mrsushi66

I'm using Skype to talk with my friends. Totally free if installed on both ends, + video chats! Rate to landline phones = 2 cents per minute (Moscow and St.Pete).

Problem with Skype is that is requires internet and preferably high speed internet. In Tomsk, it is available by the megabyte. In other words about $1 per megabyte. Not very free in my mind. For some reason, Russians haven't figured out flat rate internet, at least not in any places I have been. Sending voice back in forth does eat up bandwidth.

We (Anna and I) are very lucky that Saratov has started to get the whole flat rate internet. Her sister has flat rate (high speed) internet and they use it to talk with Skype on a regular basis. Anna even got to see her Mom and talk to her. Very cool. I hope things continue to become easier for global families to remain close.

paul and anna

The below book can be found in barnes and noble also (that is where we found it). It has pictures, the English word, and the Russian word for every day objects.

My wife english moving along quite nicely but this will help fill in those missing bits and give her a more practical vocabulary reference. I like it becaue I can use it to determine Russian words for every day objects. Wooo Hooo a dual purpose book!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-Picture-Dicti...m/dp/0194351920

Hope this is useful.

Interesting, never heard of it. legit?

How do you know verizon is legit?? How do you know any company is legit??

I am not sure what you want to know but I am using them an they have delivered service as advertised so from my perspective they are as legit as anyone else who charges you for a service and delivers the advertised service.

paul and anna

I am trying Rebtel (www.rebtel.com) and it seems to be very nice I know there are better but check it out they even tell you how to call for free. Check out the button labled "Dont click here".

I signed up with my land line and this has allowed me to use my dometic long distance minutes for international calling. BONUS!!!

Paul and Anna

Before Anna I ate everything. Chinese, Mexican, Korean, Italian, Japanese, etc...

After Anna I eat everything but she prefers her own cooking. Since I love everything and her cooking is awesome my diet has changed to what ever she feels like making. Even her simplest dish buckwheat and meat fried in onion and garlic is very awesome. As a matter of fact she is almost tired of hearing me say how much I like whatever she makes. I tried to explain that I truly do love everything she makes.

Anyway I have lost 35 pounds since she has been here and some may say we are not eating well I think we are eating better now than I have since leaving home.

Salted herring and vegatables is awesome.

Paul and Anna

Are they raising the rates as of July 30, 2007 for the I-485???

sorry should read NEW FEE!!!!

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

Not in the budget to get a hotel room the night before so you are fresh and ready to pick them up? Seems like you are being awefully hard on yourself driving 11 hours then picking them up at the airport..

If you cant find a friend or family member to do this you really might want to think about getting a hotel room, just a suggestion.

Paul

so how long will it be (generally) until I know when the interview date is? I got approved today noa2! I know it goes to the nvc for a couple weeks, then to the embassy, I am just not sure when I will know the interview date. does it arrive in packet 3/4? if it does is there a faster way to find out? also when and how will I receive my nvc case number?

sorry for the barrage of questions i was just a little surprised i got the noa2 so soon.

thanks for everything

Time lines are your friend. You can look and search for time lines to see averages of those of us who have filled out time lines.

Paul and Anna

Neonred, I looked at DHL website can you post where they garuntee time to russia??

Paul and Anna

We had ours this past Tuesday, I did all the cooking for the week prior to the appointment as someone mentioined burns or cuts on the fingers could be a problem. We got there 30 min early and were out of the building bofore the appointed time.

It is no biggie....

Paul and Anna

Why do they put locks on stores that are open 24/7???

This is all very interesting and surprising for me - the way your wifes think about money and work and the ratio of the work done and money paid for it. I probably come from a different background or simply have different experience in life but gee, it has never been an enigma to me that one has to work hard to pay a living. Money tree, like slim mentioned? I didn't have such an image in my mind even when I was three!

And Russian women, from my first hand experience, have never hit me as dreamers, more likely as hard-workers, as women who never rely on anybody but themselves to get by in this life. So this seems a little strange for me when you, gentlemen, mention such concepts that you think your ladies have.

There is no other nationality more aware of the cost of living anywhere than Russian women. But it's just my opinion. I may be wrong...

I think this is a personal thing. I know many people (americans) who were clueless when it came to money so never really knew how to handle it. On the other hand most of my closest friends (also americans) are very aware of money and use it as a tool and are able to build a comfortable life for themselves. My wife (Russian) is very aware of money and very smart at handling it.

