titantom

I just got my passport back today... 3yr, multi-entry, tourist. First VISA since we were married as well, but I also had 4 previous VISAs. The application asks about relatives in Russia and spouse info, so I was concerned about that because you can do a private stay or your Russian spouse can make the VISA request for you. I still wanted to go with the tourist type in case we were ever traveling separately or to varying destinations in Russia, which is possible. Also, its good for a 6 month stay on any given entry. Hope this helps...

I agree with some of the others... and like you, I am in Tennessee and went through this last year. I am not sure why she needs the SSN before marriage though, because then you will just have to change her name on it shortly afterwards.

Anyway, we did it this way... Got married a week after entry, then went to the SSA office and did the paperwork, and we showed them the K1 VISA, I94, and marriage certificate. One thing she will need the SSN for is to have or be on a bank account.

That's what prompted us to go to SSA office and try to speed things up. And they did say it was supposed to already be in process via immigration, but they could make it go quicker rather than wait.

Can't say if this applies for all places, but this is how we did it in TN... Hope this helps and Good Luck!

Katerina Park... On the edge Of Moscow, but still easy walk to a Metro stop and go closer to the city... We stayed there twice; for IOM and the interview... They took care of Airport / Hotel Transfers too. For a price of course... We would stay there again. It was about the same price as an average hotel in the U.S.

Why did you have to translate everything for K1? Stuff that you bring to the interview did not need to be translated. Only stuff that you send to USCIS.

Everything we submitted as evidence and was kept was translated. Birth Certificates, Police Reports, Formal Invitations (Homestay Visa) to visit the country and stay with my Fiancee, etc... Was is it all absolutely unnecessary? Maybe not... But certainly not worth risking anything not being accepted. Getting translations was a small price to pay. And by the way, having just completed the AOS Interview, you would be surprised how big that file had become. Right there on the desk were all the documents we submitted over the previous 16 months. Actually there were some items missing from the file. We had the duplicate copies from previous submissions with us, and believe it or not, the officer asked to keep some of those copies for her records. So it was very nice to have them and reduced her doubt about us, and in the end, my wife was approved on the spot.

All that to say... I want my Mother-In-Law to approved without doubt or additional hassle. So if I needed translations for her, so be it... If not, then that's even better...

By the way... Good luck with the process...

We are trying to help prepare my Mother-In-Law for an interview to get a Tourist Visa so she come and visit us for about 3 weeks later in the year. As part of the interview, she is going to take several documents to show her ties to home such as documents showing flat ownership, power of attorney over my wife's affairs in Russia, Employment Letter, other Children's Birth Certificates, etc...

Are these documents required to be translated in English for the consulate officer? When going through the K1 process, everything had to be translated, but I can't find any requirements related to Tourist Visa interview. Being that they are legal documents and rather long, they will cost a quite a bit to get translated and I don't want to do it if it's completely unnecessary.

Her interview will certainly be in Russian, as she doesn't speak English, so I am sure the CO doesn't need them translated...

Has any of you gone through this with the consulates in Russia and have any information?

Thanks For Your Help...

This is probably a simple question but it may help others in the future: Once married, we filed form I-485 AOS to register my wife for Permanent Residency. We understand that the Green Card is the desired outcome of this application. As we have looked back, we DID NOT file Form I-475 or Form I-131 thinking that the successful AOS outcome (Green Card) would allow her to work and travel as well as have permanent residence. We, I'm sure along with others, would like to know if this is true. If not, I see the need to file those forms now as we wait for the AOS outcome. I would appreciate any constructive comments on this topic. Thank you !

You are 100% correct. The GC trumps the others... However, as others mentioned, the GC could take longer to get than the other's would have. In our case, we filed for all 3, but at the interview last week, we were told that she would get the GC in about 30 days and wouldn't need the Work Card or Travel Documents, so they wouldn't even send them at all. So hopefully you will have a speedy GC interview and approval and the others won't matter.

what is the russian name for this mushroom milk, my wife never heard of it

I assume you mean "kefir"... Yep, its on our kitchen counter brewing as we speak... A daily chore for her is to strain the kefir and put it in the refrigerator. We were buying at the store at first for about $5 a liter... Then I ordered the kefir grains and she makes it herself. (Now we just need to own a cow) It's a little sour for me to drink plain, but we made blini and pancakes with it, and she used it to start making Tvorog (Russian Cottage Cheese).

I laugh at my 10 yr old daughter who has stayed with us twice since marrying... She is being introduced to all kinds of unusual foods and habits. She is being a good sport about it and really likes some of my wife's cooking... oh... and her accent too.

