Is it a possibility to have Elina's parents over for the wedding we will have here in the states? have any of the Russian bride or grooms done this?

thanks!

We haven't done it but I don't see why not. Just get them tourist visa. It is relatively easy to get, and the parents will be able to stay for two weeks, this should be enough for any wedding.

Anything is possible, right? You better plan ahead though. Gathering documents showing lack of immigrant intent and scheduling an appointment can take a few weeks if not months.

I can only speak for ourselves and the answer is no, mainly because: (1) A trip to the US would constitute about 5-10 years of salary which is impossible for the average Russian outside of Moscow. (2) Likelihood of getting a visa is not good. (3) Short notice of wedding (coupled with the underline fact that we weren't sure if my wife would get a K1 to begin with).

Sounds very simply to me. Where do you buy them? Last time I checked each tourist visa applicant must present their own case and qualify for the visa. i.e. prove that they have substantial ties to Russia and economic ability to come to the United States. You as an American marrying their daughter have little or no influence over their application.

I have never heard someone say that US tourist visas are easy to get for Russian citizens before, especially if you consider how many people return from the embassy / consulate in tears after being denied.
If the visa is granted, they will be granted the typical 6 months stay of entry even if they tell the POE officer their intended stay is just 2 weeks. I have not heard of such strict limitations of 2 weeks for parents of bride / groom.

No, tourist visas are easy to get, for average Russian. Just the prove of job, family and property. It's no biggy, really, and takes a couple of months.
Every Russian has an apartment and/or piece of land, so here is property. The income has to be at least a thousand dollars but if asked I am pretty sure the place of work won't mind giving the document that proves that. Besides, there are tourist companies who do all the stuff for you, so you just need to go to the embassy for the interview. Even the invitation doesn't have to be mailed in regular mail, it can be emailed.

You make it sound so easy, but the facts are that it is usually a lot more difficult. Read the post below:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=48813

I have also been through the processes of trying to get visitors visas and J-1 visas, even using an agency in Moscow, and both were denied. Gets costly and very frustrating.

I had my wife's parents here at our wedding last month. It is possible, but it is very difficult, you have to provide documentation, do it in advance and prove that they will be comming back. In all cases it is all up to the consul, if he/she has a bad day- no visa.

Good luck,

Mike.

Your dreaming if you think the average Russian makes $1000 a month and "EVERY" Russian has an apartment.
First of all the average Russian makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-$400 a month.
http://english.pravda.ru/russia/04-08-2005/8687-salary-0
http://www.sras.org/news2.phtml?m=574
Although this article is two years old, their salaries have not tripled in two years!
Next real estate prices have indeed tripled in Russia. With Moscow prices rivaling top US cities. Therefore, the new generation is not likely to own an apartment or land outside of a village shack on a salary of a couple hundred when apartment prices begin at $50 - 100k with almost little or no credit buying.
I stand to be corrected on these facts and numbers.

It is very difficult to get a tourist visa. Even with overwhelming economic ties. My girl went to get one, they asked one question and denied her. She said all women young and old got denied that day. One lady even owned 2 houses in Moscow and another tried and was denied for her 6th time.

Thanks for the articles, I'll take a look when I have time.
About salary: I meant "faking it" - of course, nobody makes that much!
About property: I must be coming from a very economically stable region - in my whereabouts every person in their 40s/50s owns an apartment.
All in all, I don't remember any visitors visa denied to parents of my 5 girlfriends who have immigrated to the States in different time periods on different visas.

Russia still has double-digit inflation, so the average salary numbers are probably a bit higher, but not much. I doubt more than $450/month.

As for "faking" income, I doubt that even fake documents will be very believable. COs at the embassy are unlikely to believe that most Russians are making several times the average salary for where they live. They know that schoolteachers are not making $2,000/month. It is easy to get stamps and seals on just about every document in Russia - that doesn't make them any more authentic though.

Plenty of people do make more than this, and some even manage to without breaking that many laws.

Why not just get married in Russia?

