Kailey

is that 14 days from her arrival in the US or 14 days from the date of marriage?

- ehm, neither . 14 days before I-94 expiration date.

I will try to explain on my own example (guess there are some good English words to explain it faster but i just can't find them ).

I arrived Feb 18th, 2010, so in the

airport the officer gave me the i-94 with expiration date May 19, 2010 (02.18.2010 + 90 days = 05.19.2010). The last date when i could have had my SS card last name

changed based on my K1/I-94 was May 5th, 2010 (14 days prior to May 19th, 2010).

But we went to SS for a name change May 6, 2010 - and it was day later than we should have. Sad . They will still change it but now only after I get the GK.

the I-94 is the little paper they stapled to the inside of her passport right?

- yes

Thanks, fortunately the SSA office is pretty close to my house.

Yes we had been trying to get her a state ID, but you need 1 photo ID (visa) 1 proof of ID (SS card) and 2 proofs of residency in NM

so we had 2 out of the 4, so we were waiting on the SS card name change which would then let us put her name (new not maiden) on my bank account which would give us all 4 for the state ID

you seem to be on the right way - SS and at least the state ID so that she had some documents before the rest of the docs are ready. Good luck

Slim, applying for AOS and getting a work permit are sometimes different things. Some apply for work permit based on K1 just upon arrival and they say some ports of entry (NY if i'm not mistaken) can

stamp a work permit in the passport of the newly arrived fiancee .

captainofiron, you can change your wife's name on SSN card immediately after marriage based on the marriage certificate but! it should be done prior to 14 dates until the expiration date on I-94.

We arrived one day later (none of us knew about 14 days back then) and they didn't change my name. It had nothing to do with the person at SS office, the system just blocks the profile and doesn't let them change anything.

Btw, while that I-94 90 days term is still valid I also think it's worth while getting a state ID (if you have them in your state) with her new name.

try explaining to her (in softer words than mine) that what she's doing is a sign of being immature and insecure, and not being cool as she imagines herself. She can amaze men with her stunning beauty in other places, and highways are for drivers who want to get home safely, not to die because somebody is showing off driving the first car in her life .

To get a new last name on her international passport, your wife will need to change her internal passport first, and for this her presence is required.

I don't know what "Oblast to oblast or city to city" rules are but I know this is what the official govrenment site says: http://www.fms.gov.ru

and instruction about issuing internal Russian passports http://www.fms.gov.ru/upload/iblock/024/preg339001.pdf (for example see page 21st).

If she has any relatives or somebody who could go to the local passport bureau and ask them that would be great but most likely local officials will just reply what

the gov. site says.

Also, if she has any property in Russia, to be on the safe side, I think it's good to change her ownership documents too. But this can take months.

We (my husband and I) actually stopped at the following solution: my American documents will bear a double last name (mine + husband's) and for other moments as registering in hotels or when meeting people i just introduce myself with my husband's last name for short (it also sounds cool ).

This is still not 100% perfect from the Russian authorities point of view and I will have to deal with it one day in the future, but sort of an option..

Honest opinion (read- 'dangerous opinion') I have never seen a forum where a free opinion would be so much unwelcome as here. Here there is only 2 options: you either say 'you are such a great guy and i wish you good luck' (even if the opposite is obvious) or you get banned.

In general i dont care anymore. But there is something that I want to ask:

if somebody comes here and says 'i'm a known abuser and i wonder how to process k1 faster, help me' - people will help him with a smile and friendly advice on how to fill in I129?? and if somebody comes and say 'you guy, should never try to process any k1 ever!" that person will be banned for life?

+ As a woman I find it completely shameful to see men who run and cry for mods help, btw..

"Mary, today i won in an discussion with that rude woman who told me what she thinks about me!" - "oh, John, great, how did you do it?" - (proudly) "I called a mod and he banned her. So from now on i will only hear how great i am!!" Curtain. Superman theme is playing.

all who say that AOS is not needed are just misleading and dangerous to listen to.

A wife w/out status in the USA is illegal. Yes, she can live her life there but she will never be able to work, not sure about medical assistance/inssuarance - you tell me how it works, but what i'm sure about, if she goes to see her parents or a couple decides to go to Mexico she will not be admitted back. And not just will have to go home but might get a 10year or permanent ban.

I think (lazy to check) that among K1 docs there is a note that says that you (me) should either marry and apply for AOS (!) within 90 days or leave the country.

