Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization Interview!	Who is Bahbushka?. Google Translate couldn't get me the answer. "Bahbushka" is the transliterated pronunciation of the Russian word for "grandmother", meaning Alla's mother. Due to her age and general declining health we are considering bringing her here to live with us. Once Alla is a citizen she can file an I-130 for her mother. Her mother is not likely to have much to say about it. Since Russian uses a different alphabet, there really is no such word as "bahbushka" it is using our alphabet to reproduce the sound of the word in Russian, so no translator is going to work with that Edited by Gary and Alla, 04 January 2012 - 06:17 AM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-04 06:15:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization Interview!	Aww, that's so sweet of you and Alla. . I wish could've a chance to learn any other languages in the past but I might be doing so in the future. It's very interesting to see how people communicate to each other using their own language with an accent. I find it's sexy. OMG a beautiful woman with a Russian accent is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hot. (I could be biased) Gerry, I assumed Ella would change her name to the more americanized Ella at the naturalization stage anyway, so no harm done. Voooooooowhat????????	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-04 20:43:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization Interview!	Poor babushka! (that word does the trick in the Latin alphabet, VS Cyrillic alphabet), have you ever considered that dying alone is not fun for sure, but sometimes old people, the last thing they want is to be taken away from their roots..it kills them even more inside. So if you have love and respect for her, maybe you should consider what she would prefer, and not what 'gary and alla' want. apparently as you said 9 we are thinking...) Alla, your wife, should talk to her to know what is on her mind... I think we can handle it. Thanks.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-05 04:31:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Naturalization Interview!	Thanks NickD Yeah Bahbushka can also be a scarf and it is named for the fact that almost every grandmother in the FSU and probably Poland, wears one nearly all the time!! They referred to the women that swept the sidewalks in the morning as the "bahbushka brigade" and I was not sure if they were referring to their age or their scarves!	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-06 19:22:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Do they send out a letter for biometrics?	My question was answered today - I got my biometrics appointment letter in the mail. Jan 17 at 11am. They're moving a lot faster than I expected! I hope this means that the whole thing will go faster and I won't have to wait 6 months for my interview... We filed in November, got our interview letter today and NO biometrics. I did just discover that if the N-400 is filed within 15 months of ROC then biometrics are not needed. Ours was. Good luck	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-03 19:34:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	selective service ?????	hi everyone i was just helping my brother fill out his citizenship and we came along a question for SELECTIVE SERVICE, he did register, he was able to answer all the question but my HUSBAND who came here on a fiance visa last year never got that little card to register and i never knew about this and ofc my brother forgot all about that.... -is it too late to register now? -DOES HE( MY HUSBAND) EVEN HAVE TO REGISTER??cuz i read a forum on here somebody said they dont mind on the citizenship if you didnt :S i rather make sure - he got his green card last MONTH, he is 22.. he has a green card thats valid for two years only and than we have to apply for that 10 yr green card Go register tomorrow.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2012-01-03 19:31:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Stepson - unknown address	Yes he is a US citizen, I am just afraid if by putting"unknown" I might look like unmoral person who doesn't know the address of the step son. If the correct answer is "unknown" then put "unknown" It does not indicate anything else other than you do not know his address. If there is a question about it (I doubt it) they will ask at the interview	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-12-27 06:49:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Impact of traffic tickets wrongly assigned to me	Hello all, I am applying for citizenship in the near future and would like to know a few details about traffic tickets. I was the co-signer of Ex's car and the car was apparently registered in my name. He had a few traffic violations and me being on the title, the tickets were sent to me. I sent notarized statements to the DMV stating I was not the driver and the tickets were then re-assigned to Ex. Qn: Should I list these tickets on N-400? Thanks Short answer NO, traffic tickets do not affect citizenship Traffic tickets are not usually mailed, are you sure they are not PARKING tickets? Some places have these video monitors for traffic lights, tolls, etc and it could be that type of ticket.