Henykat

They don't neccessarily have to be paid. You can delay it if you want. NVC will not accept any email for for COA until they are ready..ready in this case is when they have prepared/generated and sent you the AOS/DS3032 package.

Why would I be able to pay the fee if they haven't sent out an AOS package?

NVC has to send you/generate the AOS/DS3032 barcoded kit before COA can be accepted.

So, the AOS fee has to be paid and processed before any of this can happen.

ohhh thanks my wife told me that she was able to talk to a person and gave our emails to them so i will send the ds 3032 template form to the NVC...

i can send it right ?

I tried it just after giving our emails to an operator and got a reply saying they are not able to add it yet. Something has to occur before they can accept it, but I haven't figured out exactly what it is yet.

Keeping up with the vagaries of Russian law would be a full-time job, as it changes constantly and laws coming from the Duma, President, and regional authorities can all conflict with each other--that's one of the ways that the State controls businesses, media outlets, etc.--it's impossible to operate fully within the letter of the law since they conflict, so if you get on the wrong side of whoever, they can always find some sort of violation.

Do what Slim said; send them in a sealed envelope and slip them some cash if there's an issue. Or find someone who is going to the US who you trust to act as courier. Or spend the $2000 or so dollars it'd take for you to fly to Russia and pick them up. Have her go to fedex and send them as sealed documents without bothering to ask if it's legal or not. Ask too many questions, get too many answers.

She did this. Lady asked her if there was a passport inside, and that was all.

You guys getting your NVC case number via AVS or by talking to a real person?

I mean, do you really have any other option at this point?

The other option is to see what remedy NVC has for working within the laws of Russia and the USA. Seems there are very few actual IR/CR-1 filers with a beneficiary in Russia that post here.

Put them in a separate envelope and stick that envelope in a fedex envelope and have her overnight it. There's no reason for the fedex people know exactly what the documents are.

And visaveteran, Russia makes up laws all the time that may conflict with what the consulate/embassies want.

You've personally had this done? Seems like practical advice, but I don't want to play the guinea pig with our visa process.

What makes you say "any shipper?" Have you checked? I doubt the US state department would require documents that can't be sent from Russia. Pony Express is mostly used for shipping documents within Russia such as a Russian applying for a tourist visa. I don't think I've heard of anyone using them for international shipping.

But, I'm no expert by any means.

This is from DHL, obviously her translator didn't get it all right but the gist is still there:

Hello, Ekaterina.

Documents proving the identity: passports of citizens of River Ф, загран. Passports of citizens of River Ф, passports of foreign citizens, identity cards, identification cards of the officer, the passport of the seaman, the birth certificate, the work record card, residence permit; are forbidden to export for territory of Russia customs of the Russian Federation. It is impossible to send originals not through us, through any other post/express company.

Yes. We just used FedEx and only stated documents. There is no reason why you need certified copies, only the Embassy.

Sorry, still confused. NVC requires originals or certified copies. Neither can be sent by any shipper in Russia because of Russian law. What exactly did you send via FedEx?

Specifically they will not send any birth certificate or certified copy of it.

My wife tried to send me certified copies for her DS-230 package today via Pony Express. They would not send them, citing customs regulations of Russia that do not allow identification documents to be shipped abroad. Anyone have this issue before?

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3195.html

In this case, the documents are written in Spanish and the application/interview will happen at the US Embassy in Peru -- no translations needed. If she was born in Brazil (Portuguese speaking) and dealing with the US embassy in Peru, then yes, they'd need a translation.

That is what I thought also, but you are not applying for immigration in Peru, you are applying to NVC, which is in the USA.

hi GUYS...LOTO, TOMD and anyone who can help me;

i just called NVC...the operator said that our AOS looks fine...and they are already reviewing the ds230...BUT how come there's a mssing documents in our AOS and she said it looks fine...and she said that they emailed the cheklist letter on NOV 5...but we havn't recieved any emails...and then on nov 5 accding to AVR we have a missing documents and on NOV 8 AVR said the checklist letter response recieved on NOV 8 ( but we havn't response to anything..we havn't send any documents) im so confused....