You can't read Russian women forums where there are a lot of talks about men who bring women to the US and then start to have 'doubts'. Or marry and then start to have 'doubts' and don't apply for AOS - and women are in shock because they are now hanging 'between 2 worlds'. Second variant is even worse and more mean because now that woman would have to process divorce.

I don't know from where you get your information guys.. truthfully, sometimes it seems that you take from some rumours and situations ...

it's better to read USCIS and the law!!

because all situations that 'happen' here and on other forums are normally coming from the fact that somebody didn't want to read the rules or laws. and then came and complained and created a 'precedent'. Smiling ladys, parental approvals, russian bears, vodka, balalayka, etc.

What information does this phrase bring - AOS is not needed?

Smart will understand and they already answered - it's not needed but it is fraught with consequences .

And weak minds might think 'AOS is not needed... why does my wife want it so much then... ah.. she is a scammer'

Slim 90% of good movies were filmed before 2000.

Today just few are ok.. You can try to watch "Inhabitted Island' but ... i doubt that you really should watch any Russian movie.

Enjoy South Park.

Whoever believes on that ####### about never ending love and thinks that marriage entails sharing everything with no limits, is a total and complete fool.

omg... poor guy..

If there is a father's name listed on the child's birth certificate; then formal written permission is required before the child will be allowed to leave.

How you obtain this permission is up to you but I do not consider it highly likely you will be able to circumvent this requirement, especially when it comes to obtaining a document from the Russian government allowing a child to leave Russia. They are very suspicious and look down upon that, in light of recent past horrors involving children that left Russia for a foreign country.

The better bet may be to withdraw the visa petition and then take your time obtaining this permission and then once you have that in hand, then again file for the visa petition.

can you tell me when and where was it required during the proccess - i mean really required? Just curious. I am not arguing I 'm just asking to show me

where is it said.

I had same situation and i think i got some grey hairs wrecking my brain on how to obtain that paper. finally i did. and i never needed it so far.

I still have one test ahead where it can be asked - moment of the crossing of the Russian border in the airport. So probably then i will have t oshow it. But again. The law (russian law and when you cross Russian border you are still under Russian jurisdiction) doesn't say that 1 parent travelling with his child MUST have such a document.

This document is only required when a kid travels alone.

Dixi

If he can pull it off without parental consent, that would be great. be advised that Kiev and I presume other consulates do not always advertise exactly what is needed for K2 visa in particular. I have also checked the Mosocw website (we try to keep up to date on Kiev and Moscow as Alla does translations and Moscow has a kind of strange requirement regarding notarization ) And the Moscow consulate webpage is pretty lacking when it comes to specifics for K2s. So is Kiev. Only by digging around and making many calls to the consular section was I able to find all the necessary information we needed for both k2s. It was somewhat maddening, actually.

If anything the OP should call the Moscow consular section, immigrant visa section handles K2s (even though they are not immigrant visas) and ask. I am not sure any Russian lawyer would know and most will, as AKDiver says, suggest he just bribe the father. What is critical is what the consulate will require, not Russian law, per se. We are dealing with what the US consulate requires to issue a visa, not what Russian law says. Russian law does not require a visa to enter the US, so why not just come without one?

rrr...

i speak about Russian lawyer only in the connection with a moment when this woman and her kids will be crossing the border. There some Russian officers might ask for that permission.

I have never said that American Embassy would issue K1 based on the Russian laws. Heh, that even sounds like science fiction!

As for bribing ... Well, since you work in a tough business of construction, I trust you had met with difficult situations and wild bureaucracy.

But what I saw in many cases in my peaceful world - people accuse government or bank employees in extortion just because they are too lazy or don't know how (and don't want to know) to do things right and therefore get rejected.

I.e. : requirement is to bring 10 documents so that project goes from stage A to stage B.

Some people would only bring 8.5 docs and than go whining that those bureaucrats want bribes. And all what was needed - to bring exactly 10 documents. Not 9. Not 11. 10!

and i'm not dixi . 'dixi' was a good intention which i failed to fulfill.

Gary, on the web site of the US Embassy in Moscow there is a list of documents that must be submitted for K1/K2. I don't see that Consent anymore but i thought it was there actually when we started our own K1/K2 journey.

Moscow and Kiev Embassies have different requirements about children. I know that Ukranian women have more troubles with that Consent to Departure.

Russian law is less strict when a kid is leaving with one of the parents. But here - while they are still under the Russian jurisdiction - problems might take place at passport control that's why I went a bit further and even if they get k1/k2 without the father's permission, I think they should still either read the law (this is the way i would use - go to the source) or talk to a lawyer.

