akdiver

Like our buddies south of the border, once you get the primary here, you've basically started a life-long sponsorship of the entire family. Before you know it, you'll have enough family members living in your house to open your own business... and then get the rest of them here too!

Yeah, and I think that:

a). That's BS and this whole "chain migration" thing should not be allowed.

B). I would never do it - and I would make that very clear at the beginning of anything.

c). It reminds me of a joke, which goes as follows:

On a chain of beautiful islands in the middle of nowhere, the following people are stranded:

• Two Italian men and one Italian woman.
• Two French men and one French woman.
• Two German men and one German woman.
• Two Greek men and one Greek woman.
• Two English men and one English woman.
• Two Bulgarian men and one Bulgarian woman.
• Two Japanese men and one Japanese woman.
• Two Chinese men and one Chinese woman.
• Two Irish men and one Irish woman.
• Two American men and one American woman.

One month later, on these absolutely stunning islands in the middle of nowhere, the following things have occurred:

• One of the Italian men killed the other for the Italian woman.
• The two French men and the French woman are living happily in a menage a trois.
• The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of alternating visits with the German woman.
• The two Greek men are sleeping with each other while the Greek woman cooks and cleans for them.
• The two English men are waiting for someone to introduce them to the woman.
• The two Bulgarian men took one look at the Bulgarian woman and decided to swim to another island.
• The two Japanese men faxed Tokyo and are awaiting instructions.
• The Irish men divided the island into north and south and set up a distillery. They don't remember if sex gets into the picture because it gets somewhat foggy after a few litres of coconut whiskey. However, they're happy because the English aren't having any fun.
• The two Chinese have set up a pharmacy/liquor store/restaurant and laundry and gotten the woman pregnant in order to supply employees for the store.
• The two American men are contemplating suicide because the American woman won't shut up and complains relentlessly about her body, the true nature of feminism, what the sun is doing to her skin, how she can do anything they can do, the necessity of fulfillment, the equal division of household chores, how sand and palm trees make her feet look fat, how her last boyfriend respected her more than they do, how her relationship with her mother is the root cause of all problems and why didn't they bring a goddam cell phone so they could call 911 and get them all rescued off this deserted island in the middle of nowhere so she can go shopping.

The one thing that is nice about PI filers is you usually get several for the price of one. They get somewhat of a quantity discount, so maybe that's something we should look into.

So, you're trying to say that a PI filer.....uh.....well....if I continue this thought, I'm sure I will be accused of all kinds of nasty things. So, let's just say I liked Magnum PI, and end with my PI comments right there. (:

I just got back in the States (from a month with Olya in Kaluga) and this is the first chance I have had to read this thread. I feel the need to "shed some light" on the "perceived" quick reversal of feelings by Tim. I may be stepping on Tim's toes and acting "out-of-line" for doing so but I think Tim will understand why I am doing this.

Tim and I have become good friends we (Tim & I) talk usually 1-2 times a week and this situation was not something that just came-up. It has been growing over time and as with most relationships it all begins and ends with "communication" or lack of communiction as sometimes happens.

they both have been going thru some "rough patches" and as an outsider and friend looking in, I could sense they had begun to forget how to communicate with each other.

Irina went on an extended trip back to her home July-Aug (Yashkar-Ola) and just prior to this trip "things came to a boil", neither knew what their futures held and neither knew even if Irina would return to the States. For many months leading up to this Tim has been doing some soul-searching, I think nothing more than anyone of us would and have done in our own lives.

I feel that their time apart (Irina in Russia) helped to shed some light on how they both truly feel for each other, it gave them a chance to step-back evaluate thier own lives and thier relationship with each other.

It was not an easy and quick decision for Tim to step up and post on VJ of thier problems and he did it with a "half-a-heart" and deep sadness, but he felt he needed to get out out in the open so he could move forward, and he has moved forward.

BUT this move is with Irina! as with any and all relationships, nothing is perfect, nothing is easy, but these events have given them both something they feel was lacking before; the knowledge and the feeling they are "committed to each other". A feeling I hope they never again feel is lost.

I am much like Tim, communicating my own feelings with the person I love is not easy, this is something both Tim and I will need to do a much better job of doing. To have the life and the love we both wish for.

Tim, I give you this advice as a friend (and it is advice I need to heed as well) we have listened to our hearts, now we both need to avoid our own personal nature's by taking the "easy road" and withdrawling into ourselves when times are difficult. We both need to continue opening our hearts and communicating our thoughts and feelings with the women we love.

Wishing you and Irina a very long, happy and loving life together

What does ANY of this have to do with placing an order for a RealDoll?

My understanding is that the internal passport has to be changed through agencies internal to Russia and cannot be done by Russia's overseas institutions in the US.

