Ilyana arrived in moscow this morning. Medical Tuesday, interview Friday. We got the apartment from moscow Rick. 560 dollars for 4 nights 100 for train station pick up and early arrival. 5:30 a.m. Includes computer and internet.
What should she expect to pay for the DHL. It varies right. She lives in stavropol.
Her 15 year old daughter is with her. All suggestions welcome.
Thanks

560 is okay for 4 nights.

DHL is a ripoff (about $35), since they will be taking it across the street for you. Having it held in Moscow is ideal. It was about $50 last year to Липецк.

Good luck at the interview

Did you check the embassy web site about fees for express mail? I know that in Ukraine the embassy charges $8 - $10 for express mail which needs to be paid at the time of the interview. At this point, you just want to pay whatever it costs. It is well worth the effort.

Good luck at the interview.

The DHL fee is something like $40 depending on where it's going. My wife's went all the way to Vladivostok, about as far away as you can get from Moscow, and her's was around $40. Closer should be less money and quicker delivery.

Good luck!!!

All the best on your interview

Mannnn!
We thought it was over 100 bucks.
No. Way there is something that is only 30-40 dollars. Well, it's more than the subway, but less than cab fare anywhere.
I found plane tickets through kayak for 1000 dollars per person to Atlanta. But, it's over 3000 per person to charlotte! Do I have to drive to Atlanta to save 4000 dollars?
Originating in moscow of course.

Last time I checked the Metro is right next to the train station, goes for 15 rubles ($0.50), starts running at 5:00am until 1:00am, reaches most places in Moscow, much faster and way cheaper than any overland transportation, and used by most average earning Russians livings in Moscow. $100 for personal service, I’d spend my money somewhere else.
Also, why did you go with such a large gap between medical and interview? You could have done the medical through MOM for $85 on Thursday, had results that same day, and off to the Embassy on Friday, visa delivered to place of residence via DHL (900 RUR), same price as in office delivery, and had to fork over only one night in Moscow! You had the best interview time. We got screwed with a Monday interview time, forcing us to spend at least Friday through Monday in Moscow.

DHL is the only option for Moscow. Kiev is FedEx only and you can buy the prepaid mailer at a desk in the Embassy. For those that need to get the DHL office there are two DHL offices in Moscow. One is right next to the north entrance of the Embassy where you go for the interview. There is a shopping center to the right, sitting back a bit with a DHL sign on the side of the building. DHL is in there on the lower level in the back. Pick up is only at the other office but you can get the mailer there.

Just listening to all of this, I am so glad we are done with all this crap. Next stop for us is naturalization. Thank god.

Cheers!
AKDiver

What?! Why did I go with such a large gap? The instructions came to me through Ilyana. I guess I should have asked about it before I bought the train tickets. I was too involved in getting the i-134 straight. Check this out. 1040 for 2006 was 33,000. Well, I quit that job jan, 07 and started contracting. Ok, when I saw that business about self employment and commercial rating concern on the i-134, I took a full time job with a local company in April at 14 bucks an hour. 29,000 a year. Much easier. A letter from the employer and my first pay stub, right? The poverty guideline is 21,000 for 3 people in the house hold. I think. Also, I sent copies of my business liscence, general liability and workmans comp policies to show that I also have a business. But, I did not send any proof of income for it. Should she even include that at the interview, or throw it away. Am I making this too hard on myself?

Yes. The more paperwork you give, the more you give them to question. Stick to the guidelines. If you can show you make at least the minimums without a bunch of other BS, then do it.

Cheers!
AKDiver

Short answer.... Yes. You're making it too hard on yourself. Ensure the paperwork she carries to the embassy matches up with the paperwork you submitted. If you earn over the poverty level, don't worry about your "other jobs". Just make sure you have at least one job that proves to the embassy that you make enough money.

A great way to save some money, as Satellite said, is to take the Metro around Moscow. All of these contracted "shuttle" services and taxis charge way too much. You can ride the subway and save yourself $40+ each time. Also, your tickets from Atlanta to Charlotte are grossly overpriced! Check around, you shouldn't have to pay more than $100/ticket.

Book the two flights separately. Get the cheapest flight from Moscow to the US, then the cheapest flight in the US to charlotte. Moscow -> NYC is usually the cheapest.

The drive to Atlanta may even be worth it, since it is a non-stop.

