Jim_Tanja

I've been using Skype for several months and love it. They have kept loosening the restrictions I had when first started... a $10 a month per card feature seems to be gone. Can buy in $25 chunks which lasts a while, and no longer have to limit on number of purchases on credit card.

Jim

Well, my wife has been using one phone card or another to chat with folks back in Russia. From here at least, the best rate she was getting was maybe 20 cents/minute, with a wide range on what you could get with different cards.

I had looked at VOIP, but Vonage refused to state whether or not its service would work landlines where I wanted to call. After repeated attempts at getting info, I finally told them off in the worst sort of way.

I had looked at Skype before, but they had always wanted a social security number (or fragment thereof) to take a credit card to pay for the optional "Skype Out" service. Obviously I was not amused at this and they got told off much more quickly than the folks at Vonage did.

So, I gave up for a while, and she just used phone cards with the 20 cent/minute rate. Well, recently, I bought a Logitech USB headset, for recording my audio exams for my Russian class. This got me inspired to see what the current state of being with Skype is. Well, they no longer require a SSN or fragment thereof to pay for their services. At 2 cents/minute for Moscow & St. Petersburg, with 5 cents/minutes where she wants to call in Russia, it's pretty cheap. With the Logitech® Premium USB Headset 350 headset and Skype, she reports excellent communications quality. You guys might want to check it out.

That is all!

Cheers!

AKDiver

Well, Tanja did not quite understand the question. She has two red passports, both book-like. The international one is valid for 5 years.

Does the tourist one have the same duration and features?

Jim

its a K1 visa... but the embassy didn't know the difference what so ever.

Here is our post for this...

Met prior to March 6

Checked Yes to MB

Answered No to all other questions

Passed Interview October 25

Moscow Embassy

Nothing unusual at interview.

I am unsure about that link, it appears to have older dates only?

Maybe try this one:

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/iv_dates.php

How did you know the date the embassy received it?

I could tell the exact day the embassy received it, but I could tell if they received it.

Go to:

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhcisk.html

Find your case number there and you know that the embassy both received it and scheduled an interview for you.

Check out the following thread for instructions on finding packages leaving the NVC. When you see one going to Moscow after the date on the NVC letter your case should be in there. You can track that DHL number to see when it arrives at the embassy.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...hl=DHL+tracking

Jim

How do you know when the embassy has your petition/papers from the NVC? I emailed them and they said no info yet. Is there a way to track it through DHL?

Grats!!!

I will be going to Moscow for the interview when we get that date. Yes I know I can not attend the interview but we both want to be together for this.

Paul misses Anna

Application Type: I129F, PETITION FOR FIANCE(E)

Current Status:

This case has been approved. On October 25, 2006, an approval notice was mailed. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this notice, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please speak to an Immigration Information Officer during business hours.

The embassy experience went basically like this...

Around 9am they collected documents first, Tanja had given the ones I left in English, they asked her to fill some out in Russian too.

There were several officers doing interviews. There was one officer who seemed a little bit harder on people. Tanja was very nervous but did not get this individual for the interview.

Questions asked:

How long have we known each other?

How many times we have met?

How often we talk on the phone?

Did I know of her previous marriages?

To her son... What did he think of me?

Generally the officer was very kind but wanted to know proof of relationship details.

The interview was conducted in Russian.

The other officer that Tanja was nervous about denied someone a visa, but we do not know why. He also wanted all the interviews he conducted in English. I am very happy we did not have this officer doing the interview, Tanja's English is not the best, and goes to almost nothing when she is very nervous.

Click on the 'Immigration Timelines' up top in the blue bar under the graphic.

Then Click on the 'Edit / Add my Entry' under Timeline functions.

hello everyone,

i am a new member here and i wanna know how to edit my timeline.(help would be appreciated).

i want to be able to add a timeline but dunno how to do it,thanks guys!

I would think 1 envelope be enough. I will ask Tanja later today, her and her son are coming together, I think she only used one envelope but will confirm.