I have read a few comments that it is possible to get a foreign university degree / transcript translated and then recognized in the US of A. However I was wondering if someone has actually done this, and what do you get for your money? I have seen prices in the $300 to $500 range.

Is it worth the cost? Does it make a difference?

Thanks for suggestions, advice, and keeping the pie talk to a minimum.

Yes, I've done it. Yes, its worth the money. Yes, it makes a difference.

If you do some searching, you'll see the extensive writeup I've posted more than once.

Essentially, what you get is an English language university-like transcript that indicates the evaluator's opinion of the courses and grades you have had, and what, if any, US degree equivalents you have. In my wife's case, it translated out to a B.A. degree in teaching, a B.B.A. in management, and a master's degree in management. Using this document, she applied to graduate school, and was credited with already having two undergrad and one graduate degree - thus keeping her from having to take placement exams, the MCAT, or TOEFL.

I think it's because the mods don't generally tend to hang out in RUB, and only come when summoned by the whiners. And by whiners I mean Romanians and Slovenians and Poles, because you know they're all scammers.

I dunno why people who don't have business in here even come in here - except maybe to troll. In any event, complaints of those who have no business here about what goes on in here should be ignored - or publicly ridiculed.

You don't need a passport to buy plane tickets - at least not in the U.S.

2. Need to visit the consulate in person to pick up the new passport. This is ridiculous. We are in San Diego and have to travel to San Francisco just to pick up the passport. (By the way in the application package they ask for the $20 postage fee for returning the documents, which we had sent).

Smells like bullshit to me. There is no way that can be true. It's completely unreasonable, even for Russians. Hell, we live in Alaska. Like we're really going to fly down to the consulate in Seattle to pick up a passport.

Any way to get around the above problems?

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

My wife's international passport expired in June, and on Saturday (6/29/2006) she sent it off to the Russian Consulate in Seattle to get it renewed. She also wanted to change her official registration to this consulate. We sent in the following via USPS priority mail:

propiska w/registration paper

international passport

various forms we filled out

original marriage certificate with apostille

money order for $150 (passport renewal)

money order for $50 (registration)

prepaid return envelope (priority mail)

Much to our amazement, she received a phone call on MONDAY (6/31/2006). They wanted to let her know that they will change her name in her international passport WITHOUT having to change the name in her internal passport (propiska) first. I say again, rather than merely putting an amendment in her international passport indicating she also goes by a different name, they will actually change the name in the passport! So, the embassy is sending back her papers. They want another $65 on top of what we already sent them, and some additional paperwork. Once we get her papers back in the mail, we will send them back with some additional things. The complete list of things we will send back will be:

propiska

international passport

various forms we filled out

original marriage certificate with apostille

translation into Russian of marriage certificate

notarized statement (in Russian) requesting passport name change

money order for $150 (passport renewal)

money order for $50 (registration)

money order for $65 (legalization + name change in passport)

prepaid return envelope (priority mail)

Now - get this - they also told her that they could process her request in about a month!! Yes, it's what they said! We'll see how it goes. If all goes well, I guess it will make up for charging an additional $65 to change the name in her passport when they are already issuing a new passport anyway.

So, if all goes as advertised, for $265, postage, and one month of time, my wife will have a newly minted passport complete with real name change, and a embassy registration for her propiska. It is unclear whether or not we will get a copy of the "legalized" marriage certificate (suitable for changing her name in her internal passport back in Russia I guess). It is also unclear whether or not we will get back the original marriage certiicate with apostille that we sent in (although I doubt it).

Results:

Well, my wife got her passport back, exactly one month later, as estimated by the consulate!! Not only on that, but they actually did everything exactly right and with no errors. I could not be more amazed.

So, what they did was issue her a new passport with her new, married name, as the name in the passport (as opposed to an amendment that says she is also known by a different name). In this passport they put some stamp to the effect of "she is now registered here at the consulate in Seattle". They did NOT make any stamps in her propiska - they have no authority to do so. The new passport is good for 5 years (this is the standard period of validity).

They also sent us back a "legalized" copy of the the marriage certificate we sent in. It's very nice, all ribboned together with stamps and seals and such. The entire package includes the original marriage certificate, the notarization, the apostille, and the legalization from the consulate. It's all permanently bound together, sealed and ribboned and so forth.

In short, the consulate did exactly what they were supposed to do, perfectly on time, and in a very reasonable period of time. The cost was a little high, but not enough to complain about. I highly recommend taking all of your "consulate needs" to the Seattle consulate, even if you have to be, ahem, "creative", about jurisdiction issues.

