alex330

Woohoo!!! Congrats

I recently purchased a one way ticket for my lady on Aerosvit Airlines from Odessa, with a 1.5 hour layover in Kiev, and then finishing up at JFK airport in NYC for $534. She'll be flying in on November 11th. Total travel time is slightly over 12 hours... LOT Airlines also has good rates as well.

LOL, that is the exact date we are looking at for her arrival and she lives in Odessa as well!

Did you purchase via a broker or directly from Aerosvit?

Ok, thanks everyone. Yes, there are direct flights to MIA from Moscow and Paris, just a long layover in each city we were trying to avoid.

Frankfurt has one direct to Fort Lauderdale it seems going one way.

Does the K1 require a round trip ticket or can we purchase a one way?

I see that you are from Ft. Lauderdale.

Ah, and you guys are right up the road from us

Thank you both

Yea, I was thinking the same thing. She would be allowed to travel through one Schengen country but not two.

Trying to find a decent route with not too many long layovers.

So, the good news. Our K1 was approved

We are now looking for flights into the US.

Does anyone know if we can travel through two Schengen countries on a Ukrainian passport with US K1 VISA and no transit VISA for said countries?

Once she arrives stateside immediate air travel within the US on her passport is not an issue, correct?

So far Pasha is doing very well and he DOES have a twin turbo Volvo S80T6 that is like an 'effin rocket sled! I'm telling you Phil, the old 442 has nothing on this thing! All jet black except for cool aluminum rims.

Ah, I owned an old Buick GS with a 350 rocket swapped in from a 442 years ago. Loved that car..... but yea, cannot compare to the new cars

I don't have an experience driving automatics. I'm sure it's gonna be hard for me. I like a stick shift, but my husband wants to get a car with an automatic transmission for me I'm not even excited about getting a car now.

Maybe ask him to throw a turbo in the car for you?

I never thought of that! Alla has been wanting to visit Central or South America.

Yea, just make sure you use a good one.

Aight, will have her bring originals and copies of everything important. Gonna do all the shots in Kiev at her medical. Thanks all

I agree on the dental, the US is crazy if you need any work done. We take a jaunt down to Costa Rica to get dental done.

Less money and nice little vacation at the same time.

We are getting ready for our interview in Kiev Oct 7th. Is there anything we should do before my fiance arrives in the US that will help us through the process once she arrives?

Immunizations and several certified birth certificates with apostille have been recommended to us. Anything else you wish you had done while your fiance or spouse was still in the FSU before they arrived? Thanks

I will not wear tight clothes and carry a man purse. I WILL NOT!!!

A man after my own heart

Ahh, building from the ground up? No idea. I'm guessing you're going to have to know somebody who knows somebody. But there are actual houses you can buy too, especially out in the countryside. We've talked about someday buying a house on the black sea.

We have been toying with the idea of a second home in Ukraine but the real estate in Odessa seems to be holding it's value quite well.

Building from the ground up does seem to be an option and we have seen some deals on raw land outside the city near the Black Sea. My fiance has several friends building dachas and homes. There are fees and permits (kickbacks?) involved just like here in the US.

Hello, we just received our packet from the embassy in Kiev and are ready to set the interview and medical appointment.

What is the best way to pay the VISA fees? Is a US issued check ok? Thanks

The car/taxi thing took some getting used. I found that you could basically approach just about anyone with a car and they would give you a ride for a small fee. Stay away from people driving Mercedes and such. They do not need your money. The doctor driving a Lada and making more on the side giving rides than being a doctor...he needs your money.

Your wife will no doubt redecorate. I just cut to the chase, remodled the whole house and left all the walls primed white and nothing on the windows.

Yea, I noticed you do not hold out your hand for the Mercedes, and the rates varied depending on the direction the driver was heading. I could never figure out if it was a luck or convenience thing.

Great idea on priming everything white to start. Gives something to do together when she arrives.

The slippers I can get used to. It is warm down here so flip flops or barefoot is the way to go inside.

I am reading this thread with a big grin at the experiences. Just went through the shark episode in DR like Slim and can relate to a lot of the things mentioned.

The best - walks in the parks, cafes, lounges, warm people, and my girl.

The worst - the mattresses, and renting an apartment on the second floor across the street from a churches belltower.

Unexpected - have to agree on the inside of the apartments compared to the outsides, the food was unexpectedly good, and every car is a taxi.

PS You guys are starting to scare me with the hot tempers and the thought my solnishkos redecorating

And yea, I would definitely live there if I could find good work.

Congratulations

I just dropped the documents in the mail several hours ago. Buena suerte

Ok, we were both a bit nervous on this one. Mailing off the paperwork in a couple hours. Thanks everyone!

Hello everyone, I am getting ready to send of the K1 package and hit a snafu. My Fiance is from Ukraine. We filled out all the K1 paperwork with the way she spells her name normally in Russian.

She brought up the fact that on her International passport her name is spelled differently by one letter. I am not 100% percent clear on why, but am told that at one point when Ukraine left the Soviet Union certain things changed with the alphabet and that the way her name is spelled on her International passport is actually a transliteration rather than a direct translation.

My fiance went to the passport office in Ukraine and was told the spelling is correct according to the Ministry of Ukraine. Her passport has certain sections in Russian and others and in Ukrainian. Her birth certificate is in Russian, her internal passport in Ukrainian, etc.

The character in her name is one we do not have in our alphabet. Will this pose an issue? Has anyone dealt with this and what is the best course of action? Write her name on the K1 paperwork as we would like it spelled here in the USA or spell it to match the incorrect spelling on her International passport?

Many thanks in Advance