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-12-26 13:32:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	I am planning on taking my family to Niagara Falls tomorrow and was so worried about making sure that the three of us Australians had everything we need I didn't even stop to think my U.S. Husband may have issues. I know they recently made it more difficult to cross even for American Citizens and was wondering what he would need. Without a Passport or Enhanced Drivers License the only things he really has are an Original Birth Certificate and a regular DL. Is this enough or should I not even bother trying? Just in case anyone is wondering my family are traveling on the VWP and I was told they would be able to get in and out of Canada just fine as long as it is within their original 90 day visit to the U.S. and I will be traveling on my Green Card which has expired however, I do have my extension letter to show I am in the process of Removing Conditions. TIA! we live at the border and travel to Canada frequently. We used to do it with our drivers license and a birth certificate and they did not always ask for the birth certificate. That changed in 2007 I believe, maybe 2008. You now MUST have a passport or EDL or Green Card to cross and return Edited by Gary and Alla, 16 October 2011 - 07:39 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-16 19:38:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	A Permanent Resident living in the US visiting Canada doesn't usually need to show their foreign passport when returning to the US across a land border in Canada. Their green card is sufficient. It is also sufficient for entering Canada. The foreign passport is also not required. It is always a good idea, however, for anyone visiting a foreign country to carry their passport of citizenship with them. If you are flying into either country, however, you do need to show both the green card and the passport due to air travel regulations as well as border regulations. While US citizens can have the option to prove they are US citizens upon re-entering the US from Canada at a land border and not have a passport, the cases I have heard about have usually involved a lot of hassle and delays of 6 or more hours at the border while the border 'verifies' the birth certificates or whatever have been presented instead. The US citizens have also been told in no uncertain terms that they are required to have a passport or one of the other WHTI documents and that a birth certificate is NOT considered sufficient for border crossing purposes any longer. The old days when just using a birth certificate to cross the Canada-US border are gone. It is best to get used to the idea and plan accordingly. The OP's planned trip to Canada has already happened so I am hoping they will come back and let us know what they did and what happened. I can tell you that the Canadian Douanes at the Champlain and Nolin border crossings wil NOT allow you into Canada if you do not have a passport, EDL or green card. They do not want you "stuck" there trying to get back. I cannot speak for every POE in Canada of course, but the ones that border Vermont here are quite clear and concise. Get a passport or EDL! Alla uses only her green card and never has a problem. Edited by Gary and Alla, 16 October 2011 - 07:43 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-16 19:42:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	You need both your foreign passport AND your greencard to re-enter the US. Greencard only is not sufficient! wrong. For land travel you need only the green card. My wife does it a couple times a week. Did it yesterday. She has NEVER used her passport to enter Canada or return. If you FLY into Canada you need passport and GC.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-17 17:30:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	My husband thinks it's funny that he needs his passport to re-enter the US and I only need my GC. For Mexico, Canada and the Carribean this is true for LAND travel because he does not have a "passport card" or Enhanced DL. I have a Vermont Enhanced drivers license and use only that to go back and forth to Canada. Alla cannot get an enhanced DL until she is a citizen. Yes the trip has already taken place and I just left the hubby behind. Didn't want the added stress. I get scared when Alla goes to Montreal by herself! She drives to the South Shore and takes the Metro. She does not want to drive in the city.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-17 17:36:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	Correct me if I am wrong, but believe you also need your current valid foreign passport, wife needed that as well to reenter the USA. And that was at the Toronto Airport in Canada. Also with some foreign passports, may also require a visa to enter Canada. No visa for permanent residents regardless of foreign passport country. For land travel you do not need the passport. Green card only. For flying in or out...yes, you need your foreign passport and green card but still no visa. Seriously, we live just a few minutes from the border and Alla has been to Canada and back dozens and dozens of times with only a green card. I go there for lunch sometimes for the awesome "viande feu", smoked meat sandwiches! I go to a small border crossing and it is little more than passing a toll booth each way. Edited by Gary and Alla, 17 October 2011 - 05:43 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-17 17:40:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	I just crossed the border the other day and he wasn't interested in my passport even when I asked him if he wanted to see it he just said no the GC was fine and sent us on our way.