Interview Nov 13 Tomorrow!

[Chris_Жанна 11]

Thank you for taking the time to share her experience. I really appreciate it. Again, Congrats!!!!

[Ted and Marina 0]

That was the best report ever !

Obviously you remember all the worry and questions we all have before the big day.

Live long , be happy and prosper

[Hopeful_1 0]

Spasibo Frank, that was a excellent report. Congratulations to you and Natasha, wish you two the best of life

[SuperDuper! 230]

I love hearing good news like this; especially with Katya flying to Moscow in under 3 weeks. I'm freaking a beaker, but hearing about one smooth interview after another helps calm the nerves... a little.

She'll do just fine, and you are such a handsome couple.

[baron555 934]

Thanks much for that detailed description. It really helps. Congrats again; there are many new happy couples in/going to be in the US!

[sivad 0]

yes congrats to you both!

[norrin 3]

Ok Natasha asked me to post this , perhaps to try and ease anyones anxiety.

"Hi baby,

Please post it on visaJourney for me. I forgot how hahaha.

I thought I would share my medical experience with the other girls. I know how nervous everyone must be right now.

I love you my future husband.

You future wife Natasha

More about the medical exam! OK guys let your fiancées know how it goes.

Everyone who has an appointment at IOM is in good hands!

The IOM office is located near Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station (about 10-15 minute walk which is nothing for a Russian girl from a big city ). It opens at 8:30 am. You go upstairs and to the first window (which is actually sort of a little cabin) right opposite the top of the stairs. You tell the guy (it was a guy in my case) behind the glass that you have an appointment at 8:30 am (well it was my appointment) and he asks you what your name is. Then he gives you a form to fill out and tells you to come back to him when you are done. You go back to him and he looks at the form and tells you to go to windows 15 or 16 (Sorry, I might be mistaken about the numbers). There is a woman, she asks you for your international passport and a picture (a color picture 3*4). She also asks you for your vaccination certificate (a little blue book that you can get at your regular clinic in Russia). I thought everything was fine with my vaccinations but she told me I still missed some. She told me I had to have mumps and rubella. I informed her that my doctor had told me that I was too old for rubella (they give it to you until you are 25) and they didn’t give you mumps in Russia at all. She said it didn’t matter, the American side requires them anyway. So she told me she wouldn’t give me a vaccination certificate paper. She told me to go to Immunity Center in St. Petersburg, pay money and have those missing vaccinations done, then translate the little blue book and take the translation along with the book to the US. OK I don’t really like this idea so I’m not going to do that. I’m just telling you what I was told and of course it’s up to you to decide what to do. Remember, nobody will ask you about the vaccinations at the interview. K-1 visa doesn’t require vaccinations. However, I recommend doing them here in Russia, at least those they can give you here. Just go to your clinic by “propiska” and have them done for free. They are not so cheap in the US as far as I know.

OK then she prepares all the papers for the doctors to fill out and puts them in a huge white envelope. Be careful with it because Moscow metro is always overcrowded and you will be packed like tiny pickles in a jar. However, don’t be afraid, they also give you a huge black plastic bag to carry that envelope. Then they tell you to go pay $160.00 or 4720 rubles (notice $1 is 30 rubles at the Embassy). You pay (the cashier is right there a couple of steps away) and go back to the woman. She gives you a paper (A4) with a copy of Moscow map (oh they call it Rapid Transit System of Moscow in Moscow haha Here in St. Petersburg we call it “Metro”. Well I like things simple haha), and she explains to you how to get to the clinic (this place is just an office). The information about the clinic you can find online is obsolete. It’s a different place now! So you go back to the metro (Ulitsa 1905 Goda) and go to Kuznetsky Most, change trains to Lubyanka and go to Biblioteka Imeny Lenina (the red line), you get out of the metro and walk along Vozdvizhenka st, then you turn to Romanov pereulok (on your right) and walk along it to iron gates (on your right), then you see a wooden door with glass “boards” on it, on the left (on the building) you will see a plate that says “Medical Center”, you come in and open the door on your right which says “Buro propuskov” (they give you a pass (a little piece of paper) at the IOM office). You give the pass to the security guard and walk out of the building and find yourself in the yard (it all is actually the Kremlin hospital) you go to the door number 5 on the right, walk upstairs to the 2d floor and to room № 235 (Administrator MOM). You give her your huge envelope and she tells you to go to another room for the blood test (one blood test from your arm), then you go to another building (it’s right there in the yard) for your X-Ray. You have to wait there for the result of your X-Ray. When you get the result you go back to room 235 and give them the huge envelope again (the X-Ray is in it). They tell you to wait until a GP (general practitioner) calls your name. GP asks you general questions about your health and your health history (Have you ever had any communicable diseases? She has a long list of diseases on her computer so she simply reads from the screen.). Then she takes your bp, listens to your heart and lungs (she’s the one who looks at your X-Ray too right there in front of you), looks at your throat, checks your body (touches you ), takes your weight and height and that’s it. No gynecologist, girls! Yeah haha. Then if everything looks fine she tells you to come back at 4 pm for the results. When you get there to pick up your results there’s a line of people. You go back to room 235 when it’s your turn and the medical secretary asks for your name. You sign a paper and get your huge white envelope with the precious sealed envelope in it (it’s a lot smaller). DO NOT OPEN THAT ENVELOPE!!! Whatever happens DO NOT OPEN IT! Even if there is an alien invasion or a fit of uncontrolled curiosity!!! If you got the envelope you are fine! They won’t give you the envelope if there’s something wrong with you. And please believe there’s nothing wrong with you, you will be just fine! Besides, people at the clinic are very nice. Don’t bring the X-Ray to the interview. They only ask you for the sealed (SEALED!) envelope. However, at the clinic the medical secretary (or whoever she is) will tell you to bring the X-Ray to the US with you because it is supposedly valid for a year. Don’t let them X-ray it at the airport. Don’t put it on the conveyer belt. Tell the airport security it is your X-Ray and you can’t have it X-Rayed. OK That’s it. I hope you will find it helpful.

