workin4somethin

8 hours ago, millefleur said:

4 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Katya and I have often traveled to Russia via China as there are direct flights from Beijing to Krasnoyarsk which is our usual destination in Russia.

Is there some other reason you might be concerned?

Thank you for posting.

We have flown several times through other countries, though these cities were flight itinerary stops between our U.S. and Russian destinations.

My spouse thinks there could be a problem with a flight itinerary from Russia to Spain - for herself. She questions whether they will ask, during check-in, to see her documents to enter Spain. She will have only her Russian and U.S. passports.

Planning a trip to Russia with spouse. I am U.S. citizen with Russian visa. Spouse is citizen of Russia and of U.S.

We would like the following itinerary: 1 week in France; then, 2 weeks in Russia; followed by, 1 week in Spain.

I understand there are no issues for us when entering or exiting Russia when traveling directly to and from the U.S., as we often do.

And we can travel into and out of France and Spain on our U.S. passports. 

My question regards Russian entry and exit requirements when traveling through another country, such as France or Spain.

Will there be any issues for either of us to speak of? (for those who have done this, who actually know the rules, or know where to find specifics)

Maybe remember that your relationship is with your fiancé and not with her parents. I think it is not too unusual in any society to have a logical reason for a situation such as yours, regarding your fiancé's parents. My view: Chill. Accept what you have with the woman you love. Trust her. You will have your answer soon enough. Good luck!

Dear all,

I have a question about Russian Immigration Law.

I got my green card in February 2015 and I want to go to Moscow to see my parents, and according to the new law, I have to report my perm. residency to the immigration department there.

The problem is that the name on my green card is my married name and it doesn't match the name on my passport (my passport has my maiden name).

Has anybody here had the same situation? Did it pose any problems? How long did it take?

Please, share your experience!

Thanks a lot!!!

I noticed your post had no response yet....There have been a number of other threads in this forum on this very topic - "changing your name." If I remember correctly, there are at least a couple of issues (problems) for those who do in fact change their name. If you do not get a response soon in this particular thread, you may want to start a new thread stating your concern. Sorry I do not recall more on this topic, but there are others active in this forum who can help you. Another option would be for you to scroll down through the thread titles in hope of finding a something on topic. Good luck to you!

Oops! I just read where you found the answer on another thread. I suppose all is good. Please excuse me.

Forgot to mention two things:

1. They now let you apply for a 10-year "biometric" passport, so you should do that, obviously.

2. I was told yesterday that the new passport will take 2.5-3 months to be issued, so you should call the consulate in SF and schedule it *now*. Mine will be ready after my current one expires, which is of course not ideal.

You are referring to the international passport, correct?

I have had family and friends apply and receive an international passport from the consulate; however, you must return to Russia for issue/replacement of your regular passport. Correct?

So, birch2015, what was the outcome?

I think a U.S. green card holder will need to register the next time they are in Russia, just as a U.S. citizen is required to do. I read that there are 3 categories of Russian citizens who must register: dual citizens, holders of residency permits, and holders of permanent residency permits.

Also, I have 'not' read where one can register through a Russian embassy or consulate office here in the U.S. or in any other country outside Russia. I have seen only that, "notification must be submitted 'in person' to the relevant local FMS authority or through an office of the Russian Federal Postal Service." Whether the latter can apply to a post office outside the city of one's official residence for Russian passport registration purposes, I have not seen anything on this.

It seems to me that it would be prudent for any Russian citizen to contact (phone) a Russian consulate office here in the U.S. and ask them to answer any questions or concerns prior to next traveling to Russia.

Getting ready to apply for a 3-year tourist visa to Russia and wondering about whether there is any problem staying beyond the 30 days stated on the initial invitation I use to get the visa. Anybody been through this yet?

Also, after the 1st visit, are subsequent invitations necessary for future trips?

Hello everyone I am currently talking with a lady from Tashkent Uzbekistan, And am interested in any info about travelling there as opposed to russia / ukraine. as it is close to afghanistan, what with all the political things and occasional kidnapping of americans in countries over that way. thanks for any advice on this.

Have not been there, so can't help regarding travel there. I have met a couple of different Uzbek families here in the States, and they seem to be very respectful people - friendly and caring. I would not worry too much about traveling there, as your host should be able to assist you with getting through the items that worry you. An alternative would be to meet her in Ukraine - Crimea is a wonderful place, and take some time getting to know her a little before going to Uzbekistan. In any event, best wishes!

One of my kids (14 y.o.) flew from Moscow to Atlanta earlier this year without her GC. She simply forgot it. U.S. Customs kept her a bit longer than usual in Atlanta in order to check her records within their system; then, they let her go without a fuss at all. U.S. Customs didn't even call me. I would take Slim's advice on keeping a copy (pursed).

We had a similar thread some weeks back on this very thing. Check this out: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/311068-crimea/

Got it. Thanks! Don't know how I missed it.

Anything between Sevastopol and Yalta. It would be quite expensive, however, even with US income.

Thanks for the note. We are looking into one in Bakhchisaray that costs $35/day per person for a 14-day course, which doesn't seem too expensive to me. We have a friend who stayed at the same place in Bakhchisaray previously; and, this friend is from Simferopol.

Thinking about heading to Crimea in about 6 or 7 weeks with my wife. Anyone had a pleasant experience with any health spa (sanatorium) there?

Neither of us has ever visited Ukraine.

Thanks.

My Russian fiancee jerked me around for 2 years, now we're out of time. And I lost the trust in her. So now I found a girl in Ukraine. Is it true we from US don't need a toutist visa to visit Ukraine? All the forms for fiancee visa is the same?

Thanks

Cam

Best of luck to you. I hope you haven't chosen a Ukrainian girl in spite of your failed Russian relationship....

