Fettman

I appreciate all the feedback and advice. Thanks for the help!

I used the ATM machines and the machines will tell you what bank it is and you select the language you want to use. You will have to stand in line with the Russians as they are using them just like we do.

Really? I they have technology in Russia? I thought it was some backwards country that was still using the telegraph and the barter system to pay for things... I was planning on bringing several chickens for this purpose...

It has been 9 years since I have been to Russia and I wanted to find out what people's experiences have been recently. I was more concerned about fees and exchange rates with ATMs and if anyone had any problems.

Anyone have any advice about the best way to exchange money in Russia? In Germany I used my ATM card to get Euros, is that also generally available in Russia (i.e. Moscow) or should I bring money with me to exchange there, etc.?

Any information or experiences would be appreciated.

Both my wife's mother and brother were able to come and got their visas without issue. Basically the invitation said I would be responsible for them and that they full intended to return to Russia. My letter was about 1 page long. I would just include where they will stay, when the wedding is, and when they plan on returning to Russia. I believe you do not have to have an invitation, but I do not think it would hurt. The big thing as always is to prove that they have good reasons to return to Russia.

- Steven

Has anyone ever written an invitation letter for your fiance's mother to come to the US so she can be at the wedding? I wrote one last night, and I wasnt really sure what to include in the letter. Mine is about a page long, just wondering if I should shorten it up?

Does she have good chances to come to US for the wedding??

Thanks

She had vaccinations done at her medical, forgot to take the vaccination supplement (DS-3025) with her to have them fill it out, however, she did get a record from them in English that spells out the vaccinations received.

My SO has a copy of her official vaccination record is this good enough to get a vaccination supplement filled out by a Civil Surgeon here?

Good information here It looks like application after marraige, but before day 76 (for a K-1 holder) solves both problems?

Yes, thanks for all the responses and advice, it also sounds to me that I can wait until after our marriage to avoid having to do the name change thing.

Does the initial application have to happen before the wedding? I know I should wait two weeks after her arrival to apply, however, our wedding will occur about one week after that. It seems silly to apply and then have to go back and get her name changed on the card, but if that is the case then silliness it is.

Also, what did you all use for your form of other identification when applying, i.e. identification besides the passport?

Thanks!

- Steven

Congrats!

Well, after much worry about how the Georgia conflict might affect things my SO had her interview today and everything was very smooth and simple. They just asked her a few questions about us, did not ask to see any pictures or emails, etc. They actually mainly were interested in her job at Citibank, who apparently does the payroll for the embassy. She said she heard alot of people coming out of interviews saying that they wanted to see pictures and other proof, but for her they were very brief and to the point. She ended up waiting about 4 hours, getting there at 8am. The interview took 10 minutes. I want to thank those who have been very helpful answering questions and those whose posts have helped me through the process. If anyone has any questions in particular I will do my best to answer them.

- Steven

I have a few questions about this form if anyone can answer.

Item 10, where it asks who I have submitted a visa petition on behalf of I just have to put my fiancee correct?

Item 11, where it asks if I intend to make specific contributions to the support of the person named in item 3 (i.e. my fiancee) I should check I do not intend since my support is not for a specific amount.

Am I correct in my assumptions?

Thanks!

Steven

Check out the example form given on this website: http://www.visajourney.com/examples/Form-I-134.pdf

Thanks for the example form, I do not know why I missed it when I was looking at other example forms...

I have a few questions about this form if anyone can answer.

Item 10, where it asks who I have submitted a visa petition on behalf of I just have to put my fiancee correct?

Item 11, where it asks if I intend to make specific contributions to the support of the person named in item 3 (i.e. my fiancee) I should check I do not intend since my support is not for a specific amount.

Am I correct in my assumptions?

Thanks!

Steven

Steven,

FYI. My Masha called IOM and they charge US$20 extra for the DS 3025 per person: ($100 for exam+$20 for form) x number of people.

Please share as much as possible about your fiancee's medical experience. Masha has hers on Tuesday at IOM.

Best,

Javier

Javier,

So does the clinic have the actual form? My SO will be going to IOM tomorrow (change of plans) and was unable to get the DS-3025 form printed out. Best case would be that they have the form and she has her vaccinations done then and the form filled out.

Does anyone know where I can find exactly what vaccinations are required? According to the Medical Exam pdf on the embassy website it sounds like she just needs tetanus-diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks!

Steven

Steven,

I am assuming they have the form at IOM. I think your vaccinations list is as complete as mine. We got it from http://moscow.usembassy.gov/vaccinations.html But like Slim says, vaccinations are NOT needed for visa but will be needed for AOS. The question is of course, do we want to pay in strong rubles or in weak dollars?

Good luck and share with us please... Javier

Well, she had the exam with no problems, I will talk to her later about it and share. If you have any specific questions get them in now

Yes.

1) The form?

2) Were they nice and professional?

Thank you and congrats.

