passports

[Sveta & Ron 23]

I have been kicking this around in my old head awhile and thought would ask

I read once sveta and I are married apply for passport in ukraine so should we buy an apartment in her family village I would not need a visa f or stays longer then 90 days once we are married in usa will she be able gain a usa passport also? anyone have more infomation on this ?

[Inky 1,110]

No she will not get a US passport when you are married. She is not a US citizen.

She will only get a US passport when she becomes a US citizen after taking the naturalization test and passing and having an oath ceremony.

After she becomes a legal resident of the USA with a green card she can file for naturalization at approximately 3 years of legal residency.

This means she has to live in the USA not travel and visit it with her green card.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=86bd6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=86bd6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a0ffa3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a0ffa3ac86aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=480ccac09aa5d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

[Brad and Vika 129]

She can apply for an American passport at some point after she has residency conditions removed and gets her ten year Green Card. I think you asked about you (USC) getting a Ukrainian passport too. You can get Ukrainian residency I think after you are married. That would be the equivalent of a Ukrainian Green Card. I believe that the Ukrainian Government won't recognize dual citizenship though, so to get a Ukrainian passport (as opposed to residency) you might have to give up your American citizenship.

You can live in her village, and buy an apartment in her village in her name. So long as the property is owned by a resident citizen, you are good. If you buy it in the name of a foreign citizen or non-resident, there can be pretty severe tax problems. Insofar as your living in the house, I think you can stay in Ukraine 90 days out of any 120 day period, or something like that. I am not sure about how long you have to leave, etc. in between.

Never fear, there will be LOADS of more specific advice to follow.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Brad and Vika

[Enigma11561 336]

Where do you intend to live? The US or UKR? Why do you want to buy a flat there? Can she not stay with family when she visits or is this for investment?

[Sveta & Ron 23]

the thought has crossed my mind about having place we can go during times when work is slow in usa or just get away during summer but not want be limited to 90 days also for retirement reasons in future as cost living muchless in ukr i know standard of living is not same

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I have been kicking this around in my old head awhile and thought would ask

I read once sveta and I are married apply for passport in ukraine so should we buy an apartment in her family village I would not need a visa f or stays longer then 90 days once we are married in usa will she be able gain a usa passport also? anyone have more infomation on this ?

Passports are for citizens. She will not be a citizen when you are married. she can apply for citizenship after being a resident for 3 years. Alla will be a citizen on April 9 and THEN can get a passport, nearly four years from when we were married. Until then your wife will travel as a Ukrainian citizen and be subject to all the same visa requirements. However as a US resident she will be able to get visas that normally would be difficult for her.

You can become a Ukraine resident after being married two years but it is really not to your advantage unless you are actually going to live there. Alla and I own a flat in Donetsk. No problemas long as one owner is a Ukrainian citizen. To be safe we included my MIL in the title.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

the thought has crossed my mind about having place we can go during times when work is slow in usa or just get away during summer but not want be limited to 90 days also for retirement reasons in future as cost living muchless in ukr i know standard of living is not same

we kept our place for the same reason. If it comes to that I will apply for Ukraine residency when it is worthwile. Until then if you want to stay longer than 90 days you can easily get a visa to do so.

Also there is no reason the standard of living cannot be identical. I lived in Odessa for two years and had a nicer apartment than my home here in many ways. Whirlpool tub, wood burning fireplace (no kidding!) loft bedroom, it was deluxe and cheap! (by US standards) Our flat in Donetsk is very nice and but for the dryer has everything we have here. (no garage either, but no car in Ukraine)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

She can apply for an American passport at some point after she has residency conditions removed and gets her ten year Green Card. I think you asked about you (USC) getting a Ukrainian passport too. You can get Ukrainian residency I think after you are married. That would be the equivalent of a Ukrainian Green Card. I believe that the Ukrainian Government won't recognize dual citizenship though, so to get a Ukrainian passport (as opposed to residency) you might have to give up your American citizenship.

You can live in her village, and buy an apartment in her village in her name. So long as the property is owned by a resident citizen, you are good. If you buy it in the name of a foreign citizen or non-resident, there can be pretty severe tax problems. Insofar as your living in the house, I think you can stay in Ukraine 90 days out of any 120 day period, or something like that. I am not sure about how long you have to leave, etc. in between.

Never fear, there will be LOADS of more specific advice to follow.

She must be a US citizen for a passport Brad. She can apply for citizenship after 3 years of marriage and three years as a US resident (3 years after her first green card is issued)

[Brad and Vika 129]

She must be a US citizen for a passport Brad. She can apply for citizenship after 3 years of marriage and three years as a US resident (3 years after her first green card is issued)

Right. Wouldn't that be at some point after having conditions removed? Just thinking about the timing. First green card at marraige, then two years later conditions removed.

Don't you have to be a citizen to apply for a passport anywhere? Maybe not, just asking

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Right. Wouldn't that be at some point after having conditions removed? Just thinking about the timing. First green card at marraige, then two years later conditions removed.

Don't you have to be a citizen to apply for a passport anywhere? Maybe not, just asking

You are right of course. Does Vika ever say that to you?

I was simply clarifying the exact point after removing conditions.

[Sveta & Ron 23]

so as long as sveta and i are married I would not have to worry about the 90 day rule? also I have a friend that is into real estate in cherkassy tring get ideas while I am thinking about it does anyone know what the customs tax would be if i was to ship one my trucks to ukraine so I not have to use city bus or taxis

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

so as long as sveta and i are married I would not have to worry about the 90 day rule? also I have a friend that is into real estate in cherkassy tring get ideas while I am thinking about it does anyone know what the customs tax would be if i was to ship one my trucks to ukraine so I not have to use city bus or taxis

No. the 90 day rule still applies. Ukraine has proposed some slight changes to this. I am not sure they will be approved and they are not major changes. Basically figure 90 days at a time. See the recent threads in this forum about a Ukrainian overstay. You CAN get extended visas. I do not know about shipping vehicles there. I had never considered it . We alwasy use public transport.

