eekee

Hi.. I am no expert but if your wife has a US passport she can just geta VISA. She can use a service for that such as Abriggs. Phone #1-800-806-0581 VISA can be turned aroned in about three or four days. good luck

Russian citizens cannot get visas for Russia.

Sorry, but I don't see how this is the EMBASSY'S fault... Laws are laws, and it's your wife's job to stay on top of things like when her zagran expires.

Although I am confused about why they would need her internal passport, since as I recall, Russian citizens permanently living abroad are supposed to relinquish theirs, even if basically no one actually does this.

See post #52 (on p. 4) in this thread, see man:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/382775-mrs-t-b-the-citizenship-test/page__st__45

Good deal all around!

Totally agree with this, need the wife/mother support to get the point across. Maybe use the old American adage with her, regarding dating "Why buy the cow, when the milk is free" and see if that doesn't help get the point across.

You actually have to put out for that adage to apply and also, who wants to be bought?

I don't know, but would have jumped at a flight through Moscow. I thought about Prague too, as there would at least be Russian speakers there. No dice, because the ticket was Lufthanza. Lesson learned there.

Buying a ticket that went through Moscow also would have been good because if she misses one flight, there'd be another one soon, probably. Not with the hourly frequency of the SPb<>Moscow shuttle, but quicker than waiting around for a flight to Kiev that might not even be a daily route. Also, Aeroflot has REALLY stepped up their game and is as good or better than as their Western counterparts. Food even on short haul flights, attentive flight attendants, comfy seats, good entertainment options.

MIL is back home. It took 5 days, 4 reticketings, and 2 trips to the airport. The Lufthanza strike, flight delays and cancelations, and weather problems all figured in. Yesterday we waited at the airport for hours until her flight to Newark finally left.

With every change, there was an intervening event that nullified it. Word to the wise, for those of you bringing relatives. Because she had no visa for any country but the US, she could not overnight anywhere if there was a delay en route. Because she spoke little English, she would have been unable to work out issues with tickets either. For example, one change rescheduled her to fly through Heathrow on BA. The flight to Germany from there was delayed, and we were told "don't worry, her ticket will be sorted when she gets to England". I asked how that would happen, as she cannot communicate in English - no answer, just another rebooking on Lufthanza the next day.

The funny thing is, when she got to Kiev she was afraid during the taxi ride from the airport. The driving scared her, and the condition of the taxi was terrible, she told Vika . Now she is frustrated at the length of time it will take by train to get home to Kherson. FOur years ago she told Vika that a drivers license wasn't necessary.

Are there any flights to Ukraine that don't go through Western Europe? I now absolutely refuse to do any route that isn't SPb>Moscow>New York because I was sick of getting stuck overnight in Europe.

If I had the space, i would have a dressing room, no question!!!!

I should clarify, that when she does go out, she does wear a bra, but she never wears one when at home around family.

Oh hmm that is different then. I don't wear one at home either. Is it making you uncomfortable?? Even around my dad and my brothers i probably wouldn't wear a sheer shirt though.

hope this is true...it has been rumored for years. will love to get it since the $300 each time i need a visa really adds up. Of course this would go into effect right after i get back from russia too. just my luck

Of course it's true; it is on the embassy's site.

That's the going rate for an hour in SPb, isn't it?

If you're talking Roubles and not dollars

I don't know if I've ever seen that much money!

I only had it in my hands for less than an hour

I linked Western Union to my checking / debit account using account number and transit number. It is 3 day delivery (money must clear bankking system), but the fee is like $12 for sending $400, and like $20 for sending $800. You can send up to $2500 per transaction using this process. It is much cheaper, but not "money in minutes". You get an email at 1:00 pm EST (3rd day), to confirm the money is ready for pick-up. The WU# is available right away, and they also send it again when money is ready.

I didn't have three days, since I fly to America on Monday and have to pay everything tomorrow. But my fam did moneygram, and for future reference for anyone else who needs to send a ton of money to RUB via MoneyGram: CVS will only allow 2000$ a day to be sent, but Walmart has no limit. In Russia, you can receive up to 10,000$ a day.

My stepdad once told me, "Well, the nice thing about your wife is you'll never have to guess what's on her mind."

Aviator, you don't have to wear suits!!! Just nicer versions of the same things you always wear. Quality over quantity.

