1HappyGuy

Wouldn't it be great if they started to issue 10 year unconditional status cards instead of this silly 2 year temporary. I certainly hope that they don't come back in two years asking for more information. Just as a precaution, you should find out what the requirements are for that two year review and be prepared.
We have another year, and know that one condition is to have letters from two different sources stating that they have known both of us, as husband and wife, etc. I'm going to have to get that finalized, but for now we are celebrating. My wife's son just passed his green card interview.

My wife and I watched these shows from the beginning of the series.  At first it seemed pretty good but as time went on it seemed that the producers focused on the really odd or outrageous relationships.  If the couple was on the edge of breaking up, they got more coverage.  We have the series set up automatically to record on the DVR but don't know if they will have much about new people.
 
Everyone in a marriage has problems over time, but having the bright lights of TV focused on your difficulties is not going to help.  Also, it reflects on how many couples are mismatched in their relationships.  I believe that the people running this series are not looking for well adjusted and happily married people but instead want those with fire and scandal in their lives.  It is not a good reflection of the Fiancee Visa process and the real difficulties that all couples have.  My wife and I have been married for 12 years now and we both still remember the pain of waiting, the numerous bureaucratic requirements and continual costs and the overall frustration with a system that should work a lot better than it does.  But that does not make for good TV.
 

Often the embassy officers will handle the extension based upon requests by letter (email included), but each embassy does things just a little differently. If your particular embassy wants the form filled out and received, then by all means do it. I think that Fed Ex might be a little more than you need, but you should do what you feel most comfortable with.
Extensions are common as the foreign individual may have circumstances requiring longer periods than the visa may allow, such as finishing college. The main thing is to make sure you are completely prepared and that the extension is for a valid reason.
Good luck.

Do what the consulate asks for. They are in control now so follow their instructions.

According to your timeline, your case is now at the embassy. You should contact the embassy directly by email, telephone or mail explaining the entire situation and why you need additional time. Be sure to include both names completely, the new case number and contact information. The embassy officials are usually pretty good about giving extensions. You should plan for at least a week before they can respond to an email request.
I wouldn't bother with the form.

I gather from this thread that renewing a green card for a long time permanent resident is pretty easy.  My wife's green card is due to expire later this year but she wants to travel back to Ukraine first.  Does anyone know of any restrictions on her traveling before she files for renewal.  I haven't found anything yet but thought I would ask if someone knows. 
 
Thanks to all and glad to be back on VisaJourney.
 

I didn't attend the visa interview with my Lena. We never even discussed it. We both knew that she would be asked questions and it was up to me to insure that the proper documents were there. We have been married for almost 6 1/2 years now so I guess my presence at the interview was not necessary. Use your time better to plan for her arrival. You will want to take time off from work when she arrives.
You are heading into the home stretch, so prepare you home for her and get ready for the best part of all this, the reunion!

My wife and I watched these shows from the beginning of the series.  At first it seemed pretty good but as time went on it seemed that the producers focused on the really odd or outrageous relationships.  If the couple was on the edge of breaking up, they got more coverage.  We have the series set up automatically to record on the DVR but don't know if they will have much about new people.
 
Everyone in a marriage has problems over time, but having the bright lights of TV focused on your difficulties is not going to help.  Also, it reflects on how many couples are mismatched in their relationships.  I believe that the people running this series are not looking for well adjusted and happily married people but instead want those with fire and scandal in their lives.  It is not a good reflection of the Fiancee Visa process and the real difficulties that all couples have.  My wife and I have been married for 12 years now and we both still remember the pain of waiting, the numerous bureaucratic requirements and continual costs and the overall frustration with a system that should work a lot better than it does.  But that does not make for good TV.
 

I have sent money by Western Union for years and only provided them with my name and address and of course the information about who I was sending money to.  I never had a problem with identification but then I am a U.S. citizen.  I don't believe your status matters.  What Western Union is concerned about is who is sending, who is receiving and if you have enough cash for the transfer.  Your passport should be sufficient to send money to the Philippines.  I have sent money to Ukraine for many years without a problem, even after Russia started a war with Ukraine.