You'd have a Russian wedding, that would be recognized by the Russian authorities, then you could get married in the U.S. as well, without the Russian parents. I know you technically have to be "single" before you get married in either country, but there's no system to prove that you're already married in another country, especially when they won't even recognize your nuptials outside their own borders.

There's a big difference between a "ceremony" and a legally-binding contract of marriage as well. Get "married" there for her parents, then get married here for your K-1. Or, really get married in both places. No big deal. I have a feeling I'll be getting married again when I visit Russia next time! (With parents present.)

Please... enough already....

ummm, from reading noone's posts I think she is female and is talking about her friends that are girls....

I think even the slickest of guys would have a hard time pulling off 5 girlfriends visas to the States. Even if you could keep them from finding out about each other, eventually, ICE would be at their doors, and then all 5 would be at yours! (At the same time!)

Yes russian tradition dictates one wife and one girlfriend and no more than that,plus 5 girlfriends would mean 5X the acclimation headaches, its hard enough with one I cant imagine 5.

On the visa question, I was told a few years ago that the US Consulates all over the world will deny any tourist visa application from any single woman traveling alone from a 2nd or 3rd world country. Tourist visas are easier to get from 1st world countries.

Also if the parents live in Moscow no biggie, we wanted to bring my wifes mother for a 3 month stay after the baby is born but they live in Irkutsk, now there is a whole other plane ticket and dragging all the paperwork and proof would be difficult. We decided(read Elena) that next spring or summer we would travel to Irkutsk with the baby and visit the family, we would have a wedding party(no ceremony) and stay for 1 month, I would only get to stay for 1-1 1/2 weeks because of work but that will be enough.

I am a GIRL!!! And I meant my female friends. So as much as you, guys, would probably want (or not), there is no such a champ here who'd be able to pull out anything like that, this is not Emirates! Even for Mormons here it's impossible I would guess...

i had my parents here at the wedding.they got tourist visas really easy.without any problems.why people make it sound so complicated?

My wife tells me that if I were "rich guy" maybe it would be possible. But, since I'm poor, no dice.



I had a Muslim buddy one time who was telling me about his three wives. In his country (Oman) he was allowed four. I asked why he hadn't taken a fourth wife and he replied "Because three is already too many!" He elaborated "Sure, it's nice to have a different woman for sex sometimes. But, you also must have three sets of desires, hopes, dreams... and problems. With one wife, you must hear about everything bad, but, with three, it's three times the problems! I will never take a fourth wife, and I feel sorry for any man that does!"

Wait so it would be okay as long as you were rich............
Dude stay poor I think its a trap

I don't know how long I can keep up with the "But honey, I'm only staying poor for you!" That may just help me get a girlfriend. But, not another girlfriend, I mean "back on the market looking for a girlfriend, any girlfriend," type dating.

I was poor for a really long time(acutally I am still pretty broke and every time I throw a bucket of water out of the boat the wife drills a whole in the bottom) and it never got me a girlfriend it usually made them run the other way. You must have some sick kind of mojo working voodoo on these women. You are my hero!!!

I've met a lot of women from all around the world, and although I'm no expert by any means (far from it.... just ask my wife!) I've yet to meet a single one that didn't like a few basic things.

Women, regardless of culture, nationality, class, etc., want to feel special (she's the "special" one out of her friends.... "I could tell right away you're more sophisticated than your girlfriends here" - Ladies love to be singled out, especially when they're elevated over their best friends!) and necessary (Could be necessary to their group "Ah, you're the responsible one. You make sure everyone gets home safely without some big dorky guy all over them." Or, maybe she could be necessary to you, "I'm really glad you're talking to me, that big girl over there's been eyeballing me all night. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be marinating in a nice teriyaki sauce right now...")

If you can make a woman feel those two things, especially from the very start, then you're in there like swimwear.

Slim's first rule for picking up, and keeping, hot ladies. (A.k.a. "the chubby man's guide to dating out of your league")

- Break the Ice (works especially well if you can do it in their language)



I'm going to go ahead and stop before I find myself back in that doghouse I spend so much time in. (Working on getting A/C installed.....)