Strange Email & Phone Call Embassy in Vladivostok.

[Dima_April 9]

As of Dec 1st - our case was approved. Therefore, should be on it's way to the NVC.
Interview should be in Moscow.
Fiance sends text last night Dec. 2. and forwards strange email.
Woman calls from the Embassy in Vladivostok and talks with him. Not sure what phone conversation completely about. Fiance boarding plane to return home, from his work.
He Forwards this message, which is from an individual by the name of,Yelena Sokolova, press secretary to the late Sergei Yushenkov (critic of Putin). You can find more information about her, at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/214191.pdf

Subject line : Your Visa
Body:

Dear Mr. Kovalevsky,

Following our telephone conversation , I inform you the phone number to which you can contact the US Consulate General in Vladivostok on the re- interview
(423) 23000070
This is a phone operator . You need to contact the visa department.
I remind you that before the second interview , we do not recommend that you enter the US on a visa valid today .

Yours faithfully,

Visa department

Our case, should just be going to the NVC. They wouldn't have even had time to check us out. He's not a criminal, he didn't overstay his visa. He didn't tell them that he was going to visit me, when he obtained the tourist visa. I had a friend that didn't like the fact that he was coming and she tracked down one of his old female friends he had thought about marrying on Facebook. She said, she was going to turn him in for attempting to immigrate (talked with to many other women about coming here).
In his defense, we both were on a dating site. We both talked with other people. Both spoke about dating, and marriage with others. Heck, that's what a dating site is about.
I'm just wondering if the looney tune ex friend, could have sent old messages to the embassy and made it look like he was attempting to immigrate. We are required to meet, so why would it be a problem. We didn't marry, we tried to do everything legal.

Why would anyone be calling and emailing him, telling him to return to Vladivostok?

Again, our case is just going to the NVC. He's had no medical exam and doesn't even have my papers for the I-134, bank statements, letter from employer...nothing!

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Did you translate that, or was the email sent like that? The bad English sounds like a scam to me.

[Kastrs 723]

Sounds fishy....I would disregard it

[Dima_April 9]

Did you translate that, or was the email sent like that? The bad English sounds like a scam to me.

I used Google Translate, because it was in Russian and my fiance, was boarding a plane - flying back home from his job.

Here is what it said in Russian:

Subject: Ваша виза

Sent: Dec 3, 2015 12:24

From: "Sokolova, Yelena" <SokolovaY@state.gov>

Уважаемый господин Ковалевский,

В продолжение нашего телефонного разговора, сообщаю Вам номер телефона, по которому вы можете связаться с Генеральным консульством США во Владивостоке относительно повторного собеседования:

(423) 23000070

Это телефон оператора. Вам нужно связаться с визовым отделом.

Напоминаю Вам, что до повторного собеседования мы не рекомендуем вам въезжать в США по действующей сейчас визе.

С уважением,

Визовый отдел

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Ok, I can't read the Russian but that makes more sense then. I'd call them when your fiance has time to find out what is up, and hopefully some locals will chime in here too.

[vbtwo 54]

Might be legit in that they want to review the tourist visa for some reason. It's possible that someone tipped them off to something after they granted the visa and they want to revoke it. The Russian is good. Even if they revoke his tourist visa, it should have no bearing on K1 (and I see from your progress that you are pretty close to getting it).

You can also probably ignore it and just get the K1 as you're pretty close in the process, they'll then revoke any tourist visas automatically when they issue the K1. As he never overstayed, he shouldn't have any issues for K1.

[mrsashko 16]

As said above -- Russian copy has no grammar mistakes.

The tone of the email suggests that is most likely connected to current visa (not the upcoming K1... but it may effect the upcoming visa process too).

Unfortunately the email itself doesn't say much useful. I bet that earlier phone conversation had the "meat".

Edited December 3, 2015 by mrsashko

[steph&max 13]

Did you get that NOA2 in just over a month?

[Dima_April 9]

As said above -- Russian copy has no grammar mistakes.

The tone of the email suggests that is most likely connected to current visa (not the upcoming K1... but it may effect the upcoming visa process too).

Unfortunately the email itself doesn't say much useful. I bet that earlier phone conversation had the "meat".

Well, now it is Google translate after all ! You must expect mistakes in grammar ! I once used it to tell him, I love you and got the wrong gender !!!

I sent the email on to two different attorneys (one Russian/Ukrainian) and both said they thought it was a scam. A friend had posted to our FB page, congratulating us on the approval. They made it a public post. The attorney's think someone is just playing a malicious game. They advised we ignore this.

As for the "meat" I think there was a lot in the phone conversation. He just got home and is tired. Myself, I worried all night long. We agreed to call each other later or tomorrow after being well rested. I'll ask him for more details then. Maybe I'll even share with you guys, just in case something weird like this comes up for someone else.

I told my fiance, not to answer anymore calls or emails, as that's what two attorneys suggested. I hope they are right !

From what I understand, the petition goes to the NVC. In a couple weeks, I should be able to call and ask for a new case number starting with the letters MOS followed by either 2015 or 2016, followed by other numbers?

The one attorney said, and help me with this someone....there is only one Embassy that deals with K1 visas in Russia and that is Moscow. Is that true?

[Dima_April 9]

Did you get that NOA2 in just over a month?

Yes, the NOA2 was granted in just over a month. The petition was sent to the wrong lock box on October 29th and forwarded to the CSC. By Dec.1, our case was approved. I still don't have a hard copy, but viewed online.

[TBoneTX 45,286]

The one attorney said, and help me with this someone....there is only one Embassy that deals with K1 visas in Russia and that is Moscow. Is that true?

Good question to ask, and good response by the attorney. It's 100% true, for Russia.

In Canada, the U.S. embassy is in Ottawa (the capital); consulates are elsewhere.

Ottawa doesn't handle K-1 or CR-1 visa activity.

In Ecuador, the U.S. embassy in in Quito (the capital); a consulate is in Guayaquil.

Quito handles tourist and other (but not K-1 or CR-1) visas; Guayaquil handles tourist and K-1/CR-1 visas.

In the U.S., the foreign embassies are all in Washington, DC; consulates are elsewhere.

Consular activities can occur at embassies; however, the ambassadors are solely at the embassies. A consulate is headed by a Consul General.

[steph&max 13]

Yes, the NOA2 was granted in just over a month. The petition was sent to the wrong lock box on October 29th and forwarded to the CSC. By Dec.1, our case was approved. I still don't have a hard copy, but viewed online.

Wow congrats!! Praying that happens to us