Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Buying airfare for the summer trip	Be patient, you should be able to find a flight for $700 (what we paid June last year). Fuel prices are dropping, this will be reflected in prices soon. We just bought a ticket from Tampa to Moscow for $750 on Delta. Why no Aeroflot? They operate US built aircraft (B767s) to the US. I would consider that "safe." (I'm a pilot).	russ	Male	Russia	2008-12-12 11:03:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	No More Free Calls	QUOTE (Satellite @ Jan 27 2009, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would love to Skype or even use Voipcheap in reverse, meaning they call a US number from Russia. But my relatives do not have high speed interest, as a matter of fact there are no copper, fiber optic, or cable wires at their home, yet they live just a few kilometers from the city center. Because of that internet is not possible. They have interest access only through a cell phone tethered to the computer as a modem, and that runs $0.22 a MG, which is both very slow and costly if used with Skype or any other PC to PC program. It is also worth pointing out that many ISP's in Russia charge per MB even for DSL, which would quickly erode your savings with skype. Plus, Skype is klunky, requiring you to be at your computer. I have actual Voip telephones (Polycom), Cisco makes good ones too. The good ones are all expensive, but have much better quality. My phones terminate through XO (big company that does this), and costs about 7 cents a minute to most of Russia. The best way to go would be to buy your own voip handset (I use these guys - http://www.voipsupply.com/ ), plug it into your router at home with a long ethnet cable, and signup for SIP termination (hundreds of companies do this for cheap.) I pay $1.49/month for a phone number in the US, plus $0.01/minute for US calls and about $0.07 to Russian landlines (Maybe 2 cents a minute to Moscow). This is cheap enough for me, and highly reliable.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-01-27 20:45:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Lifting Conditions	QUOTE (slim @ Feb 24 2009, 03:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey all, Yep, it's been two, long, hard, happily married blissful years since she got that green card in the mail. We got the paper the other day "File the I-751 or else we'll send her back home." Just filled out the paperwork today ourselves. At least the I-751 is only like 2 pages. Most of the work is just photocopying the mountain of papers we have around the house. A good excuse to clean I guess.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-03-05 15:51:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Approximating when to file K-1.	QUOTE (slim @ Mar 24 2009, 03:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> On that note, she's wasting her time finishing up Uni in Russia. Get her over here ASAP, get whatever credits she can get transferred over and have her graduate from an American school. Remember, she'll be living in America, after all. Not that a Russian uni degree is worthless, but she'll still have to jump through a bunch of hoops to make it work in the States. Might as well save all that hoop jumping and apply it directly to an American degree, no hoops required. There are several highly-educated Russian women here on VJ and they can tell you how much "worth" their degree was when they got here. It's not like they can step off the plane and start their dental practice the next day. "Russian law degree? That's cool. I wouldn't say the Russian degree is totally useless. My wife had hers certified, and it was enough to start a Masters degree here (which will finally be finished in 2 weeks). The US Masters degree is useful for getting a job here - the Russian one, not so much. One exception - a Russian degree in Mathematics, Engineering or Physics will be both very useful and well-recognized in the US. As for waiting to file the K-1, don't wait. You can always ask them to extend it, which they will do almost automatically for another 6 months. I would just get married sooner though, and then have the ceremony whenever you want it. If you want to get married in FL, I'll marry you twice for free. I'm a FL notary, but I have yet to marry anyone. I'll even do the ceremony in Russian and English, if you like	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-07 15:46:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	How many speak their significant others Language?	QUOTE (enraptured @ Apr 7 2009, 10:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> russian grammar is incredibly hard, so good luck... Russian grammar is not hard. It is very regular, and very structured. You just need to learn the rules (cases, genders and number for every word). There are only a few spelling rules (memorize them, they don't matter for conversation though). If you spell with "?" where you should have "?", or "?" where you should have "?" - it is still readable. Just looks silly to a native speaker. We have the same spelling rules in English, but they are much worse. The Russian ones can all be explained with the spelling rules, with almost no exceptions. English has millions of exceptions. Without understanding cases and declensions, you will not have any prayer of understanding written or spoken Russian. I used the Golosa books - I thought they were pretty good.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-08 11:04:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	How many speak their significant others Language?	QUOTE (K1researcher @ Apr 7 2009, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We plan to speak both languages as she already knows English well and I want to become fluent We tried that, lasted about 4 hours. Her (US) Masters in English trumps my 2nd year Undergrad Russian.