Whoa, people. Relax a little. You just finished the most frustrating part of the whole process. Now things begin to move much faster. Unless your fiance(ee) comes from a country that has a high rate of fraud or other types of crimes the process through the NVC will be very quick. The new case number is assigned based upon the embassy controlling the interview. You can visit the U.S. embassy web site for your particular situation and find out a lot of information about the remaining process. You will need to be sure that any remaining documents are sent to your fiance(ee) in preparation for the interview. In most cases, the packets 3 & 4 can be downloaded from their web site.
VJ has some pretty good information on each embassy and the average time it takes to process through to the visa. Take your time, review the information and plan accordingly. For most of you passing the NOA2, the rest of the trip will go relatively fast. Make a list of all that you need to do and check off each step. There are things for your significant other to do, like arrange for a police report, plan for the medical exam and trip to city of the embassy, etc.

Welcome to the RUB also. You will find a lot of very helpful advice here and make some new friends. It sounds like you are very close to the end of the first stage. You will find that the fees for the visa and the payment for the medical are so close as to be considered simultaneous. You will have to wait for the KEV number after your application leaves NVC. You should already have the police report completed, but if not, get her started now.
Congratulations on getting this far. The remaining time will go fast, so start preparing for her arrival.

According to your timeline and the VJ estimate, you are right on schedule. Hang in there a little longer and start your preparation for the next steps. Get everything prepared because it can move quite fast after it leaves USCIS control. Just a little longer, but you are not late yet.

The new visa relationship between Russia and USA is suppose to encourage travel between the two countries. She should apply for a tourist visa and maybe have a letter of invitation from the parents of her friend that she met in Turkey. The letter should suggest that she visit during his time off from school so he can show her America. I think if it comes from the parents of her friend that increases the chances of it appearing more open and friendly.
She should probably say that she has an opportunity to make a short visit and hopes with the new openness of the visa application she will have a chance to visit America. It seems that the emphasis should be more on visiting America than visiting friends.

I don't believe that Gary or anyone for that matter has brought their level of language to the gutter like you have. Based upon your lack of information on your profile and no timeline I would classify you as a toad, just looking to goad someone on. If you don't like what you see here in the RUB, you are more than welcome to move on.

Gary,
That's a wonderful response and I couldn't agree more. When I think about all that my life was lacking before Lena came into my life and what it's like now I am just amazed that is has happened. But, more importantly it is the idea that, "Yes, we can merge two different cultures, background, life experiences and families and it still works!"
I will be the first to admit to anyone that there have been problems, misunderstandings and disappointments in our life, but then who doesn't have that. If you have been married before you understand the sacrifices each has to make to accommodate the other. A marriage is give and take. If that doesn't happen you will have failure. I ask what did I have to give up and what did I get? The scale tips a lot further towards what I got.
Thanks for encapsulating it so well Gary!

You know that responding to people like that is of very little use. People will believe what they want no matter how much we explain the process to them. If I were you, I'd have fun driving them crazy with wild stories of rendezvous throughout European cities with many incredibly beautiful women and that the choosing is better than at a candy store. :rofl:

It seems the Canadians have a problem with Gary being in love with his wife.
As far as Gary reflecting on how Alla looks when they go naked, that's his pleasure and those of you who don't like it should look in the mirror and ask if your SO thinks the same.
Perhaps the proper term instead of skinny dipping should be chunky dunking for those past their slim years.

I don't know about that book, but the USCIS has a Welcome to America guide that you can download. It comes in various languages including Russian. I printed it out years ago and placed it in a three ring binder for my new wife. It is a great source and explains a lot of things about America.
Here is the link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-618_r.pdf
As you can see, it is in pdf form so you can download it to your computer and either print it out or save it and email as a pdf file.

