Denied K1

[Lowens8 10]

If you end up in Russia for an extended period, you may have difficulties with I-864 unless you have a co-sponsor. Anyway, just something to keep in mind. I wish you the best of luck!

Yeah I was thinking of that too. I'm going to have to see how long of a leave I can take from my job or if they have some type of sabbatical kind of thing (I was going to start a new career path once he approved anyways so I'm not too attached to my current job but the benefits are really good). Worst case scenario, I can have my parents sponsor us when we return.

What you are planning on doing is something that I am researching as a possible path for my boyfriend and I. We want to be together, either in USA or in Russia. His parents live in Crimea.... so we don't know if that is even possible place for us to live. In the mean time I am working and trying to save up 10k before I am to "live" there for a short amount of time, USA money goes a really long way in a small village like my boyfriend's. For a month I can rent a really nice hotel room looking at the black sea for about less than 400 usd. We have a few people that can sponsor him, if needed.

If you get married in Russia (please correct me if I am wrong) you need to go to FMS(I think it is called Zags) apply for marriage, Documents need to be trans into Russia, unsure if you need an apsial(SP, I forgot how it is spell ><) wait a month for your date and get married. I am unsure if you can get married over there as a tourist visa, but I know you can on a private, I am wondering if it is because of the length of time from applying to get married to being married in Russia.(Multi gives you 6 months) You might be able to on a tourist and later return, after the 6 months are up on that entry and come back as a tourist again and wait with him.

I think your best bet is the private stay visa and after being in the country for 6 months apply for the spouse visa at the USA Embassy. I don't know if you need to be a tempo or perm resident for this or you can be living in Russia on a 6 month private visa come back and renew the time spent with a small gap. Worst case you might be able to do the overseas fiing.

Btw I do not know the timelines for most of these. In order to get the tempo resident permit in Russia, it takes about 6 months as well. You need a medical(I heard that this is only good for 3 months and can cost about 200 USD or more), FBI background check(Good for 3 months, done at the Embassy), and passing the Russian Language History and Law test(Good for 5 years and costs about 5300 Rubles depending on the School you take it at.) And I think you need to know the basic rules of the Russian Language.

Note: If my information is wrong, please correct me and please give links. Its been a few weeks since I looked up this information, and have been busy with a new job and studying Russia.

I was reading about the Zags thing too. I'll definitely need to do more research because it said something like it has to be done in his hometown but we would be living in St P which is quite a ways from Astrakhan.

If I sold my house I wouldn't need to work while living there but at the same time I'd love to teach English (working on my TEFL certificate now). A company I usually have exchange students through in the summer has an office there so I'm hoping if I teach with them I could transfer back to the US with a job so I wouldn't need a co-sponsor.

[TBoneTX 45,267]

OP, before you move and marry, you'd better find out the reasons for the K-1 refusal and correct those first.

[Lowens8 10]

OP, before you move and marry, you'd better find out the reasons for the K-1 refusal and correct those first.

For sure

[Nick_Moscow 2]

OH WOW

Isn't a CR1 a direct consular file for a spoise visa? If so this poster is absolutely wrong, and that's the tale-it-with-a-grain-of-salt aspect of asking opinions of anpnymous internet users. I don't recall the exact dates but I applied at the US consulate in Russia gor a spousal visa for my wife in 2008, and it definitely took under a year, something like 6 months or less. We applied in late Spring and got the visa in mid summer, as I recall.

Good luck!!

[Nick_Moscow 2]

RE- moving to and marrying in Russia, see the excellent forums at ex pat dot ru for info and advice. The new rules on business and tourist visas are you can ctay up to 180 days but then must leave for at least 90 days. I imagine this was done to halt the abuse of these visas for immigration and work purposes. So given the amount of time needed for marrying and the US spousal visa, and to avoid the high costs of visa runs, yes, you should apply for a work visa to work at a company, and working at an EFL school is probably the easiest option. Moscow will pay better but St. Pete has plenty of ESL schools too. Nonessentials in Russia are quite expensive (expenses other than food, rent, utilities, public transport), so be prepared for your USD 10K to burn up quicker than you think. And if you become a true russophile, and you like your company, wirk visas can be renewed once without having to leave the country )

Good luck!!

[Lowens8 10]

Isn't a CR1 a direct consular file for a spoise visa? If so this poster is absolutely wrong, and that's the tale-it-with-a-grain-of-salt aspect of asking opinions of anpnymous internet users. I don't recall the exact dates but I applied at the US consulate in Russia gor a spousal visa for my wife in 2008, and it definitely took under a year, something like 6 months or less. We applied in late Spring and got the visa in mid summer, as I recall.

