Ptichka, thank you for your kind reply. I received this reply from Oksana.
Mon. June 28, 2004
Hello,my dear!
David, you made me very sad with your letter.
I thought that your wish to meet me soon is the same strong as mine. But I was wrong. I told you many times that I'm ready to do all of my best for our meeting in 2 weeks. My father has a good friend at the embassy department in Kiev. He talked to him and everything is going to be absolutely all right. He can help me with the visa. My uncle will get my tickets with the highest discounts. So I do all I can and now you say that you speak to other people and what they advice you...why? Don't you trust me? I said that I can come soon . I would never promiss it if I ddin't know for sure.
So if you really want me to come I will be glad to start my arrangements. And please tell me what does this phrase mean-They also told me not to send any money. This is our first obstacle that we must face. ???
David,don't get me wrong but I always say what I feel. Now I feel myself completely dissapointed. I have talked with my parents ..I said them that we were discussing our first meeting by phone and that you want to help me with this and what I hear now? I'm sorry but I don't understand it.You just told me that we are going to meet and you want to do all you can and now you say quite another things
I hope you wont break our good chance to be with each other in the middle of July!
Yours Oksana
Ptichka, how do I send you Oksana's private info. Do you need my email address? Thank you very much.
Dave
Scottlf, Yes, ultimately I am willing to lose it to find the truth. Before I was blind but soon I shall see! Right now I have backed off completely. Once the info comes in on Oksana then I can make an informed decision.
Dale E, You are so right, you just hit the nail right on the head, Ouch!
I feel blessed for this forum. Thank you. Dave
D D ...............several of the girls who have asked me for money ( for visas/tickets ) .....were not on any black lists. So don't put too much faith in them. AS a matter of fact I don't even bother to check blacklist anymore. When a girl writes a letter like yours wrote you, I just don't write back.
Diamond Dave, I've been writing a 21 year-old girlfrom Lugansk too, she's cute and doesn't have a phone and also wants me to call her on her friend's cell.. is this girl's name Angela?
Ok guys. I have been to Ukraine 6 times and one of those trips included the whole summer last year. I meet girls through the agencies, on the street walking, in the park, in the cafe, in the night clubs. I speak enough Russian to make small talk. That being said I have met at least 200 girls. I didn't date them all but I did meet them. Out of those 200 only about 10 did not have mobile phones. Only about 5 did not have land line phone. Most of the girls get the mobile phones as gifts from boyfriends, lovers, or even parents. It is my experience it is highly uncommon that a girl does not have a mobile phone or home phone. During my search using the Internet and agencies I have found if they say they don't it a red warning flag. The profile of a scammer is not to leave a trail that leads back to them and phone numbers do this. Also, the scammer girl has set you up to be the sweet guy to buy her a mobile phone. She will then either keep the cash you send or if you bought it for her in person she will just sell it when you leave. As for the guy asking about the Hostel that his girl lives in. Well, it's the cheapest rent a person can find. It is usually a very ugly place. You would be shocked to see what you girl lives in. Diamond Dave. Regardless where your girl is from. Take everyone's advice and don't send money Western Union. If you must go through with it then by the flight ticket directly and tell her she can pick it up at the counter. Tell her you are doing this and watch her reaction when she knows she will not get cash sent to her. It will tell you something. Good luck!
While its certainly true that any advice we can give is most likely worthless to Diamond Dave as we may have last visited us arounde a year ago - the questions asked are still relevent in general.
These is still a problem with providing airline tickets that she can pik-up at the counter, deanis. Most, if not all, can be turned in for cash. My Moldovan lady tells me that there are fewer restrictions and penalties for turning in an airline ticket for cash if you are from the local country.
For instance - we have purchased for her a ticket through an American agency that has an unspecified return date for one year. That means that with a one-week notice she can use the ticket to return to Moldova any time within one year. If she chooses not to use it - we can turn in the return portion for cash using this formula $1448 (total price of ticket) - (one way fare) - $150 (penalty). Its expected that we should be able to recover 25% to 35%.
She found another agency in Moldova itself that would have been willing to sell a similar ticket to Green Bay for around $1200. But if she chose not to use the return option - she would be allowed to return the ticket for HALF ($600) providing the refund was made in Moldovan lei and picked up personally. If we SENT for the money in dollars etc. we would be subject to similar penalties as the ticket I bought carries.
Jet, your post raises an interesting question, one that I have not looked into. Does the US gov require a round trip ticket for entery into the US on a fiance visa?
I asked the same question regarding UK entry for my wife Bill,and was told by the British Consulate that as long as I has sufficient funds to support her throughout her stay then the ticket question did not arise.
Of course visa requirements for the US are somewhat different,but still a valid point for many I'm sure.
I was told that it was impossible for a lady to get a visa to visit the United States to meet the man and see the United States. Is that true? If not, other than a fiance visa because we are not engaged, how do they do it? Is there a tourist visa that they can obtain?
SD
This whole business of women visiting the USA on a tourist visa is a bit of a mystery. Although the consensus of opinion is that if they are a young attractive woman with no ties they cannot obtain a visa there are enough cases that I am running across to cast a shadow on this idea. For a Brit years ago you needed a permanent visa stamped in your passport which was good for life. It was even transferable between passports you just kept the old one. Then when you entered the USA you automatically got a second visa which dictated how long you could actually stay for that one particular visit. For Brits it was ALWAYS 6 months because Britain is the 51st state. However it was not the same for other European countries. For example for my French friends it was a 1 year multiple entry visa and a shorter time for each visit. Brits definitely got preferential treatment. Now the rules changed. For Brits no permanent visa is necessary and they automatically get 3 months.
With time off for good behavior.
Marina was bouncing in and out of the USA during 2002 and 2003. She had a multiple entry visa for 1 year and then would stay for about 2 months at a time. That was with her daughter. So obtaining a tourist visa is possible. Despite whatever is said here.
There are some caveats. If you are thinking of bringing a woman in on a tourist visa and then marrying her forget it. EXTREMELY DODGY!!!
You will end up with a wife that you don't sleep with. Atlantic Ocean stopped play. If the INS (or whatever they are called nowadays) gets wind that you knew her before you married her on a tourist visa it will be bye bye. No introduce her to your home and state and then send her back. Then get a K1 and do it properly.
I would like to bring a woman over to visit me but if I do I will have to trust her enough to forward her a decent sum of money. Then she will come in on a tourist visa and not mention a word about me. Then I will meet up with her. It is possible to run rings around the INS if you play your cards right. I know I have done it. How do you think I am here:)) However she will need enough real money or flash money to get through immigration. She must have enough money to substantiate an expensive visit to the USA on vacation.
If you don't have enough money here is a dodge that works I know because I have done it. Buy a thousand dollars worth of travelers checks. Then report them lost. They will be replaced with new ones. Now you have $2,000 of checks. Now Mr. Immigration man is happy. You have the funds. Naturally it goes without saying that you never spend the old checks.