If the operator said it is fine, why are you worried about it? Your AOS probably just wasn't in the system yet.

What got paid? I'm assuming AOS fee. If so, you need to figure out which form you need to file. I864, I864EZ, or I864A. Fill the form out and gather all the supporting documents you need. Then ship the package out with the bar-coded coversheet. You want to at-least include the following:

• Bar-coded cover sheet
• Cover letter.
• Completed and signed form I-864EZ (if EZ form applies to you)
• IRS tax account/return transcripts for the years 2009, 2008 and 2007 of the petitioner
• Employment Letter of the petitioner
• Copy of Pay stubs for the entire year 2010 of the petitioner or just most recent six months
• Copy of the U.S Passport of the petitioner (optional)

Do you earn more than enough as par the poverty guidelines. If so, you can just use your earning as support. Else you'll need co-sponsors or assets.

Actually, the only required documents to send with I-864EZ are tax returns and supporting forms or transcripts of the previous year. All the other things you list are optional.

"You may include evidence supporting your claim about your expected income for the current year if you believe that submitting this evidence will help you establish ability to maintain sufficient income. You are not required to submit this evidence, however, unless specifically instructed to do so by a Government official. For example, you may include a recent letter from your employer, showing your employer's address and telephone number, and indicating your annual salary. You may also provide pay stub(s) showing your income for the previous six months. If your claimed income includes alimony, child support, dividend or interest income, or income from any other source, you may also include evidence of that income."

how to get an IRS tax transcript..guys help??

calling the IRS toll-free at 800-829-1040 and following the prompts in the recorded message.

Been through there twice in the last year and once through DME and I'm going again in December. I've never had a problem there, but then again, my wife always meets me and takes care of getting us from the airport to where we want to go.

I cant believe those consulars still rejects applications even when there's concrete evidence that the relationship is genuine.

How do you know that to be true? Good luck with your letter.

She didn't misrepresent anything. Sorry you are angry. We are not encouraging anyone to break the law or to commit fraud. We are stating the facts. She is already in the US. She did not enter with intent. She is married to a US Citizen. She can adjust status.

You are correct that if these things are factual she can adjust status, but you have no clue as to whether they are really facts. While most of us are basing statements granting the honesty of the person we are applying for immigration officials often do not and for good reason.

You said earlier your wife came on a tourist VISA but did not intend to stay. I am guessing they will ask you and her about this at the interview.

So if she entered with intent to go back which is the opposite of entering on a tourist VISA with the intent to immigrate (immigration fraud), wouldn't she have to give notice at her job and her apartment and pack her things and settle her affairs? How does she plan to do that if your wife overstays to stick around and adjust status?

Don't think these questions are going to be answered.

I've never talked to my wife on the phone as we both have access to the internet almost every day. If chat transcripts aren't enough then she won't be getting a visa.

Seems they could save a lot of time and paper by letting the default agent be the petitioner and just giving an option via email to accept or request to send a DS-3032

If you use a scanned version of the DS-3032, what format should the attachment be in? PDF, JPG?

Instead of a joint email account, I suggest you to create 2 separate email accounts - one for the petitioner and the other for the beneficiary. Then the beneficiary sends the DS-3032 email from her account.

Loto

Did NVC send your case to the consulate without scheduling an interview? I thought that was part of NVC's duties.

Did you bring any snacks?

welcome and good luck

Hoping not to stay long enough to get hungry

Looks like anywhere from 2-6 months from NOA2 to me:

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/k1list.php?cfl=0&op1=8&op2=a&op3=&op4=2&op5=5,6,8,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,25,26,27,28&op6=All&op7=Russia&dfile=No

My memory is those original documents you send to the NVS are returned in that mysterious sealed envelope, marked DO NOT OPEN, that arrives with the visa via DHL The one you surrender at POE.

We got everything back but I was nervous .

Thanks for the info. I thought you got originals back after the interview. Katya went ballistic when I said she needed to send me her original birth certificate. And I can imagine she'd be a little nervous leaving Russia not knowing it was in the mysterious envelope. We'll be avoiding the stress about her originals since she has the certified copies from ZAGS.