Good luck!!

RE- moving to and marrying in Russia, see the excellent forums at ex pat dot ru for info and advice. The new rules on business and tourist visas are you can ctay up to 180 days but then must leave for at least 90 days. I imagine this was done to halt the abuse of these visas for immigration and work purposes. So given the amount of time needed for marrying and the US spousal visa, and to avoid the high costs of visa runs, yes, you should apply for a work visa to work at a company, and working at an EFL school is probably the easiest option. Moscow will pay better but St. Pete has plenty of ESL schools too. Nonessentials in Russia are quite expensive (expenses other than food, rent, utilities, public transport), so be prepared for your USD 10K to burn up quicker than you think. And if you become a true russophile, and you like your company, wirk visas can be renewed once without having to leave the country )

Good luck!!

Thank you for all the information!

[Lowens8 10]

The congressman's office bascially got the same response we got and the letter they received stated the petition was already sent back. I've been calling NVC and they say it's still in Moscow so I have no idea where it actually is.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

The congressman's office bascially got the same response we got and the letter they received stated the petition was already sent back. I've been calling NVC and they say it's still in Moscow so I have no idea where it actually is.

Have the senator's aid request the diplomatic pouch number it was returned with.

Sometimes they just say it has been returned and it is still sitting at the embassy so if they can not give you a pouch

number then it likely has not left the embassy yet.

You need a more assertive senator's aid.

Returned cases can fall into the big black hole for many months with nobody claiming they have the case.

A pouch number will at least confirm that it was returned.

You just have to file again.

[Lowens8 10]

Have the senator's aid request the diplomatic pouch number it was returned with.

Sometimes they just say it has been returned and it is still sitting at the embassy so if they can not give you a pouch

number then it likely has not left the embassy yet.

You need a more assertive senator's aid.

Returned cases can fall into the big black hole for many months with nobody claiming they have the case.

A pouch number will at least confirm that it was returned.

You just have to file again.

I haven't heard anything from the Senator's office yet (when I submitted the paper for them to get information on my behalf they said it would take a week for them to send anything). My congressman's office seems to move a bit faster so I'll see if they can send another inquiry for the tracking number.

USCIS said I have to call the embassy and have them resend it but like you said I think no one is claiming it.

Thank you!

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Don't request a "tracking number" they will tell you there is none. Call it what it is, the diplomatic pouch number which you can not track

yourself online but it is a means to find out if your case has been returned already.
As I said before it does not matter because it will expire and no one can keep it from expiring.
If the case has NOT been returned yet then there would be the slim chance that you can request a second interview now

but they said it has been returned so forget about it, marry and file a CR1.

[Leo7777 243]

Marrying will not overcome the reason for denial.

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

Marrying will not overcome the reason for denial.

Very true. I see how it could help in case if CO had some doubts about relationship but then there would be no reason for a few months in AP. Marrying and re-applying right away isn't the greatest idea unless you want to be most likely denied again. OP's next step should be figuring out the reason for denial before starting any other petition.

- Victor from Russia

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

Op states that the congressman is working on finding out the reason for refusal. Often the embassy will not be forthcoming with the reason. Uscis will not send a letter with the reason either.

[Lowens8 10]

Very true. I see how it could help in case if CO had some doubts about relationship but then there would be no reason for a few months in AP. Marrying and re-applying right away isn't the greatest idea unless you want to be most likely denied again. OP's next step should be figuring out the reason for denial before starting any other petition.

- Victor from Russia

Op states that the congressman is working on finding out the reason for refusal. Often the embassy will not be forthcoming with the reason. Uscis will not send a letter with the reason either.

We definitely want to find out the denial reason first but how do we do this if the Embassy won't tell us and USCIS won't tell us? My congressman's office got the same response my fiance got (maybe the senator's office will have better luck but I doubt it). At what point should I put a request in to the USCIS Ombudsman (not sure if i spelled that correct)?

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

I would be very surprised if you would get a reason from anyone.

The CO should have issued a 221g letter with the reason clearly stated but since they have discretionary powers to do what they want to

he did not receive that. I hope the senator can get another appointment to at least pick it up.

You can

1. File a FOIA to find out the reason,which takes a long time.

2. Marry, file a CR1, wait for RFE or NOID/NOIR and respond with rebuttal.

3. Hire a lawyer which will be wasted money and still may not get you an answer.

My option would be 1. and 2. both at the same time and see if the FOIA or NOID/NOIR (if any) will come first.