Just wondering if the Embassy will send all three visas (one K3 and two K4s) out together under the same DHL Waybill... anyone know for certain?

We are approved, but I do not have interview details yet. Too busy celebrating! =)

Will post more detail when I can.

Jim

Jello, your lady's interview sounds exactly like my wife's. Probably had the same interviewer.

Congrats!

Thanks and Thank You Neonred for all the useful information you have posted to this site.

Hopefully, we'll hear some good news from Jim & Tanja today.

Glad to hear you are finally thru that. Things will be much faster now, get all the docs needed for the interview ready if you have not already!

Hey guys,

Finally, after more then 3 months of waiting at the NVC, it was approved and will be forwarded to the embassy. Everything seems to be taking longer then expected, but I am still happy that it is moving.

Gogal2020.

Congrats!!!

Hoping to have some good news to share tomorrow myself.

Another Interview Passed!

I will post Anna's questions and comments after we have a chance to speak at length (both here and in the Embassy Review).

Thank you all for your advice and information.

Highly recommend going to the web site right away and check what docs are required for an ID card. In Michigan we need ID card for the marriage license. To get ID card we need some sort of proof of residency, ie. both names on some utility bill.

I am sure many states are different, but you might wish to check it out asap to avoid any surprises...

Jim

So... she's here. What now?

I covered this pretty well in my one-year report. If you want a checklist of things you should do, check it out:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=30844

Generall, the order goes something like this:

• state ID card
  
• SSN card
  
• driver's license
  
• marriage document
  
• open joint accounts (may want to wait until you have certified/recorded marriage cert in hand
  
• file AOS/EAD
  
• name change issues
  

Room for some variation on joint accounts if you want to wait until she has something with official name change info on it. What we sent for AOS was not good enough for banks and SSN and we had to wait weeks for the recorded marriage certificate.

Elena arrived on Tuesday night. She passed through JFK and got the temporary employment stamp in her passport. They kept the rest of her packet though, so all she has is her passport with a visa stamped with employment authorization, and an A#. She brought with her too a Russian driver's license.

That stamp is only good for 90 days. Odds are good you will use some of that time getting an SSN and finding a job. Your AOS will not be done in 90 days, so she will have to either quit, or get a reguar EAD card, which she can't do until you submit AOS. My advice is to do both ASAP after getting married.

Today we were looking at jobs online, and started applying for one. We had to stop where it said Social Security # and the little light in my head went off: "Wait a minute, we were supposed to go get you a social this week."

Yeah, you need to do that.

I guess we should go to the social security office, then maybe go to the Ohio BMV for a (possible) local DL or ID card, and then what? Should we be applying for any AOS or anything like that before getting married? I know AKDiver had all their stuff ready to drop in the mail upon marriage. I would like to do the same.

Can't AOS until after you get married.

Another thing... I've never been married before, so where do I get the marriage license, the courthouse? Maybe google can help me out here. We're going to do the "documents only" wedding, so that should make things pretty simple.

County clerk's office is your best bet.

If you're not delaying marriage for some particualr reason (i.e. having an event, waiting for relatives, etc.), then go to the county clerk's office and get the marriage license. Rules vary, but that may be enough, or you may need to have a little thing in front of a magistrate to seal the deal. Once you have that, then you can apply for AOS and EAD at the same time, and AP if you want/ need it. You can put that stuff in the mail the same day as you get married, but you need to include a copy of your marriage certificate, not just the license.There may be a significant delay in getting a marriage certificate, as generally it is a recorded document and there are delays. When you talk to the county clerk, tell them you want to get a certified copy (I'd get two if I were you) of your marriage certificate ASAP and you don't care how much extra you have to pay. You need that for filing AOS, which is something you want to do as soon as you can. If/when you have to do a little thing in front of the magistrate, be sure to mention again that you need to get a certified copy of your marrige certificate - and tell why if you want to.

The temp EAD will almost certainly expire before you get your AOS completed, so when you filing for AOS, I advise filing for EAD at the same time. That way, she can get a job and keep it without worrying about the 90 days expiration.

