Need some info for my fiance (Belarus)

[southernman 29]

Question 1....Does my fiance need to get her birth certificate aposttilized or will a simple translation work?

Question 2....Her passport expires in 2022 but it will be 10 years old next year in July. She has told me at that time she won't be able to use it for European travel anymore and is wondering if she should renew it now or wait until after she gets her visa or no need to renew at all?

Thanks in advance.

[Ron-Tanya 23]

Question 1....Does my fiance need to get her birth certificate aposttilized or will a simple translation work?

Question 2....Her passport expires in 2022 but it will be 10 years old next year in July. She has told me at that time she won't be able to use it for European travel anymore and is wondering if she should renew it now or wait until after she gets her visa or no need to renew at all?

Thanks in advance.

Hey Southerman, hope you enjoyed your vacation. I called the State Department and an Apostile is not needed on any of our paper work. A certified translation is needed Tanya also had all her translated paper work Notarized just in case. I know a lot of the RUB people think an Apostile is needed and is needed in other countries but not the USA. I am not sure about the passport, why would she not be able to use it in Europe if it is still good for 10 more years?

Good luck, Ron

[southernman 29]

Hey Southerman, hope you enjoyed your vacation. I called the State Department and an Apostile is not needed on any of our paper work. A certified translation is needed Tanya also had all her translated paper work Notarized just in case. I know a lot of the RUB people think an Apostile is needed and is needed in other countries but not the USA. I am not sure about the passport, why would she not be able to use it in Europe if it is still good for 10 more years?

Good luck, Ron

Ron, Thanks for the info about the BC. About her passport, she says that she would be unable to get a new schengen visa without renewing her passport and we are not sure that's a good idea during this process but honestly I have no idea and decided to ask here. We ended up going to Crete for 2 weeks and it was great. I hope VSC picks up the pace so you hear something soon ....Gary

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Question 1....Does my fiance need to get her birth certificate aposttilized or will a simple translation work?

Question 2....Her passport expires in 2022 but it will be 10 years old next year in July. She has told me at that time she won't be able to use it for European travel anymore and is wondering if she should renew it now or wait until after she gets her visa or no need to renew at all?

Thanks in advance.

1. Apostille not needed

2. She needs a valid passport to present at the consulate to obtain the visa...seems like she has one. The other question is not an immigration issue and something she needs to decide for herself based on her need for European travel. She will be a US citizen by 2016 if she doesn't "do a runner" on you. Could be a moot point.

[southernman 29]

1. Apostille not needed

2. She needs a valid passport to present at the consulate to obtain the visa...seems like she has one. The other question is not an immigration issue and something she needs to decide for herself based on her need for European travel. She will be a US citizen by 2016 if she doesn't "do a runner" on you. Could be a moot point.

Thanks for the info. I am not really sure where she is getting the info about needing a new passport.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Thanks for the info. I am not really sure where she is getting the info about needing a new passport.

It could be that the existing passport is not machine readable or up to the new standards of the US and Europe. This was the case with my wife's passport from Kazakhstan. It was still valid for 6 years but she went ahead and got a new one. The passport may be valid for another 10 years, but it may not be acceptable for travel to the US and Europe. This was a new thing for FUS states back in 2010 or at least that is when Kazahstan was issuing new passports. I would recommend checking on this and maybe going ahead and getting a new passport now rather then waiting and findout she needs a new passoprt for the US Embassy to issue the visa. Maybe someone with an old passport from Belarus can comment whether travel to the US is possible.

Good luck,

Dave

[southernman 29]

It could be that the existing passport is not machine readable or up to the new standards of the US and Europe. This was the case with my wife's passport from Kazakhstan. It was still valid for 6 years but she went ahead and got a new one. The passport may be valid for another 10 years, but it may not be acceptable for travel to the US and Europe. This was a new thing for FUS states back in 2010 or at least that is when Kazahstan was issuing new passports. I would recommend checking on this and maybe going ahead and getting a new passport now rather then waiting and findout she needs a new passoprt for the US Embassy to issue the visa. Maybe someone with an old passport from Belarus can comment whether travel to the US is possible.

