Russian Women Forum: Post-Marriage Immigration Issues

RE: Can you sue the Dept of Homeland Sec. for AOS?

2009-01-18T14:58:16-04:00

With "top workers" like Whitey Mo, no wonder USCIS is in a shambles. Anyone who doesn't know the difference between the possessive pronoun "your" and the contraction "you're" really doesn't give me much confidence in the ability of the USCIS to do anyting. You are a fraud. You are also probably black and uneducated. If you are truly an example of the people who work at USCIS, we may as well give up all hope of ever acccomplishing anything in our cases. It is no wonder there is such a backlog of cases. We put the stupidest people in charge of reading and handling the documents when they do not have the ability to read and write to begin with.

What next ?? for married Ukraine bride ??

2008-05-21T23:51:23-04:00

AN american recently married a Ukraine bride, here in the USA. What do they need to file ?? IS the 1-485 included in the AOS, what are the steps?? thanx!!

New Ukraine Passport while in America

2008-03-06T13:33:24-04:00

Well I have almost given up on the Ukraine Embassy in Chicago. :rolleyes: My wife's Ukraine passport has expired and she needs a new one to go home again to take care of her business. As it turns out the Chicago Embassy says that they cannot give her a new one ( since she did not have some police stamp in her passport to move here). They said she will need a letter from them so she can travel with an expired passport. Once in Kiev she can get a new one........however the problem is getting her there with an expired passport. Anyone else have this problem with lack of a "consistent" answer from the Ukraine embassy on internal processes and travel? :arg:

How to bring her parents over?

2008-02-22T12:09:22-04:00

From what my wife and I have been through over the past two months, I'd say it's an arbitrary process at best. My wife and I were expecting a baby in February. We wanted my wife's mom to come from Ukraine to be there at the time of birth and to help after. We tried to get a visa for a month's time. She has a home in Ukraine, property too on the coast of a resort area, two sons, grandkids, husband. She also manages my wife's apartment (our vacation home) there for us. Seemed to me that she covered the "family and economic ties to Ukraine" factors well. But, since she is retired, no big income, no significant funds in the bank her visa was denied. The first time through the process the staff in Kyiv didn't even look over her documents, income was the sole factor. I contacted our Congressman looking for assistance, got a better letter of explanation from the embassy staff. Addressed those points of economic and family ties better (I thought). But, one more interview and one more turned down request for a visa. Crazy! Again, the explanation I've received is that if she did not appear to be a "regular tourist" capable of paying her own way, then there's an assumption that she was going to come and stay. There's not a bloody thing we can do about it. If she owned a business in Ukraine or had 50K in the bank, she would have been granted a visa. It's money that counts, humanity and sensibility means nothing to our embassy's staff. So, my take is, don's assume things will go smoothly.

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-11-27T09:04:34-04:00

idarusskie said:

Both the USA and Russia allow you to denounce your citizenship.

'denounce'? I assume you mean 'renounce'? :laugh: No one has denied that one can. Russia certainly allows its citizens to renounce their citizenship, provided they have documentary proof of their permanent residency in a foreign country, such as a passport issued by a foreign country, or residency permit. I can't speak for US laws, I am not a US citizen.

Quote:

Both countries forbid dual citizenship...

This is untrue so far as Russia is concerned. Or, if one wishes to be pedantic, the law (as often) is ambiguous in this area. Article 62 of the constitution of the Russian Federation states that Russian citizens [b]MAY[/b] hold the citizenship of a foreign country. ??????????? ?? ?????? 62 1. ????????? ?????????? ????????? ????? ????? ??????????? ???????????? ??????????? (??????? ???????????) ? ???????????? ? ??????????? ??????? ??? ????????????? ????????? ?????????? ?????????. 2. ??????? ? ?????????? ?????????? ????????? ??????????? ???????????? ??????????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ? ?????? ? ?? ??????????? ?? ????????????, ?????????? ?? ??????????? ???????????, ???? ???? ?? ????????????? ??????????? ??????? ??? ????????????? ????????? ?????????? ?????????. The constitution of the Russian Federation Clause 62. 1. A citizen of the Russian Federation can hold citizenship of a foreign country (dual citizenship) according to the federal law or the international contract of the Russian Federation. 2. Possession of citizenship of a foreign state by a citizen of the Russian Federation does not limit their rights and freedom under the Russian Constitution and does not absolve them from any duties resulting from their Russian citizenship unless it is stipulated otherwise by federal law or the international contract of the Russian Federation. I think the confusion anent this issue arises from the fact that many countries, even those which [i]do[/i] 'permit' dual or multiple citizenship, (such as Russia), may not fully recognize the rights and freedoms due to the citizen under the laws of a foreign country. [b]Note that there is a distinction between 'recognize' and 'permit' in this context.[/b] What it means in practise is that the Russian Federation doesn't care whether or not its citizens are nationals of another country.

