Steve S

Same situation here, I think.  I have posted on this topic in the past.  We are leaving tomorrow to visit Russia.  My wife has a plane ticket in her maiden name and will use her Russian passport, until customs/immigration at the entry point back into the U.S., at which time she will show her US passport.  We will bring the original marriage certificate just in case.  If you are able to get your name changed on your Russian passport then great, but as previously pointed out that can be difficult.

Thank you for the answers.  Part of my concern is that she has not changed her name on her Russian passport, but the consensus seems to be that we will be fine as long as we bring the marriage certificate along.

This topic has probably been discussed, but I could not find it with a cursory search . . .

My wife still has her Russian internal and travel passports in her maiden name.

US passport is in her married name (middle name = maiden last name).

Please verify whether this is a good strategy:

1. Book roundtrip ticket to Moscow under her maiden name.

2. Show Russian documents to Delta agent and TSA at origin.

3. Show Russian documents to get through Russian customs.

4. When checking in for return flight, show Russian and US passport, plus marriage certificate, to Delta agent in Moscow.

5. Show blue passport to US customs upon arrival.

I think this is basically what we did when she had a green card, I just want to doublecheck if there is anyone who has traveled recently with a similar situation.  Is there a chance that a Russian official at the airport will want to see her ID that matches the name on the ticket, and if so would it possibly cause trouble that she is maintaining dual citizenship?

My wife's interview is next week - February 6th. Now, to look up again who are our Ohio senators?!

Will someone add me/my wife to the tracking spreadsheet? I was never able to get the Text Editor to work when we had a similar list under a removal of conditions forum. Whoever updates it, let me know if I can PM you with the information next time rather than cluttering the forum. Thanks!

Steve S / Phoenix lockbox / Cleveland, OH field office / mailed application 11/23 / NOA 11/26 / check cashed 11/29. Sorry, I do not remember what was Irina's eligibility date.

Update, we are most likely going to use a company that expedites processing rather than go to Washington (which services our region). One of Irina's friends from a Russian forum has used them so we know they are legitimate. I can post their info with the next update.

Now, the thing is, they no longer are allowed to do by mail so she will still have to travel twice - to Chicago. Representatives from the Russian consulate set up shop there certain weekends. We will have to pay a fee for this service - $300+. The reason we will pay for this is that now Irina is working and it is extremely difficult for her to get a weekday off and we cannot do it during her next vacation week. We can get a guaranteed weekend appointment time this way.

We actually need the passport well in advance but that is good to know that the 6-month rule does not apply everywhere.

We have had a similar situation with international travel. We had the plane ticket match her maiden name which is on the Russian passport. That was good for getting through airline check-in and TSA screening. Then, once we arrived back at US immigration, she just showed her green card (married name) and nobody was interested in her plane ticket or Russian passport at that point. We brought along our marriage cert just in case.

International

Irina's Russian passport expires next September. The effective expiration date therefore is in March because for many places you need 6 mos. valid passport beyond travel dates. Has anyone used one of the third party services to process a renewal? Irina says the consulate site states she would need to appear in person in Washington D.C. both to drop off the passport and then later to pick it up. So, two round trips/hotels/time off work (intended by Russian government to discourage this type of behavior?). But people do offer services through the mail - unsure if it is technically legal. The info is in Russian, well beyond my reading ability.

Info, please.

So many reasons I would never want my little girl (if I had one) in a situation like that . . .

Thanks, Nick, for a detailed analysis. I have watched a lot of YouTube videos on this topic. Some posters of these videos are really fanatics, into heavy caliber guns and they keep an armory at the bedside (eg. high capacity 10 mm handgun AND shotgun). I however am not preparing for the extremely unlikely event of a full-scale tactical assault -- the chance of firing anything at home is remote and of needing advanced "stopping power" more remote still. I am looking for something that is both fun for target practice and can be in a gunsafe at home "in case if what" (as Irina would say). A handgun seems by far the most practical for this purpose though for fun I want to try out the other types of weapons. Other issues to consider -- the noise without ear protection and risk of over penetration (neighbors close by) may favor the .22. If to keep only one gun which is also for target shooting, a relatively long barrel revolver or semi-auto in .22 with single or single/double action makes a lot of sense. I would also favor having a thumb safety (important to practice with for muscle memory).

My comment about Irina only claiming never to have shot before was purely in jest -- she did not complete all her schooling in the Soviet era when weapons training may have been more common.

The comment about "natural born shooter" and DOMA - ha, you zinged me with that one!

Thanks for the great pics, Gary and Slim! I predict the beginning of our collection -- a .22 target pistol, and something more substantial as home defense and for me to have fun with at the range. Looking forward to trying a rifle.

It is really an exciting time - congratulations!

Do people still talk guns in the RUB forum? I want to brag on my wife -- I took her to a "Shooting 101" class yesterday. Her very first time firing a weapon (or so she claims), she put each of her first 20 rounds in the center of the target (.22 at 5 yards). Tight grouping. She also did well with the 9 mm -- better than I did.

I think we have caught the bug . . . .