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-07 13:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	How many speak their significant others Language?	QUOTE (b_fowler @ Apr 7 2009, 01:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I was just wondering how many of you have started learning Russian, or have been or does you SO only know English? I made it up to Russian IV at the local university. Would like to continue, but no time. I can get the gist of conversations in Russia, though I miss a lot of words. We'll see how much I have forgotten this summer Anyway, my Russian is good enough for my needs (reading news, basic conversation, buying stuff at a store, ordering food, etc.) Basically, I can hold a conversation with a 10 year old. Unless I were to live there, I doubt it will ever get much better. We only speak English at home, except to the dog. He is usually in enough trouble that he needs to be yelled at in at least two languages. The poor dog also needs to answer to 20 various Russian declensions of his English name. No surprise, the vet wants to put him on Prozac. He is easily confused.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-07 13:18:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Change of plans k-1 to k-3	QUOTE (Satellite @ Apr 19 2009, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Cixelsyd @ Apr 19 2009, 07:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In other words, are there any potential pitfalls by getting married in the states and then following the marriage visa route? Nope. Intent to marry is not the issue. Immigrant intent is. What he said.	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-25 10:21:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Change of plans k-1 to k-3	QUOTE (baron555 @ Apr 19 2009, 09:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> However, will getting married this summer be considered a visa fraud considering all the other facts? More for the experienced posters here, if she comes into the US on the J-1 and they get married in the US while on the J-1 and then she leaves and they start the CR-1 process, won't the dates be in the system that showed they got married on the work visa? It won't matter. There is no problem getting married in the US, no matter what visa you entered on. It is a free country. If a Frenchman with a B-1 visa marries a German with a J-1 in New York, no problem at all. My wife and I could have married when we were in Paris - it would still be just as legal. "Immigrant intent" is the issue here. FWIW, the only thing my wife was told the last time she had a J-1 was "don't get married." Also, make sure the visa states "2 year rule does not apply." Otherwise, there is a restriction that she must spend 2 years abroad before any other US visa type will be granted. (it generally does not apply to Russians) If you end up getting married, an immigration lawyer may recommend not leaving the country until you had a green card, as you have more legal remedies available with a pending I130/I485 when you are physically here. I doubt there would be any problem going the K-3/CR-1 route either, just the time it takes. To stay within the "letter of the law," don't make a decision about getting married until this summer. Obviously, don't volunteer any information about this to USCIS or CBP. Since she is planning on returning to Russia (and will), there is really no issue of "immigration intent." As you said, she isn't planning on staying. In general, the longer you are married, the better. If she is leaving after the J1, nothing stops you from getting married in a 3rd country either. If it makes you feel better, spend a weekend in Paris or Rome on her way back to Russia and get married there. (I'm not a lawyer, this is in no way legal advice)	russ	Male	Russia	2009-04-19 09:50:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Surname question	QUOTE (Satellite @ Feb 21 2009, 01:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The solution is to find a Russian fiance whose name does not decline. Like mine, but that's because the origin of the last name is not Russian When you have a non-declining Russian name; both partners keep the same name by the I agree - this is easiest... My wife has an in-declinable last name too. Further complicating things, I never know how to address letters (normally names delcine to the dative case). I don't think it matters much at all, since Russians tend to use NAME + PATRYNOMIC in formal situations far more than a last/family name. I would add the "a" to the name, as it would sound funny otherwise. Best solution is probably have your husband change his name to something more "American," and then use that yourself too (or pick something Russian that doesn't decline for simplicity).	russ	Male	Russia	2009-02-24 17:05:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	DHL airway bill and payment for passport delivery	Even in the US, DHL, Fedex and UPS don't like giving credit terms... But are you suggesting that pay 50% to DHL ahead of time and 50% after delivery of passport? Is that what you did?	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-03 15:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	DHL airway bill and payment for passport delivery	Prepaid airbill - you need to pay them ahead of time. Just wanted to find out if the payment needs to be made to the DHL for passport delivery ahead of time while filling out the airway bill or is it that DHL gets the money during the delivery?	