OK, my situation is really quite tough - Russian Fiance

[ah-no 27]

I want to bring my fiancé here. I'm a US citizen, and I have a job here, and a little bit of savings (to be blunt, approx. 70,000 dollars). I've met me fiancé many times, and I used to live in her country.

Here are the problems:

• My fiancé lives in Russia.
• She wants to leave to go ANYWHERE, ASAP, due to the political situation.
• She does not have a visa to go to Poland, and I guess she needs to apply for that t in Russia. That's a potential future problem.
• My job is affected by the political situation, so I may lose it! I have 2 jobs, one in Russia, and one in the USA. I work both. I also earn extra income as a teacher online. 
  
  where do I begin? what do I do? which visa? Should we try another country? Could a lawyer help?
  
  I'm quite overwhelmed and I want her to get to safety ASAP. People are mostly (justifiably so!) focused on Ukrainians, but even though Russia is the aggressor, for average people dealing with the regime there and the fallout of the sanctions, things are quickly getting unsafe. Please, any advice or help is welcome.

[SalishSea 18,064]

2 minutes ago, ah-no said:

I want to bring my fiancé here. I'm a US citizen, and I have a job here, and a little bit of savings (to be blunt, approx. 70,000 dollars). I've met me fiancé many times, and I used to live in her country.

Here are the problems:

• My fiancé lives in Russia.
• She wants to leave to go ANYWHERE, ASAP, due to the political situation.
• She does not have a visa to go to Poland, and I guess she needs to apply for that t in Russia. That's a potential future problem.
• My job is affected by the political situation, so I may lose it! I have 2 jobs, one in Russia, and one in the USA. I work both. I also earn extra income as a teacher online. 
  
  where do I begin? what do I do? which visa? Should we try another country? Could a lawyer help?
  
  I'm quite overwhelmed and I want her to get to safety ASAP. People are mostly (justifiably so!) focused on Ukrainians, but even though Russia is the aggressor, for average people dealing with the regime there and the fallout of the sanctions, things are quickly getting unsafe. Please, any advice or help is welcome.

At this point, this is not a matter related to US immigration.  You should focus first on getting her to some other country (won't be the US), and then start researching options for her to immigrate here.

 

A lawyer cannot do anything you can't do yourself.

 

Both the K and CR options will take several years for her to get here, regardless of whether she leaves Russia.

 

Good luck.

[ah-no 27]

18 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

At this point, this is not a matter related to US immigration.  You should focus first on getting her to some other country (won't be the US), and then start researching options for her to immigrate here.

 

A lawyer cannot do anything you can't do yourself.

 

Both the K and CR options will take several years for her to get here, regardless of whether she leaves Russia.

 

Good luck.

Well, if all goes well, she'll be to another country in just a few days. So, I'm ready to research the options. That's what this post is about. 

Edited March 2, 2022 by ah-no

[SalishSea 18,064]

1 minute ago, ah-no said:

Well, if all goes well, she'll be to another country in just a few days. So, I'm ready to research the options. That's what this post is about. 

Okay.  Have you read the guides?   @Crazy Cat maybe could post his K/CR comparison.  In any case, I recommend reading and educating yourself as much as possible about the process.  It is complex, and being informed can save you time and money.

 

Most here would agree that the CR-1 is vastly superior to the K-1  Neither is fast.  Russia's invasion of a sovereign nation will definitely delay things for any Russian applicant.

 

 

[ah-no 27]

Just now, Jorgedig said:

Okay.  Have you read the guides?   @Crazy Cat maybe could post his K/CR comparison.  In any case, I recommend reading and educating yourself as much as possible about the process.  It is complex, and being informed can save you time and money.

 

Most here would agree that the CR-1 is vastly superior to the K-1  Neither is fast.  Russia's invasion of a sovereign nation will definitely delay things for any Russian applicant.

 

 

I have read the guides, but nevertheless, none of them deal with a situation where the applicant hails from a country that has invaded a sovereign nation (which also adds to the fact that relationships between countries and the process were already tangled to begin with). So, uncharted territories here, that's a lot of my overwhelmed feelings are about, in fact. And that's why my initial thought was to contact an immigration lawyer, but I'd like to know how going that route is perceived in the community. I suppose if it were straightforward, I would try to go in alone, but I do not know.

[SalishSea 18,064]

4 minutes ago, ah-no said:

I have read the guides, but nevertheless, none of them deal with a situation where the applicant hails from a country that has invaded a sovereign nation (which also adds to the fact that relationships between countries and the process were already tangled to begin with). So, uncharted territories here, that's a lot of my overwhelmed feelings are about, in fact. And that's why my initial thought was to contact an immigration lawyer, but I'd like to know how going that route is perceived in the community. I suppose if it were straightforward, I would try to go in alone, but I do not know.

* And they won't.  Because at this stage, it is irrelevant.  It only becomes relevant when it gets closer to the time for an interview.

 

 

A lawyer cannot impact the speed or outcome.  Some VJ members feel better using one, especially if they have a hard time understanding the complexities of the forms.

 

If she can get legal residence in another country, she could qualify to interview at the US consulate there.  However, an interview is YEARS away, since you are not even at the point to petition her.  Lots could change by then.  You're kind of jumping the gun.

 

I'd focus on her getting legal residence in a different country first, and then starting the petition process.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Jorgedig

[Em&Jen 27]

There is still train connection to Finland. You can enter the train with Finnish or Russian passport. Seems it is about the only way out currently?

[ah-no 27]

Just now, Jorgedig said:

A lawyer cannot impact the speed or outcome.  Some VJ members feel better using one, especially if they have a hard time understanding the complexities of the forms.

