Financial Info (prior to interview)

[slim 1,530]

Another way the USCIS could avoid this whole mess of sending documents is to have everything needed from the petitioner to be submitted in the original I-129F. This would also require quick processing so the information submitted won't go stale. And at the time of the interview collect only the information needed from the beneficiary. Put them together and you get a valid visa decision.

On the other hand, the USCIS could enact a more costly, yet more effect method by mandating that both the USC and foreign beneficiary be present at the interview.

Satellite for President!!!

[slim 1,530]

Still waiting on the papers.....

[slim 1,530]

Got an e-mail today:

Papers arrived in Vladivostok on March 15th. (Original interview was SUPPOSED to be on the 22nd!)

Elena got tired of waiting for the papers and went to the post office today to check on what was going on. The postman told her that the packet wasn't going to be delivered to the house, only to the post office. He didn't explain why they never contacted her to let her know that her packet had arrived. I guess in Russia they don't tell you when you have a packet, you're just supposed to go check. Apparently she didn't know this either (sounds like another "it's Russia" thing) so she didn't check until now.

She did tell me on the phone the other day that I should've put her phone number on the packet too, that way if there was a problem, they could call her. This is something that I've done numerous times in the past, and I didn't put it on there the last couple of times I've sent a package (Christmases) so I didn't think to do it again. I don't know, maybe the postman would've called her if the phone number would've been on there. Then again, maybe not.

USPS did come through though. For the $16 or whatever it was, they got it there in exactly 8 business days. I'm not going to blame them for dropping the ball, and will probably send her documents and things again in this method only next time I'll be sure to write her phone number on the packet/package and have her physically check the post office herself within the 5-8 business days or two weeks or whatever the USPS estimated delivery is. It just pisses me off that her Christmas package (a 9 pound box) was DELIVERED to her house in only two weeks, and this small document sized packet couldn't make it there within three. It was just sitting in the post office collecting dust.

And they wonder why people go postal!!!

[Satellite 1]

Good to hear the documents arrived. It's the Russian post office that dropped the ball and not USPS! Actually the Russian post office was doing business as usual.

$16 is a bargain compared to how much the rest of the group on here has spent on Fedex and DHL. But I still have the record, I continue to send important and unimportant letters to Russia using regular $0.84 letters and they usually arrive between 10 to 14 days.

Good luck, I hope the rest goes smoothly.

[russ 1]

Good to hear the documents arrived. It's the Russian post office that dropped the ball and not USPS! Actually the Russian post office was doing business as usual.

$16 is a bargain compared to how much the rest of the group on here has spent on Fedex and DHL. But I still have the record, I continue to send important and unimportant letters to Russia using regular $0.84 letters and they usually arrive between 10 to 14 days.

Good luck, I hope the rest goes smoothly.

I send 75 cent Aerograms (they used to be 60 cents..) These usually take 1-2 weeks. I think that the US Post Office is fine, even for domestic overnight mail. ( With my Fedex discount, they are about the same price, though). The problem is them same as Satellite said - once a package leaves the US, the US Postal Service has nothing to do with it. What you are really paying for with Fedex or DHL INTL is for them to deliver (themselves, more or less) anywhere in the world. Having all those employees, trucks, planes, etc all over the world is what makes it expensive. In the (fairly rare) cases something must be delivered quickly and be tracked along the way, I think their prices are fair.

Late documents in Moscow would have cost me more than $100.

It is funny, though. Galia ended up missing her flight the next week, and had to buy another ticket at the airport. That ended up being another $1,000...

[centurion 0]

I still think it is a ####### shoot with the FSU postal service. I can remember sending 2 exactly the same sized packages from the UAE. Both sent the same day at the same time. One arrived in 6 days and the other one month. B)