I live in US and Costa Rica. I dated a woman from Romaina for about 2 years. I just begun letter writing to a girl from Ukraine about a month ago. I want to invite her to come for a vacation to CR, but I want to do this through a reputable travel agency in the UA. I want to send them the money for her passport, visa, health insurance and airplane ticket to the agency. I do not want to offer for her to get it herself (too eaisly a scam).
They will need to speak Engish, can any one suggest some agency? I have never visited Ukraine, but am experienced with eastern european women. Any thing I should be doing differently to be certain it's not a scam? The girl speaks good English, says she works as a customs officer and is going to the Military Academy in Karkov to become a full customs officer. She lives at home w/ mom & dad, we send email back and forth about every 5 days. She has sent me about 7 photos so far, some in a gallery, some regular. She borrowed a cell phone from her friend and we spoke 2 times. She has not asked me for money for anything, which makes me think it may be genuine. Please let me have your thoughts. Thanks.
Jab.....check out your plans carefully. I may be wrong but I think no one from FSU countries can go to Costa Rica since all planes flying there have stopover in US and we all know they cannot get visas to land there. If you send money, kiss it goodbye. She can, if she is real, go to Dominican(Air France) from lets say, Kiev.
Since it is only one month, maybe you should get this trip deal out of your mind until you get to know girl better, draw on your 'eastern european experience', makes me wonder who suggested the trip???
My understanding is that no Ukrainian woman can leave the country without fiance, business/work or tourist visa.
She'll never be able to leave on a fiance visa after one month of email correspondance. (You have to have a photo of the two of you in a loving embrace).
Tousist visa...not to USA...not a chance.
Work visa...she needs a firm offer of employemnt.
All the things you want to send money for you can buy for her yourself...except the passport.
The fact that she doesn't have a passport seems strange, but no cellphone?
I smell fish.
Beemer,
My girlfriend listed Costa Rica as one of the countries she can travel to without even a visa. I checked on where she had got this information and it was obtained directly from her Russian Embassy website.
Does a stopover at a countrys airport actually constitute as entering into that country if you do not leave the airport, but rather are simply using the airport to board a further plane for another destination?
Tringa....I don't think any US airports have restricted zones like say, France has in Paris where anyone can land at CGD and tranfer to another terminal with no problems.
Your girlfriend is right, she doesn't need a visa but did she look to see HOW she can get to costa rica. Maybe to fly to another south american country and then somehow get to Costa Rica.
Everyone might remember this, if you fly into US from another country, you go straight from airplane to customs officals to see passports& visas before going to any connecting flights. I am not 100% sure but pretty sure.
Beemer, Costa Rica doesn't interest us, would probably Costa Lot too. We are considering Mauritius though. I've sure spent a few bucks on this endeavour so far, and you must have too, but it's been worth every penny, ( or cent as you would say.)
When is your trip to Moldova?
Thanks for the replys guys. Oh yeah, FYI this Costa Rican women (Ticas) are beautiful, but my look is tall and blond. Yes, you cannot go into the USA w/o visa...no possible way, not even just to change planes. But, I think she can fly to Milan, to Carcaus to San Jose, and probably other ways too. If you've ever tried to book a flight on travelocity, expedia, etc from the USA, they always route you through USA figuring you are a citizen. So I need an agency who can do this from the Ukraine. I do not know a good travel agency in Ukraine...that is what I need. Any ideas? Costa Rica will let anybody in, they do not have visa restrictions.
I know people in Kharkov that can do this for you through a local travel agency. I will send contact information to you in a PM. When logged in you will see private messages at the top of the page.
It looks like it would be possible to get her there. Aeropostal has a flight from madrid to caracus and American has a flight from caracus to San Jose Costa Rico. Not sure of cost or how hard it would be to connect all of the flights or visa regs but it looks possible. Here are links to flight maps. http://www.airlineroutemaps.com/Latin_America/index.shtml