The one big difference is credit. Credit is easy and very accessible in America. My impression is that it is not as well liked in many other countries (Russia included) and not thought of as a practical tool when it comes to money management.

Of course this is my observation.

Paul

Sixteen years difference and loving every bit of it.

I can understand your perspective, but is she? We only have a 3.5 year difference, but I have a lot of grey hair for my years, and my wife thinks that makes us age wise too far apart!

Hair coloring????

No "street clothes" on the bed only house clothes.

Mirror by the door, a must.

House slippers, yes.

No kissing over the threshold of a door.

Very cold drinks can be bad for the digestion.

Eating in cafes is for catching up with friends once in a while, not a way of life.

Are you checking status online?

No, I haven't been. Me, who's on the computer EVERY DAY for like 3 hours, I didn't check the USCIS website yet because I thought, "there's no way they'd get that updated just yet. We'll probably have to wait like two weeks just to see what's happening."

But, then I read this last post, and I said "I guess I could go ahead and check it, just to see if maybe it's been updated yet."

After numerous failed log-ins, and digging through all the old paperwork, (which, thankfully, is still all nice and neat in the AOS interview folder) I finally got through by just checking the AOS application number.

"Welcome letter mailed June 8th."

The interview was June 8th, I guess it was approved that day! This is where all the and some more come in, but since I'm married to a Russian girl, I won't celebrate just yet. "We must wait until we got it. We never make happy situation before we got it. If we do like this, maybe we mess up our final action and make bad luck and not good energy. After we got it, OK." (I'm secretly because now we're "done" with VJ for a minute. I'll still be here though.... I'm addicted to the Internet.)

Thanks for all the encouragement and support, VJ crew. To all those going soon... don't sweat it! VJ's got you prepared very well!

Congo Ratz!!! Good luck with the rest of your journey!!!

Not saying I agree with what some CS do in regards to medicals, but if it's their own practice they can pretty much do what they want...as I was informed by one in Atlanta. I do believe that if they are going to be a designated CS then they *should* have to follow the USCIS guidelines about medicals.

Actually, no they can't do as they wish, private practice or not. Ask the board of medicine in your area. They are held to a code of ethics and forcing someone to pay for a full examination when it is not required is an ethical violation and if more people would file complaints about what is happening this might stop. The reason they are doing this is because this is all out of pocket expense for us and there is no insurance involved. If there were an insurance company involved and you called your insurance company and said this doctor is trying to get me to take a full exam when all I need is some records transcribed I would be willing to bet you the doctors would be doing exactly what needed to be done because the insurance company would file a complaint or other such recourse to ensure that doctor is not over charging or requiring unessacary procedures.

These kind of stories bother me. I mean if these Dr's are going to be civil surgeons then it is up to them to keep up to date with the knowledge that goes along with that title. I would be willing to bet that the process of being a Civil Surgeon affords these doctors some sort of advantage and that is all they care about. They really dont want to be bothered with all the responsabilities to go along with that title.

Now I know there seem to be a lot of Civil Surgeons that are on the level but seems like there are more bad than good.

I agree with the poster that said we should report every one of the Civil Surgeons that pushes us into doing something we know we dont need, like a full physical when some have had those as part of the visa process. I would call the board of medicine in your area and tell them your story and ask them if the complaint should be filed with them or some other organization. In my opinion telling you they will only do a full physical when it clearly states you dont need one consitutes fraud on the doctors part but that is my opinion.

Hope you hear good news soon slim... Wish nothing but the best for you both...

Paul and Anna

We paid $40 for the vaccination suppliment. The doc would not even see us, nurse disappeared came back with sealed envelope and took the $40.

Seems like a racket to me.

Paul and Anna

Also something to think about. Standing there at a security check point and not having the passport "if" they ask for it and quoting some website is not going to get anyone past a security check point. Or saying well I called and they said I didn't need a passport.

In the end it is better to have more documentation than not enough, something I think most people here would agree with.

Take your chances if you wish to and I hope it works out of ya but think about what it will be like if it doesnt!!!

Met a couple who are about a month behind us in the process. My wife and I were married May 4th and had filed our AOS paperwork. Started talking to this couple who is about a month behind us and he asked if my wife had done the physical yet? I said what physical? He said he had contacted the USCIS and his lawyer and both said that she would need a physical as part of the AOS process. I said I thought that was incorrect because they just had a physical as part of the interview requirement for the K-1 visa. We submitted my wifes Vaccination records as part of the AOS paperwork.

