Interview scheduled, Moscow hotel?? and getting a SSN

[Chris M 1]

Tanya has her interview date for October 21 at 0800. We are both very excited for all this to happen so fast. I cannot believe how fast this is happening. I gotta clean the bathroom. Ha ha. Anyway, she has not received the packet of info from the US embassy in Moscow just yet, but I am sure it will be there soon. I am ready for a backup plan anyway with all the necessary documents (tax statements, letter from employer, etc…). So when should I send the second I-129 petition info with all originals? I imagine I can send this once Tanya receives her packet from the embassy.

So I was curious if any of you could tell me how many days your loved one stayed in Moscow for the interview and med exam. One of Tanya’s friends who used to live in Moscow has moved so now we have to think about a hotel for the time she is there. Can any of you recommend anything close to the embassy for a few days? Tanya insists on paying for this herself, but that doesn’t fly well with me, so I will be helping, but she is just looking for a place to lay her head at night while she is there. Any ideas? Or do any of you know anyone who could help her out? I imagine hotels in Moscow are through the roof for a night, but of course all this is necessary.

I realize she needs to have a medical exam before the interview, and I am sure this will be in here packet from the embassy, but of course she will have to make the appointment. Once she does have the med exam will she be given her shots record as well? Reading through the guides here it seems she DEFINITELY needs to have the original vaccination record when she enters the US.

One more question…. A friend of mine who brought his wife here from China said he wished he would have gotten paperwork together, and submitted the application for his wife’s Social Security Number before she got here. He could not remember, but he said it might be able to be done the same time as getting the visa. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks so much for your help guys and girls.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You cannot apply for a SS card before she arrives, she must present herself.

As a K1 she can receive a SS number from day 1 until day 76 after her arrival. She cannot receive one within 14 days of the expiration of her I-94. There are no documents you need to prepare.

When she arrives go to the SS office the next day or within a few days. Present her K-1 visa and her passport. These are TWO different government issued photo IDs. Apply for her SS card in her MAIDEN name, exactly as in her passport and K-1 visa. Do not leave until you have a receipt. If the clerk does not know how to process this, ask for a supervisor. There is no reason to delay. Do not leave until you get a receipt for the application. You can go back the next day and get the SS number from the office. You should receive the CARD in about one week. The number is more important.

Here on the VJ website is a SS administration info page you can print and take with you to train them how to do their job if necessary. I suggest you bring it.

If she wishes to change her name, do this when you file for the AOS. Wait until you get her green card and then go back to SS and change the name on her SS card using her green card as ID.

In our case, we went to SS the day after Alla arrived and applied for her card. The next day we went back and got her number. Alla had her SS number within 40 hours of arriving in the USA. She had her CARD 6 days after arriving in the USA.

Edited September 9, 2010 by Gary and Alla

[baron555 934]

Tanya has her interview date for October 21 at 0800. We are both very excited for all this to happen so fast. I cannot believe how fast this is happening. I gotta clean the bathroom. Ha ha. Anyway, she has not received the packet of info from the US embassy in Moscow just yet, but I am sure it will be there soon. I am ready for a backup plan anyway with all the necessary documents (tax statements, letter from employer, etc…). So when should I send the second I-129 petition info with all originals? I imagine I can send this once Tanya receives her packet from the embassy.

Send it now. And print off the documents from the Embassy website and send those also; the packet may or may not get there. Also send her a copy of the email of the interview date in case she doesn't get the invitation letter with the packet.

So I was curious if any of you could tell me how many days your loved one stayed in Moscow for the interview and med exam. One of Tanya’s friends who used to live in Moscow has moved so now we have to think about a hotel for the time she is there. Can any of you recommend anything close to the embassy for a few days? Tanya insists on paying for this herself, but that doesn’t fly well with me, so I will be helping, but she is just looking for a place to lay her head at night while she is there. Any ideas? Or do any of you know anyone who could help her out? I imagine hotels in Moscow are through the roof for a night, but of course all this is necessary.

No experience since Alla lived near Moscow.

I realize she needs to have a medical exam before the interview, and I am sure this will be in here packet from the embassy, but of course she will have to make the appointment. Once she does have the med exam will she be given her shots record as well? Reading through the guides here it seems she DEFINITELY needs to have the original vaccination record when she enters the US.

Have her request the copy of the DS-3025 during the medical; having this will make the CS/693? form easier and cheaper.

One more question…. A friend of mine who brought his wife here from China said he wished he would have gotten paperwork together, and submitted the application for his wife’s Social Security Number before she got here. He could not remember, but he said it might be able to be done the same time as getting the visa. Does anyone have any experience with this?

There is no way to send in the application earlier since they want a certified copy (can't get that) or to see her visa and I-94 in person. Have to wait until she is here; we waited three weeks after POE for her entry to filter through to the SSN computers.