Quote:

This situation can cause problems.

It may have done in 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. We are not living in 1812. Dual citizenship poses no practical problems at all for RW, since they are not (in general) eligible for military service under the Russian Constitution. If children are involved, the situation is naturally different. Which is why some foreign husbands of RW with kids from a former marriage will take steps to naturalize them. In practise, a gang of Russki squaddies are hardly likely to travel to the US (or UK) to snatch some snotty kid for military service in Chechniya.

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-11-27T00:04:03-04:00

Manchester said:

matty said:

You probably know that a Russian has to give up their Russian passport when they obtain one for a different country.

My understanding is you must give the Russian one in when you apply for a UK one, however, a quick trip to the Russian Embassy and claim you 'lost it' and in exchange for a handful of Melvins, she gets a shiny new one. :grin:

My understanding is like always you do not borther yourself to read and learn Russain laws preferring to pay bribes for things you could get in normal law abided way :rolleyes: PS It's that way - you had to give up citizenship of other country if you wish to get Russian one - but not the other way - nobody forces you to decline Russian citesenship if you wish to get foreigner one-tow-etc Exception here excists only for kids under ages who have one parent with Russian sitesenship - they are allowed to get Russain citesenship without giving up their other one ( there are some other exception but they all are not your cases)

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-11-26T21:59:52-04:00

This post is rather old but I shall post a reply anyway. Both the USA and Russia allow you to denounce your citizenship. Both countries forbid dual citizenship but allow two(or more) citizenships These terms are different. Each country ignores the others laws but enforces its own laws on its own territory. This situation can cause problems. An example is the war of 1812 between Britain and the United States. There you had sailers who were once Brits serving on US ships as US citzens. The royal navy at that time would stop merchant ships and draft sailors to serve on their ships. In their view they were British citzens forever. US considered their ship US soil. The brits consider the sea theirs. But what do you do when a man of war stops you.

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-11-19T10:43:52-04:00

Look guys , Proof that Dan comes here regularly!! He is a paranoid . Dan just has NO integrity . If he had any brains , he would just admit to the truth , just as many of you have claimed , that that all message board owners make fake profiles to stimulate conversation , but , Dan , took the lowest road and has displayed his true colors . Not long from now , when you do a search for RWD , you will find my web site with complaints lodged regarding RWD and their fake profiles and banned people ,,,,,,, this will be fun . Looks like life is gonna get interesting . Well , Dan , what do ya think about this ? And I might log on the Dan's board and PM members with the link to the site where they can post their complaints . Why am I doing this , because there are lots of people who have been banned & it needs to be done and it's winter time , too

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-08-01T20:00:33-04:00

NIC Girl said:

The other way around. Russia accepts dual citizenship, Ukraine does not.

NIC Girl is right. A Russian citizen can have a UK passport and British citizenship without relinquishing their Russian nationality and passport. Check with the Russki embassy if you don't believe us, Matt.

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-08-01T19:36:55-04:00

MATTYBOY said:

You probably know that a Russian has to give up their Russian passport when they obtain one for a different country. Things are different in Ukraine though......... A Ukrainian is allowed to retain their national and international passports, even if they hold one for another country. Better still, her foreign husband can apply for a Ukrainian passport. We haven't looked into it much yet but it seems you need to be registered at a Ukrainian address for 2 to 3 years. You don't actually need to be living in Ukraine during this time, but if you're still married at the end of the period, you're then given a Ukrainian passport.

The other way around. russia exepts dual sitizenship, Ukraine does not.

Validity of Russian/Ukrainian Driving Licences in Europe, Oz, UK & the US.

2007-07-08T21:53:37-04:00

USA- I'll try and give some perspective. Some states may be different, but a foreign driver with foreign drivers liscense can drive in California for up to one year, but would then need to get standard California drivers liscense. For the U.S. it is best to get an international translation of your liscense or International Drivers Liscense. This is good for people coming to the USA and for U.S. Citizens going abroad. International Drivers liscense (translation of country drivers liscense) can be valid for a year or more, but are only VALID with the drivers liscense from original country of issue and must be in curent valid standing. Here is a link for anyone who might be interested. I plan on getting one myself and might become an agent/affiliate as a part-time job. :grin: The only MAJOR issue I have with this whole liscensing thing is the fact that International Road Signs are used in Europe and the rest of the world, along the use of the metric system. The U.S. uses the Imperial System. A majority of americans are just not seasoned in the way driving is done in Europe. In my opinion, I think at least a test on international road signs should be given for U.S. Citizens, but it's not the case right now. www.idlforyou.com/index.html ( a person may select english or russian)

Validity of Russian/Ukrainian Driving Licences in Europe, Oz, UK & the US.

