Helping her with forms

[Danno 1,228]

In one short week, I will be back in St. Petersburg with natalia (finally).

As I expect my 2nd notice to arrive about this same time period, I thought I should take with me or do what ever I can to keep things moving.

I have the i-134 filled out though it seems to suggest it is not needed at the Moscow web-site.

Reading over some of the documents that Natalia will be told to fill out when she gets her package, I am more than a little concerned how she will be able to do that when I have had to get help to fill out the documents myself.

I thought if I could go ahead now and make copies of those forms and either fill them out with her while I am there or at least fill out one that she can copy off of later (I see one has to be done On-line).

PLease, if anyone can offer any documents numbers I should take and fillout with her, or Ideas that might be helpful in this regard please throw them out here.

[mendeleev 68]

DS-156, DS-230, and DS-156K come to mind. The DS-156K must be filled out in Russian for some odd reason. The DS-156 must be filled out and printed while at a computer capable of handling recent versions of Adobe Reader. The form creates a fancy bar code that encodes all of the answers in some machine-readable format -- which reduces subsequent govt transcription errors.

Will you take a computer with you? Does she have one with an internet connection, a reasonably recent operating system, and a modern printer? If she has, or you can bring these creature comforts, you can help her out a lot.

Oh, and you should plan on filling out the I-134, and provide her with recent bank statements, employer letter, payroll stubs, preferably dated after (or at least straddling) your NOA2 date. And 3 years of 1040 (with all W-2's, Schedules, etc.)

Good luck!

Edited August 15, 2007 by novotul

[Danno 1,228]

DS-156, DS-230, and DS-156K come to mind. The DS-156K must be filled out in Russian for some odd reason. The DS-156 must be filled out and printed while at a computer capable of handling recent versions of Adobe Reader. The form creates a fancy bar code that encodes all of the answers in some machine-readable format -- which reduces subsequent govt transcription errors.

Will you take a computer with you? Does she have one with an internet connection, a reasonably recent operating system, and a modern printer? If she has, or you can bring these creature comforts, you can help her out a lot.

Oh, and you should plan on filling out the I-134, and provide her with recent bank statements, employer letter, payroll stubs, preferably dated after (or at least straddling) your NOA2 date. And 3 years of 1040 (with all W-2's, Schedules, etc.)

Good luck!

-------

She has a computer running XP so when I get there, I will refer back to this thread and locate the documents suggested here.

Tonight I filled on the i-134 although I am getting contrary guidance.

Some say Mother and child each need a i-134 filled out others say the child is on the mothers document... yet the directions plainly says one i-134 per person.

Also on question.... (or line) 10, not sure if that is including who I am doing the K-1 on or if that is for previous persons I might have sponsored.

[slim 1,525]

On K-1 visas, children are covered under the mother. It's a "package deal" so to speak. Thus, one I-134 is all that's necessary. (Someone who's sponsored children also, correct me if I'm wrong here. Additional copies may be needed for each kid, but I don't think so because regardless of how many children there are, they're still all going to be sponsored by you because you're sponsoring their mother.)

As for the other questions and forms..... I'll say here what I said in the other thread, this is "her" part of the paperwork. Let her do it. There are instructions, in Russian, in the packet and there are also several websites out there with detailed instructions on how to fill them out, in Russian, if she has any questions. Keep in mind she's going to be sitting in the interview "without" you, so she should be able to answer what's on her paperwork when they ask her verbally.

[Kotenochek 0]

Make sure your affidavit 134 is stamped at the end by notary.

[Danno 1,228]

On K-1 visas, children are covered under the mother. It's a "package deal" so to speak. Thus, one I-134 is all that's necessary. (Someone who's sponsored children also, correct me if I'm wrong here. Additional copies may be needed for each kid, but I don't think so because regardless of how many children there are, they're still all going to be sponsored by you because you're sponsoring their mother.)

As for the other questions and forms..... I'll say here what I said in the other thread, this is "her" part of the paperwork. Let her do it. There are instructions, in Russian, in the packet and there are also several websites out there with detailed instructions on how to fill them out, in Russian, if she has any questions. Keep in mind she's going to be sitting in the interview "without" you, so she should be able to answer what's on her paperwork when they ask her verbally.

Slim I think she will do fine in the interview, my main concern was her having to read the instructions or questions on the forms as it seems at least some are in english. 90% of the forms I have filled out myself were something any 9th grader should be able to do but a few questions are confusing such as;

The directions on the i-134 say to fill out a form for "each person", never mentions anything about minor children, if they are included or not on the parents... yet they are a "person".

Question 10 on the i-134 left me wondering if it applied to the current fiancee or some past situation

Anyway we will be together for over two weeks so I thought why not look over to documents she will have to fill out and see if there are any areas of confusion or question.

My fiancee was not in an agency and knows knows no one to even ask for help or advice.

She is even a little green on the use of the internet. For me to send her helpful links in English might or might not be good if she misunderstands something important, and since I read no Cyrillic I don't know anything in her language which would help.

[mendeleev 68]

My two kopecks. Slims is of course right that it is her interview. She must be well prepared to cope on her own in front of the CO.

And it is or will be your marriage. There is a stronger cultural expectation, in my experience, among Russian women that their men will support and take care of them. Might as well get started now practicing now. Who among us hasn't found the America visa journey confusing? And who is more likely to be able to figure out what is going on with these crazy documents: petitioner or beneficiary?

My wife and I have this division of labor: if the bureaucracy concerns her country, it is her problem (such as registration of my visas) and if the bureaucracy concerns my country, it is my problem.. This has helped me out in some sticky situations -- and it will help her out, too.

[slim 1,525]

My wife and I have this division of labor: if the bureaucracy concerns her country, it is her problem (such as registration of my visas) and if the bureaucracy concerns my country, it is my problem.. This has helped me out in some sticky situations -- and it will help her out, too.