Highly recommend getting a state ID card right away - as soon as you can. Today, tomorrow. Rules vary, but many states want you to have a SSN for a DL, but generally not for a ID card. Also, the unexpired EAD stamp in the passport along with visa info should be enough. Generally people at the DMV are clueless and feel their job is to deny whatever you want. If you don't get satisifcation with the first clerk, do not hestitate to ask for a supervisor. REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GETTING AN ID CARD BEFORE YOU GO! Most DMVs have this info on their website now. Having that ID card will be good because she will not have to carry her passport everywhere, risking losing it. That would not be good. Anyway, for us, all they wanted to see to get the ID card was her passport with the K1 visa - that was good enough. They didn't want an SSN (which we didn't have that first day), marriage info, or anything else. For the DL, she had to have a SSN.

Hope this helps - be sure to check out that link to the other thread at the top of this message.

Cheers!

AKDiver

I got everything just before last visit... Back in June. I did send a current paystub, but everything else was done back in June. I will let you know if there are any issues after our interview on Wednesday.

Jim

I don't think you need to be concerned although clearly every consulate is different. I'm under the impression that the validity is one year but I'm sure someone will chime in.

Most of my documentation is dated from June - I requested them long before I realized that IMBRA would lock us up for 5+ months. My fiance's interview isn't for another few weeks and I'm not getting new copies - he already has everything.

The Moscow embassy called Tanja and asked her to use the new English form with the barcode. We have interview on the first day (25 October) they are switching over to the new form.

I actually filled it out and emailed her the generated PDF. (it's same form with barcodes)

Go to http://evisaforms.state.gov/ for the web based DS-156.

Jim

I had this same question yesterday, as my fiancee's interview will be at the Moscow embassy on Dec. 12 (and I'm assuming yours will be there, also).

Your fiancee doesn't need to send anything back to the embassy, there will be no Packet 4 for her. Her "Packet 3" (for want of a better term) contains her interview invitation, instructions for getting her police report and medical exam, along with a list of all the required docs she'll need to bring with her to the interview.

In our case, my fiancee received this mailing two months prior to her interview date, I'm guessing they think that leaves her plenty of time to gather all her docs, etc.

The only question we have at this point is that the Moscow embassy, beginning Oct. 25, requires her to complete her DS-156 online in fillable PDF format, rather than by hand. She then must print the PDF file as the application attaches a barcode to the document. (You can read about this new requirement here: Electronic Visa Application Form. My fiancee didn't receive these instructions, instead she received a printed DS-156 and was instructed to fill it out by hand. Just to be safe, she's going to complete both forms and bring them to her interview.

My fiancee was not given any instructions to fill out the pdf form either. I will have my fiancee find someplace to fill out this form online. One problem she has is that her computer does not handle pdf's well, my lawyer and I have had some difficulty getting forms to her. Our interview is Nov 22. Thank you for answering the question.

I am so grateful to all the help I have received on this site. Everyone here is great.

Unfortunately I do not know the answer... But have another question.

Is the current situation in Georgia - Russia relations even allow flights/trains? I thought they were having a rather tense time right now?

Is there a different route perhaps that would get around stopping in Moscow?

Does anybody know if i would need a visa to russia if i am just gonna be traveling through moscow airport going into georgia. My travel agent cant seem to answer this. Thanks

Only the DS-156. Make sure you go to https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp

Fill it out, generate the PDF version that has a barcode.

The embassy called Tanja telling her to use the new version and not the Russian version they sent in the packet.

We were in the same situation that you are currently in. Irina finally got packet 3 about 2 weeks before the interview. What we did was use the US Embassy website and gather all the information we needed.

They list 5 different medical clinics. Simply call one of the clinics and set up an appointment. No documents needed from the US Embassy. You will need to provide 2 passport size photos for the medical exam.

Remember that you can work on the other forms now instead of waiting for the letter from the US Embassy. You can prepare the forms DS-230, DS-156, and DS-156K now without waiting for the letter. good luck to you.