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-17 17:47:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	It was called the 49th parallel, an imaginary line base on dividing the then known equator to the north pole into 90 increments. North of this 49th line was to be ruled by the British, south of it would have their own ruling government. To the best of my knowledge, not even documented, was done after the war of 1812 by a handshake. A gentleman's agreement, have to recall during the revolution and the War of 1812, it was primarily British fighting British. Also at that time, most of the central and western proportions of the USA and Canada were not even part of either nation. But as these nations expanded to the west, that arbitrary line was formed. Also in crossing that imaginary border many times myself, far more stricter, in particular with customs than anything else in major metropolitan areas. Crossing in the likes of Minnesota or North Dakota, would only find a shack with not even a guard there half the time. If there, was asleep and would automatically wave you on. Some would want to see the shot records of your dog. One thing you never would do, is pick a flower on the US side and try to cross the border with that. You can say you don't need a passcard to cross this legally undefined imaginary line, but now is part of our law, and all depends on that guard and whether he/she is even there or awake or not. Also not even a law passed by our congress, but an executive decision by a president that claims the world was against him. Billions of needed dollars were spent to enforce this law, in particular at airport security. No fun to travel to Canada anymore. Vast majority of Canadians and Americans really don't like this, but one guy changed it all. And he has the nerve to call this a democracy. Dictatorship is more like it. The border crossing at Alburg, VT/Nolin, QC is a small building (I would not call it a "shack") and both the US and Canadian guards are in the same small building, basically back to back at opposite windows. There is a covered area outside for car inspections We also have four cities in which both the US and Canada divide the city and within this city is kind of a "no man's land" You can enter and go to either the Canadian or US parts of the city but if you continue on out to the north, then you have to go through Douanes/Customs. They continue to say they will build walls between the parts of the city and require a border crossing but so far it has been avoided. For these cities it would literally be like a "berlin wall" albeit easier to go back and forth. On lake Champlain you are directed to report to the neareast border station/customs house upon docking your boat if you leave the lakefront area. There are no crossing guards on the lake but there are both the US Coast Guard and Canadian Customs and RCMPs patrolling and you are subject to inspection In order to drive from here to northern New York, we used to have to enter Quebec, drive around the top of Lake Champlain and reenter NY at Champlain NY The border crossing for local drivers licenses was basically a "wave through". People were going grocery shopping, literally. Now they built a bridge just south of the border, I mean JUST south, and installed real border crossings. And here and in New York the border is just barely north of the 45 degree parelell Edited by Gary and Alla, 17 October 2011 - 06:05 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-17 18:04:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	U.S. Citizen Visiting Canada	She is smart! Trust your wife - no one wants to drive in Montreal unless they have to! The Metro is much better " I am not scared about her driving! I am scared about her spending! Seems strange that a green card carries a lot more weight than being a natural born US citizen or even a naturalized citizen. But what can you expect from a country that has over 1,525 government agencies, with each making their own laws. Prior to WW II, agencies could only advise congress, that sure changed for the worst. Ha, ask your congressman to name these 1,525 different governmental agencies. Why would you think that? Because it is smaller than a passport? I use an enhanced DL	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-18 21:44:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Trips to Canada - too many to count	Visajourney was a lifesaver back when my husband was applying for the K3, and now we're back on these boards again. The problem is part 7 that ask for dates of trips outside of the country. We live an hour and a half away from the border and travel back and forth on almost a biweekly basis. Sometimes for a few hours, sometimes overnight, every once in awhile for multiple days, a few times for a week or longer. All of the visits are related to visiting family or vacation, Over the last five years, it's probably 80 trips. What in the world does he put on that section of the form? Thank you in advance! This is a problem for us also but note that it is trips over 24 hours only! Even an "overnight" trip may not be over 24 hours. We almost are never in Canada more than 24 hours, we live only a few minutes from the border and go to Montreal for the day or even just for dinner, ice skating, go to IKEA, etc. We were there today for about 6 hours. I did not mention those at all. We had one trip to Quebec City of 4 days and that is it. Maybe that narrows it down for you? Edited by Gary and Alla, 16 October 2011 - 07:49 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-16 19:47:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Alla has said she would like to chnage to my name with her naturalization which we will file soon. Can we do this? Just list her "married name" and her previous name and name on the green card along with our marriage certificate? we could then use the citizenship document to change her name with the DMV, SS, etc. Has anyone done this? Edited by Gary and Alla, 14 October 2011 - 06:03 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 18:02:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	NM, I read the instructions	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 18:09:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Imagine that!! I was really surprised to see a question from you. But just in case yest you can do that I was never injected with info on immigration. I got here at VJ! When I asked Alla to marry me I did not even know there was such a thing as a K-1. Thanks!	