In what I agree with you is that the GENERAL advice should be - get that Consent if you can. Sure it's better to have it rather than not. Who argues?

Dixi

Let me tell you what every single Russian I've ever personally known has told me about Russian Law. "It doesn't work!!!" If you bribe the right person (such as a judge), you can get whatever you want.

I think anyone will do anything for a sufficient amount of cash. The guy's SISTER has no legal standing. I'm willing to bet the guy can be bought off for fairly cheap - as do a number of other people who posted before I did.

But if he isn't, I'm sure some "third party" would, for a reasonable sum, be willing to "persuade" the guy to wear a pink tutu and call you "mommy" if that's what you wanted him to do. Would probably cost less than paying the guy directly too.

I am Russian and as a Russian i can tell you that some Russians prefer to think that law doesn't work because a) it's easier to think that way and blame everything on that

b ) for some people it's easier to try to bribe rather than to read and understand the law;

c) they don't understand the consequences of bribing.. sometimes it's really easier to go legal way.

but not going far away from the thread - the author i think doesn't even need to bribe anybody.

Russian Federal law #114 of 1996 (http://base.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=doc;base=LAW;n=95210 ) says what i said - "An underage child normally travels abroad with one of the parents. If a child travels alone than the consent of both parents is required. In case either of the parents objects the underage child to travel abroad, such parent must submit his/her objection to the court and the possibility to travel outside Russia will be reviewed by the court".

I strongly recommend the author (his fiancee actually) to contact a lawyer, not a forum. And to read the instructions / laws more attentive.

And find out if they really have a problem or it's more one of those 'fear has big eyes' (Russian saying) situations .

And I wasn't asked to present that consent during my K1/K2 interview. What else to say?

Oh come on. Do you really need to be told the solution to this? Pay the guy off and be done with it. Offer $1000 and be willing to go as high as you can afford.

Why do you keep giving strange advice while the solution is simple - they should go to a lawyer??

Or you think you know Russian pshychology? Or you personnaly know that guy? Or his sister???

Gary, where is it written that a written permission is 'absolutely required' to issue K1/K2?

I think this paper is not a prerequisite anymore to get K1. I either read the list wrong or i just can't see it among the necessary documents. She only must bring the documents from the list.

Also I would think that if she only has one Consent, let her not show it at all so that not to be asked ‘where is the second one?’. If she is asked for these papers – she will have to tell the truth. But don't volunteer unnecessary information in your case.

I think the point where the woman might really need this ‘sign off’ will be the passport control at Domodedovo or Sheremetyevo II. At the same time - kids leaving with only one divorced parent has been a long discussed issue in this country and a general answer to such requests is: Russian law says that “as a rule an underage child travels abroad with at least one of the parent”. Period. It's nowhere said that he/she can't do it w/out a permission of the second parent. And officers know it very well too.

The only problem that can arise - the officers know that k1 means a very high probability of later immigration, and they can hook them on that. But again - talk to a lawyer, I think unless they meet some very nerdy officer they should be allowed to go.

The only way the other parent can stop his kids from leaving (this is what the law says) – she/he can apply to a court and get a legal decision that will prevent kids from leaving. But again, it's not an easily obtained thing because he will have to start the case and prove it and go to the court.

Do a simple thing - let her go to a local lawyer. As I said - this 'consent to departure' is a pain for years but sometimes there are more fears and rumors around it.

You still have a chance to go a long road - try to deprive him of his parental rights. If he doesn't offer financial help (and that allowance that father must pay after divorce is not considered as 'financial help', btw. It's just an obligation. If he doesn't pay even this one - even better), doesn't see his child, doesn't take care of him and she has witnesses who will come to the court and prove it (teachers, kindergarden staff, neighbors) - she can win the case w/out much trouble. But as i said it's a long way to go and definitely forum advice is not enough but a lawyer's help will be required.

Good luck and may all these troubles only make your relationship stronger.

Congratulations Happy 2010 and best wishes to a new familly!

Hehe, yep on everything you posted. She wasn't surprised about much, and mostly notes anything different without much surprise. Sort of like we all did when visiting her country. "Oh, coat checks. Interesting." My wife did say, however, that Americans must be worse drivers because they are so careful.

I would agree on driving - when in Boston i was told that traffic there is just awful and drivers are crazy and rude ... hmm... then this is what I saw: polite people queueing in a traffic jam.. noone tried to drive on the sidewalk, noone was using a horn every 3 minutes just to vent, noone did set up a purchased on the black market police siren on the car roof and started a siren forcing the way (that happend in Russia quite often at the late 80s-90s:) ).