[eekee 182]

Shipping trucks to the Ukraine from the US is one of the least cost-effective ideas I've ever heard. I found this site: http://www.shipmyauto.net/ukraine/ I'm not sure what the import taxes are in Ukraine; I found one site saying it was 23% and I found sites about people cutting cars in half (to make them count as "spare parts") to save on taxes. But I can only IMAGINE how much it'd cost to SHIP a pickup truck to Ukraine, since I know that when my family has shipped our cars from the Northeast to Florida it was crazy expensive--i.e., THOUSANDS of dollars.

Honestly, for people who want to move back to the FSU to save money... I think you need to question whether you really want that life. Like Gary said, you can get a nice apartment, a driver, fancy medical care at fancy "European" facilities... but it's NEVER going to be exactly like it is in America, because it's just not America. If you want trucks and convenience and the trappings of America, don't bother trying to recreate it in Ukraine, IMO.

I'm perfectly happy in Russia because I'm young and my language skills make it more advantageous for me, economically, to be here rather than in the US with the current job market. I have a lot more fun than my friends back in the States. But if I were older, I'd think long and hard about moving to a place like this. Having a strong social network is far more crucial in the FSU than in the US, where, in my opinion, people are more isolated and kind of tend to stick to their own families. I have found the fact that I have a very strong network of close Russian friends essential to my survival and happiness here. Even with a wife who grew up in the town, as an older American man who, I am assuming, doesn't speak the local language, I can foresee it being difficult to be happy there. And you're going to be a married dude, not a business guy able to live a playboy lifestyle in Ukraine that I am sure is quite fun.

Edited February 27, 2012 by eekee

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Shipping trucks to the Ukraine from the US is one of the least cost-effective ideas I've ever heard. I found this site: http://www.shipmyauto.net/ukraine/ I'm not sure what the import taxes are in Ukraine; I found one site saying it was 23% and I found sites about people cutting cars in half (to make them count as "spare parts") to save on taxes. But I can only IMAGINE how much it'd cost to SHIP a pickup truck to Ukraine, since I know that when my family has shipped our cars from the Northeast to Florida it was crazy expensive--i.e., THOUSANDS of dollars.

Honestly, for people who want to move back to the FSU to save money... I think you need to question whether you really want that life. Like Gary said, you can get a nice apartment, a driver, fancy medical care at fancy "European" facilities... but it's NEVER going to be exactly like it is in America, because it's just not America. If you want trucks and convenience and the trappings of America, don't bother trying to recreate it in Ukraine, IMO.

I'm perfectly happy in Russia because I'm young and my language skills make it more advantageous for me, economically, to be here rather than in the US with the current job market. I have a lot more fun than my friends back in the States. But if I were older, I'd think long and hard about moving to a place like this. Having a strong social network is far more crucial in the FSU than in the US, where, in my opinion, people are more isolated and kind of tend to stick to their own families. I have found the fact that I have a very strong network of close Russian friends essential to my survival and happiness here. Even with a wife who grew up in the town, as an older American man who, I am assuming, doesn't speak the local language, I can foresee it being difficult to be happy there. And you're going to be a married dude, not a business guy able to live a playboy lifestyle in Ukraine that I am sure is quite fun.

I have to admit I do not think I would have enjoyed life as well in Ukraine if I had to live like Ukrainians. I had a US salary and benefits.

FWIW Alla has lost all her desire to live in Ukraine and if we live anywhere internationally after I retire it will probably be anywhere but Ukraine. She even has little desire to visit anymore, if you can believe that, and HATES public transport. I would have considered a personal vehicle a liability there. But I am not saying that couldn't change again, who knows.

Our son, who will be able to live wherever he wants and have a job anywhere he wants has every intention of living here and marrying his Russian girlfriend. Our younger son says he will live here but he is going to go to Donetsk to get a wife. All I am saying is you can talk all you want right now, but it is not a good time to be buying real estate or shipping vehicles there. Let your fiancee come, get married, live here and then decide. I can relaibly predict your future plans will change, not sure how they will change,but they will.

We kept the flat there because it is paid for and costs us very little to keep, less than we would pay for a rental apartment for a brief visit. As long as my MIL is there and our son uses it and we use it, it is great. But that situation is changing. Now we have another son who will be making his first "solo" trip to Ukraine this summer, so there is another person to use it. We will see.

Prepare for her life here, let her adjust. It will take a year or two for her to adjust and get into life here. It is not all wine and roses for the first couple years. Once she is comfortable with the language, learns to drive, has a job or interests, things change dramatically. I cannot imagine Alla giving up her car, her rifle and shotgun, her weekly shooting, skiing, etc. She could probably live without the "machine for drying clothes", maybe not though.

[Brad and Vika 129]

I'm perfectly happy in Russia because I'm young and my language skills make it more advantageous for me, economically, to be here rather than in the US with the current job market. I have a lot more fun than my friends back in the States. But if I were older, I'd think long and hard about moving to a place like this. Having a strong social network is far more crucial in the FSU than in the US, where, in my opinion, people are more isolated and kind of tend to stick to their own families. I have found the fact that I have a very strong network of close Russian friends essential to my survival and happiness here. Even with a wife who grew up in the town, as an older American man who, I am assuming, doesn't speak the local language, I can foresee it being difficult to be happy there. And you're going to be a married dude, not a business guy able to live a playboy lifestyle in Ukraine that I am sure is quite fun.