I am new to this so please bear with me.
Is it true that you have to vistit your potential partner first?
And if so, does anyone have any knowledge of how one could travel from Oregon to Magadan. I have done some searches and come up with nothing.
regards,
CC
If the same goes for Magadan as for western Russia, I would say it would be vey difficult for your friend to visit you first. It would entail alot of work on your part, if you were to help her. I know there are some of us here that could go into detail with you about this. I will not at this time, but I will say to you that you should consider going to her country first. Aren't you up for an adventure? If you are serious about going there first, I'm sure we can help you get your plans in order.
Camp: You must go visit her first. You can thank our good ol US laws for that. Plus if you are serious about her it will just prove to her (and her family) of your serious intentions. Plus like Dis says, prepare yourself for the adventure of your life. For me it was a life changing experience that I could never put a price on. Good luck to you =)
rgr that. I wanted to make sure that was how the law read. As for adventure, I am looking forward to travelling to the other side of the glacial gap. I am having trouble as to exactly how I should secure passage from Portland,OR to Magadan region, city of Arman, Olskom area. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Well, you need a passport, (decide when your going), an invitation, a visa (in that order), plane tickets,...have you checked for hotels? Get a book about travel to Russia. Lonely Planet guides are good. You have to do some homework, search around on the internet about Magadan, get a general idea about the place... give yourself some time to plan... it's all part of the adventure! Have you done any of this yet?
As I understand the immigration law for fiance visas (which I will admit is not very far), there is a provision where you do not need to have met your fiance is you prove that it will cause undue financial hardship or if it violates religious customs. However, from what I have heard, I would agree with Crash that this is highly unlikely.
I was curious about Magadan, so I check my guidebook. Apparently it was known as the "gateway to hell" during Stalin's time because of the labor camps. Hmm..sounds like a fun place to visit. But anyway, my book says that you can fly there from Moscow or from Anchorage, Alaska, on a flight that connects through Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If you don't have any interest in seeing the rest of Russia, it would probably be easier to go from Oregon through Anchorage to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Magadan.
I have a passport and invitation. I am looking into the visa process. This trip will not occur until next spring but I want to prepared well in advance. I have looked into hotels they seem reasonable. I really appreciate the responses. The flight route is invaluable. Thanks again. I am sure I will have more questions.
regards.
CC
Since you're not planning to visit till next YEAR, I'd strongly suggest you learn some russian and get intimately familiar with the local customs...good luck