Traveling to Russia with new FSU bride??

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

Ok. Even though it's very early for us in our process, I have a question....

After Sveta and I marry, the AOS is complete and she's able to travel, what will we need to do to visit her family in Russia? Will we need to file for visas or just me? Any input would be highly appreciated!!!

[eekee 182]

Ok. Even though it's very early for us in our process, I have a question....

After Sveta and I marry, the AOS is complete and she's able to travel, what will we need to do to visit her family in Russia? Will we need to file for visas or just me? Any input would be highly appreciated!!!

Just you. You can do a regular tourist visa.

[AmyWrites 593]

From my understanding, you need a visa, she won't.

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

Ok. Thanks Amy. I had heard that I could file for a spouse visa... Ever hear anything like that?

[Neonred 3,553]

Just you. Regular tourist visa or I think there is a new way to get a visa from the embassy through your spouse.

I don't know very much about it as my wife does not want to go back.

[eekee 182]

Ok. Thanks Amy. I had heard that I could file for a spouse visa... Ever hear anything like that?

At the moment, there is no such thing. You're exempt from the quota for permanent residency, but that's the only spousal benefit you get when you marry a Russian citizen.

Oh I just checked and there is one, I guess like a homestay visa, but getting a tourist visa still seems like the easiest way to do it.

http://ruscon.org/visa_dep_ENG.html#privatevisa

Edited April 3, 2012 by eekee

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

Ok.. Thanks for all of the info!!!! I appreciate it very much!!!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ok. Even though it's very early for us in our process, I have a question....

After Sveta and I marry, the AOS is complete and she's able to travel, what will we need to do to visit her family in Russia? Will we need to file for visas or just me? Any input would be highly appreciated!!!

Just for you. She remains a Russian citizen and can travel to Russia and most FSU countries without a visa. I believe there are SOME FSU countries that can no longer do this, but Russia, Ukraine and Belarus can. Alla travels to Russia using only her internal passport, she does not need even the international passport.

You can get a Russian visitor visa fairly easily, it takes a little time and costs a little money. Most people use a visa service to do this.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ok. Thanks Amy. I had heard that I could file for a spouse visa... Ever hear anything like that?

Ukraine offers permanent residency after 2 years of marriage to a Ukrainian. Not sure about Russia but a visitor visa would be all you need unless you intend to live there anyway.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Just you. Regular tourist visa or I think there is a new way to get a visa from the embassy through your spouse.

I don't know very much about it as my wife does not want to go back.

Has she always been that way or did it develop over time? Alla has had less and less interest in going back even for visits and any ideas of living there even part time when I retire seem to be getting tossed. She really likes it here now. She will make random comments. Just the other day "You know, I kind of really like living here, I can do this. I have lots of shoes, more than in Ukraine" OK, what did you expect, for her to sing "America the Beautiful"? But it seems like I want to go there more than she does now. Sergey will be going to school here now and we will probably be filing an I-130 for her mom soon, so what would be left there?

She said this as she was cleaning and storing her "winter shoes" and getting out the "summer shoes" and there was a HUGE pile of shoes in the bedroom (I do not know where she stores all of them, one of the closets I never go in I suppose)I think she married me for access to cheap shoes.

she is also seeing the annual trips to Ukraine/Russia as cutting into her ability to go places here, she wants to see the Grand Canyon, Florida, etc. It seems like all we ever do is the obligatory trips to visit our sons near Chicago and go to Ukraine/Russia, no time or money left for anything else.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Gary and Alla

[eekee 182]

Ukraine offers permanent residency after 2 years of marriage to a Ukrainian. Not sure about Russia but a visitor visa would be all you need unless you intend to live there anyway.

In Russia, you'd go over there on a homestay visa, and then you'd apply for permanent residency. Russia has a quota system for each city, and marriage to a RF citizen allows you to be exempt from said quota, as I stated above. Then that turns into temporary residency for such and such a period, like 6 months I think, during which time an exit visa is required to LEAVE the country, and then you adjust status (ha) to permnanent. You don't have to be married for a specific length of time or anything.

[Derek & Rita 6]

Just for you. She remains a Russian citizen and can travel to Russia and most FSU countries without a visa. I believe there are SOME FSU countries that can no longer do this, but Russia, Ukraine and Belarus can. Alla travels to Russia using only her internal passport, she does not need even the international passport.

You can get a Russian visitor visa fairly easily, it takes a little time and costs a little money. Most people use a visa service to do this.

The law in Russia is - if you have a russian passport and an american passport, and you get a visa to travel to russia, you are giving up your russian citizenship. So, if you have both, travel on your Russian passport, and never ever get a visa, unless you want to surrender your russian citizenship.

[AmyWrites 593]

I was just told by some people here in Moscow that if you're married to a Russian citizen you can apply for a visitor visa without invitation, I don't know how true this is, but if I were you I'd apply for a normal tourist/business visa and go from there, since all other visas seem to change every three weeks.

[eekee 182]

I was just told by some people here in Moscow that if you're married to a Russian citizen you can apply for a visitor visa without invitation, I don't know how true this is, but if I were you I'd apply for a normal tourist/business visa and go from there, since all other visas seem to change every three weeks.

Also you can have an agency do the tourist process from start to finish and most agencies don't deal with homestay visas.

[SMR 368]

In Russia, you'd go over there on a homestay visa, and then you'd apply for permanent residency. Russia has a quota system for each city, and marriage to a RF citizen allows you to be exempt from said quota, as I stated above. Then that turns into temporary residency for such and such a period, like 6 months I think, during which time an exit visa is required to LEAVE the country, and then you adjust status (ha) to permnanent. You don't have to be married for a specific length of time or anything.

Actually, you apply for temporary residency first. Then permanent residency. If you are married to a Russian there are no quotas, as you said. Also, if you are interested in getting Russian citizenship, you can apply for Russian citizenship if you have permanent residency and have been married to a Russian for 3 years (years in which you didn't live in Russia still count). As far as visas to enter, any old visa will work.

I was just told by some people here in Moscow that if you're married to a Russian citizen you can apply for a visitor visa without invitation, I don't know how true this is, but if I were you I'd apply for a normal tourist/business visa and go from there, since all other visas seem to change every three weeks.

The invitation costs $20, literally. Even if that is true, it's more trouble than it's worth.