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-03 11:36:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Hi guys, I am just thinking that with just those bonafides to prove our marriage, and even if she able to prove her marriage to the other guy pretty well, isn''t it against the k-1 procedure that she can stay here because she came with my petition ???? At least, thats what I used to think..... Fortunately for her, she is in much better shape. Since the AOS was okay, there shouldn't be much of a problem. She can petition to remove conditions as soon as your divorce is complete. If you both had gone to marriage counseling, this helps her as well. I know that the cheating hurts, but there was nothing you could do about it. It hurts to know you have been lied to, or used. The sooner you move on with your own life an remember that it wasn't your fault, the better. Some people are not capable of being in a relationship without cheating -- so you can't be married to them. In my wife's case, none of this is at all related to being Russian (or being in the US). To be perfectly honest, I don't think that she has ever cared about the green card (I was the one forcing her to do the paperwork. She gave up on it 3 months ago). I sent a package to INS today with all of our joint financail statements, divorce papers and police reports. I could not find anyone (including her friends) willing to supply affidavits. ( She has pissed a lot of people off ). At this point, it is in the hands of INS. They may approve it, they may not. It is out of my hands, but I did give everything I could to help them with their decision. Thanks for pretty much confirming what my previous had said about her options. It shows I actually know a thing or two. As usual, Sat, your opinions are dead on. As for other visas, H1-B isn't an option for her. She has never been able to hold a job longer than 6 weeks, no specialized knowledge. K-1, K-3, or CR-1 are basically it. Her best bet is actually to see a legal aid society who might take on her case free of charge if she can convince them of what a "bad" spouse you were. They really like all those domestic violence / battered women cases even if we both know she is at fault. Her case will really depend on the creativity of her lawyer and the discretion of the judge. They will want some kind of documentation though. The I-360 she would file would allow her to stay for 24 or 27 months, but would require at least some supporting documentation to be filed with it. It will be even worse for her, since the court here will likley combine the divorce with the domestic violence charges. This will make it hard to hide things. I know the local prosecutor here, so she might catch a break (it isn't up to me what they do, but hopefully he can look into things before she is due in court). As he pointed out - be careful. They like putting guys in jail, since it is easier to get convictions.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-18 14:53:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Yes, she can apply for another K1 or CR1 from Russia (if she decides to return). 90 days rule is not for her anymore because she met all requirements for the K1 with you. Even she was in US more than 90 days (because you got married, then applied for AOS), she did not overstay her visa. If she will now return to Russia and will apply for another K1 or CR1 - she can get these types of visas. She will need a divorce certificate though. Once her AOS is rejected, she will need to leave. If she overstays 90 days passed this time, it is my understanding that she would face a 3-10 year ban. (She would need a waiver in this case).	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-18 07:38:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	don't have city cops randomly checking registration and passports every 5 minutes as they do in Moscow! Depends where you are, but yeah, I would say that if you don't want to be found, you won't be. She can apply for another K1 or CR1. Can't be done from the US though. Which is why I said, it is best not to overstay more than 90 days if one is planning to do this.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-17 19:41:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	There is an attorney that participates on BE that claims that a lawyer representing an alien in such a situation could fsahion a defense after the Dixson & Dawson cases, that occured prior to IMFA, using the legal posture that the terms of the K-1 were met once the beneficiary used the K-1 visa to enter, and married the petitioner within the 90 days allotted. If I remember correctly, there has been little case history in recent years, but who knows, perhaps it might work. All the same, the alien would have to be prepared to face a rather intensive legal battle. The biggest issue is that the original AOS would not have been approved (divorce or not). She can try, but without lawyers it will be very difficult. I think that this too special a case to have any textbook answer. Dixson & Dawson may not really apply, as those cases are 30 years old. Immigration law has changed since then, and I don't know much recent case law. I do know that INS will reject any I-485 she files now, so any argument would be in front of a judge. Stopping the divorce and attending marriage counseling would probably work, though I have been advised against this. (there was a reason for the divore) The better (cheaper, faster) way would be to marry, leave the country, petition I-130. She should try not to overstay more than 90 days, otherwise a waiver at the foreign interview will be needed to avoid a 3-10 year ban. For other reasons, it is in her best interest to be with her family now. (There are some other problems that are not appropriate to discus here). The more likely outcome is that she will take the same route as some of her friends, staying here illegally until she is caught. As we all know, that can be quite a long time.