In Texas with its straight roads that just whisper 'let's drive faster, road is so clean and straight' people still seem to drive 60 if the sign says '60'. I understand that not 100% drive like this and yes, you can see a daredevil here and there but that's the key word: 'here and there', and not everywhere .

Actually that topic made me curious - would an average ( by 'average' I mean not criminal, not on drugs, just a good citizen that has no time to spend in a traffic jam) American driver use a sidewalk to shorten the way? Or drive behind a tram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tram ) ON tram road using tram as a shield?

+ I remebered one more 'wonder' - size of plates (portion) in restaurants!!!

Also that people you see for the 1st time in your life start a conversation and you can talk for 5-10 min as if you know each other for years . That can happen in Russia too but not as often as in the USA.

I met Americans overseas and in the US, Mox. Actually most of them - inside the US (Russians travel too, even women, even brides).

And Americans i met live in the cities or in the countryside. It doesn't matter.

They are good people.

I'm not going to defend your country in your eyes for you, guys .

Just an Idea - each time Mr.Complainer thinks that America is bad - he should do something good.

And enjoy the difference he brought to the world.

Happy Christmas !

Interesting.. I live in Moscow at the moment. It's more than 'urban'. During my visits to the US and in my everyday life I met people from Texas, MA (Boston), New York and New Jersey. None of them were neither stupid, nor bad.

They were friendly, intelligent, joking. Most of those with whom I was communicating - were people who achieved certain goals in life, people who look into the future and know how to get there changing 'Today'.

May be I was lucky. But I am going to stay that way.

duplicate record

You don't live in an urban area, do you?

Slim, what's the point of your question?

Probably a bit high-flown for some, probably too romantic for others: there is also one certain wonder that many people who come to the US notice - the US people.

Their smiles, their attitude to life and they way they solve problems ('we just gotta do it'), freedom of the soul. I like the spirit

+ And yes, everything is cheap in the US (even in NY) comparing to Moscow (i think rest of Russia would say the same)

My experience has been that taking the metro is going to be her best bet. Traffic in Moscow is unpredictable, and the major roads can be completely jammed up even at 2am.

But look: this is your fiancee's country. Even though she's not from Moscow, she is uniquely qualified to travel within her country. Don't try to run her travel arrangements from 5,000 miles away. Of the two of you, she is the most qualified to figure this problem out. Put it squarely in her lap and let her do it. After all, if you were planning a trip through an airport in the US that you've never been to, you wouldn't ask her to plan it for you from Vladivostok, right?

The ball is squarely in her lap, and always has been. I'm apprehensive enough of about traveling to NY, I'm not about to offer her advise on Moscow traffic patterns. It was disheartening to see her hopes fade when she realized she'd have to spend another day 'of horror' in Moscow. But she said we'll simply suffer through it and meet up a day later. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things.

http://www.aeroexpress.ru/schedule/belorussky_sheremetyevo/

Since some time aeroexpresses go from downtown Moscow to - if i'm not mistaken - every airport. Welcome to Moscow, it's not horrible at all. NY traffic is better though.

Sigh.. As for 'cameras are too kind to her ' - I know you guys like those professional photos that women place on those dating sites but remember, Photoshop is not a plastic surgery . And if a 40 year woman looks like 20 and she is not an elf nor a vampire, than you surely be surprised when you see her ‘live’ .

If you care for advice - look less on professional photos and more on 'handmade' .

If you try it again look for women from big cities, somebody who works, has a career, good education and been abroad. Last fact actually guarantees she is not that brainwashed by local propaganda and can judge about life 'here' and 'there' not based on local propaganda but based on what she saw with her own eyes.

And I will say it simple again: If a woman who has never seen you before agrees for a) a month-long visit B) to accomodate you in her appartment from the very beginning - that's a big red flag about her common sense.

+ You compared Ukraine to Poland, but Poland was not part of the Soviet Union. So even rare tourists from the USSR who happened to go there were surprised how “western” and “capitalist” Poland was. Same was said about other countries that formed a so called ‘socialist belt’ (Poland, Chekhoslovkaiya, Bulgaria, Hungary, Eastern Germany, etc). Ukraine was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union – very different situation. So Rule # 1 – all ex-commies are different

Clueless, I think i’m becoming very itchy since few years when i hear the word “tolerant’’ … it was a good kind word in the past.. but it has lost a lot of its meaning over the years. And now is too often used as a blindfold to not see things that should be changed and not tolerated..

Be tolerant to a different confession or color of the skin . Broken pavement – is simply BAD .