ONA

Wow! thank you so much! my wife's Visa was approved yay!!!

Congrats!

I think this is something that must be generational, because none of the FSU women I know around my age would react the way Alla did--except for maybe the thing about paying on the date.

That might be generational... Although... I don't think my mom would've agreed with Alla either.

I don't know anybody, who'd be OK with #######-grabbing etc. I know some women, who'd smack the hell out of anybody, who tried to behave inappropriately (Есть женщины в русских селеньях ).

The below were NOT online relationships, but in-real-life ones:

My friend's friend dated for 10 years, got married, and divorced after 2 months.

Another of my friend dated her now-husband for 6 months in 2003, got married, and are still happily married.

The below were online relationships:

Another friend dated her now-husband for around 6 months in 2003-2004, got married, and are still happily married with 2 daughters.

Yet another friend dated her now-husband for about 1 year in 2003, got married, and are still happily married with one son.

Every relationship is different. Can't judge. Can't understand? No one is asking you to.

Agreed I've seen such examples too. You never know...

I'm not that kind of person... I met my husband in the States, dated him for 3 months and went back to Russia... Although, I know some people get married in the same situation. Just not me. Me and my husband ended up dating for 2 years before we got engaged. Then we were engaged for over a year before we got married. That's our choice, it's the best way for us.

Still I don't blame people, who get married quickly, I don't judge them. They know better what's the best for them.

Yes I think a country needs friends.

One of the big hits on the US economy is the huge decline in tourists since George Bush decided to trample on the world's feelings and cause universal resentment

A country being liked is very advantageous in all sorts of ways

The idea that a country should be feared is a medieval one when the world is so closely interwoven

After the war, the US was held in high regard with the Marshall plan etc and it's only recently that policies showing a disregard for all foreigners have made Americans have to claim they are Canadians when traveling abroad

Being feared is like being a bully on a trailer park. People take all the arrogance and belligerence until one day they don't - and then the bully is found dead

America needs friends and sometimes it's your friends who tell you where you are going wrong.

I did not said that the country should be feared, not at all.

The EU countries made a lot of friends, maybe too many - and the EU is facing an economical collapse. Same thing...

As for superiority... Russia is the largest country on the face of Earth and Russians are raised believing that everything was invented in Russia. And while Russian people are usually proud of Russia's culture, scientific achievements, literature etc., there is no belief that "we're the best". The mindset is different, that's all.

We were told that the Queen was directly appointed by god who had chosen England for her to rule from.

The same belief still exists in Russia and the fact that Russian Royal family was killed is considered a big sin of all Russian people among religious people.

When travelling I tell everyone I'm Canadian. Saves a lot of hassles.

Do you have the accent?

I wouldn't pile on in that way because the US is far from finished and the decline need only be temporary, but isn't it time for the boasting to stop - boasting never did help any country to gain friends - or is American exceptionalism something different to boasting and where people in other countries need not feel they are being belittled ?

Does a country really need friends?

Partners - yes. Those, aware of your power - yes. But friends?

As for Americans being not modest enough... It's the way they are. Why would somebody want to change them? I mean... OK, if an American comes to the UK, you have a right to say "that's not acceptable here, you should learn false modesty" or whatever. WE came to this country, WE need to learn the rules and accept them. It doesn't mean to turn into an American entirely... Just imagine an American coming to the UK and saying: "I know what will solve your problems. You should just do this, this and that the way we do it in the States".

What works in one country may not work in a different country. There is an old Russian saying, which can roughly be translated as "What's good for a Russian, means death to a German". What's good for the UK is not necessarily going to work out good for the USA.

We had the same problem, when we were waiting for my K-1 visa. The case appeared online only after the approval.

So you are the best of both or just half of both?

I'll let other people judge

Donetsk is one of the venues and our flat is within walking distance of the new stadium! The boys want to be there, I don't really care but I would go. Alla will not go. If we can time our trip right, we may get some tickets.

I've always wanted to go! Well, at least, since the day they announced that Ukraine and Poland are going to host Euro-2012. And then I moved to the States and not even sure if I will be able to come...

Phew!

Awesome vid! Ukrainian girls win!

OMG they are hot, I miss Ukraine. We have GOT to find a way to get there more often, once a year does not cut it!

I'm confused by the video, since I consider myself half-Russian and half-Ukrainian. Actually, in the last Census (2010) I'm listed as an ethnically Ukrainian (I wasn't at home and my dad just listed me as a Ukrainian), but I have a Russian citizenship... Confusing...

Anyway, I hope I'll be able to go to Kiev with my husband for Euro 2012. If we go, it will be his first time in Kiev.

Last I heard it was still DHL but it may have switched. Sounds like you're looking at the generic visa instructions and those do go by Pony Express.

It was DHL until Sept. 1 2011. Now it's Pony Express. The instructions are valid.

I don't know what else to say here, cause I didn't have an experience with the new system.

Thanks. I will tell her that. Is it the application confrmation or the appointment confirmation? I can tell her to do both.

I was talking about application confirmation. But let her do both just in case

OK so I am curious, she walks up to a window, right? She has all these documents in her hand and then what? What do they ask? What if they do not ask her if she has a scholarship? Sorry to sound like such a n00b, but I seriously have no experience with the visitor visas.

They can ask her whatever... Like the first questions they asked my parents were "How old is your daughter?", "How old is her fiance?", "Does he speak Russian?"...

Also, tell her to print out an extra application confirmation page - they usually ask for it (at least in Moscow they do).

Is there some "order" we can/should put the coudmnets in so when she hands them over they do not have to shuffle trhough them, I know they do not spend much time on this. Put the scholarship on top with the invitation letter under, or vice versa? I mean what do they do? Do you hand it all over at once or do they ask for things one document at a time?

