how far you live from the nearest consulate. Can range between $25 - $100.
SatelliteMaleRussia2008-04-21 10:02:00