Hi folks! New guy in town here.

I've read hours and hours through the boards and downloaded all of the forms. I think I’ve got a little grasp of the process, but I’m still very green on this subject…

I’m trying to get a ballpark figure on what people spent on the ordeal to get their ladies here. Filing fees, medical checks, plane trips to E. Europe for the interviews, postage for documents, etc. $5k? $10k?

I’m trying to balance and juggle saving for the filing process (documents, plane, etc), car for her, small Vegas/Hawaii type wedding and paying off my own stuff like credit cards and car note. I’m well above the 125% poverty rate. How much money are they going to want to see in the bank from me from on the I-134 form? The only real asset I have is a car. Towards the end of the process, I might just end up with a few grand left. Would this meet the requirements for the process?

Thanks in advanced.

There are many good posts here. It seems to me that you have enough money to start the process and see it through (so why not go ahead and do so?). Her frame of mind and what she learns once she's here are very important issues. Try to make certain that she understands what you are telling her about your life and your personal finances; and, don't candy-coat anything. The transition to life and culture over here will be one of the, if not the, most difficult things for her - and for you to understand. If she is Orthodox, locate a Church for her. With her language skills, she should be able to go to work rather quickly, compared to many Russian women who move here. Staying busy and having some responsibility(ies) will be important for her and for your marriage. There are going to be many different expenses for you; luckily, they do not hit you all at once. Best of luck!

Wifey was naturalized yesterday. (And much to everyone's surprise, she's still here today.)

whooptidy freakin doo (admiringly so)

Okay. She finally got a clear answer from the guy at RussianTable.com.

If you're interested, you can avoid most, if not all, shipping charges by ordering at least $150 at a time. You place your order (include payment info.); then, they call you to verify the order (i.e., maybe they do not have all items in stock) and the shipping, which you may approve of or cancel your order at that time.

Last year, Ksenia placed a sizable order with RussianTable.com, and the postage was free. She is trying to do the same thing this year. However, each time she attempts to complete her order ($350), postage is included. Does anyone know how to complete an order with RussianTable.com without paying postage?

Any helpful comments are appreciated!

Vasya has his SSN, is getting his state ID tomorrow, and we already have a bunch of other materials that should prove our bonafide marriage. I think just being completely honest about everything, like you were, is the most important factor.

Do you think because your wife had already lived in the US for 2+ years, could've played an important role in her GC approval? Maybe this is entirely baseless, though - just curious as to what your thoughts are on this.

Probably her being here 2+ years was key, but I don't really know how important it was. Our interviewer called us back together, not separately as I have heard that some interviewers do. My wife and I hold hands alot, and we openly communicate alot. Maybe our posture and communication was important. In any event, it sounds to me as if you your spouse have enough proof available. I suggest you take what information you have, and try not to sweat it too much.

My wife and I had been married for more than three years and she had lived here in the States for more than two years when we had the AOS interview. At that time, we had nothing jointly in our names except for our marriage certificate. She didn't even have her SSN yet. The interviewer asked one question about it, and I told him that I just hadn't done it yet because I didn't see any necessity. She was approved for her 10-year green card that day.

By the way, she now has her SSN, bank accounts, driver's license, etc. But, evidently, all that stuff wasn't too important for the AOS interviewer.

Has this ever happened to anyone? Just curious.

Hasn't happened to me. She did get citizenship recently, and we sent off for her U.S. passport, but we're still happily married. Coming up on our fourth wedding anniversary (less than a month). My, does time fly!

Cheers!

AKD

I have a good friend whose wife just got her U.S. citizenship; and, sadly, I expect to hear about her divorcing him (just any day now).

You didn't ask, but she is Ukrainian. And it seems of all the Russian couples I personally know (30 to 40 couples), the Ukrainian spouses are the most difficult - come to the U.S.; get married; get SSN and driver's license; maybe get some additional college paid for; acquire U.S. citizenship; and then go and file for divorce, claiming their American husbands don't treat them well. - This is only a few, but it sickens me when I see it happen.

Does anyone know what it's called when you drop the shot of vodka into beer and chug it? I can't remember. I always wanna call it otvertka but that's screwdriver. Is it prosh or something like that?

a "Yorsh"

also, it might be mixed 50/50

We almost always send large envelopes (important papers) to Russia via USPS' Global Express, and it seems they almost always arrive in about 7 days. You may want to check into this next time. Also, when shipping from Moscow to the U.S., we tend to use UPS - it's lower priced than when originating it here, and it takes only a few days to arrive.

Received the employment authorization card today, and they (USCIS) did in fact change the Class Code from a-9 to c-9.

I have a friend that is about to marry a man from russia. They have been dating abotu two years now. He was here on a student Visa and overstayed.

Does anyone know how their VISA route will work?

I get really frustrated about illegal immigrants after the mess I have been through, but she is still my friend, so I promised to get any information I could.

Thanks in advance!

I have some friends (U.S. citizens) that have married Russians who had overstayed their visas. Nobody has been deported. I think the road may be easier as long as your friend is a U.S. citizen. If your query is not soon answered to your liking, let me know; and I will contact one of my friends who has done this already.

I have spoke to the people here in San Francisco regarding this issue the solution is as follows:

1. Have your original marriage certificate appostiled at the secretary of state.

2. Translate appostile and marriage certificate into Russian.

3. Pay consulate to have them certify it and put into one document good in Russia.

4. Remove consulate registration.

5. Now go to Russia to the place where they make internal passports.

6. Get registered / propiska in the local Russian area.

7. Change the internal passport name using the Russian consulate approved marriage certificate.

8. With the new Russian internal passport go and make the external passport in new married name.

Since we were married in Russia and my wife is registered property owner, she should be able to do this using only Steps 5, 7 & 8, right?