2007-07-08T18:02:38-04:00

A Russian driving licence is valid as a full licence in the UK, but only for up to one year from the point she becomes resident, after which she must have a UK licence to continue driving. They are not exchangeable as an EU one is so that means she should take a test within the first year. With our visitor/fiance/FLR visa system, the actual date she becomes resident is open to debate of course. Whether it be from when she arrives on a fiance visa, when she was married, when her first post marital residence visa started is unclear. Nobody seems to check. Right to residence and actually being physically resident are quite different. If one flits in and out if the UK, one could legitimately claim to to be here visiting but not yet resident as such prior to the last entry, for example - "Oh yes I was entitled to be resident from last year but I actually was resident from when I arrived last month." Based on this, a Russian licence could be stretched out at least to two years in the UK with a country hopping travelling woman. [b]What is the situation with FSU licences in other countries? [/b]

If the PO losses your GC

2007-06-29T11:09:31-04:00

We just had a big scare. Margos GC was mailed in May and I thought we did not receive it. Actually we did but my wife opened the letter and put the card away and said she told me about it but maybe I had forgetten. Anyway, I call USCIS and said that we did not receive the card and they should send a replacement. The lady on the phone said they would. Well, I received a letter in the mail stating that I would have to file an I-90 form and pay the $190 fee plus the $70 biometrics fee. I called then and they informed me that this was correct and that it could take 6 - 8 months to receive the card. I asked about travel during that time and she listed off a number for forms and things I would have to do to make that happen. Fortunately the card was not lost in the mail and we don't have to do all this stuff but I thought I would put this out there in case it does happen you will know what to expect. They don't just send you a replacement card, no, this is the government. :prop: :wtf:

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-23T11:15:24-04:00

:reading: Something else: About a year ago while in Sevastopol we met another fellow across the hall in our hotel who was also from Canada. He was getting married locally there as there were family and relatives living there. He was a Russian Doctor who trained at the Leningrad Medical Institute for army doctors and went on to serve the Soviet Union in Afganistan. He was taken prisoner there but later released and ended up in the USA. Service men in the FSU were issued ID, but not passports. So having managed to gain his freedom he contacted the Russian Embassy in the USA, but they refused to issue him a passport as he was classified as a traitor by having been taken prisoner. Thus although he served his country Russia (Soviet Union) during a time of war he was denied citizenship and thus a passport following his release as a POW! He later moved from the USA to Canada where he continues to work as a doctor. (Seems his Medical Degree is accepted in the west as well as in the FSU.)

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-22T20:02:33-04:00

Gorky Guy said:

In theory, Russia may never allow it's citizens to revoke their citizenship.

Why in theory? In practice if Russian citizen wants to revoke his/her citizenship the person has to apply in writing to Russian consulate in the country where he/she lives, pay some amount of money and wait for some time... And here you are... Not a RU citizen any more.. I've heard of only one person who done that. The rest is quite happy to hold 2 citizenship. It suits us just fine. Mr. Murdoch has to give up his Au citizenship so he could become USA citizen and avoid taxes in Au

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-22T19:54:45-04:00

News from Ukraine consulate. Please show it to your Ukrainian wife, she needs to know if she is still registered in her Ukrainian apartment ???????????? ??????? ?? 2006 ??? ??????? 67 ??????????? ??????? ?????????, ?? ????????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ?????????? ????????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ? ??????? ?????????? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ? ???????, ????????????? ???????. ????? ??????? ? ????? ??????? ??? 22.05.2003 ???? ?889-IV ??? ??????? ? ??????? ???????? ????. ?????????? ??????? ?????????????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ?????? ? ????? ????????: - ? ???????, ???? ??? ??????????? ?? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??????????? (?. 8.1.3 ??. 8 ??????); - ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ?????, ??? ?? ? ?????????? ??????? (??. 8.2.1 ?? 8.2.2 ??. 8 ??????); - ???? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ?????? (?. 9.9.1 ??. 9 ??????). ??? ????? ????????? ????? ?? ?????, ????????? ??? ?????? ? ???????? ???? ?????????? ? ????????? ??????? (?. 1.4 ??????). ? ??????????? ??????????????, ???? ?????????, ?? ????????? ???????, ??? ????? ???????? ????? ?????????? ? ??????? (?? ???????? ?????? ???????????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??????) ? ????????? ?????? ?? ?? ??????, ????? ?? 01 ?????? 2007 ???? ?????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ?? 2006 ??? ?? ?????????? ????????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????????. ??????? ????? ?????????? ? ?????????????? ????????? ??????? ???????. ?????????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ?????????? ?????????, ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ????????? ?????????? ????????????? ??????? www.sta.gov.ua " [www.ukremb.info]

