Hi All,

Good news is that our 129F was approved yesterday (got the email yesterday) -- but now comes the big question: my current visa expires on March 11. Does anybody think there's a chance in hell that I might be returning to the US with my fiance by then, or do you all think I should plan on returning to Russia as soon as the consulate in New York can hook me up with a new visa?

Thanks!

Z

I'm having a hard time understanding your situation. Are you the US or Russian citizen? Are you currently in the United States right now, and if so, on what kind of Visa? When you say your Visa is going to expire, do you mean your passport is going to expire?

Maybe I just need more coffee...

Sounds more like US citizen is in Russia and USC's Russian visa expires March 11, and is wondering what timing from NOA2 to interview may result in interview before the US Citizen needs to leave Russia.

The timelines are your friends, select K-1 advanced, filter for Russia, and sort by interview, then look ate interview dates and NOA2 dates, this will give a fair estimate of the NOA2 to Interview timing.

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list...ia&dfile=No

Ahhhhh...yes, that makes sense. (Getting more coffee...)

Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, I'm a US Citizen and have been living in Russia for the past 2 years with my fiance. She's going through the K1 process now.

My visa TO Russia will expire March 11th, at which point I'll need to return to the US for renewal. Obviously, I'm hoping to avoid that since it's just an added expense (my new visa, plus extra plane tickets, taxis to and from Moscow, bus to and from NYC, etc...).

It would be fantastic if we were able to leave together in before my visa expires.

I checked the timelines before but didn't seem able to pull up the same data you did. Thanks for the link. This is helpful...

Seems to be an average of 3 months between NOA2 and Interview - with the visa being issued soon after... Which would be March 17th.. hmm. It might be cutting it close, but I suppose within the realm of possibility. God, it'd be great to interview on March 1, maybe ::crossed fingers::

Z

You know, you don't have to return to the US, you just have to leave the country. Can you arrange a new Visa through one of these Visa processing companies, through another country? Might be as easy as just going to Turkey, getting another Russian Visa, and then flying back. Or I might be on crack.

Dude, if you're in Russia, I'm pretty sure you can find someone to "fix" your visa problem for you for way less than the cost of a trip back to NYC. As said above, you only need to exit Russia to do it legally, so take wifey on a trip to Ukraine or something like that. (No visa necessary.) While you're enjoying the nice sauna and caviar on your little vacation, some 22-year-old back in Moscow can be typing up your new invitation and visa letters. By the time you finish your bath, you're set! Back in for a whole year.

March 11th should be pretty close. It is possible so don't stress it too hard. Find some kid to make a new visa for you if needed but make sure you don't pay for it until March 10th.

Good luck!

I wouldn't even know where to begin. The OVIR folks in Ivanovo are notoriously difficult to work with (actually, pretty much everything in, around, and about Ivanovo is difficult -- and expensive). But, besides that, there's no way Ira's family will let her go to the Ukraine or Crimea. It' took forever to get them onboard with the notion of us visiting the US - and we're still facing lots of problems about the idea that we won't be living in Russia. Her mom thinks she's going to be kidnapped at JFK and sold into prostitution or enslaved by some New York millionaire (like in this story). I think she's seen too many movies. Her brother is also concerned because he won't be able to help her if anything goes wrong stateside (and according to all I've read, neither of them are likely to ever be able to receive US visas for visiting - even in an emergency).

So, I can't see an additional trip - this time to a country that I've never been to, don't speak the language of, etc - will float.

Although, saving some cash would be nice. It's mind boggling just how expensive Russia is. I haven't seen one single apartment or house that comes close to even basic American standards, and yet they're all expensive as hell. On a monthly basis, I spend twice what I do stateside just to have a shithole apartment, decent internet, and food that doesn't look like it's been laying around at the bazaar for a week. I'm just about tapped out, and really hope all this will end soon.

Z

Slim, it is very difficult to do. I had to jump through some major hoops just to get my Russian visa extended an extra month. They literally refuse to take bribes, because they are afraid for their official jobs. Times are changing and I speak from 2004. You can get a 10 day extension with a fake doctor's note, which is not that hard to get. But beyond that its very hard. Or you can let the visa lapse, and have the Russian court issue an exit visa, but this is all unpredictable, you can face large fines, detention, and be black listed for 5 years on entry into Russia again.
Honestly I don't think he'll get an interview by March 11. Start planning for a return trip to NY. Aeroflot usually has decent deals for tickets bought between February and March and used somewhere in that time space.

