akdiver

Just trying to get a survey how everyone sends items like, I-134, tax records, relationship evidence, etc to the SO in Russia? I mean so that you KNOW they got it. DHL cost $100 to mail it.Is there something that is cheaper but will make sure that it gets there? I have mailed stuff in the past and it gets there without any issues in about 10-12 days. But you know, as soon as I want something there, it will get lost. And getting closer to holidays.. well, who knows. So any suggestions?

I sent mine DHL to avoid any BS. The money spent on that is completely insignificant to the overall cost of the process. $100 to send stuff via DHL should not even make you blink.

You know the saying, young men shave before bed, old men shave in the morning. BTW I never shave.

Wow! You must be very hairy and possibly bushy.

Am I insensitive for telling my fiancee not to help the maid?

Yes.

Of particular concern to me is that the maid will choose not to change the sheets after seeing that the bed is already made. But no matter how I tell my fiancee, she chooses to ignore my pleas (most of the time).

So why do you continue to make an issue of it if she ignores you anyway? Is this really something worth fighting about?

Will she get spoiled (and hence stop doing it even at home) if I interfere?

No. She will only get spoiled if you bother to make the bed yourself at home - and somehow - I don't see that happening.

Just curious to know how you guys have dealt with behavior you find odd (or simply, unexpected).

Nothing really. People are different - I don't find that "odd".

I only paid $99 for my blond Russian hottie off of EM. I should bought a few more; I got a very good deal.

I wish we could find a woman online for $99. We could definitely use a housekeeper.

you're right

Thank you.

i should not be offended by the references in these forums of how many men prefer this race to any american woman and how american women suck.

No, you shouldn't.

i just think it's equally as trolling when the men in this forum denounce american women when they probably just had bad experiences or live in some ####### town where women walking down the street are fat and are in their bed clothes.

Well, not quite. There is a difference. American men do not come into this forum for the purpose of insulting American women, knowing full well that American women frequently visit this forum with the intent of fulfilling the purpose of this forum (in other words, there are not many American women hooking up with FSU men coming into this forum - relative to the # of American men hooking up with FSU women). So, while they may make stupid and senseless comments about American women, it's not trolling. They're not trying to bait anyone.

On the other hand, if someone comes in this forum and then starts spouting off about how men are "buying" women on websites, they are very obviously making such comments specifically targeted at many of the people who do come into this forum, with the intent of fulfilling the forum's purpose. So, in this case, its trolling.

It is unfortunately that people often make blanket statements. However, if you mentally prepend these statements with, "My experience is" or "I think that" - it should be pretty clear to you that they are just expressing an opinion, presumably based on their experience. That's not trolling. However, to come in here and claim that men are buying their women from websites definitely is trolling, unless you have any personal experience with a substantial majority of men who do so.

...when i curiously looked at Elena's Models where many men bought their wives

Good lord, what a troll.

For someone who supposedly wants to counter stereotypes, you sure are good at throwing them out there.

i decided to just let you guys go at it and see how long it takes for me to reply to your generalities with ways in which i and many others do not fit into your stereotype- or why you fit into the steroetype you hate so much.

You mean, generalities such as "american men detest american women" ??

Some American men detest some American women.

Some American men detest all American women.

Guess what?

Some American women detest some American men.

Some American women detest all American men.

Some French men detest...

Some French women detest...

Lather, rinse, repeat.

As for me, I detest morons, regardless of their gender or national origin. Now stop trolling and go away.

right, "no pressure" post was to be expected...

by pressure i meant necessity to conduct certain types of transactions in the russian locality that one's leaving such as (but not limited to) care of remaining relatives, inheritance process, and major of them all - real estate dealings... if one has nothing of that - no pressure but not too many individuals leave absolutely nothing after living more than quarter of a century in a home country.

o bender

I see. Well, it's not as if my wife "left nothing". She had a successful travel agency, which she essentially gave away. She had a rather nice flat in a new high-rise, which she sold. She also has plenty of relatives - parents, brother, nephews, cousins, etc. etc. I guess she wasn't too hung up on inheriting real estate or other goodies. If I had to guess, knowing her, she's probably content to just let her brother have all of her parents' property when they pass on. Up to her I guess.

Alright, AKdiver I forgot another way that no russian who is not under pressure would ever take.

Hey, there was no pressure applied here. My wife was moving out of town - saw no need to keep a registration there - and unregistered there. Pretty simple logic - nothing to do with any kind of "pressure".

now to change the passport with maiden name is entirely different and more sad stroy. first you have to change the name in internal russian passport (in russia only of course). then get new international passport there with the new name. very unpleasant procedure i believe...