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 18:31:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	But now, something I did not find in the instructions...citizenship of the children we have one age 16 and one age 20, permanent residents and two sons that are US citizens. I take it we list them all What about the two LPRs? We list them of course, but do I pay the biometrics fee for them? Will they automatically become citizens when Alla does? Is Alla the only "applicant" and the boys just get bestowed? Edited by Gary and Alla, 14 October 2011 - 06:35 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 18:35:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	My mother got her USC thru naturalization, and after she got hers we filed N-600 for my sister she was 16 at the time. So check the requirements for N-600 this may answer your question. I am not sure if we did it correctly, but it worked for us. OK! Thanks! VJ rocks!	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 19:28:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	My mother got her USC thru naturalization, and after she got hers we filed N-600 for my sister she was 16 at the time. So check the requirements for N-600 this may answer your question. I am not sure if we did it correctly, but it worked for us. We have a winner! That's it. Alla gets her citizenship and then we file an N-600 for Pasha. Sergey is over 21 so he will have to file his own N-400 it appears. The only question now is, can he still get citizenship after 3 years or does he have to wait for 5 years?	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-14 19:41:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	I hate to brake the bad news but 3 years only apply if the person is married to the USC. In this case I believe he entered under K-2 visa, and will be turning 21. So he will need to wait 5 years since obtaining greencard. While it is not really clear but go ahead and read it here. http://www.uscis.gov...PDFs/G-1151.pdf From what I read 3 years applies to the spouse and any children under 18 at the time the spouse is naturalized. Otherwise they have to "qualify on their own" which would mean five years I believe. I think you are right. Not that it is bad news, he is still a permanent resident and can get it when he has five years as a resident. Not a big deal.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-15 01:41:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	With kids that are LPR's under 18, they automatically become US citizens, but without proof. To get that proof from the USCIS, its another 600 bucks with the N-600 and typically another six month wait. Plus another trip to your field office. Some just elect to send piles of proof to the DOS and get a US passport instead. All that proof has to be original documentation, and unless you go to a DOS service center with an airline ticket within two weeks of a traveling date, they send it through the mails that can get lost. Then there are only 12 such DOS service centers throughout the entire USA, for us, a 700 mile round trip, and of all places, in downtown Chicago with one big fat no- parking sign. Kids under 16 require permission from their biological parent to get a US passport or solid original documentation you have full custody. Another stack of papers to send. Some may even want DNA proof the kid is yours, more expense. If a kid is a second over that magical age of 18, our case, has to wait the full five years, another $680.00, and in our case, another 1,350 miles of driving at four bucks a gallon for gas. None of this is tax deductible, already argued with the IRS about that. But too bad I don't own a 47 million dollar Gulfstream luxurious jet to entertain with, that is 100% tax deductible. They tell me congress makes the rules, but for that matter, the USCIS also tells congress makes the rules. Only problem I have with that is finding a congressman that has even heard about the USCIS. Yes, its all in the instructions, will get a migraine headache from reading and trying to comprehend those, but they have migraine medicine for that. Unfortunately, its over the counter, so that isn't tax deductible either. In our case the local office is right nearby, so that is not a problem and Alla interprets for the guy that will probably give her the interview, unless he steps down from that and lets someone else do it. I wondered about just using the other evidence to get him a passport. Pasha is over 16 but under 18, the magical age. So that is not a problem. He will probably be 17 when Alla takes her oath. Would he need this certificate in the future or would a passport be OK? The way I read the law, he will be able to get the certificate at any time since he was under 18 at the time. But if a passport will suffice, why pay another $600?	