visaveteran

Well that's good she doesn't need a visa or else I would probably go to Vegas instead. The deals are showing Mexico, Bahamas, and Jamaica as my probable spots for winter holiday - mid December. For cartel violence, well we're not planning on leaving the resort. It's only a 4 day / 3 night affair with no rental car. We might take a cab or tour bus somewhere one day if there is something worth going to but other than that it's just relax on the beach!

The US Virgin Islands are pretty nice but pricey and there have been violent incidents and murders of tourists over the years down there. I know a bit about the USVI as I married my first wife in St. Thomas.

I think the best Caribbean island for FSU women is the Dominican Republic. Great beaches, friendly locals and no visa needed. The Puna Cana beach area is considered the best vacation area on the island. I love the "all inclusive" resorts. Everything comes with the deal...food, alcohol, room, entertainment, taxes, tips (although I did carry around some dollars to tip certain employees). They have casinos but I've never been to them. The only surprise for some visitors is the cost and distance from the airport to the resorts. Don't pre-book transportation. Negotiate with the cabs and minivans when you arrive.

I had hoped for some more practical advice on the logistics of formulating dual citizenship for our son but I realize that this probably won't be very forthcoming.

While I wouldn't go so far as to call this all hogwash, I think Just Bob has a good point. Citizenship is a sticky thing because although to gain it later in life you typically have to take an oath, you don't when you are born with it. Whether or not an oath is implied in your birth is doubtful in my opinion.

From a more practical perspective, my son's dual citizenship won't become a serious issue for 15+ years, at which time he'll have to make his own decisions. It's my guess that there won't be conscription in Russia in 17 years, but no one knows, of course. When you're in a country that you have citizenship in, that citizenship typically takes precedence over all others. In third countries, it's a tricky and subjective topic.

If you want practical advice, contact the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, or when you're in Russia, and ask how it's done. Or pay a Russian immigration lawyer for one hour of his time. Then follow directions.

I don't think a lot of American-Russian couples go the dual route---in fact, most Russian wives work harder bringing over, or work to get their kids to come to the USA after the marriage; so what kind of expertise on the subject can you expect on here? The same limited comments: yes, you can do it; there will be a lot of paperwork and probably some bribes to pay; you will have to accept that Russia will have a military draft to deal with (despite your optimistic outlook). The details are for you to find by starting the actual process...so start it and let us know how it works.

Let me just throw a little cold water at you...my wife's son became the center of interest when the draft people found out his mom was married to an American and she lived in the USA. The KGB interviewed him a number of times, and when he was drafted they sent him to an unusual duty station. We think his calls to his mom were bugged as the phone he had to use was from the military...no private cell phones allowed. And, as is customary, they beat the ####### out of him repeatedly and treated him like dirt. He came home a very different person...not for the better.

If the intention is for dual citizenship, it seems possible by quietly proceeding as neither country rejects or condones the practice. But certainly, conflicts of national interest could occur over time, placing someone in the middle of a mess or difficult choice. There will be risks and trade-offs under certain possible circumstances. Whenever there is more than one passport, things can get complicated.

My own issue with Russian citizenship is that Russia has a military draft. It is possible to buy out with the aid of a Russian doctor who will certify someone to be "unfit" for a very large sum of money. Last rate I heard was $1000 or more. If the boy enters the military he will be beaten and mistreated routinely.

One negative scenario could be that if a dual citizenship male visited or went to school in Russia after he turned 18, he could be forced into the military...perhaps directly from the airport if he was merely visiting. As Russia continues to rebuild and modernize its military, more focus will be on military service. Parents would have to pay a large sum of money to free him from duty if that was their wish. But if the Russian authorities know he has ties to the US, who knows what the KGB would do with him.

Just some food for thought.

Nope, those kind of agencies don't deal with private/homestay visas at all. And considering that you are the Carl Weathers from Arrested Development of the RUB forum, I'm surprised that you're even suggesting spending the extra money to go through a middleman rather than just heading over and dealing with a little bureaucracy!

Actually the agencies do offer services for home stay visas...at least mine does.

I chose to use the service versus having my fiancee (now my wife) send a letter because of the time factor. Between how long the mail would take and the time dealing with the Russian Embassy, I went with the quicker and simpler visa service to suit my scheduled trip to Russia. I don't remember the fee to be unreasonable.

