LOC approved

[Brad and Vika 129]

We received the approval letter in the mail today, dated February 1. No interview required apparently. GC scheduled within 60 days.

It feels like the end of a very long trip, and the start of another. More on that later, but we still are doing our best to navigate the various bumps we find in the road. The next thing is to get my MIL a visa to come visit. MIL finds out today if she and her SIL will get Schengen visas. They are taking a trip to Prague in March or April, and then we start the US visa process for MIL.

I have enjoyed getting to know the people on this forum over the past few years, and do plan to stick around awhile. VJ has been a great resource for me as I waded through the paperwork and my wife and I tried to plan our future together.

[jimnlena 8]

Congrats!! We apply also the end of the month to remove conditions. Definately let us know how visa attempt goes, we also are interested in bring MIL over.

We received the approval letter in the mail today, dated February 1. No interview required apparently. GC scheduled within 60 days.

It feels like the end of a very long trip, and the start of another. More on that later, but we still are doing our best to navigate the various bumps we find in the road. The next thing is to get my MIL a visa to come visit. MIL finds out today if she and her SIL will get Schengen visas. They are taking a trip to Prague in March or April, and then we start the US visa process for MIL.

I have enjoyed getting to know the people on this forum over the past few years, and do plan to stick around awhile. VJ has been a great resource for me as I waded through the paperwork and my wife and I tried to plan our future together.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Congrats!! We apply also the end of the month to remove conditions. Definately let us know how visa attempt goes, we also are interested in bring MIL over.

Will do. I think the process for MIL is easier now than it was a year ago. We used to hear stories about multiple B-2 applications turned down. I just talked to a guy the other day who has been married for three years to a Ukrainian, and has 2 kids (well, one on the way). He brought both of her parents here for a month and a half, at the same time. Neither in-law had ever traveled out of Ukraine, and both travel passports were new, with no other visas.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Brad and Vika

[mox 298]

Congrats to you both, that's fantastic news!!

[1HappyGuy 45]

Congratulations, that's great news. :dance: Now you have a real breather before deciding what to do next.

Best of luck on the visitor visas too. I'm sure that you and Vika will show them a great time.

[slim 1,523]

Way to go! Almost done with USCIS. Enjoy the rest of the Journey.

[james&olya 1,121]

Will do. I think the process for MIL is easier now than it was a year ago. We used to hear stories about multiple B-2 applications turned down. I just talked to a guy the other day who has been married for three years to a Ukrainian, and has 2 kids (well, one on the way). He brought both of her parents here for a month and a half, at the same time. Neither in-law had ever traveled out of Ukraine, and both travel passports were new, with no other visas.

We have had my MIL here twice already and my BIL and his wife once. None of them had been anywhere outside FSU except to Turkey before. They had no problem getting tourist visas. Good luck!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Congratulations Brad! Citizenship next! And soon!

Edited February 7, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[amberdima 6]

congrats! fyi- our GC arrived within 2 weeks of the approval letter, so hopefully yours will come quickly as well!

[TBoneTX 45,090]

Congratulations, si man! But what is "LOC" (see thread title) -- "lifting of conditions"?

[Brad and Vika 129]

Thanks everybody who responded so far. We will be checking the mailbox!

For TB - yes, I meant lifting of conditions.

It has also been encouraging to hear about all the B-2 visas being approved for relatives.

Vika is still conflicted about citizenship. She is sure that it will goof up the eventual transfer of parents/grandparents property. Does any one know of a way to handle that in Ukraine other than fraud?

[mox 298]

Thanks everybody who responded so far. We will be checking the mailbox!

For TB - yes, I meant lifting of conditions.

It has also been encouraging to hear about all the B-2 visas being approved for relatives.

Vika is still conflicted about citizenship. She is sure that it will goof up the eventual transfer of parents/grandparents property. Does any one know of a way to handle that in Ukraine other than fraud?

We faced the same dillema. I don't know if Ukraine works similarly, but for Russia, as long as she (Russian spouse) doesn't travel on her U.S. passport to Russia, she retains her Russian citizenship, so no problems. But if she were to ever apply for a Russian visa on her U.S. passport, she'd lose her Russian citizenship, and then big problems happen wrt property transfer/ownership.

[Neonred 3,553]

We have had my MIL here twice already and my BIL and his wife once. None of them had been anywhere outside FSU except to Turkey before. They had no problem getting tourist visas. Good luck!

We have had good luck with family and friends from Russia getting tourist visas. Had best friends visiting us the last couple of weeks. They were the first ones that had a little trouble with getting visas, but it probably had something to do with him originally being Algerian with a typical sounding Muslim name. At the interview they were not told if they would get the visa and were offered the option to keep their passports or leave them at the embassy. They let the embassy hold on to the passports, and a little more than a month and a half later they got their passports back with their visas.

[Neonred 3,553]

We faced the same dillema. I don't know if Ukraine works similarly, but for Russia, as long as she (Russian spouse) doesn't travel on her U.S. passport to Russia, she retains her Russian citizenship, so no problems. But if she were to ever apply for a Russian visa on her U.S. passport, she'd lose her Russian citizenship, and then big problems happen wrt property transfer/ownership.

Was at the airport in Miami this past weekend sending our guests back to Russia on the Russian airline Transaero. I laughed as I waited for our friends to check in, and watched how many people arrived and when asked to show their passport produced both a red and blue passport. Of course the guy checking passports always pointed to the red passport and said "let me see that one".

Edited February 8, 2012 by Neonred

[Brad and Vika 129]

We have had good luck with family and friends from Russia getting tourist visas. Had best friends visiting us the last couple of weeks. They were the first ones that had a little trouble with getting visas, but it probably had something to do with him originally being Algerian with a typical sounding Muslim name. At the interview they were not told if they would get the visa and were offered the option to keep their passports or leave them at the embassy. They let the embassy hold on to the passports, and a little more than a month and a half later they got their passports back with their visas.

This is more good news.

Was at the airport in Miami this past weekend sending our guests back to Russia on the Russian airline Transaero. I laughed as I waited for our friends to check in, and watched how many people arrived and when asked to show their passport produced both a red and blue passport. Of course the guy checking passports always pointed to the red passport and said "let me see that one".

And this is exactly what I was afraid of