Application to you:

Truthfully, the consulate has no idea where you live - only what you tell them. As far as I can figure out, there is nothing to keep an interested person from acquiring "postal rights" to the jurisdiction of their choosing and filing accordingly. Get a PO Box, mail drop, or friends (all of which can forward to where you really are) and go to town. Once you have what you wanted (i.e. improved passport) from the more willing jurisdiction, then go ahead and change your registration or whatever to your real jurisdiction. Not that I recommend any of this of course. (:

That doesn't strike me as too unusual. If anything, it's a bit long. We got NOA 2 for the K-1 after 60 days or so. Good luck on your process.

Yes, my first time around (in 2004) VSC was processing applications in 30-60 days. TSC (which is where our application was at the time) was averaging FAR longer.

Maybe they give frequent customers first priority?

Just returned from Moscow. It was an awesome trip --- I'll post some general observations in the forum a little later.

I just checked the USCIS website and see that our NOA2 was approved on August 20th- the day I left on the trip. It's funny-- we went to the Internet cafe in the hotel one night while we were there so I could show her the VisaJourney site and a few other things... but I never even thought about checking the USCIS website 'cuz I couldn't imagine that we'd be approved so soon!

Anyway, I just returned home about 30 minutes ago, so I need to take a shower and get some sleep.

For those still waiting for your NOA2, take heart -- this is evidence that the Service Centers ARE making progress! And whatever frustration you must endure as you go through this process, it is very little compared to the lifetime of happiness that awaits you at the end of the journey!

That doesn't strike me as too unusual. If anything, it's a bit long. We got NOA 2 for the K-1 after 60 days or so.

Good luck on your process.

www.realdoll.com - no USCIS involvement, and no messy personality conflicts to deal with. I dunno what their return policy is though.

Maybe the same return policy that stores have for shoes...once she is used, can't be returned.

I had considered that - but I sure wouldn't want to be their returns manager - responsible for making the determination of whether the product had been used.

In related news - if you want to hear some really funny ######, watch this:

www.realdoll.com - no USCIS involvement, and no messy personality conflicts to deal with. I dunno what their return policy is though.

From K1 through passport, we have never used anything BUT our PO Box. All is well.

Slim:

I'll be happy to meet you at the airport. I have your flight information. I'll meet you down in the baggage claim area. Just look for me there.

Cheers!

AKD

The thread is about immigration fraud basically

As this thread's OP, I have to disagree entirely.

Please get us back on track and say what the discussion should have been about

Sex, drugs, and rock & roll - not necessarily in that order (:

The thread is about immigration fraud basically

As this thread's OP, I have to disagree entirely.

And FWIW, my wife would have preferred I be the one to relocate, rather than her. Of course, being the selfish ####### that I am, I had an economic motive for her to come here, and for me to stay here - we could both make more money this way. I hope that's not immigration fraud.

I worked with a guy a few years ago who was a felon. He told me it was so hard to get a job. Well, after missing several days and walking so slowly I thought he'd get stuck to the floor, he ended up being fired.

I was doing some hiring and decided to give a felon (drug issues) an interview for a position that paid around $55K/year. He showed up to the interview looking like a complete druggie, smelling like a complete druggie, and stoned out of his mind like a complete druggie. I elected not to offer him the position. It's too bad too, because on paper, he was the #1 candidate.

Some of these guys are not helping themselves.

Not a matter of finding a job, it is a matter of finding a job that can support you.

Sure. And if that is the case, people should say, "couldn't find a job that would support me", rather than "couldn't find a job." It's like when people say, "I had no choice." One almost ALWAYS has a choice about something. Not having any ATTRACTIVE choices is a different matter.

congrats again - now keep it safe !

Yep - all that stuff is in my rather large, rather heavy, and rather "fireproof" safe - as we speak.

ps my wife could have taken any old job i agree - she hung on for 6 months and now she has a better salary than I had when I was 'European Finance Director' for a US company and looking after 28 subsidiary companies across Europe (She doesn't get a Mercedes though so hah !) So nobody should sell themselves short

The flip side of course is taking a job that pays a lot of money, but makes you hate going into work every day and very unpleasant when you come home. The money isn't always everything.

Cheers!

AKD

Pretty much anyone can find a job in the U.S., if their willingness to accept employment is appropriately adjusted and they are sufficiently motivated. My wife got a pretty good job here ($60K+ manager job), but she would still rather live somewhere in Europe. The U.S. isn't all things to all people, despite what the media would have you believe.

As for us - my wife's passport, passport card, and certificate of naturalization all arrived in the mail today (3 separate mailings, only the passport was with delivery confirmation). So, the process is OFFICIALLY ###### OVER for us!!! FYI - mailed off passport application on 1 August, we got everything back on 20 August - so right at 3 weeks. Keep that in mind if you are tempted to pay a lot more money for expedited processing - I don't think it is worth it (we went with normal processing).