I did the home stay visa. Actually, the US visa services (at least mine) can set you up with all the necessary paperwork. They have people in Russia that makes this possible. It's technically legal because Russia is Russia. The only thing to remember is the person you're staying with has to go to the OVIR office and register your visit AND after you leave the same person has to go back to OVIR to let them know you've left Russia. If they fail to do so there is a fine to pay. I know this because my wife failed to go back to "unregister me" and on my next visit she got hit with the fine. I think it was around $75.

Thanks to my RUB brothers for your kind and supportive posts. It means a lot to me to have allies in this new battle I find myself in.

I still read the RUB posts from time to time and enjoy seeing what's going on. I'll be starting chemo soon so I'm sure I'll use the RUB forum to keep my mind off the effects of the poisons I will be forced to tolerate.

Best to everyone on your visa journeys.

Greetings to the RUB forum. As the regulars here already know, I've been on a hiatus from the RUB forum for awhile. Sometimes I think it's good to just give it a break.

Anyway, some of you will remember I got an RFE from the USCIS after filing for Removal of Conditions that demanded more evidence of a "real marriage." Many of you offered suggestions, some of which I used to respond with more evidence. Well, my new evidence worked and my wife just got her 10-year green card. So, thanks to all of you who offered ideas around more evidence.

I got some bad health news this past summer. They found colon cancer. I had surgery in late August and after being sent home to recover, I developed an infection which put me back in the hospital...so my recovery got a set back. As soon as I'm able, they'll start chemo on me. Sad thing is I had a colonoscopy 5 years ago and they missed finding anything. They said all was well. So, test procedures don't always give correct results which in my case could be fatal. It would be impossible for me to have a tumor in just 5 years if my previous colonoscopy showed no signs of cancer or pre-cancer tissue. They just missed it.

I've faced death before and survived. Time to saddle up again and go into a battle with a hidden and dangerous enemy...kind of like Vietnam all over again.

You posted this a few posts back so I'm assuming what you meant was you applied for the ROC but there was no actual interview YET - and you still don't have the 10 year GC.

Is that correct?

I think when I read through that post I thought, "How'd he get the 10 year GC already but still has a RFE?" It's possible they "eyeballed" your pictures if you sent any or simply looked at different things in the paperwork and picked something random to go on. It sounds like you pretty much have it cleared up now. Have you responded to the RFE?

Yes, we still have no 10 year GC. As required by USCIS, we filed for ROC 3 months prior to her second year anniversary in the USA. Typically, you send in evidence of a real marriage and receive a decision in favor of a 10 year GC. There is usually no interview for ROC as with the AOS process. As I said, you do need to get finger prints and photos but no interview under normal situations. I suppose it is possible we could move to an interview if our additional evidence is not satisfactory but I'm unsure what will happen if that occurs. Of course, it is my intention to send so much paper evidence plus photos to prevent that from happening.

We will respond to the RFE soon. We have until Sept 11 to reply.

When did you get the RFE then?

July 28, 2010. Response must be back by September 11.

Thought I'd check in and post a few things to keep everyone clear on my situation.

I was married to my wife in Russia October 2007, so any evidence from that event means nothing concerning evidence of our life as a married couple in the USA. I filed for CR-1 in November 2007 and she arrived in the US in July 2008. So the evidence needed now should date from July 2008 to the present...the time we've actually lived together. At least that's how I'm looking at it. I mean, there's not much to show during the time we lived apart from each other in separate countries.

As to the Removal of Conditions for her 10 year GC, there was no actual interview. We did have to go and get her fingerprints and photo but no interview. Everything was submitted by mail to the USCIS. So no "eyeballing" was done.

The recent Russian spy round-up might have something to do with the government hassling us, but who knows? I felt my original evidence was sufficient but the USCIS wants more.

I am using many of the suggested ideas from this thread. Thank you all for the advice and supportive posts.

I am optimistic things will go well this time but I remain nervous.

Any other ideas are welcome.

[it was Brad who was thinking you were from Alaska.]

Yes, your right. Good memory.

I forgot one thing about evidence. I sent in a I-130 to bring her son over here. I already got the NOA1 document. I wonder if that could be seen as evidence? Or should I leave that as a separate issue?