Near Toledo Ohio. There is a large population of RUB in Detroit and Cleveland which are not far from here. All the Russian stores, churches ect. Houston sounds great to and it's warm there which I'm sure she would like very much!

We just moved to Cleveland. Anyone else here in North Ohio?

We have stayed several times in flats booked at apartmentres.com -- prices more like $140 a night but you get a kitchen with full refrigerator, clothes washing machine, etc. For us it seemed a better deal than the hotels. The same company can also arrange airport transfers, or stock the refrigerator. The rental units on Novy Arbat are very convenient to the embassy -- also right next Kish-Mish which was our go-to spot for Uzbek style cuisine when we did not want to venture far in the January cold.

We have also brought back from Russia various meds such as azithromycin and omeprazole (OTC in both countries, but much cheaper over there). No problems with customs so far. YMMV. We can also get some Russian pharmacy products at our international market here, including her favorite detski cream, and some Russian meds such as digestive tablets and topical analgesic which are not OTC in the American pharmacies. Of course, you would know not to bring back any controlled substances like opioids or sleeping pills (which wouldn't be OTC there anyway).

Irina loved gumbo when I made it - just not too spicy. We have a shrimp boil from time to time. I also think your crab legs night will go over well.

As for the Russian cooking, I really enjoy most of it including the heavy salads with mayonnaise and egg, pelmeni, etc. Once in a blue moon we will have a classic Russian meal of black bread, boiled potatoes, smoked fish, pickles and vodka.

She insists on buying non-homogenized milk, though She is even happier when she can find raw milk, labeled "not for human consumption". No, thanks.

Good news for us, Irina's GC arrived last week! (delay to access VisaJourney because we have been out of town).

http://static-forums.visajourney.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

Will someone who is clever with the Text Editor update the list please? We are listed last on the Vermont list.

Biometrics completed 9/21/12

GC approved 4/1/13

GC received 4/10/13

My in-laws are visiting from Chelyabinsk oblast -- we will stay off the roads and have seledka pod shuboi, caviar and salad Olivier and listen to Russian music. Maybe watch Putin's annual address. And Russian champagne of course.

What do other people have planned?

Happy New Year!

Since Sochi is in my wife's backdoor we are planning our trip. We will visit her family in Bakuriani, Georgia then we will go to Batumi and travel to Sochi this route.

Hopefully by then Georgia and Russia will be on better terms.

Her brother works for Chevron and lives in Rustov. He is planning on taking us to the alpine and ice skating events..

Brusik, that sounds like it an amazing trip. Ideal if one can combine Olympics with visiting family. My in-laws live nowhere close to Sochi. We are leaning more towards watching the Games on TV as other people wrote.

. . . I guess nobody else is thinking of going.

Any other RUBbers considering going to the Sochi Olympics? The official site (sochi2014.com) is extremely vague about tickets -- "Please register for news and updates on the Sochi 2014 ticketing sales program and be the first to know the ticket sales launch date!" I wish they would simply post how and when ticket applications will be accepted. In Atlanta there was a lottery system. Does anyone have more information about it?

Not sure we will have the funds or the time off to go, but it is fun to think about!

Hi to fellow August filers. I just mailed my packet today by UPS ground. This is the supporting evidence I included with the packet (possibly overkill):

• Copies of our passports and Irina’s green card.

• 3 notarized affidavits

• 26 photos on 3 composite pages, labeled by number with page detailing date and location of each photo.

• 2 statements from our joint checking account.

• Transcripts of our 2010 and 2011 joint US income tax returns.

• Letter from investment company listing funds balance and showing Irina as beneficiary of all accounts.

• Documentation of life insurance with Irina as beneficiary.

• Copy of our American Express cards with same 12 initial digits of account number.

• Copy of recent American Express statement showing charges by both of us.

• Copy of our Macy’s charge cards showing a joint account.

• 2 medical insurance statements.

• Copy of itemized receipt for Irina’s bridal gown.

• Menu card for wedding reception.

• Delivery card for flowers ordered from Russia to our home in honor of our first anniversary in 5/11.

• Friends' wedding invitation sent to both of us at our home address.

• Copy of airline reservations for Irina’s parents to visit us later this year.

Good luck to everyone. This is certainly easier than the waiting for the K1 visa!

Here is my understanding of it, based on my own travel experience and reading similar posts in the past. I could be wrong, though!

a) Russian POE -- will not be a problem, they will just look at her passport

b) US POE -- will not be a problem, they will look at the GC

c) Airline -- could be a problem b/c the passport does not match the ticket. I would speak with a representative of the airline to check, unless you get definitive reassuring answer here. Hopefully having the GC and marriage certificate would make it ok. Getting through TSA screening should be ok b/c they will accept the GC. But sometimes the airline may additionally want to verify passports/visas.

My wife is traveling back soon. Passport in maiden name, GC in married name, airline ticket in maiden name (rather than married name as is yours). We are expecting smooth process through passport control on both ends, but will bring marriage certificate along just in case. I will keep tabs with this thread in case anyone has additional advice on preparing for our trip.