I always used Moneygram and got my money in the same day. Always. Problem is not as many locations have it so if you're outside of Moscow I guess it'd be even more difficult to use, but beyond that, same and cheaper then WU

I'm in SPb, so it should be fine.

I believe that the interview (if required) would be on the sending side but I do not know about any laws on the receiving side.

I feel that sending 600 - 700 USD at a time would would be easier to get done. I am not saying that if they request an interview you will not receive the money it is just an extra hoop to pass through. You say that it is for a tuition bill - Are you sure that they require cash money??? They will not accept a credit / debit card for payment or a bank wire direct to their bank account?

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I think that a credit / debit card for payment or a bank wire direct to their bank account would be easier.

GOOD LUCK

If I could do it a different way, I would. Russia does not usually allow you to do things the most convenient way.

Interview on what end, the US or the Russian end? If they ask me here, I can show them my tuition bill. I am a USC; I'm obviously not some mafia moll.

Don't sound like I will find that in a sears catalog

Never had to play dress up in my life besides being married in dress clothes. All I ever did was work, not really much fun time. So to me it's hard to ajust to something that changes in time and I wasn't around to see this change to grow in it. I was always working out on the water away from family and time and normal time home, so my 80's look is gone with the wind you thank???

Chad

Sears is for refrigerators, not clothes.

You don't have to go all pointy-shoes, just upgrade your usual. Get well-fitting dark denim jeans, sneakers that aren't for the gym, and, well, baseball caps can't REALLY be salvaged for men over 30, unless you're a movie star and get a designer one and pair it with some aviators, I guess. Trade in your old ratty tshirt for something slimmer fitted, maybe from j crew, and a vneck cashmere sweater. A little more GQ, less Golf Digest.

For large sums of money, wire transfers from bank to bank are usually more reasonable with regard to cost. However, you have stated it is $3,600. I believe that is within the Western Union amounts. If your parents are sending the money, they might investigate setting up a WU account and doing the transfer online. The charges seem to be very reasonable in that method. Sorry, I have never used Moneygram.

If a wire transfer were an option, I'd do that, obviously. For some reason, sending money online doesn't come up for an option when I do the cost estimate thing at westernunion.com for the city it's being sent from and Russia. But whatever, there are more moneygram places around me anyway, so I'll check around tomorrow to make sure the places listed actually will process moneygram orders.

Thanks everyone!

I have used both

They worked the same for me - money gram will save you some money.

I would have the person receiving the money call the local banks to learn which service they work with

It is a must to make sure the name is 100 percent the same as on the passport of the person receiving the money

You should know that if it a very large sum the services will assume you are laundering money - You will then have to prove that you are not laundering money. They will hold your funds until you prove that you are not laundering money

GOOD LUCK

It's 3600$. How do I prove I am not "laundering money"? I am the one in Russia and the one receiving the money. I would hope my parents know how to spell my name in English.

FWIW... I have used both... Moneygram was not slow, but was more of a pain in the rear for my fiancee. She had to go to multple banks before someone could even figure out how to retrieve the funds, even though they were listed Moneygram locations. So we went back to Western Union in spite of the higher fees.

They say 10 minute transfer on their website... is it truly ten minutes, or is it more like a couple of days?

There are about six locations in the immediate vicinity of my apartment, so I figured I'd go to the banks and ask to make sure they can do it. It's a LARGE sum of money though (need to pay tuition), so the fee is a difference of over 200$ versus less than 100$.

Check with your own bank and ask if you can wire the money directly into the bank account of the recipient.

That might be safer and faster.

No, I have to pay in person.

I need to receive a large sum of money from the US via either Western Union or Moneygram. I've used WU before, but never Moneygram. I know it's cheaper, but how long does it take?

Rent her a room or apt over there and wait for your wife to become a USC.

Starting on September 9th, it's going to be a whole new ball game, so we'll see.

My MIL related something to me today that I thought I would share here.

We payed for an agent to help her fill out her visa B application, and prepare her documents and proofs. It cost about $50 alltogether. MIL says that the agent believes there is a simple reason that a Schengen visa + timely return will get you a B-2 to America. She says that the American authorities are just lazy, and they know that the EU background checks are thorough, so they don't need to do all the work if the Schengen visa was recent.

I thought that was pretty funny. Kind of like saying that some one will make a good parent because they had several pets.

Yeah no. It's not a question of background checks. It's "will they stay or will they go?"