I agree that bribing isn't quite what it used to be. It works wonders with the witch doctors at the hospitals, and of course with the police on the street, but not so well on government officials. I found this out the hard way and nearly got myself banned from entering the country.



While I'm hoping you're wrong, I actually tend to agree. I ran the averages, and if the stats can be trusted, March 30th will probably Visa Day for my fiance. It's just such a bummer that 19 little days will cost me nearly two grand extra that could be put toward other - more productive pursuits.


Flew with Aeroflot for one round trip, and will never do it again. The pilots flew like Kamikazes, the planes shook like a teenager overdosing on speed, and there were always tons of screaming crying children. Besides, believe it or not, a direct SVO-JFK flight for early March returning in early April is a few hundred dollars less with Delta (according to their respective sites).

Z

Bribing is not harder just a whooollle lot more expensive than it used to be. This is especially true within the government. What you used get for $100 is now a $1000. This isn't the 90s any more.

Personally, I'd get to Moscow and take the train to Tallinn, Estonia. Very quaint place and easy to get a visa right at the local Russian consulate. BTW, no Russian or Estonian skills required. They all speak English too! I surely would not fly back to the States when you are this close.

I do feel that 11 March is very optimistic with regard to the way processing times are at the moment. I hope you are right, because that makes my Alla's interview come far sooner than I am predicting.

It's a losing proposition because it takes one to two weeks to process a visa and they hold your passport during that time. Unless he owns a place in nearby country, or is willing to stay in some kind of dormitory setting, this will be just as expensive. One day processing at $400+ kills the whole savings idea.
As for my Aeroflot suggestion, they tend to put the tickets up for sale at the End of January early February for that period. Last year I saw $598 from LAX to SVO. Must be cheaper to JFK.

Not necessarily. I stayed in Tallinn two weeks for free. I just looked around for some Russian friends and stayed in one flat (on an air bed in the living room) for a week and with an Estonian couple (in my own private room) for another. I enjoyed the city and the sites and really only came "home" to sleep.

You will end up flying back to the states a few weeks earlier than her. No big deal though, there will be plenty to take care of here.

Well, given that her family is rather timid, and the fact that Ira has never flown before, plus the fact that planes only let you take one pet per person (max two per plane) and we have two cats, plus plus plus, I had planned on making the trip to the US with her.

And there doesn't seem to be all that much stateside (that I'm aware of) that will require immense planning. We'll stay with my parents for a week or so, look for an apartment in that time, and thats about it.

Am I missing something horrendously basic here? Is there actually a reason for me to return to the states (besides my pending visa expiration)?

Z

If you're talking about some immigration-related requirement, the answer is no. You only have to leave Russia. As I have often been told around closing time at the local pub, "you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Well, I'd sure feel pretty wrong about leaving a couple weeks early (I mean that close) and having her make that long trip solo! I know if I did that, my fiancée (and her family!) would certaintly see me in a bad light. It would be a big deal to them!

I'd do what I could to make a new visa and help her make that big move!

I'm with you 100% man...

Z

How about taking mom and bro on the trip with you guys? You could all pile into a car and hit the road.... ROAD TRIP!!! Then they'd see that not only are you resourceful, but you can also take care of their precious little girl outside of Russia.

I wouldn't think about driving here in winter. Sometimes I pray, thanking God for making the Ivanovo taxi drivers so skilled at driving on roads glazed over with ice and compacted snow.

Besides, I don't think I could afford the time involved in vacationing for several weeks without an internet connection. Bad enough that I lose two days traveling from Ivanovo to NY... Unfortunately. A family vacation would be pretty neat though...

Z

I'm digging the new signature block. Pretty cool!

Thanks. I actually had planned on animating it, and having the flag fading between Russian and American, but the current static sig is 50K, and I didn't want to bog down the board with something larger. I still may animate it for kicks though.

I know what you do with your free time....... much better than my "time fillers" which for some reason always end up getting me in the dog house. Maybe I should take a computer class or something. Then again, if I did that, I wouldn't have time for my time fillers.