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-17 14:40:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Are you basing this comment on the fact that through marriage she technically met the K-1 terms? My understanding is that while there is a legal posture, it predates the IMFA reform. If the AOS is denied, the I=864 falls with it. I did end up paying an immigration lawyer to look into her case for her. She does not have a lawyer, and I don't think she will be getting one. The major points are: AOS depends not only on the marriage, but also on how you entered the country. For the AOS to be approved, the conditions of the K-1 must be met. These are marriage in 90 days, and marriage to the petitioner. The marriage must be deemed bona fide by INS. A future AOS, supported by marriage to a different person, will still require her to demonstrate that the original AOS would have been approved. The problem for her will be the the RFE, as INS did not believe the original marriage was bona fide. She chose to have an affair the week of her INS interview, and was not able to obtain the evidence INS requested because of this. The lawyer's opionion was that in this case it will be very difficult for her to adjust status based on marriage to someone else. To be successful, she will need to obtain the evidence that INS had requested about the first marriage. Since this evidence doesn't exist, things might not work. She can try, but it will likely take many years, and she will risk deportation/detention during this time. Something similar happened to someone I know (married to a citizen, no green card). He spent about a year and a half in INS detention. Ultimately, he could stay, but the situation was very different (minor children were US citizens, etc..) If she had been willing to participate in marriage counseling, she would have much stronger case. Marrying me again would work (this will not happen though). It is not possible to apply for any other type of visa, because of the immigrant intent from the K-1. Claiming she is a battered spouse is an option, but probably won't work for her since she is the defendent in a domestic violence case. The violene was ultimately the reason for the divoce. (She was never hit or abused, but she also has no problem lying either). So, kind of a long answer - the divorce isn't necessarily a problem. As long as there are statements from marriage counselors and family, and joint financial records, divorce is probably okay, even before the AOS is approved.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-17 13:13:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Suppose he chooses to use DISHWASHING liquid in the dishwasher. Do you just smile and say "your choice to make, honey?" or do you take the time and explain and SHOW someone how this works and what they are supposed to do... and then they tell you "you are always telling me what to do???" to thank you for your efforts?? Dan, I think Lisa has a point, you are naming problems that almost every couple has (how to fold towels, don't use metal on the teflon pans, etc). The reaction is somewhat normal too. If all the little things were wrong, perhaps you weren't married to the right person for you in the first place. To criticize choices this vocally, I think we are really talking about ones that will have a material impact on your life (starting/quiting a job, making a large purchase - car, house, etc). If you get bogged down in the little things, you are never going to be happy. It was definitely the "big" choices that ended things for us - without going into details, it involved infidelity, violence, and honesty. I made my choice too, first to forgive, and then for the divorce. Our problems had nothing to do with Russia, culture, immigration, or how we met. Dan is right too, there is a reason this is the "Russia" section. Gender roles and culture are in some cases very different in Russia. In most cases though, things are very similar.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-16 15:57:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Oh and one more thing: the unmitigated gall of the OP's wife to actually make her own choices! How dare she! To be fair, I have no problem with my wife making her own choices. Covering them up, or lying I do have a problem with.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-16 12:55:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	So changing status in the country will probably be impossible. However, because she is under an authorized stay by the attorney general she might fall into some other category not mentioned in the I-539. Also, how does Chicago do their tuition policy? Are you paying in state or out of state tuition? The downside of a student visa holder is that they are bound to pay out of state tuition which can be 5 to 10 times more expensive than in state and that might not be something you would want to pay for. However, I don't think she'll have to quit school if she is out of status. At least in California we got thousands of people in our colleges, universities, and primary schools who are undocumented. These are all excellent questions, which I will bring up with a lawyer tomorrow. Knowing how bad schools can be with paperwork (I faxed documents to them, marriage certificate was enough for them based on marriage to me), she may finish school without ever being asked for anything again. She will be out of status then, but the odds of being caught are probably slim. She does have a travel document (technically still valid), so she may be able to apply for an F-1 from Canada. (I know people who have done this under different circumstanes, H1-B to F1 and F-1 to L1) It is still a risk leaving the US, though I think she would be okay if she travelled with me, marriage certificate, AP etc. Of course, it would need to be done quickly - ~40 days left on the clock). It might be a problem applying for such a visa if the know she already has an AOS pending. More questions for my lawyer...	