TomZ

Thanks, Bob! That's good to know...now we can see Niagara from both sides!

I have read conflicting reports on various web sites regarding if a US permanent resident with a Russian passport requires a visa to visit Canada? Also, for Mexico, it appears clearer that a visa is not required, but is it true that Canada does still require a visa from Moscow?

I thought I would update anyone that might be interested in this topic. And thanks for the advice regarding the apostille. I had no exposure to this previously and it turns out we definitely needed it (translated of course) and attached to the marriage license (also translated). They took these two documents, with a little hassle since they did not understand that my county does not release the original marriage license--only a certified copy. But a few hundred rubles and 10 days later, my wife now has her new internal passport with her new name and also our marriage information in it. She will not have to renew this for many years (age 45 if I am not mistaken) and she now has this to submit for her foreign passport which will be good for ten years versus her current one which was only good for 5 years. This also cost only a few hundred rubles and now she will not have to worry about which name to use when booking tickets, etc. A little extra effort for the sake of consistency, plus a few other benefits, and since she needed to be there for a few months anyway, it certainly seemed economically better than trying to do it here in the states.

Thanks for the responses. We do have both current and former last names on the marriage license, but did not get it translated--didn't have time prior to her urgent departure. We're hoping that she can find someone to do the translating in her home city. It is also good to know that she does in fact need to have the name change on her inner passport prior. It might save her some runaround--which sounds quite common in this situation.

Any advice on the Advanced Parole process for her return trip???

Hi All,

A couple questions that I wanted to ask on behalf of my new wife who has just traveled back to Russia with her Advanced Parole in hand. She recently renewed her foreign passport (before getting K1 Visa) and will have the opportunity to renew it again with her new last name. Advantage is that they recently changed the expiration from 5 years to 10 years. We think this is a good idea especially considering all the questions she got at security with ticket in new name and foreign passport in old name (but since we filed for AOS in new name with Advanced Parole docs, we figured her tickets should be in new name also.) Question: Does it make sense to change her name on her inner passport also? She will be there for two months and this should be enough time for her to drop off the paper work and then return in a month to pick them up. Any problems that people can think of using a US Marriage license to change your name in Russia? Also, we received two copies of the Advanced Parole form. Does this mean she can only make two trips? Will Customs and Border Patrol ask her to surrender one when she returns? Thanks.

Hi,

We just went to a local Civil Surgeon for I-485 on a K1 visa. Paid $80 for paperwork and $120 for MMR and another shot. They accepted verbal that my wife had chicken pox when younger. We did not have time to do TB, so am a little concerned we might get an RFE for this, but we will cross that bridge when we get there...

Is it possible for my new bride to continue to write (and get paid) for (by) her former employer in another country while we wait for her I-485/765/131 to be approved? Or does the IRS have laws for foreign nationals working for foreign governments within the US boundaries???

This is so wrong in so many ways...Firstly, what is this propaganda doing in VisaJourney? I hope the moderators remove it soon, because it is filled with stupidity and hate. Secondly, when was the last time you or this person being quoted was in Moscow and has even the faintest idea what it means to be Russian...Thirdly, please look up the definition of treason and tell us what you have to report once you learn its true meaning...I could go on and on, but it would be pointless because hopefully this entire posting will soon be remove because it will make everyone more stupid for having read it. I can just feel my brain cells wasting away after suffering through the whole post...but I did it so that others would not have to suffer through it too. )

The K-1 visa requirement is that you get married within the 90 days of arrival. After that you may file for AOS at any time, but considering the proposed rate increase, you should file as soon as possible after the marriage.

However, waiting to file means that your new spouse is "out of status" and can not leave the country until AOS is completed or she has received Advanced Parole (AP).

Hi, I submitted a comment regarding the proposed rate increase for K1 visa application--nearly 300% increase!! I wonder when this could go into affect?

I wasn't aware that there was a proposal for USCIS AOS I-485, too. Can you provide us with more information about this proposal? Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your insight and quick responses. This site is awesome!

Hi, I was just researching the state department website and wanted to know if someone can confirm the process that they use at the Moscow embassy. We have our interview in a couple months, and are planning our timelines. It seems to me that when a visa is granted, it will have a 6 month valid date from when it was created--seems like a couple days after the interview, if all goes successfully. Does that mean that when she arrives in the US her I94 will be stamped with her arrival date and she will have 90 days from that date--regardless of when she received her visa? Spasibo

Tom

Thanks for the quick responses...so it seems imperative that the native country's passport does not expire. Is it possible to renew a Russian external passport by sending it to the Russian Embassy in the US even when my fiancee (at that point wife) will have a US address? I have attempted to call the Embassy in DC, but I encounter terminal hold... The reason I'm asking about future renewal versus now, is that there are some timing issues with current international travel and not wanting to have her passport being renewed/unavailable when they schedule her interview. Any additional info is much welcomed.

Tom

Hello, Is it possible to travel internationally when possessing a conditional green card through a fiancee visa? Is there a 'special' passport that one gets to attach visas? Are you required to show your native country's external passport? Thanks.

Tom

...this is all very informative)) As a newbie, I am starting to get a feel for this community...and looking forward to more educational posts :-)

Tom

Thanks. I just joined, and was pleasantly surprised by all the useful information.