Thanks so much for your help guys and girls.

[SMR 368]

You may never receive a packet from the embassy. Read the guides here and the guides on the USCIS website to find what you need. Gather it together. Receiving the packet is not necessary and many people never receive it (we never did). Don't wait.

[Waitinggent 2]

My wife took the overnight train from St. Petersburg to Moscow, went to her medical exam and then took the train back the same day. She did the same thing for her interview. She never stayed in a hotel.

[Chris M 1]

Tanya wanted to go to Moscow for the day too, but she needs the medical screening a day or two before the interview. October 21 is a WEdnesday, so if she could schedule the med screening the day before in the afternoon at some time she could get to Moscow in the morning, spend a night and get up for the interview the next morning @ 0800, and be on a plane later in the afternoon. I imagine this could work. However could she get a med exam in her town? I cannot imagine this is true, but I wanted to ask. I am sure there are only few places that are " US sanctioned" medical offices, and I imagine they are all in Moscow or St Pete.

She is coming from Kemerovo, Russia in Siberia.

[elya 17]

hey my fiance has a bunch of relatives in Kemerovo :-)

The possible places for medical exam are 2 in Moscow and 1 in Vlad (http://moscow.usembassy.gov/physicians.html)

I recommend doing it at IOM, that's where we did it. Note you can't just take the exam and immediately get your results in one appointment. If you have your exam before noon you can come back later that afternoon (after 4, I think) and pick the results up.

The S7 flight from Kemerovo to Moscow gets in at 9:20 a.m. The Aeroflot one gets in at 8:25 a.m. Trying to get from the airport to a pre-noon appointment is theoretically possible with the Aeroflot, but cutting it EXTREMELY close. Especially if she is not familiar with Moscow and how to walk to the clinic from the metro station I think you'll need an extra day (I might even build in a second extra day to be on the safe side if something goes wrong getting your results back).

As for hotels - the company I worked for there put up our VIP guests in the Sheraton Palace Hotel on Tverskaya. But I guarantee you can find something cheaper. http://vmoskvy.ru/ is a booking service that you can use (disclaimer - I've never used this myself) and search for hotels by proximity to the metro which is the best thing to do in Moscow. Metro for the IOM clinic is Ulitsa 1905ogo goda; for the embassy is Barrikadnaya or Krasnopresenskaya.

Edited September 9, 2010 by elya

[Waitinggent 2]

This was 3 or 4 years ago, but I stayed at the Izmailovo Complex Gamma-Delta, and it was fairly reasonable for Moscow. And it is within walking distance of the subway.

[slim 1,530]

She is coming from Kemerovo, Russia in Siberia.

Wow, she couldn't get more "in the middle" could she? As elya said, she can do the medical in Moscow or Vladivostok. I recommend Moscow since she'll be there anyway. Yes, she can knock out the medical before her Wednesday interview. I would recommend she arrive on Monday morning and try to do it Monday. She can spend Tuesday studying information for the interview and reconing the area of the embassy while sight seeing and/or shopping (and do medical if there are complications on Monday). She can also pay the DHL fee during that time. She can fly out on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Send your documents now and direct her to the US Embassy website where she can find all the documents she needs for the interview. You can print them out for her and send them to her, but she's a big girl, right?

As for where to stay, she's a big girl, let her handle it. I recommend Russian Girl Friday if she's looking for a cheap and easy go of it. (Google her website, she's very helpful and offers cheap services.)

Don't sweat this too much. This is "her" interview. I know you want to help out and I know you want it to go off without a hitch.... and it will! She's Russian, she lives there, she's a big girl... she can handle it. Let her. Send her your stuff and then be supportive about the rest, but don't feel like you have to do it for her. She seems like she's got it under control. Let her take care of it!

As for the SSN, she should be issued one in Moscow. We went to the SSA office a few weeks after she got here. Much to my surprise, she already had a number and they wrote it down for her. We filed the SSA form 5 and received her card about a week later. No sweat.

In truth, there's really no reason for her to have one until you need it for employment, taxes, or some other govt-related task. There really is no reason to rush. I don't know what caused your friend so much hassle, but it's definitely something that's not that big of a deal.

[elya 17]

She can also pay the DHL fee during that time.

really good point! she needs to have a little time for that as well. I'm always amazed at how even the simple things that I can accomplish on half a lunch break here at home tend to take half a day in Moscow... but ah the relaxation of riding the metro lol :-)

anyway slim's suggestion for scheduling sounds right on. the MOW-KEJ flights are all in the late evening so she'd have no problem going back Wednesday if she wants to.