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-15 17:48:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Gary, don't waste the money on the N-600s. Their only purpose is to get them their first U.S. passports, that henceforwarth will serve as proof of U.S. citizenship. You can get them passport easily if the two little ones go with Alla to the passport office and apply at the same time based on her Certificate of Naturalization. If you are smart, and I know you are, spend another $25 per head on a passport card which you will immediately confiscate for safekeeping. If they ever lose their passport book, the card is perfectly suited as proof of U.S. citizenship and to get them a new passport book. Trust me. Regarding your oldest who lives in Russia, more or less, I am fairly sure that the I.O. will rip his heart out and step on it until it stops beating, figuratively speaking. As I stated before, I am sure, pretty sure, that he does not meet the continuous presence requirements. The oldest one, because he will be (is) over 18 at the time Alla gets her citizenship will have to wait until he is here for 5 years, not three years. As he came as a K-2 to follow and has to stay for 5 years he WILL meet the continous presence requirement by that time. He will be doing his doctorate degree work in the US so that is not an issue anyway. And just for a clarification. He does not "live" in Russia, it is very important to make that distinction. He LIVES right here in Vermont, he goes to school in Russia. The fact that he is a student rather than "living" there may be used to qualify under the continuous presence rule IF he was under 18. He is not, so it is a moot point. He is a permanent resident of the US and is very careful to maintain that status. If he were under 18 he really would not even have to qualify under the continius presence rule, that is Alla's responsibility. The other "little one" can drive Alla to the interview in his Volvo S80 T6. But he IS (will be)under 18. Thanks for the advice! I think I will save the $600	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-15 19:32:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Brother Hesekie is right about continuous presence requirements. Sergey 'lives' here, studies there won't work. He needs to be in the states for 5yrs, he needs to be present within one state for 3yrs. No any stamps in his international passport for 3yrs. The N-600 will ask for it. I mean you will list all his outs and ins in the form. This is not correct but not an issue for us. Education is an affirmative defense. At any rate he will be here and there is no such thing as "no stamps in his passport" Seriously, please study what you say before you say it. Aside from educational absence, the requirement is to have been in the USA more than 30 months of the prvious five years without any absences exceeding 6 months. You certainly CAN visit foreign countries. As it turns out in our case, it will not be an issue, as I have stated. Edited by Gary and Alla, 15 October 2011 - 09:48 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-15 21:48:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Gary, didn't want to pick a fight with you. I used the term "lives" in a deliberately provocative sense. Hey, that's me! I'm aware that Sergey has to wait 'til the 5-year mark, but I was under the impression that he would continue studying in Siberia (here we go again). If he does that in the Land of the Brave and Free (bet you like that), then he might indeed get away with murder. Didn't count them days. You guys must be so proud that he's taking it all the way to the Ph.D. In the 21st century, there's no greater gift (aside from parental love and tons of money) that we can give our children than a top-notch education. My wife and I have a 21-year-old in college now, soon to double-major in Political Science and Environmental Science and she is determined to go all the way as well and has our full support. We are. He had applied to several US universities for his masters but Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology offered him full ride with room and board in one of their new dorms which is like a US 2 bedroom apartment! There are four boys there, but still! Much better than the Soviet Style dorm he had for his undergraduate work. Just this week he was accepted to and given a full scholarship at Dartmouth, just about two hours from here, for his doctorate. Yes we are very excited and proud. Alla is very relieved he will be so close. I told her it is close enough to come home on weekends for her to so hid laundry! And even though he is in a top university now, the best in the FSU for physics, we are glad that his education will now have both foreign and US degrees. Moscow is not in Siberia. He is also coming home this winter for semester break in January so there will no longer be any absences of more than 6 months.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-15 22:18:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Name change with naturalization	Gary, question for you: How will you handle airline tickets and her Ukrainian passport when she changes her name? This is one of the reasons Tanya didn't change her name. We won't. Alla is not changing her name until she is a citizen, she will have a US passport in her married name. She will use her US passport for traveling to Ukraine. As for now, you just travel with a copy of your marriage certificate and make tickets in the name on the passport, use the passport for ID. You will only show the green card when re-entering the US and just keep a copy of the marriage license with you if they ask. Lots of people do it. For internal, US travel, make the tickets in the name on the green card and use the green card for ID.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-10-16 19:34:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	will my citizenship be deneid ?	i was cited back in 2007 for loitering for the purpose of prostitution and misdemeanor battery which was both outright dismissed. is it ok to apply for citizenship. Yes. I do not know if it will be approved. No one here does.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-09-21 12:48:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Will I get approval for citizenship? 4th degree assault DV - case dissmised without prejudice	My husband did not file complaint, in fact he was calling prosecutor's office to convince him to dropp NOC and dismiss the case (btw my husband is in martial art for about 10 years, and I am petit size, it really was an accident) So neighbour called 911 saying that we are yelling too loud; then it is the city that pressed charges... Thanks to everyone for input! However it would be great to hear somebody sharing own experience being in similar situation and how it ended up. Your neighbors never had a Ukrainian woman living next door and they are probably from Canada. Your case was dismissed. Simply explain it and attach documentation.