I just did this 2 weeks ago @ JFK with my fiancee (now wife)... First, they said we had to go through the immigrant line because she was on a VISA... Then after waiting in line for an hour, they (Homeland Security Employees) saw my blue passport again; wondering why I was in the VISA line as a US citizen. I explained that I wanted to go through this with her, so they asked if she had her package of documents. When we showed the package to them, they took us to the front of the line and let us speak to the officer together where they checked her documents, biometrics, and took a photo of my fiancee. She (the officer) was very kind during the process. We had to wait together while another officer did some additional processing on another computer. They have a small waiting area where they will call her name. After that, we proceeded to baggage claim and customs declaration... where the guy was a complete jerk (mostly to me...)

Once it's all complete... They stapled the I-94 inside her passport, referencing the K1 VISA, and they also returned some photos to us from the Moscow Interview... FYI: I was able to see what was in the package as she took it apart. It was many of the documents (Govt. Forms, My Financial Documents, etc...) from the interview, but they had been stamped and signed as Original Submissions and validated by the Embassy...

Anyway... It was all rather simple once we were with an officer... I must say, she treated my fiancee and I with dignity and respect, and it was very nice... Wish there were more like her working in these positions...

Good Luck to you with everything!!!

Like the waiting, though, if you are committed to each other, then it is all worth it, and you will find, when you have hit your stride together as a couple, the growing pains will also recede and life really is good .

This is a REALLY good post... We are nearing the end of "the wait"... But I am expecting this to happen later on. Not sure how much my fiancee is expecting it, because she is excited and things will seem so shiny and new at first. But that will wear off. For some reason I think I or (we) will want to read this again later. Some very good insight and advice...

My fiancee is finding some old movies and TV series on youtube... she wants me to see them because they have been around forever in Russian homes and they still watch them. The cool thing is they have English subtitles that can be turned off and on. So we are building a playlist of things to watch together when she gets here... And by the way, we stream them to the XBox360 to watch on TV.

Now if we could just find all the "Interns" episodes with subtitles. Its quite funny and I like watching them, but rather not stop for translations every 15 seconds. Takes 1.5 hrs to watch a 30 minute show.

How did this end up working out for you, I am in the same boat right now. Our packet is on the way to the consolate, should be delivered on Monday, and I have already paid the consulate fee. We are trying to figure out if we need to wait for the packet 3 or if we can go ahead and schedule the interview now.

Thanks,

Rich

They want you to receive some kind of notification from them first and will repeatedly tell you this if you try to discuss it with the Embassy or VISA Service Desk. However, we went online, paid the fees, and scheduled before receiving anything. About 4 days before the notification came. She never actually received anything physically. I received an email from the Embassy Consular Unit with an English - Russian Word Doc attached, telling us what to do and to forward it to my fiancee. It came about 2 - 2.5 weeks after our files left NVC. One person recently told me that they scheduled too early, and their appointment was cancelled internally and they had to wait and schedule again.

We wanted an earlier appointment than what we have, but were unsuccessful getting it moved up. We were together in Moscow a little over a week ago and wanted to interview together. So anyway, I only attended the Medical Exam... WooHoo... So I know a little about that... We were also able to find the Embassy and learn the Metro a little to make her familiar. She goes back next week for the interview. So that's our timeline... Hope this helps a little...

Congratulations... I like your words about being your "Fiancee" forever... Completely makes sense to me... I so much want the same for us. Best wishes for many more great years together...

I need to receive a large sum of money from the US via either Western Union or Moneygram. I've used WU before, but never Moneygram. I know it's cheaper, but how long does it take?

FWIW... I have used both... Moneygram was not slow, but was more of a pain in the rear for my fiancee. She had to go to multple banks before someone could even figure out how to retrieve the funds, even though they were listed Moneygram locations. So we went back to Western Union in spite of the higher fees.

Yes. I'm hoping the fact that I called so soon. (It was received yesterday and a case number assigned) that just the very act of packaging it and preparing for being sent to the consulate is considered additional processing...Really hope that is all it is. I'll call again Friday I think...And hope for some good news then. Still worried though. I just didn't want to hear those words at all....Anybody have any insight?

That's exactly what they told me... I called the day after NVC received it and was given the Case Number... Then when I called back again, I was told it was in administrative or additional processing... one or the other... don't remember now. But then a few days later, they told me it was sent to Moscow... So it appears they all go through at least this little "AP" before they are sent off.

Now if Moscow could just get us in the system... As of yesterday, they said they did not have the file... and I want to pay and schedule the interview.

I have a question for you that recently scheduled your interview... Are you required to wait to be notified by the Embassy before you can pay the VISA Fees and schedule the interview?

