Good Afternoon:

A quick question regarding the K-3 visa process ... does my wife, who is Russian and lives in Russia, have to provide a police background check on herself as part of the application package or does the American Embassy in Russia gather this information from the FSB?

Thanks

I'm not 100% on the K-3, but I know on the K-1, the beneficiary is the one who has to get their own police check. It's a pretty simple process really, they go to the local police station and request it. (Then they usually get sent to another police station, then another... oh well, she's probably used to the Russian system. Just have her call her local police office and ask what she needs to do to get the police check. Another interesting side note: not all police checks are the same in Russia. Just make sure the one she gets covers all regions lived in during the time period listed on the G-325A, or the last 5 years.)

Good luck, and welcome to the Russia forum. Things were getting a little quiet around here. PLEASE list all questions or anything else that you want, I'm sure figsy won't mind!!!

Thanks :-) My wife seems more adept at the “paper chase” than I am. She has found someone in Perm that seems to understand the process quite well and will obtain all the documents, procure the required apostils, and translate them to English for her. I am assuming the term “certified copy of marriage certificate” means a copy of the marriage certificate with apostil. Since my wife was formerly married I am also assuming that her divorce decree also needs to have an apostil applied, as would her birth certificate.

This is a great site. The process for bringing my wife to the United States was unclear to me, even after reading the information on the various forms. BTW, despite what I have read on the US Embassy website concerning the process for getting married in Russia, my wife and I were married in Perm without any difficulties at all. Go figure.

Thanks again for the info.

Why you choice K-3 ?

Yep, she should be used to the Russian style. There was an old thread on here about "it's Russia" that everyone seems to agree is the standard for customer service and the way things are done in Russia.

As long as she knows the contact number of someone in her city or the largest nearby city, she should be able to get all the papers she needs. It's funny, but sometimes in Russia, even when things don't exist... if you find the right person and have enough money... sometimes those papers get "found."

I’m not sure what you are asking me geniuscastellan. I am pursuing the K-3 because it is arguably faster than other routes. If I am mistaken in this belief I would certainly like to know about it.

glazov, applicants for K-3 or K-1 visas must provide police certificates by own self, american consulate do not care about getting police checks for their channels, US immigration authorities do backgrounds and security checks before your petition for K-3 visa get approved,i believe they do all checks based on american FBI and interpol checks and others,but they want more police information from country where your fiancee from is
if she lived only in one place in russia so you are lucky having one police certificate for a interview , visa instructions are saying that you have to gather all police certificates from all places lived in russia or exsoviet union countries since age 16
soviet union break-up in 1991 complicates some applicants paperwork gathering police certificates for american visa
i am from kazakhstan and i lived in russia during soviet times and i have difficulties to get russian police certificate through russian consulate in kazakhstan,waiting 5 months and still NO ANSWER..i do not understand that.. i am very frustrated ..i do not understand why american consulate do not help applicants to get this police information through own channels,they have so much POWER to do that..i am little person..this way seems so ineffective
so much nerves and stress dealing with burocracy things and who cares about your police certificate? only you,thats all
i am just praying to get this "piece of paper" to get approved for visa and be with my love in kentucky forever

best ,
alma

If you check the official data available from the USCIS website, and you check the data entered for K1 and K3 visas by VJ subscribers in thier immigration timelines (link above), you will see on average the K3 visa takes longer to obtain. It is not a significant difference, but as far as speed, the K1 is faster. I believe you will have an easier time with the AOS, however. I do not know about the AOS, just what I have heard.

Good luck with the process at any rate!

Well since he referred to her as his "wife" in the first post I don't think he has much choice. K-3 is it.

Yes, Nina and I are already married. It appears my wife will have to obtain police background checks from Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan; all formerly part of the USSR and all formerly residences of my wife. Fortunately for us she has found a company in Perm that more or less specializes in obtaining documents, apostils, and translations for individuals in the Perm region that have married or have become engaged to foreigners and are emigrating as a result. Every step of this process is a learning experience for us :-)

Yes, we have had a horrible time trying to get the correct police certificate from Kyrgyzstan. She made a trip to Moscow to the Kyrgyz embassy and they tried to get it but we still haven't seen anything and they have finally told her they cannot get it. She called an uncle she really doesn't know well in Kyrgyzstan and he has made 3 trips by plane (at my expense of course) to the capital to try to get it. First time it was just in her married name, second time they told him they already gave him one and they would not help him again and even closed the door on him. She called and complained and they agreed to do it again so he made a third trip and finally got it. He is sending it DHL as her interview is next Friday.......TOO MUCH STRESS!

I'm leaving Wednesday for Moscow. I'll let everyone know what happens.

neonred hello
thank you for your information about getting police check for Kyrgyzstan,i see how it was difficult
i and Scott now trying to contact one company named HOROS in moscow ( www.horos.ru)
and other option is www.bridgewest.com (american company specialised on getting russian police certificates) so hope to choise one of them
only we are not sure about HOROS legitimate business,how reliable they are and it will be no delays
i will tell later how things are going..
best wishes to everyone here on VJ

alma and scott

So, do you guys have any feedback from the company you used? We are having the hardest time explaining to local authorities what is that that we need- it's a pretty rural area far far north of the country. I am getting frastrated.

Thankyou for response:)

hello EVA MALAHOVA ,
finally i got russian police certificate through russian consulate on april,4 ..my first visit to russian consulate was on october,27 and the fees were paid on december,2 ..four full months of waiting..visiting them for ten times..so much nerves ..
i recommend you deal with russian authorities directly ,i am not sure you need police certificate for local police station or from main information center in russia
try different ways and BEST OF LUCK to you,

alma

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Thank you so much for your response, I have foreseen so much trouble, that is why I am trying to take care of it ahead of time.
Thanks again

I just wanted to comment briefly on the police certificate.
1. For those of you having trouble getting the right certificate have your fiancee present the following attachment. It explains in Russian exactly what she wants the police authorities to do.

2. Consider the cost benefit of using a firm to obtain your Russian documents. For us it was just three trips to the local police authorities at a cost of about $3 for bus fare for three people. We went to the wrong place first and were correctly redirected.
3. The police certificate should include all places you have resided since the age of 16 for over 6 months.
4. The police certificate does not need to be translated, notarized, or appostiled.
5. The police certificates are important for our national security to keep criminals and terrorist out as defined by US federal statutes.
6. For our K3 applicant it might be most cost and time efficient to wait until the CR1 is granted so she can arrive and receive her green card immediatly in the mail to avoid the time and money loss of AOS.
7. As far as I am aware apostles are not required for the US embassy in terms of the visa process.

EVA , i do not know about requirements regarding russian police certificates for russian citizens for US consulate
as a kazakhstan citizen i was required russian police certificate issued from main information center in moscow (directly or through russian consulate in kazakhstan), US consulate in kazakhstan do not accept any local police stations certificates
good luck ,
alma and scott