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-06-02 21:46:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Equality of processing times	Having been through much of the immigration process, one of the things that frustrated me the most was the difference in processing times between the various processing centers, offices, etc. It seems like we always ended up with whoever was the slowest processor at the time. It seems to me that it would be a much fairer and less frustrating system to have applications processed without regard to what state an individual lived in. I understand some things like interviews may need to take into account location, but to be honest, I would make an appointment and travel across the country to a lesser used facility if that option was available in order to cut a significant amount of wait time. I suspect that a good amount of the waiting is for some sort of cost savings...for example batching up a large amount of applications/documents over a period of weeks in a bin before being shipped someplace else. If this really is the case, I think almost everyone would be willing to pay a little bit extra to have their case files mailed immediately. Likewise, it seems like there are a lot of back and forth mailings that add a lot more delays to the process. I see these as completely unnecessary. I see no reason they can't put EVERYTHING needed in the instructions and let us do one big mailing rather than having a back and forth "dialog" that lasts several months in some cases to accomplish something simple. Is this just an intentional delay tactic on the part of the USCIS? We've had about 4-5 biometric appointments in the last 3 years...isn't the idea that fingerprints don't change over time one of the things that makes them good for identifying folks? Is this just another delay? Another revenue stream that has nothing to do with actual process? Curious to hear others thoughts. Delays are usually the result of additional processing being sent to that center or some other unrelated thing...such as when VSC moved most of their operation in late 2008. Fingerprints are used to determine that the person applying for benefits is the SAME person that applied before or was issued the visa and that you didn't do a "bait and switch" People marrying FSU women should be exempt from this (Dude...you think I would substitute someone else for HER???!!!!) we just did the RoC and I mailed everything with the petition. We did the biometrics one month later. We waited 5 months and got the green cards in the mail.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-04-19 19:10:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Equality of processing times	I still think that it's due to trying to save a few bucks here and there with complete disregard to the applicants inconvenience. I draw that conclusion from patterns I've seen in processing times on VJ. I also suspect that many large delays are due to giving business visas (aka money) higher priority. That is also true and the result of the government establishing a "need" for something ( a visa/green card/naturalization) AND being the only ones that issue said visa/green card/naturalization. It isn't like you can go to "Fedex Visa Service" and get your visa and tell the government to stuff it. So that will always be a part of this. What happens to customer service when customers have no choice? Why should they give tracking numbers or reliable information? It would cost millions (maybe trillions)...for what? And what would htey get in return? They can raise revenue just by raising fees, they do not have to compete for customers. All I can say is...so far it has been worth it. Edited by Gary and Alla, 20 April 2011 - 08:18 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-04-20 20:18:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Equality of processing times	On the surface, it might seem like doing fingerprints multiple times ensures it's the same person each time, but I don't really see how it makes a difference. It does show it's the same person doing the biometrics each time, I agree. But how is that any more help than doing it once and using the same A# each time? I mean we could do biometrics 7 days in a row and prove it's still the same person, but as a RUB wife might say "And what?" I don't know...I guess it might make sense to get a current photo, but I don't think it's really necessary if it's been less than a few years. I suspect again it's just another revenue stream. It always seemed to me that they were going to a lot of trouble to be sure they had ONLY the right person. The ONLY questions Alla was asked at our AOS interview were right off her G-325a. "What is your mothers name?" "Where was your mother born", etc. That was it. This is why I say we had a "no questions asked interview" because they did not ask questions regarding our marriage at all and asked for no evidence. None. But they were all over making sure she was the same woman that received the visa. Maybe I am wrong. Also note that it s the biometrics photo that ends up on the Green card, at least it was for us, both times. Edited by Gary and Alla, 20 April 2011 - 08:24 PM.