I want to thank everyone for the help and advice. I have to confess I'm nervous about this evidence problem. Just so you know what I sent the first time, I'll list them here. A copy of a shared credit card bill with both our names on it. Two affidavits...one from my son and one from a friend. I also included a copy of her Virginia official ID card with our address on it (I don't know where Gary got the idea I'm from Alaska). I also gave a copy of her military ID card as I am military retired (disability). I also got a letter from the VA showing her name as a dependent for my VA compensation payments. And, of course, a copy of her green card. That's it. All of these things show she is my wife as there's no other way to obtain military benefits and VA payments.

Now I'm digging deeper. The issue seems to prove we actually live together so I'm getting my condo manager to write an official letter stating my wife has lived in my condo for two years. I'm hoping that will really help. I got another affidavit from my ex wife (we're on good terms). I had the military medical insurance office, TriCare, send a letter showing both our names as receiving TriCare medical benefits. I printed out a copy of my Verizon cell phone profile which shows me as the account holder and my wife as an account manager. The print out looks a little mickey mouse but I guess it can't hurt to try.

I plan on opening a joint bank account. Although this may be too late it can't hurt and there's actually a reason to open it now...my wife got a retail job a few months ago so she actually has some income to bank. I also plan on doing medical directives (living wills) for each other. I will also give them a copy of her library card and take some photos around our condo but who knows if that will help.

That's about all I've come up with. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I got a notice from USCIS that they need more evidence we are married and living together. The problem is I have very little further evidence to offer. My home is in my name, we don't file taxes as my income is not taxable and we don't have joint accounts. I own a condo so all utilities are paid with he condo fee. I don't have life insurance due to my age.

My wife just recently began working so I can set up an account but I think the evidence has to span the length of the marriage. I can get more people to write affidavits but will that be enough? Now I'm concerned what will happen if I can't produce more evidence,

Any suggestions? Can the USCIS send my wife back to Russia?

I got a notice from USCIS that they need more evidence we are married and living together. The problem is I have very little further evidence to offer. My home is in my name, we don't file taxes as my income is not taxable and we don't have joint accounts. I own a condo so all utilities are paid with he condo fee. I don't have life insurance do to my age.

My wife just recently began working so I can set up an account but I think the evidence has to span the length of the marriage. I can get more people to write affidavits but will that be enough? Now I'm concerned what will happen if I can't produce more evidence,

Any suggestions? Can the USCIS send my wife back to Russia?

The list of documents for the I-130 packet (for my step son who is under 21 and not married) seems to want a marriage certificate of the child's parents and divorce papers for the child's parents. I have my wife divorce papers from the child's father. Is that enough evidence or do I need their marriage document too?

Also, it says our marriage had to take place before the step son turned 18 which it did. I suppose to prove this we need to include our marriage document? My wife has been in the US two years so maybe the USCIS already has our marriage date in their files. Should I send our marriage document?

VV ,

Recently there has been a change in policy, in Ukraine at least, that any origional docs ie. birth cert, police report, in Russian or Ukrainian language no longer need to be translated to english for visa. It may be different in your case (Russia) but for our K1 (Ukraine) they no longer require translations of these docs. .

Any Russian marriage brothers know about this issue? Do we still need to translate original documents to English?

Working on I-130 packet to bring over step son.

I'm a little rusty on the rules about translating documents to English (step son's birth certificate). I seem to remember whoever does the translating has to certify the translation is accurate blah blah blah. Is this true? Please advise about translation requirements.

The good news is we have the birth certificate with us in the US, so no need to DHL, etc. But I think translation will be more here. What's the going rate?

I'm a little rusty on the rules about translating documents to English (step son's birth certificate). I seem to remember whoever does the translating has to certify the translation is accurate blah blah. Is this true?

The good news is we have the birth certificate with us in the US, so no need to DHL, etc. But I think translation will be more here. What's the going rate?

Gary, I know Alla does translation, what would she get to translate a birth certificate?

Gary an Neonred...Thanks for the good info.

I'm a little rusty on the rules about translating documents to English (step son's birth certificate). I seem to remember who does the translating has to certify the translation is accurate blah blah. Is this true?

The good news is we have the birth certificate with us in the US, so no need to DHL, etc. But I think translation will be more here. What's the going rate? Gary, I know Alla does translation, what would she get to translate a birth certificate?

Thanks!

