Please help! Med exam told my fiancee she could not go to interview because she did not have her adolescent vaccination records!!!!! She never went

[baron555 934]

iKobo is alive and works very well.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

iKobo is alive and works very well.

I will take your word for it. Rumors of their death were greatly exagerated. I do not recall all the details, I looked into it at one time but then Sergey was about ready to arrive and we just did the bank account thing and I had heard (erroneously, I guess) that they were no longer doing this.

[WARREN-IRINA 1]

Irina and I have communicated by internet letters and phone since September of 2004. It was one set back after another and took 5 years for us to meet n person. Beyond sending her a few dollars in a birthday card to buy a present for herself I only sent her money by wire once in March of 09. It was so she could get the phone line into the apartment she bought in January of 08. When I got home I called and told her I had sent it. The closest thing to an argument we have had and the only time she has raised her voice to me was her answer. "NO, I do not need your money." When I arrived in Russia to meet her in Sept. of 09 she still had the money. She is still traveling 50 Kilometers to use the internet at her brothers house. The day I left 2 Nov. 09 I tried to gve her $30. and smiling she told me no she did not need it. When I got home and called her, she ask me why I left it hidden in the book I left her to read, Jon Huntsman Sr.'s "Winners Never Cheat."

One question I have is one she ask me. She is retired and draws a pension. She was thinking of putting it into a bank account with a Debit/ATM card to draw it out here when she comes. Anyone know how to do this and what bank she can use?

[eekee 182]

Irina and I have communicated by internet letters and phone since September of 2004. It was one set back after another and took 5 years for us to meet n person. Beyond sending her a few dollars in a birthday card to buy a present for herself I only sent her money by wire once in March of 09. It was so she could get the phone line into the apartment she bought in January of 08. When I got home I called and told her I had sent it. The closest thing to an argument we have had and the only time she has raised her voice to me was her answer. "NO, I do not need your money." When I arrived in Russia to meet her in Sept. of 09 she still had the money. She is still traveling 50 Kilometers to use the internet at her brothers house. The day I left 2 Nov. 09 I tried to gve her $30. and smiling she told me no she did not need it. When I got home and called her, she ask me why I left it hidden in the book I left her to read, Jon Huntsman Sr.'s "Winners Never Cheat."

One question I have is one she ask me. She is retired and draws a pension. She was thinking of putting it into a bank account with a Debit/ATM card to draw it out here when she comes. Anyone know how to do this and what bank she can use?

Look at what kind of card the bank hands out. Sberbank, for instance, usually gives out Maestro. Maestro won't work in America. I don't think Visa Electron does either. Her best bet would be to go a bank and ask the people there.

[easyukraine 1]

IKOBO was bought out just before they were to close so, yes they are still up and running. the credit union has the lowest fees just make sure you tell them it is for the country it will be used in. paypal is another option but takes 3 days to post funds to an account for a debit card, I use one as backup when I travel. there fee is 3 dollars for the whole transaction. My Rita has used it in Sumy a couple times.

[Tnic 5]

Again, I opened an acct in my name and sent the card to my now ex MIL two years ago. She used it every month to draw the money I transferred into it for her with no issues at all. I don't think I even informed the bank about it either. Course it was never more than $100 at a time so probably never got flagged.

I anticipate no issues with my own money either. I'll just make sure the Bank has a suitable time period to keep it open and I really won't need it that much anyway. A couple hundred a month for incidentals and the rest is for travel when we take our holidays.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Irina and I have communicated by internet letters and phone since September of 2004. It was one set back after another and took 5 years for us to meet n person. Beyond sending her a few dollars in a birthday card to buy a present for herself I only sent her money by wire once in March of 09. It was so she could get the phone line into the apartment she bought in January of 08. When I got home I called and told her I had sent it. The closest thing to an argument we have had and the only time she has raised her voice to me was her answer. "NO, I do not need your money." When I arrived in Russia to meet her in Sept. of 09 she still had the money. She is still traveling 50 Kilometers to use the internet at her brothers house. The day I left 2 Nov. 09 I tried to gve her $30. and smiling she told me no she did not need it. When I got home and called her, she ask me why I left it hidden in the book I left her to read, Jon Huntsman Sr.'s "Winners Never Cheat."

One question I have is one she ask me. She is retired and draws a pension. She was thinking of putting it into a bank account with a Debit/ATM card to draw it out here when she comes. Anyone know how to do this and what bank she can use?

Virtually any bank. Alla has an account at ProCredit Bank, so does her mother. Alla can make withdrawls from Ukraine at any ATM here. she can transfer her money here with an ATM card.

[eekee 182]

Virtually any bank. Alla has an account at ProCredit Bank, so does her mother. Alla can make withdrawls from Ukraine at any ATM here. she can transfer her money here with an ATM card.

