DHL or Pony Express// Fiancee Attendance@interview

[Mike & Mila 5]

Dear Visa Journey Bretheren:

The info from older "instructions" coming from Moscow Embassy indicates DHL--the info. coming from Moscow Embassy today indicates Pony Express. Does anyone know which is the carrier in use today?? Also is it true that the hoped for "approved" Visa can be "held for pick-up" at DHL office-- what are specifics of this process if you know??

Also, Has anyone had any experience whereby the Petitioner attended the interview w finacee'. Specifically, is it truely the case now where the Petetioner is "encouraged" to attend and if so are the two people interviewed together. seprately, or both. Any specific observations on this point as appreciated. Thank you Mike & Mila

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Dear Visa Journey Bretheren:

The info from older "instructions" coming from Moscow Embassy indicates DHL--the info. coming from Moscow Embassy today indicates Pony Express. Does anyone know which is the carrier in use today?? Also is it true that the hoped for "approved" Visa can be "held for pick-up" at DHL office-- what are specifics of this process if you know??

Also, Has anyone had any experience whereby the Petitioner attended the interview w finacee'. Specifically, is it truely the case now where the Petetioner is "encouraged" to attend and if so are the two people interviewed together. seprately, or both. Any specific observations on this point as appreciated. Thank you Mike & Mila

My Wife and I have the very same questions as you two. Larisa lives in a small village on the Black Sea and the logistics of the mail service is something less than we are used to dealing with in the West to say the least.

We've joked about how we hope the "Pony" of the Pony Express does not die before it arrives from Moscow! We know that UPS is close enough to her village to be a possible venue. We've used them before. DHL is another story. Possibly they will do the delivery, but the closest I found to Lara is in Krasnodar (about 3 hours away depending on how many of the very slow Russian trucks are on the road that day). We would also like to know if our ladies have to Interview without us present or in fact are we encouraged and welcome to attend. We are just now to the point of sending the I-130 Package for K-3 (which most likely will become a CR-1 before complete, and we are prepared for the longer wait for the CR-1).

Any "old timers" out there currently able to guide us? Thank you Vern & Lara

[Mike & Mila 5]

My Wife and I have the very same questions as you two. Larisa lives in a small village on the Black Sea and the logistics of the mail service is something less than we are used to dealing with in the West to say the least.

We've joked about how we hope the "Pony" of the Pony Express does not die before it arrives from Moscow! We know that UPS is close enough to her village to be a possible venue. We've used them before. DHL is another story. Possibly they will do the delivery, but the closest I found to Lara is in Krasnodar (about 3 hours away depending on how many of the very slow Russian trucks are on the road that day). We would also like to know if our ladies have to Interview without us present or in fact are we encouraged and welcome to attend. We are just now to the point of sending the I-130 Package for K-3 (which most likely will become a CR-1 before complete, and we are prepared for the longer wait for the CR-1).

Any "old timers" out there currently able to guide us? Thank you Vern & Lara

From Mike & Mila: To use a phrase from President Bill CLinton "we feel your pain"!!!!! (but really he didn't feel too much but it sounds good). Of course it would be best for folks like you or me if one could simply "pick-up" approved VISA from Pony express or DHL or Santa Vladimir--who cares!!! If only we knew from who we could make plans. Good luck to you.

[Neonred 3,562]

Used to be DHL until later last year I believe. Now it is Pony Express. We had my wife's visa packet held at the Moscow DHL office and picked it up in Moscow the day before going to the US together. Not sure if Pony Express allows the same service to have the package held. Would be worth checking on.

Looks like now they allow the petitioner to attend the interview. When my wife had hers I was waiting outside and looking for a cafe to get out of the snow and warm up as I was not allowed in.

Edited June 11, 2012 by Neonred

[StarGirl 13]

I wrote to Moscow Embassy regarding their new policy and that's what they wrote back:

"We would like to inform you that USA citizens are not required to attend the interview. It is only a recommendation.

Please note that your K-1 visa can not be denied based solely on the fact that you can not attend the interview with your fiancée.

Visa approval or denial depends only on the consular officers and on individual circumstances of each case and other special requirements."

I hope someone more knowledgeable will answer about your Pony Express part of question.

[Jeff and Tatiana 0]

Well it has been some time since Tatiana and I had this situation, but we also left the package at DHL and she picked it up across the street from the embassy at DHL. As for the interview as Neon said, I was NOT encouraged to attend and was not allowed. Good to see that they have changed this policy and also good it is not required. I would suggest just calling Pony Express and asking if the leave at facility option is available, I would guess it would be as I know a good many VJ members who use this method with DHL.

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

Jeff & Tatiana

[TBoneTX 45,288]

I wrote to Moscow Embassy regarding their new policy and that's what they wrote back:

"We would like to inform you that USA citizens are not required to attend the interview. It is only a recommendation.

Please note that your K-1 visa can not be denied based solely on the fact that you can not attend the interview with your fiancée.

Visa approval or denial depends only on the consular officers and on individual circumstances of each case and other special requirements."

Wow -- talk about forthcoming. What a contrast with my ####### consulate, which will never state that the petitioner's attendance is 99.44% of the requirement... and that's because they can blindside the couple with a Stokes interrogation.

[Ken&Ruzana 4]

Dear Visa Journey Bretheren:

The info from older "instructions" coming from Moscow Embassy indicates DHL--the info. coming from Moscow Embassy today indicates Pony Express. Does anyone know which is the carrier in use today?? Also is it true that the hoped for "approved" Visa can be "held for pick-up" at DHL office-- what are specifics of this process if you know??