1. They gave her a record of her vaccinations in English, I do not believe they had the actual forms there with them.

2. She said they were "bureaucratic" i.e. professional and brusque and that things took longer than she thought. She picked up her results the next day. Nothing untoward happened.

Steven,

FYI. My Masha called IOM and they charge US$20 extra for the DS 3025 per person: ($100 for exam+$20 for form) x number of people.

Please share as much as possible about your fiancee's medical experience. Masha has hers on Tuesday at IOM.

Best,

Javier

Javier,

So does the clinic have the actual form? My SO will be going to IOM tomorrow (change of plans) and was unable to get the DS-3025 form printed out. Best case would be that they have the form and she has her vaccinations done then and the form filled out.

Does anyone know where I can find exactly what vaccinations are required? According to the Medical Exam pdf on the embassy website it sounds like she just needs tetanus-diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks!

Steven

Steven,

I am assuming they have the form at IOM. I think your vaccinations list is as complete as mine. We got it from http://moscow.usembassy.gov/vaccinations.html But like Slim says, vaccinations are NOT needed for visa but will be needed for AOS. The question is of course, do we want to pay in strong rubles or in weak dollars?

Good luck and share with us please... Javier

Well, she had the exam with no problems, I will talk to her later about it and share. If you have any specific questions get them in now

I don't know exactly but you could probably ask over in the AOS forum because that's where it really matters.

She doesn't need the shots for the interview, just for the AOS. But, if she can get them now, get them documented, and then bring them here via the DS-3025 it will make it easier down the road. If not, no biggy, she'll just have to redo that form and make up whatever shots she needs.

We had the form and still had to get a couple things done. But, without that form it would've been a lot more work.

That is the course we are taking now, and if I was not so lazy and did a forum search on vaccinations required I would have found the answers on the required ones. Thanks!

Steven,

FYI. My Masha called IOM and they charge US$20 extra for the DS 3025 per person: ($100 for exam+$20 for form) x number of people.

Please share as much as possible about your fiancee's medical experience. Masha has hers on Tuesday at IOM.

Best,

Javier

Javier,

So does the clinic have the actual form? My SO will be going to IOM tomorrow (change of plans) and was unable to get the DS-3025 form printed out. Best case would be that they have the form and she has her vaccinations done then and the form filled out.

Does anyone know where I can find exactly what vaccinations are required? According to the Medical Exam pdf on the embassy website it sounds like she just needs tetanus-diphtheria, measles, mumps, and rubella. I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks!

Steven

Steven,

FYI. My Masha called IOM and they charge US$20 extra for the DS 3025 per person: ($100 for exam+$20 for form) x number of people.

Please share as much as possible about your fiancee's medical experience. Masha has hers on Tuesday at IOM.

Best,

Javier

That will be $20 well spent especially if she gets any vaccinations she needs. That's what my wife (then fiancee) did which made doing AOS very easy. No visit to the civil surgeon and no inflated fees for the vaccination certificate. We sent in her DS 3025 and it was accepted for AOS. Check current information as some required vaccinations have changed.

I agree totally. I know all of this could be taken care of in the US, but I figured it would be easier and cheaper to do it now. I will let you all know how it goes, she was unable to get an appointment for this Friday, so I am not sure when she will have it done, but I know it will be soon. Since she lives in Moscow we want to knock it out right away.

Ok, I found the form, just had to dig a bit deeper. Anyway, are there any forms she has to take with her to the medical exam that would have been in the package she should have received from the embassy? She plans on having the exam done on Friday. Also, is there any reason she should wait to have the exam done? From what I read most exam results are good for a year or at least 6 months.

Thanks!

- Steven

No, there is nothing that you need to take that comes in the packet. My fiancee was in the same situation and she just went and gave her name and told them she was applying for a visa to the US. They took care of the rest.

Thank God! Just the confirmation I needed.

Ok, I found the form, just had to dig a bit deeper. Anyway, are there any forms she has to take with her to the medical exam that would have been in the package she should have received from the embassy? She plans on having the exam done on Friday. Also, is there any reason she should wait to have the exam done? From what I read most exam results are good for a year or at least 6 months.

Thanks!

- Steven

Slim,

Where do I get the DS-3025 form?

Sorry for yelling (I was a little bit drunk.... upon rereading, I'm actually surprised it made any sense at all. I guess that's what being married to a Russian will do to you!)

OK. To clear it all up (100% sober now!) she doesn't need to send anything in to the embassy. So, there's no Pony Express involved at all on her end. All the forms that she will download (that you're downloading/filling in for her) she will hand-carry to the embassy on her interview day.

Shot records can be "made" by paying someone money and they "make" a shot record for her. Or, she can get all the shots over again, or she can track down all her old medical records, etc. Like most other things in Russia, it's possible to pay a "fee" to someone for shot records. In this case, that's probably the most practical thing to do.