Our paperwork has been sent to Moscow and we have a case number, but have not been notified by the Embassy in any way. My Fiancee is already registered on ustraveldocs, and that was done by a representative over the phone. I can see where we can log in, pay the fees by CC and it says you can schedule afterwards, but I have also seen where some people have received email notifications or letters from the Embassy with instructions. We have not received anything and its kinda soon, but we are both going to be in Moscow in 3 weeks and would like to interview together if we can get everything going and get an appointment for that week.

Thanks for any information about this part of the process and the notifications from the Embassy...

As you see, I had to adjust the pics to get rid of the one with Vika in it. The other is on borrowed time.

That's funny... I saw it when it was there in the beginning. Congratulations to you both!

I have to say, seeing those pics, it makes me imagine and hope for the same for us in a couple of years... Very Cool!!!

this may take me a few goes, i'm not great with image hosting!

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

well, my brother waited from 8am to 6pm in my flat that i had so rudely forgotten to fill with er... any food at all! and at 7.30pm, when everyone had given up hope, and i was walking back to the tube station from coffee in chelsea with sara80, my phone rang - it was here!

when i got home i was terrified to even open the plastic envelope it came in, but figured - ive gotta get in somehow to get my passport! i was also very skeptical because my name was written incorrectly TWICE (in two diferent ways) on the front. i didn't think that was a good sign... tentatively opened the outside envelope, saw another brown envelope inside, and my passport just lying on top.

the envelope is marked

The United States of America - OFFICIAL BUSINESS

IMPORTANT NOTICE

To be opened only by the United States Immigration of Public Health Officer

This sealed package must be surrenedered to the US immigration officer at the Port of Entry into the United States

Do not pack it - it must be hand carried

And there you go!!! I hope you all have yours in your hand very very soon.

Good luck to sara and mark tomorrow, you both rock.

And thank you to all for being there throughout this whole crazy mess of an experience!

Love

Kitty

Congratulations!!! Glad to see the pics too... To see exactly what the package looks like after reading the latest horror story. Thanks for sharing and good luck to you on your move and marriage!

For any of you who don't know... Things seem to move through NVC pretty fast. Our things arrived 2 days ago, and left to the consulate today. NVC won't commit to a time that it will arrive, but I was told that it was sent over to Moscow electronically and that I can contact the embassy next week to check on it, and I don't need to talk to them anymore. They also told me they are sending a letter telling me it was forwarded to the consulate. All I can say, is that its completely different than USCIS / VSC... So much quicker, and they seem much more helpful too.

I also got my case number from NVC today. It was entered yesterday, but it hasn't left the NVC yet.

Just got our case #

Very Nice!!! I think I will call them again tomorrow and see if they have ours too...

is there anyone in here that has gotten the hard copy of the NOA2 yet from VSC who got approved last week?

Yes, I got mine on Friday... with approval being Monday. Now I am harrassing NVC to see if we have a number assigned for the Embassy... No luck so far.

Yeah, get the medical done as soon as possible. Also she can start getting any translations needed now.

When my husband had his interview, it was possible to do an interview on nearly any day you wanted. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be able to schedule it very very soon. When we went there the majority of people were interviewing for K1's.

Thanks Amy!!! We are going to try our best to prepare, should we be able to pull it off. She just needs to go pick up the documents she requested (Police & Birth Certs) and schedule the medical.

Congratulations Paul, Sabi, and Vosnmars!!!

This is great news... So happy for you all... We have all waited so long, and its so nice to see us all finally move on from VSC. Wishing all the best of luck and quick progress through the NVC and the interviews!!!

Once you get the notice that your package has been received, drop the embassy an email, asking if they can expedite, and give them the range of dates you're asking for. Who knows, you might get lucky. Best of luck to you!

Thanks, I appreciate the kind wishes... Sure hope it works out...

We set our interview not that long ago and nearly every day for the next two months were open. Moscow is very easy as far as scheduling goes. We could've had an interview the next day if we wanted. All depends on how fast NVC works, how fast the Embassy gets you into their system, and how fast your payment goes through. And remember too, medical needs to get done before the interview.

This is really good to hear. We are just going to prepare as if it were going to happen and hopefully they will get everything in the system and we can set it up. We have 4 possible days that week that we could do it. Thanks for telling me about this. I am much more optimistic about it now, being that its 5 weeks away...

It seems that the embassy has changed their policy and now encourage the petitioner to attend the interview.

Yes, you are correct... They do encourage it now if possible. If we could somehow get an interview appointment that week, it would be great and our only realistic chance to do it together. Otherwise, she would have to return later alone. I am just wondering if there are usually openings so soon after they get you "in the system", since we would be cutting it so close. It seems that most appointments I see are much further out than that. I guess we will try...