Russia Bride, K-1 vs K-3

[Zorro2020 2]

Hi folks,

@ AmyWrites & HollyDay ... you folks are Un-Selfishly Sharing Your EXperience and Info with a Total Stranger ... LIL OL ME ... so, I don't take anything YOU say to me, wrongly ... you folks are my Online Friends ... almost like a Family Member ...

@ JFT ... Thanks for the Tips and Words of Encouragement ...

OK ... so, I was wondering if I could do the following if I am DEAD Set on me NOT going to Russia ...

1) I send her and her mother an Invitation to come to US as Visitors ... this will take care of my seeing her within 2 years.

2) Get married to her in my City's City Hall.

3) They go back to Moscow.

4) I do all Wife Visa REquest thru US Embassy in Moscow.

Q1: Is this Doable?

Thanks,

Z!

Edited September 28, 2013 by Zorro2020

[Zorro2020 2]

@ JFT ...

Could you tell me what these 2 acronym stand for ..."ILS" and "WRT" ...

I did search in the forum did not return anything meaningful ...

Thanks!

[AmyWrites 593]

Hi folks,

@ AmyWrites & HollyDay ... you folks are Un-Selfishly Sharing Your EXperience and Info with a Total Stranger ... LIL OL ME ... so, I don't take anything YOU say to me, wrongly ... you folks are my Online Friends ... almost like a Family Member ...

@ JFT ... Thanks for the Tips and Words of Encouragement ...

OK ... so, I was wondering if I could do the following if I am DEAD Set on me NOT going to Russia ...

1) I send her and her mother an Invitation to come to US as Visitors ... this will take care of my seeing her within 2 years.

2) Get married to her in my City's City Hall.

3) They go back to Moscow.

4) I do all Wife Visa REquest thru US Embassy in Moscow.

Q1: Is this Doable?

Thanks,

Z!

I don't get why you don't want to go to Russia....

They probably won't get a tourist visa. Meet in a third country and marry there.

[Hollyday 122]

Hi folks,

@ AmyWrites & HollyDay ... you folks are Un-Selfishly Sharing Your EXperience and Info with a Total Stranger ... LIL OL ME ... so, I don't take anything YOU say to me, wrongly ... you folks are my Online Friends ... almost like a Family Member ...

@ JFT ... Thanks for the Tips and Words of Encouragement ...

OK ... so, I was wondering if I could do the following if I am DEAD Set on me NOT going to Russia ...

1) I send her and her mother an Invitation to come to US as Visitors ... this will take care of my seeing her within 2 years.

2) Get married to her in my City's City Hall.

3) They go back to Moscow.

4) I do all Wife Visa REquest thru US Embassy in Moscow.

Q1: Is this Doable?

Thanks,

Z!

Once again, don't take me wrong, but just yesterday you were saying you might be better off just staying pen-pals. Please think about it seriously before taking any further steps. It's not obvious to me that you want to spend your life with this woman.

[AmyWrites 593]

Once again, don't take me wrong, but just yesterday you were saying you might be better off just staying pen-pals. Please think about it seriously before taking any further steps. It's not obvious to me that you want to spend your life with this woman.

I'd say he's getting something out of it. Most people here are literally desperate to be with their loved ones.

[Hollyday 122]

I'd say he's getting something out of it. Most people here are literally desperate to be with their loved ones.

Well, i can only wonder what, since it only takes the OP one look at the embassy page to say 'Ok, this is too complex, i don't even want to do it'. Love? Umm. Doesn't sound like it.

[Zorro2020 2]

I don't get why you don't want to go to Russia....

They probably won't get a tourist visa. Meet in a third country and marry there.

Hi AmyWrites,

Why do you say they will NOT get a Toursit Visa!?!?

Q1: Are you telling me that Russia does NOT allow their people to go as a Visitor to another country ... or just Not to USA!?!?

You mean if I send a Tourist Invitation to them ... Russia or US Embassy will DENY them A Visitor Visa or Tourist Visa!?!?

Q2: A Third Country to Marry? What Country do you Suggest? Sweden, France, ...?

Q3: Do you or anyone else on this Forum knows of anyone who got married in a Third Country and done the Routine?