*Reposted due to crazy formatting in previous post attempt.*

Gary, thanks for info. You seem to understand the process. I just want to clarify something...are you sure the step son must be 21 by the time the visa is issued? I would think it would be by the time you filed. We have a little over 14 months until he turns 21...so it's a little close.

Also, from the VJ guide here's a list of want I have to include.

If you are a U.S. citizen and the father or stepparent of the child or son or daughter, you must file the following with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

A copy of your birth certificate or U.S. passport

If you were not born in the U.S., a copy of either: your Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship or your U.S. passport

A copy of the child's birth certificate showing the child's name and the names of both parents

A copy of civil marriage certificate showing the names of both parents, or proof that a parent/child relationship exists or existed (if you are petitioning for a stepchild, your marriage to the child's parent must take place before the stepchild's 18^th birthday)

A copy of any divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that establish the termination of any previous marriages entered into by you or your spouse

My question is it sounds like from the 5th item that we need a copy of my wife's marriage certificate to her ex husband. Is that correct? Also, I seem to remember the father has to sign a release form that he allows his son to immigrate. True? Or is my step son old enough to bypass this step?

His step son is unmarried ("unmarried" means "Never married"), under 21 AND the parent realtionship was established before age 18. Those are the key points.

Yes, I would suggest not dealying as it can take a year to process and MUST be issued before he turns age 21.

Gary, thanks for info. You seem to understand the process. I just want to clarify something...are you sure the step son must be 21 by the time the visa is issued? I would think it would be by the time you filed. We have a little over 14 months until he turns 21...so it's a little close.

Also, from the VJ info here's a list of want I have to include with the I-130.

If you are a U.S. citizen and the father or stepparent of the child or son or daughter, you must file the following with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

A copy of your birth certificate or U.S. passport

If you were not born in the U.S., a copy of either:

your Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship or

your U.S. passport

A copy of the child's birth certificate showing the child's name and the names of both parents

A copy of civil marriage certificate showing the names of both parents, or proof that a parent/child relationship exists or existed (if you are petitioning for a stepchild, your marriage to the child's parent must take place before the stepchild's 18^th birthday)

A copy of any divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees that establish the termination of any previous marriages entered into by you or your spouse

My question is it sounds like from the 5th item that we need a copy of my wife's marriage certificate to her ex husband. Is that correct? Also, I seem to remember the father has to sign a release form that he allows his son to immigrate. True? Or is my step son old enough to bypass this step?

Doesn't he have to go to the Army first?

He already did the Army tour when he was 18. Got out last November.

My wife's unmarried 19 year old son (he was 16 when we married in Russia) wants to immigrate to the US at this point in time. I'm thinking we must do a I-130 for him. Does he have to get in line for a visa number or not? Am I the sponsor or my wife? Any data on how to proceed is appreciated.

My Russian wife has been here with me in the USA for almost two years, We just filed for ROC and her 10 year GC. Her unmarried, 19 year old son (he was 16 when we married in Russia) wants to immigrate to the US at this point in time.

What is the process? Does he have to get in line for a visa number or not?

Mox says that he did intend to leave permanently, due to several VJ specific issues. Constant baiting by a particular poster (not Slim) was a minor thing. The TOS circus contributed, as did some of the other repetitive themes that bore some of us. Some of you may recall that mox was pursued through VJ by a real idiot (and several sock puppets) with constant baiting before, so he would no doubt find a repeat of that activity a total snooze-fest. He did say "never say never" though.

I am sorry to interrupt my sabbatical but Brad's Eye Witness News flash on Mox's exit from RUB deserves my reply.

First, thanks Brad for interviewing Mox and getting his "official" reply. I thought you did a good job of reading off Mox's cue cards. I liked the "Constant baiting" "TOS circus" and "repetitive themes" excuses for his taking a hike. Poor baby. I hope he's getting help.

Brad, thank you...I feel like you updated us with complete objectivity and fairness. And let me own that I am undoubtedly the "constant baiting poster" you mentioned. I'm a little insulted I was only a "minor thing."

What's good about this's update is it seems to confirm my original position that Mox is a gone goose. He's history. Looks like Slim got it wrong.

But, rest assured, if Mox returns to the forum, I'll be right behind him. I promise. I will happily be the counterpoint (or constant baiting poster) anytime.

And now, I'll return to my sabbatical.

VV