I was flying home from Kyiv last monday (my third trip)back to the states. I made friends with a man from Texas who was sitting close to me and he was coming back from Kyiv also. He went there to meet his lady who he had been corresponding with through Elenas Models.com which seems to be a popular agency. It was hilarious to hear his story from beginning to end of the whole process from E-mailing to the meeting and dating. It is the same story told over and over again for a rookie. I related to this with a smile because i have been there myself. The do`s and the dont`s . Their customs and our ignorance of that . How she picked the most swank restaurants in the city because he was lost . It was quite entertaining but the poor man was bedazzeled and exhausted and confused. But i had to give him credit , he went and did it.
Anyways about this thread, this Texan went ahead and he decided to apply for the fiance visa through Elenas Models Agency after one week in her company ( ouch!! ) . And anyways he said to me that the agency said to him that the fiance visa has been ammended from a three month stay to a six month stay. Was there a news flash bulletin on this that i missed or is this simply not true . Anyone out there know about it ???????????????
I know the visa is good for 6 months, always has been. BUT on her arrival they stamp it with a 90 day period in order to get married or she must leave. I think the remaining time is to change her status. If it was changed I sure don't know about it. My lady will be here in 8 days so if I find out anything I will post it. Maybe someone else knows??
With the K-1 visa the lady has 6 mos to enter the US or it will expire. Once she clears customs she has 90 days to get married or return home no exceptions.
K-1 Visa is a fiance visa, good for 90 days after the lady enters the US. It is generally the only visa a FSU lady has a chance of getting. The tourist visa is very difficult to get. The Embassy personel are required to assume the applicant is going to emigrate not visit unless she can "prove" different. This not an easy thing to do.
Wmferg,
So, if she does marry , before the ninty days is up she is given the additional ninty days more to complete the necessaries and if she does not marry she is given the additional ninty days to get a ticket and get back home?? I presume ??
Jmo,
No, the 6 mos is only the time frame allowed from issuance to entry. If the lady has not entered the US within 6 mos from the time the visa was issued it will be no longer valid. If she does not marry within 90 days she must have exited the country by the 90th day or she is Illegal. If than happens the chances of her ever getting another visa are pretty slim. As to the time allowed to file for temp residency, I am not aware of any time frame. However it is in the interest of the married couple to start the process immediately as the lady cannot travel outside the US until she has her residency card (temp or perm)as the K-1 is only a single entry visa. She also cannot work until she has her residecy card. This process can be very long.
OK everyone is telling me that she has a slim to no chance to get a tourist visa how true is this ? even if she were to come here to the US alone and her son stays there with her mom .
Let me explain how this works as I am right in the middle of the process myself.
First of all, I don't know of ANYTHING that has changed from 3 months (90 days) to six months and and I am unaware of any changes anticipated to the mariage visa process. I am quite certain that he was refering to a tourist visa - which you know - most FSU ladies are not eligible for anyway.
Regardiing the application for a K-1 Visa, here is how it works.
You have FOUR months from the approval of the petition - to finish all of the rest of the paperwork - have your lay get interviewed and a medical exam and have her enter the country.
Our petiton was approved on February 16, 2005, we have until June 16, 2005 to complete the visa process and have her entr the country. Extentions are available.)
Once she enters the country - you have 90 days to marry (NOT SIX MONTHS) - or she must go home. If you marry if must be during that time and then you can apply for a change of status and she can stay during the procedure.
jd,
I have been on this forum for over a year now and have cannot recall of a single case of a tourist visa being granted to a lady from the FSU. I know of a few student visas being granted but not tourist. Our gov seems not to have any problem with folks pouring over our southern border but one can only imagine the damage a that Eastern European Woman can do to our society if she should arrive without being throughly being investigated by some bureaucrat somewhere. (he says with tounge in cheek)
When she applies for a Tourist Visa - the consolate will assume tht she intends stay in the US - the burden of proof is on her to convince them that she does not ontend to stay.
The likihood that she will receive a tourist visa is based on the record of past tourist visa applicants from her country - how many willing returned and how many did not - many FSU women do not and therefore it is quite difficult to get a tourist visa.
I agree with you point wmferg (and I remember you from long ago) - if these lovelies could swarm across the border as our neighbors to the south do - well it would be a GOOD thing.
Would this be proof that she is leaving her child there ? And the thing is we are trying to get it where she is here for 1 to 2 weeks befor I go and then we will go back together and we will get to spend around 3 to 4 weeks together .
And dont take me wrong but all of us know it takes more than just 4 months of writing and 1 phone call a week to know if this is the one you want to be with I just dont want to rush (Jump) into this . This is why Im asking so much and once more thanks to all for all the info
She needs proof that includes - family responsibilities (yes her child counts), a good job that she cannot leave (I hope she is well employed) a home that she intends to return to (would help if she own the real estate) and of course the older, the better.
I usually only takes a day and about $100 (which can vary) to apply for a Tourist Visa so I would automatically say go-for-it, BUT I have been told that she has to turn in her passport as part of this application - and that when the passport is returned some sort of a Visa-Denied stamp is placed there making fiture application more cumbersome.
I have no first hand knowledge of this but I have been told this by many.