Also, Has anyone had any experience whereby the Petitioner attended the interview w finacee'. Specifically, is it truely the case now where the Petetioner is "encouraged" to attend and if so are the two people interviewed together. seprately, or both. Any specific observations on this point as appreciated. Thank you Mike & Mila

Pony Express is being used, Ruzana received her visa this May and it was sent Pony Express

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Well it has been some time since Tatiana and I had this situation, but we also left the package at DHL and she picked it up across the street from the embassy at DHL. As for the interview as Neon said, I was NOT encouraged to attend and was not allowed. Good to see that they have changed this policy and also good it is not required. I would suggest just calling Pony Express and asking if the leave at facility option is available, I would guess it would be as I know a good many VJ members who use this method with DHL.

Hope this helps!! Good Luck!!

Jeff & Tatiana

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Yes it does help. Thank you! Last time we were at the US Embassy there was a protest in progress. The Communist party across the street

from the US Embassy was busy, in front of I presume where DHL is. No one was radical or anything, simply a everyday legal protest.

I'll see if I can track down Pony Express and ask if this is an option, to hold her Passport with Visa instead of sending it South.

We have to fly in from Gelendzhik anyway because I plan on assisting in packing and saying our goodbyes to friends and family, at

least for now. Both of us being at the Interview also is not a big deal because we are married and have been through about every topic imaginable. We know each other very well. There is nothing the Interviewer can toss at us we have not already gone over many times.

Aeroflot is the only game in town when flying in from the Black Sea. Krasnodar has several other airlines but its a lot farther

of a drive to get there. More traffic too.

The Flight to Moscow from Gelendzhik arrives at Terminal D, Sheremtyevo at about 9:45 in the evenings. If we miss the day it'll cost

at least 50 bucks each just to change the flight; that is..if there are seats available. Aeroflot will not actually change bookings

unless it is at Terminal D Kiosks or on the main office on Old ArbatSkaya. Been there, done that!

Trying to pin down when Pony Express will arrive with her Visa so we will know the correct day to arrange the flights and hotel

overnight is about like predicting the current Greek election! This is the really difficult part of the Visa process..travel

arrangements to meet the Interview appointment and departing day from Russia.

Right now we're a long way from the day this is actually going to happen, but as we learned early on in this effort, when folks

are on the Visa Journey it pays to plan as far ahead as possible. Last minute education tends to be rather expensive and also

stressful. I send the I-130 off to the Phoenix Dropbox this Monday, June 18. The timeline to her Visa officially begins then.

If I had known about Visa Journey before I would have taken the two printed out G325A forms with me so my Wife could fill them

out and sign them in Russia. We would have been ahead of the timeline about 3 weeks sooner because of the Postal systems.

Water under the bridge now but anyone reading this and planning on the K-3/CR-1 process after marrying in Russia take heed!

Anyone needing some pointers on the process of marrying in Russia (if your a US Citizen) I can assist in that process.

For starters..the Embassy website says Approval of your Affidavit to Marry a Russian Citizen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

is a 5 day wait is WRONG! We found out it is now a 9 day wait!!! "Boris" and his buddy "Igor" at the "Ministry" are a bit "direct"

in the fact that the US Embassy has this incorrect on the Website. I had to ask a co-worker of mine that happens to live in Moscow

to go get this document after approval for us because we were not expecting an extra 4 days stay in Moscow. I'm grateful we had this

assistance or we would have had a big mess in all our other arrangements.

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

From Mike & Mila: To use a phrase from President Bill CLinton "we feel your pain"!!!!! (but really he didn't feel too much but it sounds good). Of course it would be best for folks like you or me if one could simply "pick-up" approved VISA from Pony express or DHL or Santa Vladimir--who cares!!! If only we knew from who we could make plans. Good luck to you.

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

Best of luck you and Mila too Mike. Just keep your momentum going. step step step!!

This is what we said to each other in all the rain and mud in Moscow tracking down each

document and translation/notary needed until the time arrived all of the bureaucrats ran

out of forms for us to fill out. Santa Vladimir.. I like that one! Funny!

[slim 1,525]

As for the interview as Neon said, I was NOT encouraged to attend and was not allowed. Good to see that they have changed this policy and also good it is not required.

Not being allowed to go was one of the things I really liked about the Moscow embassy. I had a hard enough time getting the funds together to go to Russia once. If I'd have been required to go twice, I probably would've married a Canadian.

[BatmanUSA 105]

I am glad Petitioners are encouraged to attend the interview and I am looking forward to going. As Lena must bring her daughter for the interview, I am planning to bring my son to Moscow to spend some time together to meet and get to know them.

[GelendzhikBelle 7]

It will something to remember for a lifetime! Moscow is a crazy place but also fascinating. Recent changes at the US Embassy in Moscow are pretty much for the benefit of the Russian citizen I believe, and I agree it is a good change they have made. This is a pretty stressful process to begin with and to do this without your loved one there has to be pretty difficult. Going into the Embassy itself is a bit weird even for a US citizen.

I'll be going to Moscow in late February or March to meet my Wife there at that time, if we don't get RFE (or worse), and if the timeline holds steady . We are expecting at least 8 months and probably closer to 10 before the CR-1 is processed to her appointment for Embassy Interview. Stay with it..nothing is easy about this process.