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2011-04-20 20:23:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Problems understanding USCIS officer at interview	OK--my wife has been reading the Russian language forums, and there is a big discussion going on over there. People are asking "what is the best response when you don't understand the interviewer's question?" we are not talking about understanding English; rather a problem of the interviewer having an accent, or talking really low, or mumbling. I told my wife the best response would be "I'm sorry,could you please speak up and repeat the question" Apparently people on her forums are worried that if they utter the phrase "I don't understand" that this will be seen as not understanding English; and will cause a strike against them. Anybody had this experience in their interviews? Alla works as an interpreter for USCIS for interviews such as this for people that CANNOT speak English (or very little) The St. Albans USCIS local office has THREE Russian language speaking interpreters available for such interviews and you could usually shoot skeet in the lobby and not endanger anyone. So not knowing the language is NOT an issue. Your response is a good one ...stop worrying. Demonstrate that you are married and that you have not done so to avoid immigration laws, that is all. Most misunderstanding between married couples is because she is a woman...NOT because she speaks Russian.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-10-31 18:49:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Problems understanding USCIS officer at interview	Indeed you have reason for concern. One of the BIG issues at the interview is that the couple have a common language. After all, if a couple can't fully understand each other thru a language, then how the hell will communication take place. My friend's russian wife does not speak much englsh. But this was NOT an issue at the interview because the husband ALSO speaks russian. I hope the man speaks her language. Otherwise, Yes, if the woman does not understand the CO's questions then the natural conclusion is that she doesn't understand english very well. Aside from that, I will give a practical tip. The husband can rephrase a question in english, so the wife can understand better. Nothing wrong with a rephrase. Good luck or should I say ?????. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CHygiovJD8 Hopp..it was not an issue because it IS NOT an issue. USCIS will provide an interpreter for the interview if you so ask or you can bring your own. It would take more than a language barrier to conclude that a marriage was fraudulent. The marriage needs to be determined to be fraudulent...not difficult, to be disqualified. What if she was unable to speak or hear? Are deaf and mute people disqualified? One VJ member in the RUB forum recently had an interview postponed BY USCIS because his wife needed an interpreter and one had not been arranged. They made the effort to do it without one and couldn't. They were TOLD to reschedule WITH an interpreter (they chose to get their own) and then had a new interview and were approved. There is just way too much thought being put into this. Show that you are married, show that you are living as a husband and wife and show that you have a marital relationship.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-10-31 18:58:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	5-year rule of applying citizenship	My friend asked me this question since I just became citizen last year. However, I am not sure about the answer so I post the question here and hope to get some advice. Here is my freind's question. My firend came to USA with her mother on K visa as a child, and got green card with her mother when her mother got married. I know there are two year conditional period for green card through marriage. I was wondering when her 5-year starting to count, from the day she got her green card or the day of removal of condition. Thanks The rule for family based visas is 3 years, not five years. It starts from the date the first green card was issued and is provided the petitioner and beneficiary are still married and the green card holder has not been out of the US for more than 12 months at any time. If they have been the 3 year clock starts over from -0- when they return.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-07-27 04:20:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Dual Citizenship	Please no replies from anyone other than current dual citizens. I know that if a person was born in a foreign country they can retain that citizenship after becoming a US naturalized citizen. http://travel.state....s/cis_1753.html I know about filing taxes in US and many other things since I've done the immigration process myself and have multiple college degrees, have a job, etc. Actually once a person is a US resident they need to file taxes for any job in the US. Citizenship makes no difference. What I want to know is the experience of dual citizens traveling, especially those that were born in Ukraine and a naturalized US citizen. Otherwise please don't post a reply. Thanks. You have some misconceptions. You can ignore my reply as I am not a dual citizen or you can learn. Your choice. The US does not recognze dual citizenship, nor dooes it forbid "dual" (or triple or quadruple) citizenship. Yes, you can keep your foreign citizenship as far as the US is concerned, they simply do not care. Ukraine specifically DOES NOT allow dual citizenship. It is illegal. Ukraine requires that you surrender your Ukrainian citizenship to become a US citizen. Ukraine also has no way to enforce this and the US doesn't tell them. Although Alla is not a dual citizen yet, we know several people that "are". Or at least have two passports. When entering countries like Ukraine which do not require visas for US citizens, they typically use their US passport. When entering a country like Russia, they use the Ukrainian passport. They re-new their Ukrainian passporst IN UKRAINE while visiting Ukraine. They make no mention that they are US citizens also. They present their UNexpired Ukraine passport and Ukraine birth certificate. DO NOT allow your Ukraine passport to expire for ease of renewal. You can renew it UP TO two years before it expires, so you do no thave to specifically "time" a visit to renew the passport. The main advantage of keeping both (and we intend to) is for ease of travel in Russia and former Soviet states it is a good idea and also because if anything ever happens to me, Alla can have a choice, stay here or return to Ukraine with no hassles whatsoever.