Thanks,

Z!

[Hollyday 122]

Hi AmyWrites,

Why do you say they will NOT get a Toursit Visa!?!?

Q1: Are you telling me that Russia does NOT allow their people to go as a Visitor to another country ... or just Not to USA!?!?

You mean if I send a Tourist Invitation to them ... Russia or US Embassy will DENY them A Visitor Visa or Tourist Visa!?!?

Russia has nothing to do with issuing of the US visa. It's purely up to the embassy/consulate and there is a concept - with which i tend to disagree - that it's hard for a single lady to get a tourist visa to go to the US. I got one when i was single. I think i saw some statistics for tourist visas for the US and there were less than 10% of denials altogether.

Russia allows people to travel abroad perfectly fine unless they're working in some secret facility or something. Can you please stop being so overwhelmed with scary old Russia and it's bureaucracy? Yours is just as bad - at least when it comes to visas.

[sinbad 1]

Both my Fiancee, and her daughter have received tourist Visa's for the US. No Problems for either. My experience has been that the tourist visas in both directions are easy to get. My opinion of the K-1 wait times is the same as her opinion on sales taxes.

[GabbyBird 53]

I strongly suggest you go the fiancé visa route. If you are considering marrying in the USA, doing so on a tourist visa is technically fraud as she must swear she is not intending to immigrate when she crosses the border and also must declare any fiancés or relatives (which can lead to denial of the visa).

Getting married in Russia may bring other difficulties such as the ZAGS wait time. Personally I find if you are trying to immigrate to the US, having a valid US marriage certificate would be easier than a foreign certificate. You clearly have intent (and NOW an internet footprint) of your intent to marry (and yes they do read VJ).

If you consider this woman your fiancé, do the legal thing and get the fiancé visa.. Just my opinion.

One major catch is that if she intends to change her legal name on her national and international Russian passport, USA marriage certificates don't explicitly state she changes her name which is a russian requirement, so the name change is not easy. It took my wife about 3-months, a legal name change, and knowing the right people to finally get her name changed in Russia.

As for the Russian tourist visa, I had no problems. I got the 3-year multi-entry visa using the "travisa" service which took about a week or so and I think cost a few hundred dollars in total ($200-$300 i forget). My passport expires in 2 years so I only got 2/3 years on the visa however. I was visiting my wife's family (already married) so they wrote the invitation letter. The border crossing was painless and I think they scrutinized my visa more on the USA side leaving the airport than they did in Russia.

Edited September 29, 2013 by GabbyBird

[Hollyday 122]

I strongly suggest you go the fiancé visa route. If you are considering marrying in the USA, doing so on a tourist visa is technically fraud as she must swear she is not intending to immigrate when she crosses the border and also must declare any fiancés or relatives (which can lead to denial of the visa).

Actually from what i heard on VJ if you get married on tourist visa but then leave the country and file for CR-1/IR-1 it's kind of okay, because you didn't apply for AoS (which then would mean immigrant intent from the start). If you do it staying in the US then it's more trouble to prove you initially didn't have the intent to immigrate.

[Zorro2020 2]

Hi Sinbad, GabbyBird, & HollyDay,

Thank You all for taking the time to reply and share your knowledge and experience.

You go to Vegas get Drunk and get Married to a Total Stranger ... I don't see anyone Crying about that ... or saying "Foul Play"

Z!

[Derek & Rita 6]

Normally in Moscow you apply 1 month before the actual marriage (fixing the date). Not sure about other cities. This can be done by the bride if she has an application from the groom (separately from hers) which is notarized (notary saw the groom sign it). Also, copy of first page of groom's passport has to be provided with an official translation + a letter from US embassy notary saying that the groom attested (is this the correct word?) in front of them that he is not married.

Here's a link to ZAGS site where it describes what's needed for foreigners (in Russian).

