Well, I can say that when I do it again I do plan on being there. I dont think I made a mistake of not going last time, but who knows. Maybe im wrong. Not affording it had nothing to do with it, running a company did
But I do agree if your doing this stretching a budget your doing the wrong thing
According to the latest info I have from the US Embassy in Kyiv, you would not be able to be at the interview at any rate. They claim that there is only room at the embassy for those with the appointment not sponsors. When Lena and her son get their visas, I will fly there to accompany them here to the US. I would not want them to have to deal with JFK on there own.
Given the fact that (and as wmferg mentions above) the guy is not allowed to accompany the lady to the interview anyway - why is it neccessary for him to be physically present?
Then I assume, when I gave her a choice to either have me there on her birthday in January for two weeks or to make last minute arrangements for the interview itself when scheduled, I should have DISREGARDED HER DECISION since she was not trying to burden me. Or perhaps I SHOULD go for two weeks every month - just to convince other participants in this forum of my worthiness to pursue a girl from FSU.
Oh.... but that's not really the problem. Wtravo2 thinks he is being clever by GOADING me. You are such a sly one wtrav02. And so impressive.
i'm going to simferopol ukraine on febuary 8th to the 16th to meet my lady for the first time.i've never been out of the U.S before so any advice would be wonderful.also my lady works during the day and she can only take a few days off so if anyone will be near simferopol during my stay and would like to grab a beer or something it would be nice also.i just don't want to sit in an apartment for 8 hours a day in a country where i don't know how to speak there language.or if anyone knows of a good place to eat or what ever,i'll take any bit of info i can get. thanks joe
In my case Mike it will not make any sense. We estimate that she should have her interview around April or May. we will not take Dimtry out of school then, we will wait until school is out for the year in June then I will go and fly back with them so I can be in the room with them at JFK while the border people do their thing. Lena was quite upset when I mentioned that I could also fly over and be there for her interview. She said she was not a helpless little girl and she would hope that I would be more careful with my money. She thought it would be a waste to fly over then go home to only fly back in a few weeks.
I understand what you are saying. My case is different, no children and we are returning back to the states a few days after the interview. Thank God I'm not doing the JFK thing, at least entrance through Chicago isn't nearly as bad, Thought about coming in to Cincinnati, but my daughter wants to pick us up in Chicago to meet Larissa first. One pleasant thing is my daughter really likes Larissa and they have talked on the phone a few occasions, plus they are women and when the talk it is about shopping? Now my daughter thinks since we will celebrate two Christmas's now She should be an active recepient in both!LOL!
I'm nt sure about Ukraine, but in Moscow you can't pickup her passport at all. You have to wait for it to be mailed. When my lady arrived in the US she was held up for about 3 hours before they would let her through. So you guys might want to be prepared for a wait.
Each embassy operates a little different, and I am prepared for the wait at Chicago. In Kiev you can pick up the Visa Next day or have it sent Fed Ex to her address. Just like some embassys require an I864. Some embassy's consider an K1 as an immigrant visa and others do not. US Embassy Kiev does not consider the k1 as an immigrant visa so no need for an I864 form. It doesn't surprise me much, no consistency in our Government.
I told Michelle not to worry about arriving at the Airport for a couple of hours after our Scheduled arrival.
They don't let you be present during the interview in Kiev (duhhh::)). There is a wait room where you can wait. In fact the wait room is so close to the space of the actual interview (at least in 2003 there were no separate interview rooms, there were windows) that you can even hear parts of the interview. They will call her several times and there is a long wait. We got our visa at the end of the day the same day perhaps because we were there early and she was the first to be interviewed. My presence in the wait room was one thing and even more important was to be with her in Kiev where she had only been once in the past with me again. My heart would never let me have her go it alone in a city 500km from where she lives. She was all packed and the next day we took our flight to the states. Her parents traveled all the way from Kharkov the day our flight was leaving only to see her for a couple of hours and waive her while she was leaving Ukraine. Again my heart would never let me have her go it alone for first time crossing international borders and making connections in European airports. I never asked her to choose because I intended to be there anyway. I guess in her next birthday I should ask her if she prefers a gift in her birthday or anniversary or Christmas ...::)) it would be her choice:) I like to buy her gifts when I feel like and surprise her not only on known to the both of us special occasions and never tell her she can have this or this or that (never do this, not good:)
Actually wtrav, according to the e-mail they sent me the embassy does not want you on the grounds at all unless you have specific business with the embassy, and they do not consider waiting for your lady specific business. Things have changed since 2003. According to the embassy personel they are very busy and space is at a premium. Fortunatly for me Lena has lived in Czechoslovakia Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Urals as her ex was a Russian military officer and after her divorce 4 years working in a medical clinic in Israel. So I think she can find her way from Ternopol to Kyiv without too much problem.