Good luck,

Dave

Thanks a lot. That may explain things some. Her passport was issued in 2003 and she just got a schengen visa with it this past month but I am not sure it will be good in the future. Hopefully someone has the answer.

[southernman 29]

I think I found the answer. http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/belarus/eu_travel/visa/index_en.htm

Q: What are the criteria for the travel document (passport) submitted for a Schengen visa?

A: It shall satisfy the following criteria:

(a) its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States or, in the case of several visits, after the last intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States. However, in a justified case of emergency, this obligation may be waived;

(b) it shall contain at least two blank pages;

© it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.

[Ron-Tanya 23]

I think I found the answer. http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/belarus/eu_travel/visa/index_en.htm

Q: What are the criteria for the travel document (passport) submitted for a Schengen visa?

A: It shall satisfy the following criteria:

(a) its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States or, in the case of several visits, after the last intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States. However, in a justified case of emergency, this obligation may be waived;

(b) it shall contain at least two blank pages;

© it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Gary, as an after thought will her passport be valid for her interview in Poland? She will need a Schengen Visa to enter Poland. Let me know how it works out. Ron

[southernman 29]

Gary, as an after thought will her passport be valid for her interview in Poland? She will need a Schengen Visa to enter Poland. Let me know how it works out. Ron

Ron, her passport will be good to use for the Schengen visa until July of next year so yes, the interview will not be a problem. She should be in the states by then but our concern is if we decide to travel to Europe before she is a US citizen, she will not be able to use the passport she has now. Renewing it is easy enough but we are unsure if doing it in the middle of this process would cause a problem with USCIS,NVS or the embassy in Warsaw seeing that she already has the old passport number on file with my petition.

[Ron-Tanya 23]

Ron, her passport will be good to use for the Schengen visa until July of next year so yes, the interview will not be a problem. She should be in the states by then but our concern is if we decide to travel to Europe before she is a US citizen, she will not be able to use the passport she has now. Renewing it is easy enough but we are unsure if doing it in the middle of this process would cause a problem with USCIS,NVS or the embassy in Warsaw seeing that she already has the old passport number on file with my petition.

Gary, just got off Skype with Tanya. She looked up the requirements and her passport was also issued in July 2003. She does not want to get a new one because her entry stamps for places we were together is in it and like you her # is in all the paper work. I looked at her passport and it looks like mine as far as being able to read electronicly. So I guess we are ok. If I hear different I'll let you know.

Ron

[southernman 29]

Gary, just got off Skype with Tanya. She looked up the requirements and her passport was also issued in July 2003. She does not want to get a new one because her entry stamps for places we were together is in it and like you her # is in all the paper work. I looked at her passport and it looks like mine as far as being able to read electronicly. So I guess we are ok. If I hear different I'll let you know.

Ron

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Thanks Ron, I guess the smartest option is to use the one she has now for the entire process and get it renewed down the road.

[Enigma11561 336]

It seems your main concern is the ability to travel in Europe during the 3 years or so she must wait until becoming a US citizen and then being able to travel on that passport. Once my wife came here, her desire to travel in Europe disappeared . She would rather travel to places here ( Hawaii, Alaska, California, see the Rocky mountains) and so forth. I would think there are enough places in the good old USA to keep you guys busy for quite awhile and put Europe on the back burner until later. I do not know your ages, but I would also think going back to Belarus to see family would be more important than a trip to say Paris or Amsterdam.

[slim 1,525]

Once my wife came here, her desire to travel in Europe disappeared . She would rather travel to places here ( Hawaii, Alaska, California, see the Rocky mountains) and so forth.

Same here.

Add the Caribbean in there too, which can be done on US green card.

[cluelessinny 2]

Ron, Thanks for the info about the BC. About her passport, she says that she would be unable to get a new schengen visa without renewing her passport and we are not sure that's a good idea during this process but honestly I have no idea and decided to ask here. We ended up going to Crete for 2 weeks and it was great. I hope VSC picks up the pace so you hear something soon ....Gary

Brother, my wife is on her 3rd passport, since we met