I just wanted to add that sometimes they will bypass the 31 day requirement as long as you have a good reason. I've been told that one good reason is 'it is financially infeasable for me to stay in Russia longer than 14 days' and I myself went with 'my employer will not allow more vacation time'. That seemed to work for me, but of course, my wife was 6 months pregnant at the time, so I am sure that helped. Just don't plan on getting the waiver approved, as it's not a guarantee. You have to speak with the manager at the Zags. And I allowed two weeks for my vacation, got married on my last day there, so I was very lucky. I did the attestation at the embassy the day I arrived. You also have to go to the foreign document service and get all your documents approved in Russia which includes visiting a notary (in Russia). There they tape a string through the documents and sign the tape, so you can't tamper with it. Heaven forbid if you handle those documents roughly and the string tears the tape... If you don't speak Russian, you'll also need to book a translator for your wedding. And at Zags, (and everywhere else) if there is one single mistake on a written document, you have to start over again. There is no white out. My wife had to fill out the marriage application about 4 times before they thought it was perfect. Her hands were sore from all the writing that had to be done.

Anyway, if the thought of going through all this is making you rethink your choice of wife, then I'd suggest not getting married and breaking this poor woman's heart.

P.S. I almost forgot, you have to have all your documents translated to Russian by approved agencies and yes the only approved agencies are on Russian soil. It took a week just to get all the translations done, and it was not cheap.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Derek & Rita

[Hollyday 122]

I just wanted to add that sometimes they will bypass the 31 day requirement as long as you have a good reason. I've been told that one good reason is 'it is financially infeasable for me to stay in Russia longer than 14 days' and I myself went with 'my employer will not allow more vacation time'. That seemed to work for me, but of course, my wife was 6 months pregnant at the time, so I am sure that helped. Just don't plan on getting the waiver approved, as it's not a guarantee. You have to speak with the manager at the Zags. And I allowed two weeks for my vacation, got married on my last day there, so I was very lucky. I did the attestation at the embassy the day I arrived. You also have to go to the foreign document service and get all your documents approved in Russia which includes visiting a notary (in Russia). There they tape a string through the documents and sign the tape, so you can't tamper with it. Heaven forbid if you handle those documents roughly and the string tears the tape... If you don't speak Russian, you'll also need to book a translator for your wedding. And at Zags, (and everywhere else) if there is one single mistake on a written document, you have to start over again. There is no white out. My wife had to fill out the marriage application about 4 times before they thought it was perfect. Her hands were sore from all the writing that had to be done.

Anyway, if the thought of going through all this is making you rethink your choice of wife, then I'd suggest not getting married and breaking this poor woman's heart.

P.S. I almost forgot, you have to have all your documents translated to Russian by approved agencies and yes the only approved agencies are on Russian soil. It took a week just to get all the translations done, and it was not cheap.

Well, it depends on how you want the reception afterwards: i wouldn't dare to have just 2 weeks for preparations, so i booked 2 months in advance via their website. Then you just have to show up on a specific date with documents that are normally submitted to confirm your booking.

Also about speaking Russian in ZAGS: i didn't have an interpreter (didn't think of it since i speak both languages) so when it was the time for him to say 'Yes' i just squeezed his hand so he knew.

(And about filling marriage application: this is nothing compared to registration forms! Lol. And they need 2 copies! As soon as i get the slightest bit distracted i make an error in those.)

[paws057 9]

Hi Darnell & AmyWrites,

OK ... So, change of Tactic ... I am going to Pursue ... CR-1 Route.

So, now I have to scour the VJ pages to see what is needed for me to do BEFORE I fly to Moscow and get married ...

1) Like, what will I need to do or take with me so my Marriage over there is all LEGAL and Validated.

2) What I need to Bring Back with me from there ... while I am in Moscow with Her and Her Family ... Parents and all.

@ AmyWrites ... You mentioned that going to Russia is NOT Hard. But when I am on their Embassy Site is almost like they don't want you there ...

Q1: So, they need a Sponsor ... even as a Tourist?

I suppose my Wife To Be, will be my Sponsor ... right? Or someone else need to be?

Any pointers here would be appreciated.

Thanks again!

Z!

Going to Russia is very easy really. Go to the site VisaHq.com and fill out the form for a Russian visa, print it, sign it,(also buy an invitation from the same company. The invitation costs about 20 dollars) and send it and the fee's to the company in Washington DC. Two or three weeks later they will send you your visa. If you have never had one before it's best to go for the 30 day visa instead of the three year visa which you might need an interview for since you have not had one before.