You don't hand in any documents until you're asked to. I mean, they can ask something like "Are you enrolled in a university program?" - she can say "yes, here is a letter from the university" (or proof of scholarship), or they can ask "Do you have an invitation letter from your boyfriends' parents?"... or they might not ask directly, but say something like "Do your boyfriends' parents mind that you're going to stay with them?" - "No, here's an invitation letter". If they don't, she won't have to show anything.

So it doesn't matter in what order her paperwork is going to be organized.

Pony Express in my city let me send the invitations with my parents' passports and confirmations of their applications - I'm not sure that they would've looked at the invitations if they didn't receive them through Pony Express.

The medical examination records were in the sealed envelope that she gave in at POE. Does she have the receipt from IOM? There are 2 things that can be used as a proof of the medical: DS-3025 or the receipt from IOM. They both have the date on it.

Thank you

I have heard of people giving them for visitor visas but also heard they were useless for that purpose. The website says it can be provided but that the case is judged on its own merits. Actually, if one os returning in three weeks, what would they need it for????

In the invitation letters for each of my parents my husband stated that he would cover part of expenses in case they needed medical treatment. That was it.

A lot of times in Russia they don't even look at the supporting documents. In case with my parents, I think the CO only looked at their applications and the invitations.

How about just having a thread about how ANY woman makes a great wife if she's respected, loved and cherished?

Does ANY man make a good husband if he's respected loved and cherished? No way. The same for women.

Some people are just not marriage material, it doesn't matter how much you love them and care for them.

Ok so I have been reading the consulate page for Yekaterinaburg and I can find no mention of whether documents for visitor visas are required to be in English. we can do translations if needed, but are they needed?

No translations needed.

Also the webpage regarding documents states that a "letter of support" can be provided by a US sponsor. I already gave her an invitation (another option) but what is anyone;s experience with the letter of support (I-134 I presume) I can provide one if it will help.

I believe visitors don't have a "sponsor". People going to some conferences or American hospitals or using a visa for a number of other purposes are also awarded either B1 or B2 visa, they can have sponsors. An invitation letter will be enough.

TBH until you posted your wedding pics, I always thought you were the USC. You just don't come across as Russian..no offense, but you don't write like one...at least your words. You sure you weren't raised in the US?

lol... No, I was raised in Russia (and partially Ukraine), but I studied linguistics (with an emphasis on linguistic pragmatics), languages and intercultural communication for 5 years in the university, so I was taught in particular how to talk to anglophone people.

I guess I did a good job if at least some native speakers get this impression after talking to me

I'm not B.Sing...this is true. But it did remind of of a couple of you guys in the RUB forum. I mean, there are hot guys in Russia, who are not old, overweight and that are around the same age and score out of 10 as some of your wives. Why are these lovely well educated women marrying you guys, or my old coot of a relative in the UK?

I'm 22, my husband is 25, I don't know what you're talking about

Though not quite as small as your wife, my wife has the same problem finding clothes to fit, she can shop in the juniors to find jeans and casual clothes but to find more dress up or business things are very limited. Ann Taylor carries some x small petite sizes but generally, it's teen fashions or nothing.

The thing that strange is my wife is my wife is like 5'3" and slender, not skinny..... though by US standards she apparently is.

I can shop in the juniors too. I don't consider myself that skinny either. I really don't want to be smaller - I would never find any clothes... I definitely don't want to get any bigger either. I still want to be able to fit into my wedding dress in 5-10-20 years for a photo shoot or something.

I got nothing against any of these guys or their wives, but I find it extremely hilarious how they go out of their way to say how good they got it. My husband joined VJ when we first started our journey in '09 and never logged in again. He's definitely off doing better things.

My husband didn't even join VJ, he just gave the link to me.

I really don't see what is there to brag about... Does not going to VJ make anybody better? Does it mean that I should stop posting here to become a better person? I don't understand...

I will admit our experience in this matter does not include naked car wrecking.

Me neither... I never had a drunk driving experience either, but I know that it will cost you about $1000 to keep your license if you get pulled over being drunk.

I love to tell people Alla's "full name" with patryonomic, try to say it three times fast! Then I say, "I just call her Alla"

Nobody can say mine one time slow here

I love my maiden last name, I thought I wouldn't change it, but when I saw people trying to pronounce it here, I figured that I have to take my husband's last name just to make my life easier. My maiden last name is Serbian though, and a lot of people in Russia couldn't write and pronounce it correctly at first either.

Thanks, Ona, we're getting a clearer picture now. I contacted another Civil Surgeon in Pensacola, FL, and the nice lady there told me all that I needed to know, including when was the best time to just show up at the Doctor's office. We will only have to complete the vaccination section forms, show them our documentation, and the Doctor will sign it. No charge.

How cool is that? Quite a different response than from the beaurocrat I spoke with in Panama City.

Glad it worked out this way for you.

Copy of the DS-3025. On the bottom of the sheet it says that.

Yes, I've seen the line saying "give a copy to the applicant" on my DS-3025. All I'm trying to say is that there won't be a copy to give to the applicant if you don't ask for it and don't pay $20 for it in Moscow, because there won't be DS-3025 at all in that case.

Received hard copies of NOAs in the mail today (dated Oct. 28).

That's bull. It says on the bottom of the form "give a copy to the beneficiary" or words to that effect. Dodgy.

A copy of what? If you don't tell them, that you want your vaccination records to be done, they won't even look at your vaccinations in the first place - because they are not required for K-1 visa (they are required for AOS, but not for the visa). There just won't be DS-3025 at all.

I did my medical in Moscow and that's the way it works there.

I speak Russian in Russian... But again - I can't be "the most interesting man in the world" just cause I'm not a man.