Natasha Frank’s fiancée"

[Jeff and Tatiana 0]

Great INFO!!! Tatiana is in Moscow now, has been there since 16th of November. She just finished her Medical and has the results. She is meeting her Aunt tonight, then tomorrow morning the big day!! I just got done reading the step by step you posted. She was very intrested, I had to repeat several sections of it to her so she was clear.

Anyway, thank you for all the information, it is very helpful!!

Best of luck to both of you! And of Congratulations!

Jeff

[Chi-town 1]

Congrats and thanks for all the great information

[ZorValachan 0]

Congrats and thanks for all the great information

Yes, thank you a LOT

I know every 'recent' success story helps my SO and I, and I can imagine others too. Makes us not so nervous, gives us a bit of foreshadowing and preparation.

The details of the medical being almost a 'scavenger hunt' type process was enlightening. Much better to see it now and prepare for it than for it to have been a surprise!

So thanks again Frank and Natasha, as well to all others who give their reports. I hope I'll be able to continue the 'tradition' in January on writing another success story

[Neonred 3,461]

Ok Natasha asked me to post this , perhaps to try and ease anyones anxiety.

"Hi baby,

Please post it on visaJourney for me. I forgot how hahaha.

I thought I would share my medical experience with the other girls. I know how nervous everyone must be right now.

I love you my future husband.

You future wife Natasha

More about the medical exam! OK guys let your fiancées know how it goes.

Everyone who has an appointment at IOM is in good hands!

The IOM office is located near Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station (about 10-15 minute walk which is nothing for a Russian girl from a big city ). It opens at 8:30 am. You go upstairs and to the first window (which is actually sort of a little cabin) right opposite the top of the stairs. You tell the guy (it was a guy in my case) behind the glass that you have an appointment at 8:30 am (well it was my appointment) and he asks you what your name is. Then he gives you a form to fill out and tells you to come back to him when you are done. You go back to him and he looks at the form and tells you to go to windows 15 or 16 (Sorry, I might be mistaken about the numbers). There is a woman, she asks you for your international passport and a picture (a color picture 3*4). She also asks you for your vaccination certificate (a little blue book that you can get at your regular clinic in Russia). I thought everything was fine with my vaccinations but she told me I still missed some. She told me I had to have mumps and rubella. I informed her that my doctor had told me that I was too old for rubella (they give it to you until you are 25) and they didn’t give you mumps in Russia at all. She said it didn’t matter, the American side requires them anyway. So she told me she wouldn’t give me a vaccination certificate paper. She told me to go to Immunity Center in St. Petersburg, pay money and have those missing vaccinations done, then translate the little blue book and take the translation along with the book to the US. OK I don’t really like this idea so I’m not going to do that. I’m just telling you what I was told and of course it’s up to you to decide what to do. Remember, nobody will ask you about the vaccinations at the interview. K-1 visa doesn’t require vaccinations. However, I recommend doing them here in Russia, at least those they can give you here. Just go to your clinic by “propiska” and have them done for free. They are not so cheap in the US as far as I know.