This is sticky for me.

If I'm going to visit her, shouldn't I be the one to get my own visa? And if she's going to the interview (without me) shouldn't she be the one handling all the "business" for that? I can understand arranging payments/travel, etc., but as far as filling out papers.....

We helped each other along the way and I'm sure everyone is in their own unique situations, but, there should at least be some "doing it myself" going on - on each side. I'm not saying you shouldn't help your S/Os, but I am saying there are a lot of situations here on VJ where the guys are doing "all the work" and later "paying for it" because now that their wife is here, she's "lost" when it comes to American stuff. Then again, if your wife is the type that has you do "all the work" she's probably the type that "takes your word for it" too! (My wife seldom does this!)

OK. Ignore my last posts. (Or find a girl that's not going to want to "do it her way" all the time!)

If you're going to get married to a Russian.... learn to read Cyrillic!!! (It's not that hard. I'm not talking reading/comprehending a book, I'm talking seeing MOCKBA on a map and knowing which city it is.)

[Satellite 1]

My wife and I have this division of labor: if the bureaucracy concerns her country, it is her problem (such as registration of my visas) and if the bureaucracy concerns my country, it is my problem.. This has helped me out in some sticky situations -- and it will help her out, too.

I completely agree. Í've been preaching this for years. Every time the smart American traveler thinks it would be best to not inconvenience his fiancée who is making $200 a month from taking a day off to investigate how to get a private visa, buy trip packages within Russia, rent a flat at rates affordable for Russians, how to register his visa, etc., he usually ends up paying through the roof and getting into sticky situations.

If I'm going to visit her, shouldn't I be the one to get my own visa?

If you follow the law then no. Because you are going to Russia to be with your fiancée, not for business or pure tourism. Your fiancée’s ability to navigate her own country's beauracracy will go along way in showing how well she will eventually navigate ours.

[Danno 1,228]

DS-156, DS-230, and DS-156K come to mind. The DS-156K must be filled out in Russian for some odd reason. The DS-156 must be filled out and printed while at a computer capable of handling recent versions of Adobe Reader. The form creates a fancy bar code that encodes all of the answers in some machine-readable format -- which reduces subsequent govt transcription errors.

Will you take a computer with you? Does she have one with an internet connection, a reasonably recent operating system, and a modern printer? If she has, or you can bring these creature comforts, you can help her out a lot.

Oh, and you should plan on filling out the I-134, and provide her with recent bank statements, employer letter, payroll stubs, preferably dated after (or at least straddling) your NOA2 date. And 3 years of 1040 (with all W-2's, Schedules, etc.)

Good luck!

I have heard that the DS-156K is to be filled out in Russian but I don't see on the form where it

says anything about it. Is that a Moscow directive?

[Danno 1,228]

My wife and I have this division of labor: if the bureaucracy concerns her country, it is her problem (such as registration of my visas) and if the bureaucracy concerns my country, it is my problem.. This has helped me out in some sticky situations -- and it will help her out, too.

I completely agree. Í've been preaching this for years. Every time the smart American traveler thinks it would be best to not inconvenience his fiancée who is making $200 a month from taking a day off to investigate how to get a private visa, buy trip packages within Russia, rent a flat at rates affordable for Russians, how to register his visa, etc., he usually ends up paying through the roof and getting into sticky situations.

If I'm going to visit her, shouldn't I be the one to get my own visa?

If you follow the law then no. Because you are going to Russia to be with your fiancée, not for business or pure tourism. Your fiancée’s ability to navigate her own country's beauracracy will go along way in showing how well she will eventually navigate ours.

And I don't recall ever having to do a visa application to Russia in the native language of that country.

Big difference.

[Satellite 1]

And I don't recall ever having to do a visa application to Russia in the native language of that country.

Big difference.

What's your point?

I was commenting on how your fiancée should do everything concerning the Russia and you should do everything concerning the US. My favorite example is, how would you feel if your fiancée paid $200 upfront to an agency who will help her fill out her SS-5 form and walk with her to your local social security office, because she read on line that was the best way to do it?

With the new electronic DS-156 English is now required, but all the years prior to that the application could have been done in Russian as well as English. Same goes for the interview. My fiancée did both in Russian, granted in 2004.

Likewise you too can fill your visa application to Russia in Russian if you so desire.

[slim 1,525]

My favorite example is, how would you feel if your fiancée paid $200 upfront to an agency who will help her fill out her SS-5 form and walk with her to your local social security office, because she read on line that was the best way to do it?

The SS-5 sounds terrible!

After the eighth or ninth trip to the SSA office, I would've paid someone $200 to complete this stuff for us. What a pain in the @$$.....

(For all those not knowing about my personal struggles in trying to get my wife's social stuff updated, we ended up going to the office about 12 times for everything. All paperwork BS and not really a big deal, just a pain in the @$$. The SS-5 is actually a very simple form that takes all of one minute to fill out and hand in. No biggy at all. Just make sure all your other documents are in order..... and make sure you talk to someone who knows about the visa process. No one there? Well, you'll be back. And back again. And again..... and finally, someday, after the work permit or some other form of "valid ID" arrives.... finally you'll get your stuff submitted.)

[Kotenochek 0]

I believe that couples should help each other to do everything.there are things i am better at and then there are things where i have no patience and then he comes up with support.

I dont think such things as a filling out forms should be trouble at all if people love each other.

I filled out my forms,my fiance sent me his part,once i figured mistakes he had to re-do some stuff and then in this process i learned and figured also mistakes in my own forms.So i think both should be dealing with it just to know what is all about..Nobody said it would be easy!And i would not judge people by their nation..There are girls and boys that are understanding and are the others that not trying to work on a relationships..