Russ, are you saying, if you live in Moscow, or nearby you are allowed to pick it up at the embassy? Would be nice not to be ripped of by DHL, I am not a big fan of DHL in general, but that is a long story...Best of luck at the interview!

No. You still have to pay DHL, but you can have them hold it at the DHL station for pickup, right there. Helps you get your package a lot faster, avoid having it lost somewhere, etc. etc. My wife did this. It was available for pickup either the day after the interview, or the day after that, I don't remember. 1-2 days after interview. It worked out great.

Honestly though - man, you have so many expenses ahead of you, you just have no idea. You definitely should not be sweeting the $35 (or whatever) DHL fee. Just pay the money and go your merry way.

Cheers!
AKDiver

Even with a reasonable corp discount, fedex rips me off far worse than that here.

Who's sweating? Just figured the embassy is in Moscow, Sergey works in Moscow, why not at least ask if we could avoid DHL anyway I think we will have them hold it at the DHL office, wouldn't want to risk having it get lost, so thanks for the advice. My Dad sent me a package from the US to Poland using his corporate account, and they made me pay $100 to pick it up (to DHL) for that, plus fill out a form to and write every item that was in the package and fax it to them, it was just clothes and my books from home...a similar package sent via USPS and I didn't pay anything...that was the first and last time I used DHL...

The thing about DHL is that their tracking system completely sucks. I have had stuff delivered already and their tracking system shows the package as being in some god-forsaken place. Not just an isolated incident either. I don't think I have ever sent something DHL and had it be where the tracking system said it was. As far as I am concerned, their tracking system is completely unreliable. UPS isn't much better. If you really want to track where something is, FedEx is the only way to go.

I'd never send anything through DHL if I had the chance to send it FedEx.

Cheers!
AKDiver

Ok, has anyone went straight to an airline and made a deal with them. Is that possible? For example, I called Orbitz for a quote because I got a great deal from them on my trip to moscow in September. Well, they don't support flights originating in moscow. They told me to get a deal with an airline. How do I do that? Just start calling?

There is a way to use airlines for shipping purposes. You can usually access their fees on their websites, or if you Google something like "parcel shipping airlines" you should get several options. As far as starting in Moscow, you'd probably be better off calling the carrier that's bringing you (her) to the final destination and having them do the work for you.

I find that a "SkyMiles" or other frequent-flyer membership number really helps in situations like this. Just call up Delta (or another carrier) and say you want to ship a parcel containing household goods and personal items weighing 70 pounds from Moscow to Atlanta, and they'll be able to look it up for you and tell you how to do it.

Remember, there's really not a whole lot that needs to be taken to another country, even to move there. Just about everything available in Russia is available here, and for the money it would cost to ship it, you can usually purchase new here. There are several "Russian" things that are hard to find here in the U.S., things like a "pilminitsa", and those are things she might want to bring with her. But other (heavy) stuff, like books, cosmetic cremes, etc., may be more cost-effective to re-acquire here.

I met her in jan. 06, applied for my passport in June, met her in moscow in September, sent the packet in November, and now i'm sitting here waiting for her to e mail me the verdict from the interview. It is at 8 a.m. Moscow time. Less than 2 hours from now. It's going to be a long night. Ok, she is suppose to be there at 8. Does that mean her interview is at 8, or that she may wait in line 3,4,5 or God knows how many hours before her interview?

She could be sitting there waiting a long time. Maybe even until noon. If memory serves me correctly, my sweetie finished her interview around 1030am or so (Moscow time).

Cheers!
AKDiver

What's that? I don't think I have it!

4:25 a.m. Approval. Thanks to all for your kindness.
God bless,
Ronnie and Ilyana

Congratulations Ronnie and Ilyana! Hopefully everything will go just as smoothly for my fiancee on Monday!

Congrats ronnie!!! I look forward to more about the interview/questions etc., when you get the info and a chance to write. Great news, and good luck on the rest of your VJ!!!



A "pilminitsa" is a kitchen contraption used to quickly make several pilminy without having to "assemble" them by hand. Ours is a big circular plastic thing with 35 little holes in it. We cover it with dough, then fill "farsh" into the little holes, and place another layer of dough over it. Then, we push the little "pilminy" through the holes and they're ready to go, without having to shape them individually. Ours was, like most other things, made in China!