Well, at least you are looking to find answers now, before they happen. There will probably be a lot of advice from a number of members here, but I'll start with my learning experiences.
1. Expect communication problems, no matter how good you think her English is. First off, she has probably learned UK English, not American and believe me, we do speak differently. You will find that you need to explain a lot of sayings that we take for granted. Be patient and try to provide an adequate explanation. You will find that you have to think about it before you can explain some things.
2. Be open minded about the cultural differences. If both of you are willing to accept the differences, it will make adjustment easier. Remember, she has just left her country, family, friends and all she was comfortable and familiar with to be with you. Make sure she knows you appreciate it. Also, she will get homesick. Try to find stores that carry Russian goods and possibly some Russian areas where she can talk her native language. Providing her with things that are familiar will help her to relax and adjust.
3. Give her body time to adjust to her new time zone. This can take months sometimes as her body clock has been twisted around to the other half of the world. She will need sleep early on, but probably will try very much to be on your time schedule. Let her adjust. This also means that meeting a lot of new people can be overwhelming. Let her breathe a little and it will work better.
4. Make sure she can communicate with her family and friends back home. If she is here without any children, she it totally dependent upon you, so make sure you give her the chance to relax with you and truly enjoy your time together.
5. If you can, get her enrolled in an ESL class at a local community college as soon as you can. It is more about giving her alternative opportunities to improve her English and also meet other people in similar situations. It is helpful knowing you are not alone.
6. Allow her to prepare her native meals for you while you try to teach her about our native meals. This is a big difference to her and represents part of what she feels as a woman.
7. Allow her to make changes to your home so that she feels it is part of hers also. Remember, she is suppose to be your life partner, so make sure she is a part of it.
8. Don't push to get married right away. You have 90 days from her arrival, use all of it you feel like. The requirement is to get married within 90 days. After that you need to file to adjust status and that will take time. Also, remember that after she arrives, she will not be able to leave until you have married and adjusted status. Applying for Advanced Parole (AP) takes almost as much time as AOS so be prepared for that and make sure she understands.
9. Be the man she fell in love with and keep talking to each other. Communication is the key in any relationship and it is doubly so with foreign spouses.
Well, that seems to cover all that I can think of now, but I'm sure others will have more to add. I would add one more thing and that is to be careful of making friendships with other Russians unless they are from happily married couples. I've seen things go bad because of outside influences and you will have a tough enough time on your own without someone else muddying the waters.
Good Luck.

Well, at least you are looking to find answers now, before they happen. There will probably be a lot of advice from a number of members here, but I'll start with my learning experiences.
1. Expect communication problems, no matter how good you think her English is. First off, she has probably learned UK English, not American and believe me, we do speak differently. You will find that you need to explain a lot of sayings that we take for granted. Be patient and try to provide an adequate explanation. You will find that you have to think about it before you can explain some things.
2. Be open minded about the cultural differences. If both of you are willing to accept the differences, it will make adjustment easier. Remember, she has just left her country, family, friends and all she was comfortable and familiar with to be with you. Make sure she knows you appreciate it. Also, she will get homesick. Try to find stores that carry Russian goods and possibly some Russian areas where she can talk her native language. Providing her with things that are familiar will help her to relax and adjust.
3. Give her body time to adjust to her new time zone. This can take months sometimes as her body clock has been twisted around to the other half of the world. She will need sleep early on, but probably will try very much to be on your time schedule. Let her adjust. This also means that meeting a lot of new people can be overwhelming. Let her breathe a little and it will work better.
4. Make sure she can communicate with her family and friends back home. If she is here without any children, she it totally dependent upon you, so make sure you give her the chance to relax with you and truly enjoy your time together.
5. If you can, get her enrolled in an ESL class at a local community college as soon as you can. It is more about giving her alternative opportunities to improve her English and also meet other people in similar situations. It is helpful knowing you are not alone.
6. Allow her to prepare her native meals for you while you try to teach her about our native meals. This is a big difference to her and represents part of what she feels as a woman.
7. Allow her to make changes to your home so that she feels it is part of hers also. Remember, she is suppose to be your life partner, so make sure she is a part of it.
8. Don't push to get married right away. You have 90 days from her arrival, use all of it you feel like. The requirement is to get married within 90 days. After that you need to file to adjust status and that will take time. Also, remember that after she arrives, she will not be able to leave until you have married and adjusted status. Applying for Advanced Parole (AP) takes almost as much time as AOS so be prepared for that and make sure she understands.
9. Be the man she fell in love with and keep talking to each other. Communication is the key in any relationship and it is doubly so with foreign spouses.
Well, that seems to cover all that I can think of now, but I'm sure others will have more to add. I would add one more thing and that is to be careful of making friendships with other Russians unless they are from happily married couples. I've seen things go bad because of outside influences and you will have a tough enough time on your own without someone else muddying the waters.
Good Luck.