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-14 20:58:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	[ Have a talk with your lawyer. But if he isn't an immigration lawyer, try to find one that is, pay for the consultation fee so you can get an idea of what options you two have. In theory if she can appeal her denial or have her green card approved then she will be able to remove conditions as a self-petition based on divorce / bona fide marriage. But getting to this stage is going to be an uphill battle since she didn't get her conditional greencard back in July. You can also garner more advice by posting in the AOS or removing conditions forms. I've got a few immigration lawyers I'm talking to tomorrow (my family is pretty well connected lawyer-wise), though they are not particularly interrested in helping my wife. I've already gathered that getting her original petition either approved or approved on appeal is the best outcome, but difficult now. So a new marriage next year, and I-130 is more likely. The best thing I can do to help this will probably end up being nothing. Going back to Russia for a K-1 would be a bad choice, as she may have medical problems getting it approved. (I'm sure they would also have questions about the first marriage anyway). Based upon her emotial state now, I'm not sure how likely that marriage will be. It would be much better if she could do this without depending on marriage. I told her that I would continue to pay for her university tuition - how possible is it for her to apply for an F-1 (student) visa? Can this be done from inside the US, since she is still here legally for now? Without the greencard, she will be forced to quit school.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-14 15:52:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	http://www.uscis.gov...doi/hdi245i.htm Why do you want help? What is your goal? To get her a conditional greencard? To prove the marriage was bona fide? Or do you want to ensure the exact opposite? I would like to help her with the greencard. I can't do this by supplying affidavits about the state of the marriage (no one will do them for me). Likewise, nothing she can do about that either. I have an injunction preventing her from talking to me for the next week. I can talk to her, but I don't know where she is. I guess it looks like the best option is to help her appeal the aos denial. I'm willing to do anything short of lying under oath. After that (if it worked), she could immediately apply to remove the conditions, right? I'm talking a lawyer tomorrow -- I'll see what he says.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-14 13:48:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	She chose to leave me for someone, then try to come back, but continue the affiar anyway. Sorry for you loss Russ. But just out of curiosity did she you leave you for another American or a Russian American living in your community? In terms of immigration consequences she will be denied AOS if there is no response to the RFE. She might be able to squeeze in an I-360 for battered women in abusive relationship since there is some evidence of police involvement based on your other post. Well, the police reports and restraining orders are against her, so I doubt the battered woman route would work. Too many witnesses as well. He is another American, though she only knew him for a few days. I'm not entirely sure what she is doing now (she might be trying to go off on her own). She certainly does not want to return to Russia. You are probably right that an I-130 is her best bet. The problem would be that INS did not believe the marriage was bona fide to begin with, hence the RFE for affidavits from my family and friends (which they obviously won't provide), and the RFE for joint financial records (there are none, and now won't be). I have a feeling that the circumstances of the divorce may be a problem as well, though I'm not sure that INS would be looking at the divorce decree. The timing may raise flags as well (affair started the week before her interview). The other complication is that she can't get married until her divorce is complete (may be some time, since she's avoiding being served with papers), and her boyfriend may not marry her in the end (for financial reasons, she will likely end up with a lot of debt after the divorce -- several years salary for him.) Neither of them have the resources to pay for lawyers. Does she have any chance of appealing the denied AOS? I would be willing to help anyway I can, but it certainly would depend on her intentions and the divorce.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-13 23:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Oh those wild and wonderful Russian Women	Well, I guess you can include me in the divorced club too now. (Didn't even make it to the greencard, so I don't think that was the issue. But we were close. ) BTW, what do I tell INS about the RFE - it asks for info from me? You need to be able to trust your spouse. If they lie about where they are or who they are with (for no good reason), the lies will just get bigger and bigger. Remember what Ronald Reagan said about the Russians? ... "Trust, but verify." For me, verifying showed that the surface did not reflect reality. I will have plenty of time to think about this, but I don't think my wife was ready to be married at all. She chose to leave me for someone, then try to come back, but continue the affiar anyway. Our friends really don't understand it (It is someone much older, poorer and uglier as they put it). It only took her a few days to decide to leave. I don't think that there is any litmus test. You just need to observe people's behavior, and decide if you can accept it. It is complicated, since some people are good actors (at least, in the short term.)	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-13 21:26:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russian movies online?	