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-18 12:22:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Dual Citizenship	Please no replies from anyone other than current dual citizens. I know that if a person was born in a foreign country they can retain that citizenship after becoming a US naturalized citizen. http://travel.state....s/cis_1753.html I know about filing taxes in US and many other things since I've done the immigration process myself and have multiple college degrees, have a job, etc. Actually once a person is a US resident they need to file taxes for any job in the US. Citizenship makes no difference. What I want to know is the experience of dual citizens traveling, especially those that were born in Ukraine and a naturalized US citizen. Otherwise please don't post a reply. Thanks. You are also wrong about citizenship making no difference on taxes...not withstanding your college degree (which is not in tax law) A US citizen is required to file taxes wherever he earns his money, foreign or otherwise, regardless of how long he is out of the country, regardless where he makes his money. A resident is not, they will simply lose their residency. Filing taxes and paying taxes is not the same thing and you may earn quite a bit of money overseas TAX FREE but you still have to file the appropriate tax forms every year. If you do not, you, as a citizen, are subject to criminal penalties. Not the subject of your question really, and I doubt you care, but if one is going take an uppity attitude with people trying to help him, then one ought to at least be correct. So far, you have been off base on most of what you "know".	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-18 12:29:00
US Citizenship General Discussion	Dual Citizenship	Ok, I'm a current "dual" citizen (or I should better say a citizen of 2 countries simultaneously) and I must say that "Gary and Alla" is right on all counts. This is exactly the way US views your citizenship. US certianly DOES NOT recognize dual citizenship and only views a US citizen as a US citizen. In fact, technically, you are required to renouce your previous citzenships when becoming a US citizen, and you do so when you say your Naturalization Oath. The only reason that you are able to keep other citizenships is due to the fact that your other country of citizenship doesn't recognize your Oath as a renounciation of their citizenship (i.e. they have a different official procedure for that) and US State Department doesn't hold this inconsistancy against you. It didn't always used to be like that. Back in 80s, people were threatened by US CBP agents that their US citizenship will be revoked if they keep using their other passport for travel and don't take proactive steps to renounce their previous citizenship. Evidently, it still happens every now and then, but becoming rare. So don't get all cocky about your "dual" citizenship - it's not really dual and the only reason you can keep both is because the law on the books is simply not enforced. I cannot attest to Ukrainian law, but judging by "Gary and Alla" competency in everything else, I have no reason to doubt what they said. As for the Russian law, it treats "dual" citizenship in the same exact fashion as the US. It doesn't officialy recognize dual citizenship, but unlike Ukraine doesn't prohibit it either. They do however, much like the US, recognize the possibity of having more than one citizenship, hence the related question on Russian passport application and certain laws that prevent people from taking certain elected positions if they have more than one citizenship. Russia, just like the US, views you ONLY as a Russian citizen, and therefore, will not issue you a Russian visa into your American passport and recognize your American citizenship in any way. However, since while both countries require you to use their respective passports to travel in and out of the country, while not prohibiting such practice, I do travel to and from Russia with both passports. The process is the following: - Leaving the US - present both passports at check in and Russian passport at boarding - Entering Russia - present Russian passport at the border - Leaving Russia - present both passports at check in, Russian passport at the border and US passport at boarding - Entering US - present US passport at the border Did it once and haven't had any issues, even though it's slightly confusing. Another thing is that since having 2 citizenships isn't prohibited, I can also legally renew my Russian passport in the US, through Russian embassy. The process is long (6 months+, compared to 1 month in Russia) and painful (you have to be physically present at the Embassy/Consulate - not a big deal for me, living 25 miles from Washington DC - but if you are in rural Montana, it might cost you time and money) , but it's possible. I even submit a copy of my US passport as a proof of my legal presence in the US to Russian embassy. You can renew your Russian passport here because Russia does no tprohibit dual citizenship with the United States. Ukraine does. Ukrainians wishing to keep both passports in violation of UKRAINIAN law, need to renew their Ukrainian passports in Ukraine and keep their mouths shut.	Gary and Alla	Male	Ukraine	2010-06-18 17:23:00