Well, at least you are looking to find answers now, before they happen. There will probably be a lot of advice from a number of members here, but I'll start with my learning experiences.
1. Expect communication problems, no matter how good you think her English is. First off, she has probably learned UK English, not American and believe me, we do speak differently. You will find that you need to explain a lot of sayings that we take for granted. Be patient and try to provide an adequate explanation. You will find that you have to think about it before you can explain some things.
2. Be open minded about the cultural differences. If both of you are willing to accept the differences, it will make adjustment easier. Remember, she has just left her country, family, friends and all she was comfortable and familiar with to be with you. Make sure she knows you appreciate it. Also, she will get homesick. Try to find stores that carry Russian goods and possibly some Russian areas where she can talk her native language. Providing her with things that are familiar will help her to relax and adjust.
3. Give her body time to adjust to her new time zone. This can take months sometimes as her body clock has been twisted around to the other half of the world. She will need sleep early on, but probably will try very much to be on your time schedule. Let her adjust. This also means that meeting a lot of new people can be overwhelming. Let her breathe a little and it will work better.
4. Make sure she can communicate with her family and friends back home. If she is here without any children, she it totally dependent upon you, so make sure you give her the chance to relax with you and truly enjoy your time together.
5. If you can, get her enrolled in an ESL class at a local community college as soon as you can. It is more about giving her alternative opportunities to improve her English and also meet other people in similar situations. It is helpful knowing you are not alone.
6. Allow her to prepare her native meals for you while you try to teach her about our native meals. This is a big difference to her and represents part of what she feels as a woman.
7. Allow her to make changes to your home so that she feels it is part of hers also. Remember, she is suppose to be your life partner, so make sure she is a part of it.
8. Don't push to get married right away. You have 90 days from her arrival, use all of it you feel like. The requirement is to get married within 90 days. After that you need to file to adjust status and that will take time. Also, remember that after she arrives, she will not be able to leave until you have married and adjusted status. Applying for Advanced Parole (AP) takes almost as much time as AOS so be prepared for that and make sure she understands.
9. Be the man she fell in love with and keep talking to each other. Communication is the key in any relationship and it is doubly so with foreign spouses.
Well, that seems to cover all that I can think of now, but I'm sure others will have more to add. I would add one more thing and that is to be careful of making friendships with other Russians unless they are from happily married couples. I've seen things go bad because of outside influences and you will have a tough enough time on your own without someone else muddying the waters.
Good Luck.

With all of these threads you have started lately and the fact that you have not filled out the most basic information, I am wondering if you are just trolling for things and maybe looking to write an article for some publication.

If you are trying to compare FSU women to American women in the bedroom, I'll just say there is no comparison. You will probably find that begging for sex is a thing of the past. Generally, you will need to be more aggressive with a FSU woman or they might think you are a wimp.
The thing that Gary is right about is the directness with these women. Granted each woman is different in their own special ways, but in general you will find that your intimacy is going to improve.

Your wife's pregnancy has no bearing on the case as far as the embassy is concerned. Your best option is to remain calm so that your wife will be relaxed. She needs to know that you are her pillar of strength and she will be able to relax and not be anxious.
Prayer at this time does help.

I've been happy with Western Union and their delayed service (48 hour). I send usually about $600 a month for the care of my mother in law (now in hospice) and it costs $19 for the delayed service. The hospice program is a private service, thus the rather high cost for Ukraine.