OK then she prepares all the papers for the doctors to fill out and puts them in a huge white envelope. Be careful with it because Moscow metro is always overcrowded and you will be packed like tiny pickles in a jar. However, don’t be afraid, they also give you a huge black plastic bag to carry that envelope. Then they tell you to go pay $160.00 or 4720 rubles (notice $1 is 30 rubles at the Embassy). You pay (the cashier is right there a couple of steps away) and go back to the woman. She gives you a paper (A4) with a copy of Moscow map (oh they call it Rapid Transit System of Moscow in Moscow haha Here in St. Petersburg we call it “Metro”. Well I like things simple haha), and she explains to you how to get to the clinic (this place is just an office). The information about the clinic you can find online is obsolete. It’s a different place now! So you go back to the metro (Ulitsa 1905 Goda) and go to Kuznetsky Most, change trains to Lubyanka and go to Biblioteka Imeny Lenina (the red line), you get out of the metro and walk along Vozdvizhenka st, then you turn to Romanov pereulok (on your right) and walk along it to iron gates (on your right), then you see a wooden door with glass “boards” on it, on the left (on the building) you will see a plate that says “Medical Center”, you come in and open the door on your right which says “Buro propuskov” (they give you a pass (a little piece of paper) at the IOM office). You give the pass to the security guard and walk out of the building and find yourself in the yard (it all is actually the Kremlin hospital) you go to the door number 5 on the right, walk upstairs to the 2d floor and to room № 235 (Administrator MOM). You give her your huge envelope and she tells you to go to another room for the blood test (one blood test from your arm), then you go to another building (it’s right there in the yard) for your X-Ray. You have to wait there for the result of your X-Ray. When you get the result you go back to room 235 and give them the huge envelope again (the X-Ray is in it). They tell you to wait until a GP (general practitioner) calls your name. GP asks you general questions about your health and your health history (Have you ever had any communicable diseases? She has a long list of diseases on her computer so she simply reads from the screen.). Then she takes your bp, listens to your heart and lungs (she’s the one who looks at your X-Ray too right there in front of you), looks at your throat, checks your body (touches you ), takes your weight and height and that’s it. No gynecologist, girls! Yeah haha. Then if everything looks fine she tells you to come back at 4 pm for the results. When you get there to pick up your results there’s a line of people. You go back to room 235 when it’s your turn and the medical secretary asks for your name. You sign a paper and get your huge white envelope with the precious sealed envelope in it (it’s a lot smaller). DO NOT OPEN THAT ENVELOPE!!! Whatever happens DO NOT OPEN IT! Even if there is an alien invasion or a fit of uncontrolled curiosity!!! If you got the envelope you are fine! They won’t give you the envelope if there’s something wrong with you. And please believe there’s nothing wrong with you, you will be just fine! Besides, people at the clinic are very nice. Don’t bring the X-Ray to the interview. They only ask you for the sealed (SEALED!) envelope. However, at the clinic the medical secretary (or whoever she is) will tell you to bring the X-Ray to the US with you because it is supposedly valid for a year. Don’t let them X-ray it at the airport. Don’t put it on the conveyer belt. Tell the airport security it is your X-Ray and you can’t have it X-Rayed. OK That’s it. I hope you will find it helpful.

Natasha Frank’s fiancée"

Can't have the X-ray X-rayed? That's a lot of BS! You can ignore that part. Also no one will even cares about that X-ray when you enter the US so you can put it in your bag if you want. One other piece of advise, have your girl get a copy of the DS-3025 which is a list of the vaccinations including the ones given at the medical.

[norrin 3]

Well that "BS" is what the medical secretary tells you to do. I will put my X-Ray at the bottom of one of my suitcases even if nobody will ever ask me for it in the US. They always ask you for something when you don't have it so it's better to be on the safe side and not to give them a chance to make your life miserable . Good luck to everyone!

[Neonred 3,461]

Well that "BS" is what the medical secretary tells you to do. I will put my X-Ray at the bottom of one of my suitcases even if nobody will ever ask me for it in the US. They always ask you for something when you don't have it so it's better to be on the safe side and not to give them a chance to make your life miserable . Good luck to everyone!

Yup, people are always giving out bad info! The X-ray scanner at the airport will have NO effect on the actual X-ray. And, of course, if the X-ray is at the bottom of your suitcase you won't have access to it when entering through immigration.

[norrin 3]

That's true but can immigration officers at the airport read an X-ray (I don't think so:)) or do they simply have to make sure you have it?

[Neonred 3,461]

That's true but can immigration officers at the airport read an X-ray (I don't think so:)) or do they simply have to make sure you have it?

No, and no. They never ask for it.