Cheers!

AKD

In a few years there will be Mexicans saying 'look sharp duck' in the Pacific North West and they will have swapped one foreign language for another

I think it's a lot more likely that everyone else will be saying, "¿Habla Español?".

So stop focusing on what you DON'T have... and focus on what you DO have in the way of evidence of a valid relationship.

That's a good point. We didn't have any evidence that we were actually living together. No rental agreements, no mortgage documents - just some common name bills sent to our PO Box. The whole way through the process, I keep thinking it would be a problem, but no one ever flagged it as noteworthy (I had a ton of other evidence). Passport expected in the mail any day now.

- Given todays slew of economic problems, which banks are actually the safest and most secure?

It really doesn't matter - unless maybe you're going to deposit more than $250,000.

- Which ones should we avoid?

All of them. But if you have to open an account, it doesn't matter which one.

- Any thoughts on credit unions?

If you're just opening a checking account, it doesn't really matter.

- The "online banks" are a bad idea, right?

Not really any different from other banks.

- Are there any "perks" a bank may offer married couple when opening a joint account? (dumb question)

Banks really don't care about your marital status.

- Any other ideas/advice/thoughts/advice you deem necessary to add?

It seems obvious your motivation is USCIS and their policies of treating people like criminals until proven otherwise. To that end - they're not really stupid. If you open an account just before your AOS interview and you go in there with one bank statement that is recently dated, you run the risk of being asked for additional, older statements - to prove that you have a long-standing financial relationship. If you can't present those, your application may be nicked. Maybe not likely, but possible. Just something to consider. I wouldn't #### around shopping around for banks - go out and do it today (and it really doesn't matter which one) and hope for the best.

Er...are you telling me that the "Ouch" part was the only part that was removed? That was...um...helpful?

That's all that was removed - but the whole "hasn't happened to me" part was ADDED by the mod.....for the benefit of those who can't be bothered to actually read a post before allowing it to get them all in a tizzy - I guess.

I guess I'm coming at it from more of a long-waits-at-the-DMV perspective. It just seems like what moderation *is* done, is often done in a haphazard manner. Really I think the solution, at least for this forum, is to appoint somebody (Slim's name has been dropped multiple times) the RU forum mod and be done with it.

Yeah, I nominated him for that a loooooooooooong time ago. I think he is sucker enough to do it too (:

I can't speak for AK, but I don't think it's hate. I too have gotten sick and tired of all the patriotic and misty-eyed bullshit that masks as patriotism.

That's just it. Today, "patriotism" amounts to proclaiming America to be this great and wonderful place, above all other great and wonderful places, without having even the slightest clue about the principles the country was founded upon, the importance of those principles and how they helped make the country "great" at one time, just how far we have strayed from those principles, and the reality of the current state of the union. God forbid these flag wavers actually know the Constitution, let alone understand it. At this point, it's a lost cause.

I don't have a problem with the pledge as long as it's voluntary, and not sure why AK does (I don't see it as professing "slavery") but I understand the sentiment.

You're confusing two issues. I said I can't in good conscience participate in any pledge of allegiance, and ALSO commented about the citizenship oath, which, essentially, requires you to become a slave to the government if it desires it necessary for you to do so:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

If the government wanted to pay reasonable and market rate, it would have all the volunteers it needed for its "work of national importance". Coercing people into performing labour at reduced rates is slavery as far as I am concerned. But then again, so is forcing me to pay taxes to support all the worthless bums in society and those who cannot or will not make their own way.

The "love it or leave it" argument being hinted at by baron555 is, by the way, a fallacy. I could easily turn that argument back on anyone who criticizes the country or government. Don't like health care reform? Get the hell out then. Don't like the PATRIOT act? Move to Switzerland you commie #######. What's this, criticizing the government because they're taking their sweet time in processing your K1? I guess you don't want America to be protected from foreign enemies, you should just buy a one-way ticket to Moscow. "Love it or leave it" is a lazy argument, sorry.

Yeah, those are the worst. There tends to be a lot of overlap between this crowd and the "nothing to hide, nothing to fear" crowd (vis-à-vis warrantless searches, wiretapping, and other assorted things).

I'm firmly in the camp of RUB forum having ZERO mods. This should be a mod-free zone. We don't need 'em!

Amen.

I'm told the original subject line was the clencher and was changed by the mod (anyone know what the original subject was?)

The (now censored) subject line was "Wife got citizenship, announced she wanted divorce the next day? Ouch!"

If the mods don't have time to read, then they need more mods.

Less is more - with respect to forum mods and more formal governmental structures.

Cheers!

AKD