 

If she can get legal residence in another country, she could qualify to interview at the US consulate there.  However, an interview is YEARS away, since you are not even at the point to petition her.  Lots could change by then.  You're kind of jumping the gun.

 

I'd focus on her getting legal residence in a different country first, and then starting the petition process.

She has some options to get a residence in a third-party foreign country right now, but I'm not sure if "temporary residence" (like a one year, would apply.) For instance, the Bahamas has such a scheme, and the countries in question now are Georgia and perhaps Montenegro. I kind find concrete information anywhere about what exactly qualifies. 

Why is the interview so many years away? Looking at most members timelines seems to not indicate that kind of length. 

[Crazy Cat 42,032]

40 minutes ago, ah-no said:

I want to bring my fiancé here. I'm a US citizen, and I have a job here, and a little bit of savings (to be blunt, approx. 70,000 dollars). I've met me fiancé many times, and I used to live in her country.

Here are the problems:

• My fiancé lives in Russia.
• She wants to leave to go ANYWHERE, ASAP, due to the political situation.
• She does not have a visa to go to Poland, and I guess she needs to apply for that t in Russia. That's a potential future problem.
• My job is affected by the political situation, so I may lose it! I have 2 jobs, one in Russia, and one in the USA. I work both. I also earn extra income as a teacher online. 
  
  where do I begin? what do I do? which visa? Should we try another country? Could a lawyer help?
  
  I'm quite overwhelmed and I want her to get to safety ASAP. People are mostly (justifiably so!) focused on Ukrainians, but even though Russia is the aggressor, for average people dealing with the regime there and the fallout of the sanctions, things are quickly getting unsafe. Please, any advice or help is welcome.

Every couple has their own priorities, and each couple must decide which visa is better for their situation.

K-1        
    More expensive than CR-1    
    Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)    
    Spouse can not leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (approx 6-8 months)    
    Spouse can not work until she/he receives EAD (approx 6-8 months)    
    Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, bank account during this period    
    Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed.
    A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  

CR-1
    Less expensive than K-1    
    No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required.    
    Spouse can immediately travel outside the US    
    Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival.    
    Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US    
    Opening a bank account, getting a driver's license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport.

    Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US.
   

 

[ah-no 27]

2 minutes ago, Em&Jen said:

There is still train connection to Finland. You can enter the train with Finnish or Russian passport. Seems it is about the only way out currently?

Turkish airlines still flies to Istanbul, there are also flights to Azerbaijan, Armenia, UAE, and a handful of countries. Russians cannot enter Finland without a visa. 

[Crazy Cat 42,032]

***I moved this topic to the "What Visa Do I Need" forum.***

[Crazy Cat 42,032]

5 minutes ago, ah-no said:

She has some options to get a residence in a third-party foreign country right now, but I'm not sure if "temporary residence" (like a one year, would apply.) For instance, the Bahamas has such a scheme, and the countries in question now are Georgia and perhaps Montenegro. I kind find concrete information anywhere about what exactly qualifies. 

Why is the interview so many years away? Looking at most members timelines seems to not indicate that kind of length. 

Right now, 24 months from start to finish(with no issues) is not out of the question....especially if a CR-1 is your choice. 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[SalishSea 18,064]

4 minutes ago, ah-no said:

Why is the interview so many years away? Looking at most members timelines seems to not indicate that kind of length. 

Because you're not married yet, so to pursue that, you would need to travel, marry and obtain a legal marriage certificate.  That could take several months.   

 

CR-1 petitions can take a year, or more, to approve.  The DQ process can take that long as well.  

 

Even if she receives legal residence in a third country, the process for getting an interview set up there also takes time.

 

And as the rest of the world gradually shuts off relations/travel with Russia, her options become more limited.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Jorgedig

[ah-no 27]

2 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Because you're not married yet, so to pursue that, you would need to travel, marry and obtain a legal marriage certificate.  That could take several months.   

 

CR-1 petitions can take a year, or more, to approve.  The DQ process can take that long as well.  

 

Even if she receives legal residence in a third country, the process for getting an interview set up there also takes time.

 

And as the rest of the world gradually shuts off relations/travel with Russia, her options become more limited.

Is there any way to find what sort of "legal residences" would be valid? For instance, the Bahamas has a 1 year residence permit available. 

As for the marriage -- I don't get the several months timeline. Seems like you'd have to really bang around to stretch that process out. The travel part isn't that difficult. I work remotely and so does she. A good research would be to find a place that can do this easily and quickly. 

With regards to Russian situation, as you've said, a lot can change, so I will try to be proactive. So far, travel at least, is OK. But it could change tomorrow. Hence, I'm making efforts.

[SalishSea 18,064]

Just now, ah-no said:

Is there any way to find what sort of "legal residences" would be valid? For instance, the Bahamas has a 1 year residence permit available. 

As for the marriage -- I don't get the several months timeline. Seems like you'd have to really bang around to stretch that process out. The travel part isn't that difficult. I work remotely and so does she. A good research would be to find a place that can do this easily and quickly. 

With regards to Russian situation, as you've said, a lot can change, so I will try to be proactive. So far, travel at least, is OK. But it could change tomorrow. Hence, I'm making efforts.

Right, so you will need to research where you can both travel to as tourists and legally marry.  That is beyond my pay grade.  It may be more complex than you imagine, so good luck.

 

As far as I know, she can potentially be interviewed at a US consulate in any country where she has legal status.  In terms of which countries would allow her to move there now, given the current situation, also beyond my pay grade.

 

Good luck.