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-22T14:31:13-04:00

Gorky Guy said:

I think the situation is a bit different in the EU, maybe between the US and UK too. Can a Brit have dual UK/US citizenship and a Yank have dual US/UK citizenship? Dunno.

:reading: Here's one for you! Lord Conrad Black gave up his Canadian citizenship so he could be created a British Lord. Now he is on trial in the USA on criminal charges relating to his business dealings Internationally. If he gets convicted it is likely he would want his Canadian Citizenship back so he could spend his prison time in Club Fed Canada instead of Club Fed USA. As an aside if one's parents are Canadian/USA the child can decide to become a citizen of either country until they vote in an election of one of our countries then they must choose which citizenship to take out. (I have 2 cousins that fit this situtation and of course live in and are citizens of Canada.)

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-22T08:30:52-04:00

Good answers, Zosya. :vibes: Ste: yep, you did a creditable job of wriggling out. :-P: I'm not an expert...but, as I see it, there's the theory of citizenship and the byzantine and ever-changing laws regarding it, and then there's the [i]practice...[/i] In theory, Russia may never allow it's citizens to revoke their citizenship. In practice, as Zosya has found, it doesn't matter a rap because no one gives a stuff, least of all some dumb ECO polishing her nails behind an immigration desk, whether it's in Sydney, Moscow or London. So long as you have the right bits of paper with the right stamps they don't give a stuff. I think the situation is a bit different in the EU, maybe between the US and UK too. Can a Brit have dual UK/US citizenship and a Yank have dual US/UK citizenship? Dunno. Ste [i]might[/i] know. I know one can have dual German/UK citizenship because I've asked about it. Same goes for France. A mate of mine who married a frog has dual French/British citizenship. But as that's all within the EU it has no affect on travel anyway. The only time it might have an affect is if we decide to kick the crap out of the Frogs or the Krauts again. I guess the same (in principle) would apply to Russian citizens like Zosya with Australian passports. In the event of a war between Oz and Russia would Zosya be considered Russian or Australian? I Dunno. I don't supposed it matters much, not only because such an eventuality is most unlikely, but also because in that event, she'd be interred anyway. It happened in Blighty during the Great Patriotic War. Naturalised Brits of German ancestry were all imprisoned.

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-21T20:43:56-04:00

David1963 said:

When you enter Russia from AU is there a stamp for when you left, do they ask where you have been? Same with AU, do they ask where you were and why there is no stamp from where you went when you left?

Nobody asks me anything. Pretty but very angry girl at Sheremet'evo doesn't talk at all. She opens my passport, stamps something in it, handles it to me. Au customs may ask if I had a nice holiday but the rest is exactly the same. Why should they ask? I've met a couple from RSA, they were travelling with Irish passports and mentioned that when they were coming back home to South Africa they were getting strange looks from customs, there are stamps of departure from RSA but no others.. Still customs never asked them anything. People know that some of us travel with more than 1 passport, nobody is surprised this days.. You know that internal pasport is very important in Russia, well.. Mine sort of doesn't exist any more because I'm not registered on Russian territory, my son never had one... Therefore we are dealing with all paperwork presenting our external Russian passports, of course they have to check registration and it says clearly that we a registered in Consulate in Sydney. Nobody asks any questions in that regard, they just write it down what they have to and we move on..

Russian vs Ukrainian Passports

2007-05-21T20:40:47-04:00

Ste said:

Russian doesn't 'allow' dual citizenship in that it always considers it's subjects as Russian forever and only Russian. So to me that means the Russian state doesn't officially acknowledge your Aussie passport, or consider you an Aussie which is an act of pointlessness in extremis. Of course you have both citizenships, but Russia only considers your Russian one as valid. There's no talk of giving anything up, passports or citizenship.

How is democratic Australia different from extremist Russia? Australia doesn't acknowledge my Russian passport on it's own territory, it sees me ONLY as Australian citizen after me becoming a citizen. They demand that I leave/entry Au only with Au passport, exactly the same thing that Russia does. Where do you see the difference? Do you have other passports besides UK one? Can you enter Uk with some foreign passport?