Need Advice - Fiancee in Crimea

[MishaMoose 2]

Some background to the question.

My fiancée and I originally planned to do a K-1 until she ran into the road block of the father of her child demanding a LOT of money to sign the paperwork.

We decided when I was there in 2012 and proposed that we would wait for my chance for early retirement in 2016 and I would move there.

HOWEVER she is a Russian speaking Ukrainian citizen in Crimea and has very mixed emotions about becoming a Russian citizen. She tried on 2 or 3 occasions to leave Crimea but was turned back by the Crimean border “officials”

She has apparently resolved the issue of her daughter (who is 10) by legal means within the last few months. Of course it may be moot as it was done under Ukrainian law.

My settling in Crimea is no longer an option and she does not want to stay in Ukraine now with the potential for long term issues with Russian intent.

I plan to start the K-1 process but am concerned by potential complications.

Advice, comments, etc much coveted.

Many thanks in advance!

Michael/Misha

[Boiler 43,705]

I can not see any major complications, my only thought would be which Consulate would handle the application, she may have a choice.

[MishaMoose 2]

Thanks!!

Moscow if she decides/is forced to get Russian citizenship. Kyiv is she is finally permitted to leave.

Time will show.

[Boiler 43,705]

On the TV they were showing flights to Moscow, the comment was that they were now internal.

[Brian&Larissa 73]

Flights between Moscow and Crimea have always been operating. It is the Ukrainian citizen that does not want to become Russian is the question. Does she have relatives in other parts of Ukraine that she could relocate to? I firmly believe, as I am here in Ukraine right now, that the borders will open for people to leave, but go where is the question that you and your fiance will need to overcome. After you apply for the K-1, call and request expedite due to the crisis in Ukraine...you will need to prove the hardship to YOU and your fiance....not just to your fiance. The sooner you do this, the sooner she and her child can get this resolved and over by you. Some people here might give you a hard time about the expedite, but the situation here DOES fulfill certain aspects of it from a humanitarian standpoint. She is living in an occupied area of Ukraine....can you claim refugee status..that has not been determined, but that would be a totally different process. Remember: The USA does not recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia; thereore, she would need to go to Kiev in a perfect world.

[baron555 934]

Crimea is now Russia. So Moscow will be the Embassy but I can imagine some pain will be inflicted by forcing new "paperwork" to be obtained......of course as usual in Russia, extra consideration of the monetary kind always quickens any process.

You may have to wait a while for things to settle before anything can happen but on the other hand, I'd file for a K-1 and start the process.

[Ryan E 10]

Crimea is now Russia. So Moscow will be the Embassy but I can imagine some pain will be inflicted by forcing new "paperwork" to be obtained......of course as usual in Russia, extra consideration of the monetary kind always quickens any process.

You may have to wait a while for things to settle before anything can happen but on the other hand, I'd file for a K-1 and start the process.

The US can be pretty stubborn when it comes to recognizing places. I'm not so sure embassy jurisdiction will immediately be handed off to Russia. The fact that Crimea is de facto Russian now doesn't mean the US Embassy will start accepting cases from people there. It'd be interesting to look at what they did in 2008 after the Georgia/Russia exchange.

I'm in Moldova and we have a de facto independent territory - Transnistria. Embassy personnel are very careful about not recognizing it as a country in any way.

[Turboguy 6]

I was always under the impression that you could request an interview at any embassy that you want as long as they do that kind of interview. Am I wrong about this? As an example my son married a gal from the Philippines who is working in Hong Kong. They are requesting the interview in Hong Kong. I think she could request the interview to be in Moscow even though her citizenship is Ukrainian. If the situation resolves itself and Kiev is the better choice she could ask to have it there.

[Boiler 43,705]

If ir was that easy to Consulate shop, nobody would be going through Lagos!

[Brian&Larissa 73]

^{Crimea is now Russia only in the eyes of Russia. Every other country in the world does not recognize.}

^{Start the K-1 process...hopefully, by the time more decisions of where to go for interview come, it will be clearer for you.}

[baron555 934]

I was always under the impression that you could request an interview at any embassy that you want as long as they do that kind of interview. Am I wrong about this? As an example my son married a gal from the Philippines who is working in Hong Kong. They are requesting the interview in Hong Kong. I think she could request the interview to be in Moscow even though her citizenship is Ukrainian. If the situation resolves itself and Kiev is the better choice she could ask to have it there.

No you have your interview at the Embassy where you are legally residing.

^{Crimea is now Russia only in the eyes of Russia. Every other country in the world does not recognize.}

^{Start the K-1 process...hopefully, by the time more decisions of where to go for interview come, it will be clearer for you.}

Doesn't matter what other countries think, Crimea is part of Russia now and they don't even allow those residents to travel to mainland Ukraine.

[Neonred 3,460]

Must really suck for Americans that were planning or on their way to Crimea thinking they did not need a visa, and suddenly they do.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Must really suck for Americans that were planning or on their way to Crimea thinking they did not need a visa, and suddenly they do.

Supposedly there will be a transitional period where a visa is not needed, but the length of that period has not been determined yet. Hard to get much information at the moment. My wife saw on one of the channels that they are considering making it a visa free travel zone but I think this would have to be speculative at this time also.

Obviously any flights going through Kiev would need to be changed. My wife is going in June, through Moscow to Simferopol. She only has US citizenship now since she lost her Ukranian citizenship when she naturalized so we will be watching closely.

[Dakine10 5,452]

^{Crimea is now Russia only in the eyes of Russia. Every other country in the world does not recognize.}

^{Start the K-1 process...hopefully, by the time more decisions of where to go for interview come, it will be clearer for you.}

It appears they are going to use an automatic process. Any resident of Crimea who does not wish to become a Russian citizen will have to formally opt out. The rest of the world may not recognize Crimea as part of Russia, but they will have to treat the Russian citizens as such for travel and immigration. Anyone wishing to opt out probably should look into it ASAP because they will likely move quickly with this.

[Sveta & Ron 23]

could she fly to Moscow and then on to Kyiv? and rent flat?