QUOTE (Satellite @ Feb 21 2008, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (apgk @ Feb 20 2008, 09:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am trying to find out if there are any websites which has russian movies for downloading or streaming? Try: http://www.stepashka.com/ torrents.ru	russ	Male	Russia	2008-03-04 15:29:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	QUOTE (Danno @ Nov 9 2007, 10:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I guess it is always better to send Too Much rather than too little, however, I already sent one years tax return for her to bring to Moscow. Does anyone know where or if they demand more than one years return for self-employed? It is a case by case thing. I you made over $100K in that tax year, I doubt they will ask for more. If they do, it will be a 221g and it will set you back a few weeks. That would probably happen if you were just over the line.	russ	Male	Russia	2007-11-09 11:11:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	QUOTE (Danno @ Nov 3 2007, 02:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I thought I read self employed people are to submit 1 years tax return, where does it require 3 years tax returns? I sent 2 years and it was fine. Worst case is that they end up asking for it, so you might as well send 3 years if you can. If not, I wouldn't worry.	russ	Male	Russia	2007-11-04 14:42:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	is it different for K3? do we have to wait for EAD before applying for SSN? please let me know...............thanks The (better) advice is to apply for a SSN as soon as possible, since you need it anyway. From the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/i...d=96287,00.html What is an ITIN? An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service. It is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number 9 and has a 7 or 8 in the fourth digit, example 9XX-7X-XXXX. IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). ITINs are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and nonresident aliens may have U.S. tax return and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code. Individuals must have a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN, unless they meet an exception. Who needs an ITIN? IRS issues ITINs to foreign nationals and others who have federal tax reporting or filing requirements and do not qualify for SSNs. A non-resident alien individual not eligible for an SSN, who is required to file a U.S. tax return only to claim a refund of tax under the provisions of a U.S. tax treaty, needs an ITIN. Examples of individuals who need ITINs include: Non-resident alien filing a U.S. tax return and not eligible for an SSN U.S. resident alien (based on days present in the United States) filing a U.S. tax return and not eligible for an SSN Dependent or spouse of a U.S. citizen/resident alien Dependent or spouse of a non-resident alien visa holder	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-17 11:49:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	We did this as well. Made a couple thousand dollar difference. This is for Russia-specific advice. Besides, if you can't get a SSN, you can get an ITIN for the purpose of filing taxes regardless of immigration status.	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-16 09:24:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	did you email your fiancee or to the embassy? My fiance. The letter is a formality (unless it states that you don't intend on getting married)	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-13 09:22:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	I have a question do i need new letter of intent?the thing is he mailed me all documents and ill have them 2 days before interview.Interview is on 17th so its late he sends me by dhl again.or is it ok if i just shoe email? I emailed the letter of intent and it was fine.	russ	Male	Russia	2007-08-12 11:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	Terrific job Awsome. I thnk expanding the part about DHL service might be good. Addresses for both with a notation the one office is downstairs in the building next to the embassy but the other is where you need to have the visa held. I'll put some more detail in the DHL section, there always seem to be questions about that. I can't seem to figure out how to edit the post though (I can only edit replies). Is there something I am missing? Who should I PM about making this sticky? Ewok?	russ	Male	Russia	2007-07-27 11:27:00
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus	Russia Specific FAQ	Okay, here's my first attempt at making a FAQ for the Russia thread. Please PM me any corrections/comments/additions and I will edit it. This is mostly cut-and-pasted from questions asked over the last year, with the most relevant answers. Q. Does the police certificate need to be translated or notorized? If the police report is in Russian, it does not need to be translated. Q. Where can I stay (cheap) in Moscow? A. There are no bargains. -- From slim: Russian Girl Friday Contact Olesya Pomazan, the "Russian Girl Friday." She let my fiancee stay with her for about $35/night. She's a single mom with a flat in Moscow and is really familiar with the interview process. Check out her website: http://www.russiangirlfriday.com Moscow Rick speaks English, arrangements can be made by phone, and is reasonable. http://www.moscowrick.com/ +7-495-741-7606 between 3 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Q. Can/will DHL hold the visa in Moscow? A. Yes, you can specify to have it held at their office. This may save a few days if you will be flying out as soon as you recieve it. Q. How do I get an International Passport in Russia? A. Go to ???? (OVIR) or the local government entity that does these. It can take up to 30 days. There are private travel companies that may be able to do it faster, though this should not cost more than 4 to 5,000 rubles. A Russian newspaper in a sufficiently large city will have classified ads from travel agencies providing such a service. Q. How can I find a cheap flight to North America from Moscow? A. Buy well in advance, and travel in the winter. Other tips: DL/Aeroflot Moscow to JFK is usually the cheapest route. If