When I say website, I mean the U.S. Embassy Moscow website. When I say forum, I mean this VJ Russia Forum. To me, there's really no other immigration-related sites in the world and if you check any others, especially the ones with .ru at the end, you're wasting your time! (And she's wasting her's too!)

Seems like you've got it pretty much figured out. Keep the questions coming, no matter what they are. We're here to help. Plus, someone else may have the exact same question. Sorry if I sounded irritated or whatever, I promise, I'm cool! Really, I am. I'm cool! I'M COOOL! (Sorry for yelling.)

Oh you are definitely cool, caps lock is cruise control for cool

I gotcha on everything, especially yelling while drunk part . Thanks for the info, I really do appreciate it.

YOU ARE SO COOL!

She needs to "make" some kind of shot records prior to her medical appointment. That can be old Dr.'s records, school records, etc. She needs to take that to the medical exam and then ask them to transcribe it to a DS-3025 which she will keep until after she arrives. (It doesn't even go to the interview.)

The other forms (the ones for her interview) she can download from the embassy website. (This is a separate package/packet from the medical stuff. The medical check will give her a sealed packet to take to the interview.)

Her visa will be shipped via DHL, not Pony Express. Pony Express is for visa applicants like B-2, etc. when they ship in their info to the embassy. Make sure she checks the embassy website as she will need to pay for a DHL shipping bill prior to the interview. She will do the DHL, Medical, then the interview.

CHECK THE WEBSITE!!! (It's in Russian, so she should be able to complete it all herself.)

Ok, by make that means she can have the shots done again, or just put together any old records she may have. I know where to get the other forms, they are either here or on the embassy website, no problems there. I know she will get a package from the medical that has nothing to do with the paperwork in the packet they have attempted to send her. My question was never really about where to get the forums, just expressing concern about a lack of receiving the packet(s). I asked about the Pony Express about turning her forms in, not receiving the visa. I know she needs to bring a mailer with her. By "I" I really mean "we" as both of us know what to do, I am tying up loose ends to make sure we are doing everything right. No need to yell .

I am helping prepare her to fill out the forms because she works long hours and I do not, plus I have good access to the internet and she has very crappy dial up. I thought I would do her a favor and research this for her. I do kind of love her . I asked about the DS-3025 because I knew it was an important step later and I knew that you have a good deal of knowledge about it. Thank you for the info!

I assume by website you mean the embassy, not the forum suggested above.

Thanks again, these tidbits of info help to get everything in order.

- Steven

My fiancee never received her Packet 3/4 but did not have any problems getting into the Embassy. All they did was check to see if her name was on the interview list for that day so do not worry about them letting her in.

Now, if you have not received the Packet 3/4 , just fill out all of the paperwork and they will take it from her when she goes into her interview at the window. When the CO actually interview her, they will refer to the paperwork that she gave earlier to ask questions.

My Irina says that the CO was very friendly and nice and passed with flying colors.

Ok, so you are saying that she will turn it in when she arrives at the embassy and then when she has the actually interview they will refer to the paperwork then.

The packet sometimes takes a long time to arrive so she may get it sometime soon.

If not, she can download the forms she needs for her interview from the embassy website. The vaccination forms needed for the medical check vary; she can have school records, old medical records, etc. They only need to see that she's had shots. She can probably go to her doctor (or any doctor) and have them fill out a form for her for a small fee.

She needs to get a copy of the DS-3025 from the medical exam to bring here to the U.S. She'll need that later for AOS processing. If she can't get this form, it's not the end of the world, but it helps. (This is not the same as the form she'll need to take to her medical check, this is one she needs to bring here with her after the interview and everything.)

Ok, so she just needs to provide proof that she has had her shots. Then she takes the form she is given with her to the medical exam and she needs to ask them for a copy of the DS-3025 form. I assume that if she asks for this form during the medical exam they will know what she is asking for. She does not have any records of getting her shots, so I believe she will have to get them again, right?

Also, does she turn in all the forms she fills out before or at the interview? I tried following the flowchart, but I am confused since she has been issued her interview date already and has not turned anything in. If she does have to turn it all in before the interview does she have to use the Pony Express? Lastly, how far in advance can she have her medical? She lives in Moscow so she can have it done whenever. Thanks for the help, I really do appreciate it.

- Steven

Hello all,

Well, the embassy received my application about a month ago, which I know from a confirmation letter I received from the State Department. However, the package of documents was never sent to her. I emailed the embassy to confirm that they received it and they wrote back that her interview was scheduled for August 19th (so the end of October wedding is looking good). However, she never got the package of documents. From another post I read this should not be a problem, they will just ask her name. So, it is probably not worth trying to get the embassy to mail it to her now is it? Is there anything in the package that is not listed on the embassy website or this one?

She also does not have any records of vaccinations and I am always hearing talk of getting the medical facility to fill out some form. Now I am sure I can find the form, but what does she need to do with it? Just take it with her when she has the vaccinations done and have them sign it? I know it will be easier for her to get her vaccinations now than later. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

- Steven