See what I wrote above. There are certain kinds of cards that do not work in US atms because the type of card they are do not exist in the US. If it's a regular visa or mastercard, I'm sure it's fine, but we don't have Maestro or Electron in America.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

See what I wrote above. There are certain kinds of cards that do not work in US atms because the type of card they are do not exist in the US. If it's a regular visa or mastercard, I'm sure it's fine, but we don't have Maestro or Electron in America.

Good points Eekee, we just haven't had any problems with the cards Alla has. It has been a good way to transfer money for us.

[slim 1,525]

Slim, you really make me sound like I am a fool sometimes, or at least try to.

I'm not trying to do anything except point out that this guy who is "getting scammed" for $1500 is in it very lightly compared to many of us who've been scammed for way, way, waaaaaay more than $1500. Some of us have invested years and years of our lives that we'll never get back.

$1500? He's getting off easy!

Things are good here.

That's good to hear. I don't recommend actually going to the interview but I do recommend suggesting it to her so you can gauge her reaction. "I'm going to quarterback this thing to ensure it really does happen. You good with that?" You'll have your answer pretty quickly. It'll be either "yes, I want your help" or "I'm not really sure...."

Any thoughts?

Keep on trying to get it rescheduled and press on like nothing ever happened.

[Used to be broken 147]

Be careful. Bank regulations make it difficult (and practically prohibit) non-US residents from holding US bank accounts. I don't know all the ins and outs. But the patriotic act may classify you as a terrorist if you leave the country and try to use a US bank account. Honestly, I don't really know why.

Bank of America, just get an ITN and open an account.

[Terry&Tigger 4]

Any thoughts?

Thought #1. It is possible that she was not allowed to have her physical because she did not have enough CASH with her to pay for the vaccinations she was supposed to get in case of missing records. They charge something like $30 - $60 per each shot in MOM, so I can see her not having extra 200 bucks or something to pay for the shots. No shots- no physical. But no medical does NOT mean no interview. Should have gone to the interview as scheduled, of course, rescheduled the medical, and sent the results of medical to the embassy whenever she got them, AFTER the interview.

Thought #2.

Moscow embassy does NOT allow ANYONE to accompany the interviewee INSIDE the building of the embassy. So, the most you can do is escort her to the gate, see her go in, and walk back and forth outside the embassy for two... or three... or four hours. In winter. Moscow winter. I was out of the embassy two hours and thirty minutes after I walked in, but I was the first one in line to the cashier's and the fifth one to be interviewed...

Thought #3.

Email them again describing the situation, don't rely on the phone call. Get a WRITTEN reply. I don't think they want you to fax them the forms she was supposed to bring with her to the interview. They might want the documents which make your reason for rescheduling the interview valid, imho. It takes them around a week to reply to emails.

Keep us posted.

Good luck.

[payxibka 10,045]

Thought #1. It is possible that she was not allowed to have her physical because she did not have enough CASH with her to pay for the vaccinations she was supposed to get in case of missing records. They charge something like $30 - $60 per each shot in MOM, so I can see her not having extra 200 bucks or something to pay for the shots. No shots- no physical. But no medical does NOT mean no interview. Should have gone to the interview as scheduled, of course, rescheduled the medical, and sent the results of medical to the embassy whenever she got them, AFTER the interview.

Except there are not any required vaccinations for K-1. The AOS vaccinations can be received but are optional.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Good points Eekee, we just haven't had any problems with the cards Alla has. It has been a good way to transfer money for us.

Bank of America, just get an ITN and open an account.

Careful here folks. Each bank has its own set of fraud alert criteria. The only way to be sure that a card won't be shut off is to ask questions and take steps with the bank. Gary's opinion is probably the norm - if my cards have worked, than that type is probably OK. You just never know when your bank is going to change a policy somewhere and then you will be SOL.

[Terry&Tigger 4]

Except there are not any required vaccinations for K-1. The AOS vaccinations can be received but are optional.

Right, but there is always human factor. I didn't say they were necessary, I said I could see her having problems at MOM due to that because I saw how the staff works there.

When I was getting my medical, my 3 year old daughter was with me,the whole time since 9 a.m. By noon, when we finally got to the physician, the kid was tired, bored, and whining, and the doctor who was to do my physical said that she would not perform the physical unless I make the kid stay outside of the room for the time of the physical. I am sure the rest of the line for the physical who were waiting in the hall remembered those twenty minutes for the rest of their lives. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! MUUUUUUUUUUUM!!! I WANNA GO TO MY MOOOOOOOOOMMYY!!!!! I don't know what instructions they have for moms with little kids there in the clinic, but they are most certainly not of "Make the customer happy" sort.