you are going elsewhere, try booking a one-way on JetBlue as the connection through NYC. airtech.com has very cheap one-ways from Europe to North America (USD239). This will require you to find a cheap flight to a European hub though. (A one-way Moscow to Brussels is USD100). Taxes on European departures can be expensive, though. If you live in a big city - sometimes it is cheaper to have a connection you don't use, if you know the flight will connect through your city. Example - instead of MOW->ATL, MOW->ATL->MCO may be cheaper then the non-stop. Buy the MOW->ATL->MCO ticket, but get off the plane in ATL and don't get on the flight to MCO. This works in any city that is a hub for the carrier. Try every possible connection through that hub and pick the cheapest Q. What is the cheapest way to call Russia? A. To Moscow / St Petersburg land lines, 1 cent/minute is the best deal you will find. Mobile phones are about 6.5 cents/minute at the cheapest. 5-10cents/minute for the rest of Russia. Getting SIP handset and pointing it at the cheapest provider is your best bet, other than calling cards (which are a pain). VOIP companies will be the cheapest, though this will take some knowledge on your part to set up. Probably worth the investment for call quality and price over the long term. Q. Where to do the medical in Moscow? A. IOM seems to be the most popular here. The clinics approved for K-1 visa applications from Russia are International Organization for Migration, telephone (7-095) 797-8723, AO Meditsina, telephone (7-095) 250-9186 or 250-8899. Children's Hospital no. 1, Vladivostok. Tel. (4232) 40-13-35 or (4232) 45-24-26. IOM has results the same day and is $ 90.00. AOM has results the following morning and is $ 100.00. The reports are that people are treated much better at AOM The clinic approved for K-1 visa applications from Ukraine are: Clinic for Oil-Refining Industry of Ukraine 9, Spusk Protassov Yar Kyiv, Ukraine Telephone: 044-244-8941, 044-277-4181 Per-person fee for a medical exam is no more then $75 for adults and children. The Clinic performs medical examinations any Working day (Monday through Friday), between 8.00am and 12.00pm. TIP, Have her ask for a copy of her vaccination records. It will save you time and money in the USA later. Q. How do I address a letter to Russia? A. In cyrillic, Name last, in the dative case. Example: ?????? ?. ?????? 117932 ??. ??????? ??? 30 ?? 121 ???????, ????? ????????? To send a letter to ????? ????????? ??????? (Mrs Yeltsin) (the address is made up). It is common in Russian to use last name followed by initials. For names ending in "a", the ending is "e." If the name ends in "??" the ending is "??" Names ending in "K" or "O" do not generally decline. Mens names also decline, but I think anyone writing to a man here already speaks Russian. Write RUSSIA in english somewhere on the envelope. Generally delivered in 10 days. Q. How do I know when the interview will be? A. For Moscow the online K-1 Visa Schedule is at http://moscow.usemba...r/wwwhci10.html Q. When will packet 4 arrive? A. Moscow only sends one packet, combining packets 3 & 4. Nothing further is required on your part to schedule the interview. Q. What paperwork is necessary at the interview? A. : 1. A valid International Passport with a photocopy of the first page. They will keep this and return it with the visa fixed inside. 2. An original birth certificate with along with a photocopy and an English translation. 3. A police report in all names as well as all dates of birth ever used. Police certificate must contain references to each place in which the applicant lives or has lived for more than six months since attaining the age of 16. 4. Evidence of termination of prior marriage (if applicable), original, photocopy and translation into English. 5. Accompanying child requires a valid passport (or may be included in the parent's passport), a birth certificate and a medical examination. If a child is 16 years of age or over, police certificates are required. Translations of the indicated documents are required as well. 6. (3) black-and-white or color photos taken against a white or off - white background (5 x 5 cm) for visa which are basically passport style photos. 7. (3) photos of passport size for medical exam. 8. Visa application fee of $100 (or the ruble equivalent) per person, payable at the Embassy on the day of interview. Must be in cash. 9. A new letter of intent to marry from both addressed to the Embassy. 10. Documents confirming relationship: photos of Petitioner and Beneficiary together, letters to each other, phone bills, airplane tickets, emails, etc. 11. Results of Medical Examination in a sealed envelope. (clinic info following) 12. A prepaid DHL mailer. (There is a DHL office on the lower level of the building to the right of the north entrance of the US Embassy in Moscow. Ukraine applicants need a FedEx mailer and it can be purchased at the Embassy at the time of the interview. There is information that she will need from you at the time of the interview. They include: 1. A letter from your employer stating position, salary, likelihood of your continued employment. 2. A letter from your bank stating your balance, your average balance, how long you have had your account (or the last 12 months bank statements) 3. A copy of the last year’s tax return if you are an employee or the last three years returns if you are self employed. 4. W-2’s for the last year. 5. Three consecutive recent pay stubs. 6. I-134 Affidavit of Support, signed and notarized. 7. A new letter of intent to marry addressed to the Moscow embassy. Q. Am I being scammed? A. Yes.	russ	Male	Russia	2007-07-26 12:06:00