And just to clarify on what I said earlier the IOM is the only clinic that does offer same-day service for your medical results. So don't go to the other one if that's what you're hoping for :-)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Wow, she couldn't get more "in the middle" could she? As elya said, she can do the medical in Moscow or Vladivostok. I recommend Moscow since she'll be there anyway. Yes, she can knock out the medical before her Wednesday interview. I would recommend she arrive on Monday morning and try to do it Monday. She can spend Tuesday studying information for the interview and reconing the area of the embassy while sight seeing and/or shopping (and do medical if there are complications on Monday). She can also pay the DHL fee during that time. She can fly out on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Send your documents now and direct her to the US Embassy website where she can find all the documents she needs for the interview. You can print them out for her and send them to her, but she's a big girl, right?

As for where to stay, she's a big girl, let her handle it. I recommend Russian Girl Friday if she's looking for a cheap and easy go of it. (Google her website, she's very helpful and offers cheap services.)

Don't sweat this too much. This is "her" interview. I know you want to help out and I know you want it to go off without a hitch.... and it will! She's Russian, she lives there, she's a big girl... she can handle it. Let her. Send her your stuff and then be supportive about the rest, but don't feel like you have to do it for her. She seems like she's got it under control. Let her take care of it!

As for the SSN, she should be issued one in Moscow. We went to the SSA office a few weeks after she got here. Much to my surprise, she already had a number and they wrote it down for her. We filed the SSA form 5 and received her card about a week later. No sweat.

In truth, there's really no reason for her to have one until you need it for employment, taxes, or some other govt-related task. There really is no reason to rush. I don't know what caused your friend so much hassle, but it's definitely something that's not that big of a deal.

Is this for a CR-1 or K-1? if for a K-1 she will have to come here to get an SSN. CR-1 can get it overseas.

[Chris M 1]

It is for K-1 visa.

When you all talk about "paying DHL," what are you talking about? Is this so the embassy can send her the visa once it is received? Could she pay for this "DHL charge" in her home town by chance then take the bill/receipt to Moscow with her? Just an idea to save time as you all said.

I am printing off the other forms now, and hope to have all this done and sent out Monday or Tuesday.

[elya 17]

Is this so the embassy can send her the visa once it is received?

Yes

Could she pay for this "DHL charge" in her home town by chance then take the bill/receipt to Moscow with her?

I don't see why not. Maybe someone who bought the DHL airbill in a different city and brought it to Moscow will chime in.

It shouldn't be a problem to do it between getting the medical and results in Moscow though. When I said "half a day" I was more reminiscing about the general concept of running errands in the city :-) There are DHL offices in many places throughout Moscow, I'm sure there's one close to the clinic and/or embassy and/or hotel. You can always double-check.

[slim 1,530]

Is this for a CR-1 or K-1? if for a K-1 she will have to come here to get an SSN. CR-1 can get it overseas.

My wife (on a K-1 at the time) was assigned hers in Moscow. (Number only, not card. Card requires a SS-5 submission at your local SSA office.)

When you all talk about "paying DHL," what are you talking about? Is this so the embassy can send her the visa once it is received? Could she pay for this "DHL charge" in her home town by chance then take the bill/receipt to Moscow with her? Just an idea to save time as you all said.

The specifics are on the website.

I don't see why not. Maybe someone who bought the DHL airbill in a different city and brought it to Moscow will chime in.

I'm not sure of the specifics either (it's on the website) but I was under the impression there were only two offices (in Moscow) where it was possible to purchase this airbill. She may be able to do it in her city, but I don't think it's an option. My wife purchased hers in Moscow.

It shouldn't be a problem to do it between getting the medical and results in Moscow though. When I said "half a day" I was more reminiscing about the general concept of running errands in the city :-) There are DHL offices in many places throughout Moscow, I'm sure there's one close to the clinic and/or embassy and/or hotel. You can always double-check.

I want to say they're offered only at specific locations but I could be incorrect. I would recommend she purchase hers in Moscow at the recommended place since it seems that everything in Russia not done at the specific place tends to carry an extra "fee," especially when dealing with Americans or soon-to-be MOBs. She runs the risk of getting scammed and/or not having the right ticket if she buys it elsewhere.

Have her get on the site and figure out the right place to go.

[Chris M 1]

I am getting ready to send out the documents for the interview now. Going to send them sometime this week. Is it OK to send a US check in there as well? Or is this not advised, and I should do a money transfer to Tanya's account? It does not look like the directions are too specific on the embassy website other than "No credit card payment is accepted." It does say you can pay in rubles or dollars, but I was just assuming send her a check. Just curious what you all did.

How many more pictures does Tanya need? We had 2 each for the I-129 petition, and it looks like she may need at least 2 more for the medical, and maybe 2 more for the visa. Should I have her get 2 or 4, or do we need to get any at all?

Two easy questions, but as always... Thank you all.