So the question is, if you are a K-1 and you had the physical as part of the Embassy Interview requirement did you need to also have a physical as part of the AOS process???

Paul and Anna

A nice flat in Moscow is far pricier than waterfront in FL where we live... Just using a naive foriegner for thier money? The irony - real estate in Moscow has been a great investment - maybe you should have kept it for your future!

Both of us do not trust Putin and his buddy's, so we wanted to make sure we have the money here. After all College for our Kids is coming soon.

I dont care how much, I am more insterested in how you got such a sizable sum of money out of the country???? I am a noob when it comes to this sort of thing so hoping you might be willing to share. if it wont get you in trouble

Paul and Anna

Easy, by Russian laws she can't get the money out without paying Taxes. (And probably bribes). She was however allowed to make a Gift to me and since I am American I do not pay taxes. So after the sale she wired the gift into my bank acct (she is on the Acct).

We do the same thing in reverse. I opened up a savings acct in my credit union and then got a visa check card (No fee's). That card we took to Russia with us. It never has more then $25 in it except on the 15th of the month when I put a few hundred in that her parents pull out.

So this was prior to you being married? Or can a russian spouse still gift monies to an American spouse? Wouldnt you have to pay taxes on the gift (US taxes that is)?

A nice flat in Moscow is far pricier than waterfront in FL where we live... Just using a naive foriegner for thier money? The irony - real estate in Moscow has been a great investment - maybe you should have kept it for your future!

Both of us do not trust Putin and his buddy's, so we wanted to make sure we have the money here. After all College for our Kids is coming soon.

I dont care how much, I am more insterested in how you got such a sizable sum of money out of the country???? I am a noob when it comes to this sort of thing so hoping you might be willing to share. if it wont get you in trouble

Paul and Anna

Sometimes I think I'd be better off if I didn't read the VJ forums... this is a time when I should be excited and happy about my fiancee's success at her interview and arrival in the US in the very near future, but instead I feel depressed and worried, mainly from reading sad stories like from Russ & Galina's, Marc & Olga, and now skinsfan.

I have to agree with you to a point.

Everyone approaches life from their own point of view. Obvisouly some here have had experiences that have led them to either be very warry of people or this is just part of their nature. The trick is to live life on your own terms and for me that means trusting people till they give me a reason not to. I am sure some will say that is fine but don't be supprised when all your stuff is out the door and for me that is a chance I am willing to take becuase here is what I think. If you have to constantly test someone or be supicious of them you waste precious time you could be loving them and being happy. If you love them and work to make them happy yes you could be blind sided and taken to the cleaners but ask yourself this, if you are constantly testing someone or suspicious of them dont you think they will feel this and don't you think they will become the person you feared they were. I know if felt like someone didnt trust me or was constantly testing me I would begin to wonder if that person truly loved me and might start looking for a way out.

Of course this is my opinion and realize there is not right or wrong asnwer here just everyone chosing to live their life in their own way.

So don't let anyone (even me) convince you to change how you live your life, listen to all the advice and chose what works for you and then just do it.

Paul and Anna

Sorry to resurrect an old topic but my now wife is worried about this since we plan on traveling back to Russia to visit her family and such. I was reading the US state department site and they will not Appostilied a state issued certificate (ie a marriage certificate) so can you please enlighten me as what you are suggesting here? The way I read the rules on this process is that it is for federal issued documents only. Help me understand this please.

I am trying to get Anna to call the Russian consulate to have an adendum added to her International passport with an AKA but was interested in what you said above and was hopeing for some clarification.

Thanks,

Paul

Maybe you missed this...

http://travel.state.gov/family/abduction/h...issues_562.html

"Documents issued in one country which need to be used in another country must be "authenticated" or "legalized" before they can be recognized as valid in the foreign country. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document. Such documents range from powers of attorney, affidavits, birth, death and marriages records, incorporation papers, deeds, patent applications, home studies and other legal papers. The number and type of authentication certificates you will need to obtain depend on the nature of the document and whether or not the foreign country is a party to the multilateral treaty on "legalization" of documents. (A) If your document is intended for use in a country which is a party to a treaty called the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents ("Hague Legalization Convention") (countries listed below), obtaining a special "apostille" certificate is generally all that is required."

Thanks that helps quite a bit. Not sure why information is so spread out on that site but your findings are most appreciated.

Paul and Anna