Completely untrue - I know from first hand experience. Read the link on this subject I posted earlier in this thread.

You just got lucky. For most of us it just won't work that way.

I don't see why not. I didn't bribe them or anything.

now to change the passport with maiden name is entirely different and more sad stroy. first you have to change the name in internal russian passport (in russia only of course). then get new international passport there with the new name. very unpleasant procedure i believe...

Completely untrue - I know from first hand experience. Read the link on this subject I posted earlier in this thread.

As I read through this thread, it seems to skate around an issue we are talking about right now. Vika says that changing her Ukrainian passport could cause all kinds of problems with inheritance, etc. in Ukraine. If there is a stamp that goes in her passport instead that would seem to get around all the concerns about keeping her maiden name for those purposes. Does Ukraine simply stamp the married name into the passport too?

That strikes me as odd, that inheritance would be based on one's name, rather than WHO ONE IS, and what someone's will says.

I agree in some reagrds. Alla did not change her name and it has made a lot of things easier, however carrying proof of name change (marriage certificate) may also have helped

FWIW, the marriage cert of the person I am describing in this case does not actually indicate a name change, or a before/after name. That seems to lie at the hard of the problem with respect to getting her passport reissued in the married name.

Of what business is it of theirs that she can get into Russia?

They are REQUIRED to ascertain whether one has a prima facia standing for legal entry into the destination country. However, their error was in refusing to allow the use of two passports to establish identity match with the ticket and permitted entry into Russia, or, at a minimum, simply changing the name on the ticket to match the name on the Russian passport.

Thanks all,

it is a relief to know that it is 6 months and not 4 and I did not know about being able to re-schedule the interview date so this also eases my concerns. I certainly wanted to file before I leave (just shortly over 1 week from today) and to know that at least it was in the USCIS's hands.

I certainly will see my Olya as many times as possible over the course of this year. I will at least see her 2 times during this year. I am certain one of these will be in Russia, the other Russia somewhere elses? Olya takes a vacation every year in June (this past year I met her in Thailand) so will see if vacation time schedules out good, to be able to meet her again for her June vacation.

Just remember to please TRY not to be as neurotic as so many VJ posters appear to be with respect to this whole process. Truthfully, for the vast majority of people (those with basic, straightforward cases), all the neuroticism is unwarranted. Just take things as they are, read the forms, follow the instructions. The information you need is typically RIGHT THERE. Don't try to read things into them that are not there. It isn't rocket science. Most people would be JUST FINE if they used a few brain cells during the process rather than spending all of their energy on the "OMFG!!!!!" circuits of their brains.

Good luck!

akd

To make the long story short, my wife an I got married 8 months ago. I find out she has been cheating on me for many months now, with 3 different men.

Wow - she's a popular gal!

FWIW, some of you may be interested in reviewing this thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24549

FYI - got this e-mail from my wife's cousin today:

oh my god you speak like a true Russian!! You are amazed when they do it right! So am I!!!

Thank you for all the info and the offer to help. At this point the marriage certificate does not seem to be enough for any consulate as it does not state my new name on it, only my maiden name. Does yours have both? Did you guys get married in Hawaii? This is the only place that puts both name on the document. I went back to consulate and said "look, Seattle does it, you should too". They told me that they might consider it (no promises) if I produce some document with apostille that states both my married and maiden name in one piece of paper and suggested I called to court house. So I did and the clerk was stunned and directed me to a head clerk who said that there is no such document exist and they cant produce it. However, he did suggest that I call to home-land security!! and see they can do it as a part of Naturalization documents. I haven't called yet, but I doubt they will do anything. If all fails I will have to change my married name back to the original, I get so frustrated when I think of it. Seems that I am lost in translation.

The problem she has of course is that she has been a U.S. citizen for some time, so the N400 process can't help her at this point.

Lesson learned: use the N400 process to do a legal name change, even if you are already using your married name. This may help you. Maybe.

FWIW, some of you may be interested in reviewing this thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24549

Irina is now a US citizen, and she will be traveling to Russia in three weeks under her married name. I will make certain she follows another piece of advice from akdiver by carrying an apostille'd copy of our marriage certificate with her, just in case this weird situation happens to her. I never would have guessed that someone with a valid Russian passport could be denied permission to fly to Russia on the grounds that they didn't have a visa.

Absolutely bizare, I know.