Asia: East and Pacific	income question K1	You will need a co-sponser i noticed many co-sponsor k1 cases have lots of problems. so should i amend my 2005 tax return from 15k to 25k instead having a co-sponsor? OKay, I have to ask. How can you do that? File a 1040x with a new schedule C. Declare $1,000 in fewer expenses on the schedule C, this will raise your business profit (and income) by $1,000. At $16,000 in income, I doubt it will increase your tax bill by much. While technically you are now filing a falsified return, the IRS is unlikely to complain about you paying them MORE money. It may be possible that some expenses might just move to another tax year. Tax returns of self employed people in the US are a bad indicator of income, since it is in your interest to make as little as possible. Deductions on your scedule C don't show up as AGI (gross income), thus lowering your tax bill and potentially avoiding AMT. If you are a C-Corp or S-Corp, this will be different. Your accountant may know a better way to do this, maybe a distribution or dividend from your business (which would make more sense for tax year 05, these usually happend after the fact), and will probably be cheaper than the SE tax. Whatever he says, I would take his advice. A W-2 employee appears to make more, since deductions show up on the 1040. Since you are self employed, they will probably care more about your business' books than your taxes anyway.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-04-23 15:13:00
Canada	Error on Visa	She received her visa today, and I drove up after work to get her, and bring her to the US tomorrow. (Saturday.) I just double-checked her visa, and there is an error. The passport number on her visa is off by one number. Given the time constraint, if it were me, I would play dumb and chance it. The name and picture match. No one is going to look at the passport number in the visa again after you cross the border, and you will find out if it is a problem quickly. Besides, THEY put the visa in her passport. OBVIOUSLY, it is their screwup. Coming from Canada, I'm would be shocked if this is something that can not be dealt with at the border if it is a problem. No one would ever look for this on their own. Also, the worst thing that can happen is they say no at the border, and you get it fixed a few days later. If they don't care (they will probably notice the error at the border since they scan them electronically), you are fine. (No one will notice ever again, since you only need the I-94 in the future.)	russ	Male	Russia	2007-05-19 02:53:00
Removing Conditions on Residency General Discussion	Pregnant by my busband. He doesn't want the baby and he asks me for an abortion.	Please if anyone knows a little bit about it, help me!! Pauli. Talk to a lawyer. It is possible to divorce, remove conditions, and stay in the US with baby. If you can't afford it, there are lawyers who will do this for free. If you need help finding them, send me a PM. Call every lawyer in the phonebook. Explain your situation quickly - At least one should tell you who might be able to help. (There are charaties which do such things).	russ	Male	Russia	2006-09-14 22:18:00
Middle East and North Africa	Overseas phone calls	Is anyone getting a decent rate for overseas phone calls? The best Ive found so far is 16 cents a minute calling from Texas to Rabat. I kind of prefer to use phone cards since I call him from so many different places (work, home, cell, etc). Also, does anyone know of a way to get the records of numbers called on a pre-paid card? Thanks all I'm using Sunrocket (like vonage), but cheaper. $17/month, incl tax. Unlimited domestic calls, $0.03/minute to Moscow and St Petersburg. It's $0.03 to much of the world - plus, no calling cards to deal with. You can download call logs from their site. If high speed internet is available where you are trying to call - best thing is to get one of the sunrocket boxes, and ship it to the person you want to reach. Then, they can call you (for free), and you can call them for almost free (local call). They can also call anyone in the US for free. Of course, this depends on them having DSL/cablemodem/etc - not availble in much of the world.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-04-05 19:56:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Evidences of Relationship - K-1 Visa	If that's what you want to send, then that should be fine. Some say photos are secondary, some say they're primary as far as evidence goes. We sent about three. Hope this helps I sent 4, printed on a computer printer at my house. Didn't have any problem. Send more if you have it handy, though it isn't absolutey necessary.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-03-12 22:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Had not wanted to say anything	It took a while for my petition to make it through the NVC, this is not terribly unusual. If you search around here, there is a telephone number for the state department in DC. I had much more luck getting information from them (they answered the phone immediately, had actual information about the petition. ) In my case, it was sent to the FBI for some additional checking. NVC said nothing about this. Unfortonately, that phone number isn't well advertised. If you look around here, you should be able to find it without too much effort.	russ	Male	Russia	2006-03-15 16:54:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Damn damn damn	I heard from the Embassy - got Packet 3 days ago - but I told Paul they mentioned that they require I-134, 1040 and W2 for the year 2004. It does not say this anywhere on the website; Paul wrote to the Consulate about 10 days ago and they responded last night saying it is required. So now it seems more than likely it will take another month before I have all the documents. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Am fed up!!! If you send copies, they should be fine. The IRS will fax you transcripts of this stuff - email a PDF and you should be okay. (The G325 and I134 are really the only things from the states that must be original. I sent almost everything else as a PDF, which was fine in Russia)	russ	Male	Russia	2006-04-20 17:18:00