I just read that on October 25th the Moscow embassy goes electronic on many forms and they will not accept the old forms after that date

I do not think Moscow uses a packet 3 and 4. Tanja got the full information packet to fill out and bring with her to the embassy for interview.

Hi folks,

My fiancee received Packet 3 yesterday from the US embassy in Moscow. I read here that there is a checklist and some forms she needs to return to the embassy before they'll send her the P4.

However, she insists that none of the documents direct her to send anything to the embassy. They simply spell out what she must take to her interview (which they have already scheduled, for Dec. 12).

Is this correct?

Thanks in advance to any advice! I tried to search for "packet 3" on the site but I keep getting error messages, so my apologies if this has already been addressed.

I believe if you have the MOS number you are ready to go to the embassy. You should get a letter in the mail soon saying the case has been forwarded. It can take a few days after NVC is done before it actually leaves the building however. You can refer our time line in the sig for a sample of how long it may take.

I read about the possible problems with MOM too, Tanja decided to use one of the other clinics. She has her medical next Monday morning. I can update with experience after that.

Jim

Hi all, I called NVC and they said they have our case there now after our NOA2, and that i has been assigned the new MOS number.. First, does that imply approval at NVC? The lady ther said to wait some days, then call back to see if it has been sent to Moscow.. Also, looking at the Moscow site, I see that I can lookup the MOS number after Moscow has been notified, the list is updated on Mondays I think..

And I asked earlier about medical centers, and got some good info.. One more question about that since the date is coming closer.. I read here and on russianmeetingplace about harrasment, broken equipment and other problems at MOM.. Is it still the case, or is the MOM experience improving? I'd be willing to pay some extra at another clinic if it would be a better option.. Any current feedback form the clinics?

Just wanted to confirm this.

My fiancee received a call from the embassy today (Oct 13) in which they told her to make sure and use the new form, not the old Russian version they sent with the packet. We already had prepared the new form, but I am glad the embassy is also notifying people.

Wish you and Galina a quick and easy interview time! Tanja will be in Moscow the week after I believe. Our interview is the 25th.

Just looking to see if anyone has had a recent interview in Moscow. I know there are a few coming up, October will be a good month for some VJ'ers, but I would definitely like to hear about someone elses results. We tend to always hear about the bad things. Just looking for some things on how the interview was. The last Moscow review was from June or July I think.

Mike,

I am rather suprised your petition is still stuck at the NVC. I would definately keep at the congressman and get a check to ensure that the petition is not 'lost' someplace. If it isn't then I am guessing your fiancee has maybe a name that tripped a hit in some database. If that is the case it really stinks, but there is not much you can do but wait until they finish whatever checks they need. Just keep your congressman on them and it will get done.

I was somewhat worried myself about our petition getting stuck at NVC - We already waited a good time thru CIS.

I wish you luck getting this thru, hang in there it will happen soon!

I think we waited just over 2 weeks after DHL delivery, then the appointment appeared on web site.

They are not the fastest at updating, don't worry it will popup soon.

was wondering when did you find out the interview date... after NVC shipped the stuff...

between NVC shipping and moscow giving u interview date info...

it just doesn't make sense..dhl package arrived in moscow on thur and they r saying , they got nothing...

Suggestion to avoid taking a large sum and convert in bank...

Stop by a Bankomat (ATM) with a VISA logo on it to get money from your regular checking account. I did this my second trip and it was very easy and convienent!

Do these money exchange places take debit or credit cards? Don't really want to carry a bunch of money to Russia. Leaving October 4.

John and Anna, does it mean NVC never told you anything positive by the phone? And Embassy didn't tell your date of interview in almost a month after leaving NVC? Please clarify this matter. We're still waiting to know our date too after 4 months of stucking in CSC! THANKS!

I'd keep checking the Moscow web site over the next week or two. You may or may not have been sent the week of the letter from the NVC. It may have gone out the next week via DHL to Moscow. When it reaches the emabassy they do take a little bit of time, but you will see the case number up there soon!

Jim