russ

Okay, here's my first attempt at making a FAQ for the Russia thread. Please PM me any corrections/comments/additions and I will edit it. This is mostly cut-and-pasted from questions
asked over the last year, with the most relevant answers.
Q. Does the police certificate need to be translated or notorized?
If the police report is in Russian, it does not need to be translated.
Q. Where can I stay (cheap) in Moscow?
A. There are no bargains.
-- From slim:
Russian Girl Friday
Contact Olesya Pomazan, the "Russian Girl Friday." She let my fiancee stay with her for about $35/night. She's a single mom with a flat in Moscow and is really familiar with the interview process.
Check out her website: http://www.russiangirlfriday.com
Moscow Rick speaks English, arrangements can be made by phone, and is reasonable.
http://www.moscowrick.com/
+7-495-741-7606 between 3 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET
Q. Can/will DHL hold the visa in Moscow?
A. Yes, you can specify to have it held at their office. This may save a few days if
you will be flying out as soon as you recieve it.
Q. How do I get an International Passport in Russia?
A. Go to ОВиР (OVIR) or the local government entity that does these. It can take up to 30 days. There are private travel companies that may be able to do it faster, though this should not cost more than 4 to 5,000 rubles. A Russian newspaper in a sufficiently large city will have classified ads from travel agencies providing such a service.
Q. How can I find a cheap flight to North America from Moscow?
A. Buy well in advance, and travel in the winter. Other tips: DL/Aeroflot Moscow to JFK is usually the cheapest route. If you are going elsewhere, try booking a one-way on JetBlue as the connection through NYC.
airtech.com has very cheap one-ways from Europe to North America (USD239). This will require you to find a cheap flight to a European hub though. (A one-way Moscow to Brussels is USD100). Taxes on European departures can be expensive, though.
If you live in a big city - sometimes it is cheaper to have a connection you don't use, if you know the flight will connect through your city. Example - instead of MOW->ATL, MOW->ATL->MCO may be cheaper then the non-stop. Buy the MOW->ATL->MCO ticket, but get off the plane in ATL and don't get on the flight to MCO. This works in any city that is a hub for the carrier. Try every possible connection through that hub and pick the cheapest
Q. What is the cheapest way to call Russia?
A. To Moscow / St Petersburg land lines, 1 cent/minute is the best deal you will find. Mobile phones are about 6.5 cents/minute at the cheapest. 5-10cents/minute for the rest of Russia. Getting SIP handset and pointing it at the cheapest provider is your best bet, other than calling cards (which are a pain).
VOIP companies will be the cheapest, though this will take some knowledge on your part to set up. Probably worth the investment for call quality and price over the long term.
Q. Where to do the medical in Moscow?
A. IOM seems to be the most popular here.
The clinics approved for K-1 visa applications from Russia are
International Organization for Migration, telephone (7-095) 797-8723,
AO Meditsina, telephone (7-095) 250-9186 or 250-8899.
Children's Hospital no. 1, Vladivostok. Tel. (4232) 40-13-35 or (4232) 45-24-26.
IOM has results the same day and is $ 90.00. AOM has results the following morning and is $ 100.00. The reports are that people are treated much better at AOM
The clinic approved for K-1 visa applications from Ukraine are:
Clinic for Oil-Refining Industry of Ukraine
9, Spusk Protassov Yar
Kyiv, Ukraine
Telephone: 044-244-8941, 044-277-4181
Per-person fee for a medical exam is no more then $75 for adults and children. The Clinic performs medical examinations any
Working day (Monday through Friday), between 8.00am and 12.00pm.
TIP, Have her ask for a copy of her vaccination records. It will save you time and money in the USA later.
Q. How do I address a letter to Russia?
A. In cyrillic, Name last, in the dative case. Example:
Россия
г. Москва 117932
ул. Пушкина дом 30 кв 121
Ельцине, Наине Иосифовне
To send a letter to Наина Иосифовна Ельцина (Mrs Yeltsin) (the address is made up).
It is common in Russian to use last name followed by initials. For names ending in
"a", the ending is "e." If the name ends in "ия" the ending is "ии" Names ending
in "K" or "O" do not generally decline.
Mens names also decline, but I think anyone writing to a man here already speaks Russian.
Write RUSSIA in english somewhere on the envelope. Generally delivered in 10 days.
Q. How do I know when the interview will be?
A. For Moscow the online K-1 Visa Schedule is at http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci10.html
Q. When will packet 4 arrive?
A. Moscow only sends one packet, combining packets 3 & 4. Nothing further is required
on your part to schedule the interview.
Q. What paperwork is necessary at the interview?
A. :
1. A valid International Passport with a photocopy of the first page. They will keep this and return it with the visa fixed inside.
2. An original birth certificate with along with a photocopy and an English translation.
3. A police report in all names as well as all dates of birth ever used. Police certificate must contain references to each place in which the applicant lives or has lived for more than six months since attaining the age of 16.
4. Evidence of termination of prior marriage (if applicable), original, photocopy and translation into English.
5. Accompanying child requires a valid passport (or may be included in the parent's passport), a birth certificate and a medical examination. If a child is 16 years of age or over, police certificates are required. Translations of the indicated documents are required as well.
6. (3) black-and-white or color photos taken against a white or off - white background (5 x 5 cm) for visa which are basically passport style photos.
7. (3) photos of passport size for medical exam.
8. Visa application fee of $100 (or the ruble equivalent) per person, payable at the Embassy on the day of interview. Must be in cash.
9. A new letter of intent to marry from both addressed to the Embassy.
10. Documents confirming relationship: photos of Petitioner and Beneficiary together, letters to each other, phone bills, airplane tickets, emails, etc.
11. Results of Medical Examination in a sealed envelope. (clinic info following)
12. A prepaid DHL mailer. (There is a DHL office on the lower level of the building to the right of the north entrance of the US Embassy in Moscow. Ukraine applicants need a FedEx mailer and it can be purchased at the Embassy at the time of the interview.
There is information that she will need from you at the time of the interview. They include:
1. A letter from your employer stating position, salary, likelihood of your continued employment.
2. A letter from your bank stating your balance, your average balance, how long you have had your account (or the last 12 months bank statements)
3. A copy of the last year’s tax return if you are an employee or the last three years returns if you are self employed.
4. W-2’s for the last year.
5. Three consecutive recent pay stubs.
6. I-134 Affidavit of Support, signed and notarized.
7. A new letter of intent to marry addressed to the Moscow embassy.
Q. Am I being scammed?
A. Yes.