The Embassy is sovereign American property and you can go there anytime you wish. You pay the tax dollars to support it. Under the FAQ sections of the American embassy it states that you are not required to attend the interview but you are more than welcome to accompany your fiance to the interview.
Chedz,
i havent come across this interview thing but i understand that it's required to obtain the visa for the lady, is that right? if this is the case then it's probobly irelevent if she planning a trip to the states or astralia. i'd have to say that i'm not really in a happy finacial possition but i'l be there for that. i've also read what you guys have been saying about the one-on-one visit and i think i'll go that way also. if nothing ealse then i'll have more time with the girl i plane to marry. count down is now 4 weeks and 6 days and 5 hours. but who's counting?
wmferg, nasfan is right, show your passport, and you'll be more than fine. In fact, they have a little lounge in a secluded area next to the wait room where only American citizens are allowed. When I was there, they even had magazines, newspapers, cookies and juice in the lounge:) However, it was very boring to wait in the lounge since I was the only one there and in any event I was there to be with her rather than to enjoy the different rooms of the embassy:) The wait room was congested. Most people were waiting for other reasons, but they were slowing us down. As I said, they were only taking 5 fiance visa interviews that day.
<I guess in her next birthday I should ask her if she prefers a gift in her birthday or anniversary or Christmas ...::)) it would be her choice:) I like to buy her gifts when I feel like and surprise her not only on known to the both of us special occasions and never tell her she can have this or this or that (never do this, not good:) >
wtrav02: That is a bizarre and analogy to what I said about giving her a choice about when I can be there.
I am assuming that you have purchased an automobile for your lady. Suppose the choice came down to a BMW or a Mercedes all other things being equal. Would you refuse to allow her to make a decision ("she can have this or that") which seems to be suggested by your paragraph above and indicates an overly controlling nature?
Would you feel obligated to buy BOTH for her as an alternative to her having to decide?
Would you react favorably to someone telling you that if you do not buy her both, or need to have her make a choice, you are not economically advantaged enough to choose a wife from the FSU and should therefore look elsewhere?
Wtrv02 - you seem to have some difficulty relinquishing control over a situation as in allowing other to make decisions. We are all entitled to make personal choise and ladies from the FSU are just as bright and able to make choices as western ladies can be. Many suggest that westerns are only looking for women who they can easily control and your paragraph suggests just that.
Guys - DON'T go looking for an FSU lady simply because those in your own country like to have some say-so in their own lives. DON'T go looking thinking that FSU ladies enjoy always being under your thumb and control.
If your lady is only 22 and living in a completely new culture in the US, she may accept this for now, but I have serious doubts about the long term prospects for anyone who feels the need to dominate his lady's choices.
there's lots of stuff you need to know about the Visa business. Its a long way for you to travel dude so you have to make every visit count, and not just time with your lady. You need to make sure you prepare for the Visa application if you think that is a likely outcome. So keep all your receipts from restaurants etc, take loads of pics (of the two of you together), keep your itemised phone bills, SMS bills etc. Anything that demonstrates the depth of relationship. As for the interview, if you can schedule a visit for the same time as the visa application then do it. Practise interview questions with your lady, even stupid ones. Entry Clearance Officers watch body language and the better prepared she is the more relaxed she will be.
Jetmba, my experience is that Ukrainian women like to let their man THINK he is in charge. Sounds like most western relationships to me :-)