On that note - funny I should read this just now. The person in question (wife's cousin), now wants to change the name in her Russian passport. She is being told by the consulate in/near/that serves Houston that she needs something that indicates WHY she changed her name, and that a marriage certificate is not enough because it doesn't say WHY, or specifically indicate that her name is changing. Bizarro!!! Hey - sounds strange to me too, but I can just report what I'm told. I'll report more facts as they become available to me.

However, this whole business of having to make two trips to a Russian consulate IN PERSON to renew a Russian passport is ridiculous -

My wife was able to update hers by mail, perhaps because we live so far from any Russian consulate or maybe rules have changed recently.

Mine was too - but that was in, um...2006 I think. My understanding is that the rules have changed recently.

My wife had her Russian passport re-issued in her married name - so it is a non-issue for us.

However, this whole business of having to make two trips to a Russian consulate IN PERSON to renew a Russian passport is ridiculous - and adds a minimum of $1000 to the cost of simply getting a passport renewed. That is likely to cause us to just let her Russian passport lapse on expiration and may prevent future trips to Russia.

I'm still waiting on the "it was all a big hoax" post from akdiver.

Nope, true story.

Not a very interesting hoax though. I can do a lot better if that's my goal (:

THE ANALYSIS:

She had ID proving that she was the person named on the plane ticket (the U.S. passport). She had ID proving she had permitted entry into Russia (the Russian passport). The fact that one had a different name on it than the other shouldn't matter - they are both clearly her IDs (a fact that was not in dispute). There really is no way she should have been denied boarding - I think the airline was in error. However, the reality is that she wasn't able to get on the plane.

I posted about this before....As of October 1, 2009 TSA has changed their rules regarding requirements for boarding planes. You MUST have a government ID that matches the name on the ticket. The first name and last name must match the name on the ticket.

The airline employee was following the TSA rules. The Russian passport was not to be considered as a valid ID since the name didn't match the name on the ticket. The airline employee is then looking at only the US passport and sees no visa which equals deny boarding. Airlines are fined big bucks for allowing a passenger to travel without a valid visa.

The airline employee was correct.

I disagree.

There are two issues here:

a]. Are you the person named on the ticket?

b]. Do you have permission to enter the destination country.

The U.S. passport affirms A, the Russian passport affirms B. Both affirmations are clear and unequivocal.

If the airline had a problem with using TWO documents to satisfy A and B, then it would have been TRIVIAL for it to merely re-issue the ticket in the name on the Russian passport, at no cost to the customer. It would have been the obvious customer-friendly solution to the issue at hand, and the right thing to do. To turn the customer AWAY is just asinine and pretty much guaranteed to cause a loss of future business.

My wife's cousin, a U.S. citizen from Russia, recently had some travel problems that people may want to know about.

She has a current U.S. passport with her married name.

She has a current Russian passport with her original name.

Her plane ticket was in her married name.

She has been living in the U.S. for something like 15 years.

THE PROBLEM:

U.S. airline denied her boarding permission, for lack of a travel document with the same name on her plane ticket, permitting entry into Russia. So, she couldn't make her trip.

THE ANALYSIS:

She had ID proving that she was the person named on the plane ticket (the U.S. passport). She had ID proving she had permitted entry into Russia (the Russian passport). The fact that one had a different name on it than the other shouldn't matter - they are both clearly her IDs (a fact that was not in dispute). There really is no way she should have been denied boarding - I think the airline was in error. However, the reality is that she wasn't able to get on the plane.

THE CONCLUSION:

For the love of god people, don't change your name just because you get married - but if you do, then get the same name, whatever it is, on all of your documents.

Our experience says that without the green card, you will have a very tough time obtaining any of those items.

That's strange. My (then fiancee) had a driver's license and social security card within a month of her arrival, and before we got married. Absolutely no need to wait for a "green card".

She applied for and received a state-id card the day after she arrived. Would have been the same day, except she arrived on a Sunday.

She applied for a social security card the day after she arrived - and had in in her hands in about 2 weeks.

The driver's license took a month - but only because she wanted more practice time before taking the test.

She got her permanent resident card 7 months after her arrival. Glad we didn't wait until then to get her other ID documents - that would suck.

But, the passport office tells her that they must have a certified copy with an apostille.

Hate to say this - but that's relatively common knowledge - needing the apostille. FWIW, when we "ordered" our marriage certificate, we ordered 5 copies, with apostille - just for reasons such as this. Came in real handy when my wife went to get her Russian passport (international) changed over to her married name and renewed.

I suggested that she keep trying to get them to accept the certified marriage certificate (without apostille).

Not going to happen. Especially in Russia - they're in love with seals.