Financial Info (prior to interview)

[figsybigsy 0]

I use fed ex for documents and usually it takes 5 to 7 days for documents to be delivered to moscow business and another couple days for a residence within the city of moscow. The cost is usually 72 dollars.

[slim 1,525]

$72??? Man, that makes me want to just send them USPS. I've had pretty good luck with them lately. The Christmas box got there in just two weeks.

But I know, for something this important.... what's $72 for some piece of mind? That's a deal in my book. As with everything else in Russia, pay the extra money and rest assured it's going to get done properly.

[Satellite 1]

$72??? Man, that makes me want to just send them USPS. I've had pretty good luck with them lately.

I still send by stuff with USPS regular mail $0.84 for a standard envelop. I have better things to spend $72 on. If you have time go with the cheap mail. If it fails to arrive in 1 month you can always use the more expensive kind. All your financial documents should be copies anyway. You can always reprint those. The only thing that costs money is the notary fee, and for example my bank does it free for account holders. I've sent important and unimportant stuff to Russia all the time with the cheapest service offered by USPS. Lost one letter in the last two years.

[slim 1,525]

Well guys, going to FedEx right now. $72 is outrageous. If they want that much, I'm going to USPS. I figure a small document package should arrive within three weeks, and that would be plenty of time. If FedEx is only like $20 or something, I'll go with that, but if they're talking over $50 for some docs, they can go ahead with the caveman commercials.

More to follow.....

(edited: The only reason I would consider sending this FedEx is the interview is less than four weeks away. So, kinda gotta sweat the transit time. Hope it all works!)

Edited February 25, 2006 by slim

[Neonred 3,562]

OK Slim, which way did you end up sending them? Sure hope they get there quickly which ever way they go.

[slim 1,525]

Got the:

Employer Letter

Bank Letter

I-134 (only filled in the salary, left the rest blank)

W-2 (2005)

Three check stubs

Copies of NOA I, II, and NVC letter

New Letter of Intent to Marry

Put em all in a folder with my original I-129F packet stuff at the UPS store. The clerk told me I had three options:

1. UPS 2-Day Guaranteed - $114

2. USPS 3-5 Days (No guarantee once in Russia) - $45

3. USPS 5-7 Days (No guarantee once in Russia) - $16

Guess which one I chose?

Yep, the $16 sounded like a winner to me! We'll see what happens. I hate to think that the status of my fiancee's interview hangs on the reliability of the Russian postal system, but I also hate to think that $100 would be spent on expediting a packet that could possibly arrive on the same day using USPS.

I'm hoping the same people that got her Christmas box there in two weeks handle this packet of documents. Two weeks would be great! So.... stand by!!!

[figsybigsy 0]

Slim,

I like you but your crazy. I hope your documents get there. Anything russian is very unpredictable I have discovered during my travels to that country. Is it me or do these forums have a lot less people posting?

[slim 1,525]

Yep figsy, it's a crapshoot at best, and that's why I decided to go ahead and just send USPS. We've been having good luck with them recently, so hopefully that'll continue.

Even UPS is going to have trouble delivering to the Far East. They just got a METER of snow this weekend. I keep picturing that commercial where the little boys are playing outside and betting on if the UPS truck will go by...... I don't see it the same way in Vladivostok. But, who knows, maybe it will get there on time and everything will be great! It's a good thing my fiancee is a glass is half-full type too, cause we'd never be able to share any good news when it comes to the postal system.

Here's hoping!!!!

[russ 1]

Hi Russ......are you sure you only need 1 tax return for AOS.....i thought it was 3 tax returns....just curious as i will soon be ready to send all of the docs for AOS....thanks, Larry

Take a look at:

Memorandum HQOPRD 70/21.1.13, November 23, 2005 from Michael Aytes, Acting Director for Domestic Operations

You are free to send more returns if you want. I sent two to be safe, but if your returns are complicated (like mine) this can be a lot of paper ( a few hundred pages in my case for 3 years). If I had three handy and they weren't too long, I'd probably send them all.

[Neonred 3,562]

You are free to send more returns if you want. I sent two to be safe, but if your returns are complicated (like mine) this can be a lot of paper ( a few hundred pages in my case for 3 years). If I had three handy and they weren't too long, I'd probably send them all.

I ordered tax transcripts and fortunately they are condensed to just a few pages. My very thick return for 2004 ended up on four double sided pages.

[dxt7339 1]

Hey slim,

For the US Embassy in Moscow, the I-134 will be required. My Irina just went through the process (passed interview Jan 20, 2006) and the checklist that she was sent for items required fro the Interview included the I-134 from me. I would include all the information that presents the best possible picture of your financial situation. W-2, tax return, letter from employer, pay check stubs, savings, stocks/investments, etc,

Good luck! ! !

[Nick'n'Nat 0]

Slim, I hope she gets the papers in time, what I did when I sent some paperwork was I sent two sets of the papers in seperate envelopes using the cheap methods, as it turns out both sets arrived 3 days apart, but the funny thing is one set was ruined (water or something) so sending two sets saved me quite a hassle.

[slim 1,525]

That is a good idea Nick.

I put all my eggs in one basket. Probably not the best plan, but that's the way it goes. In theory, everything should be OK, I sent them about a month early. I'll keep you all posted.

[russ 1]

That is a good idea Nick.

I put all my eggs in one basket. Probably not the best plan, but that's the way it goes. In theory, everything should be OK, I sent them about a month early. I'll keep you all posted.

If it isn't there a week before, you can always send another copy of everything by Fedex and have it held in Moscow. That should take 3-4 days. FYI - my christmas cards from Russia just arrived this week by regular mail (about 3 months). Regular mail I send there takes 2-4 weeks for me. (we send a lot of letters).

[slim 1,525]

Also a good idea russ. Thanks for the contingency plan!