visa/airline ticket questions

[KenC]

As you may know, Lena is visiting Russia. She had an unexpected problem receiving money I sent her via Western Union. They would not honor her CA driver's license as ID. As her Russian passport is in her maiden name and the money was sent in her married name, they refused her. The problem was solved with a change in name from Western Union. Now she is a bit paranoid about her return flight home. Will she have a problem because her green card visa is stamped in her Russian passport (with her maiden name) but the airline tickets are issued in her married name? Also, should she apply for a new Russian passport in her married name while she is there?
Thanks in advance.
KenC

[Georgina]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

It happened to me, but my husband managed to convince the woman at the ticket counter that I was the person for whom the ticket was bought. The ticket was in my married name but my ID is still in my maiden name. She requested a document that would prove I was the person on the ticket like a marriage certificate. I didn't have it with me but she finally got to change my ticket to my single name so it would match my ID and I wouldn't have problems. Still, I think she let me in because I was with my husband. Maybe you can send her your marriage certificate, so she can prove her last name has changed.

[cherokee]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

Ken, A friend of ours just returned from Russian and Ukraine and she advised us when we travel to make sure our airline tickets match the name in our passport/visa. She did this and had no problems and she was traveling alone.
This surely doesn't mean your wife will have problems, but it does make sense.

[RW]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

Ken,

as it was mentioned here the attitude is the most important. Tell her to behave the proper way and have the phone number for American Embassy handy

As for a new passport with her married name - I am not sure she has all the proper documents. You see, to change her name legally she firt need to register your marriage in Russia. For that she needs to have marriage certificate + apostile issued by the Secretary of State office + everything translated by certified translator and notarized. After she gets your marriage registered in ZAGS, she most likely will have to get a new Internal passport and only after that get a new International passport.

I have chosen not to select this route because first of all, time in Russia can be spend in more valuable way rather than running around and fighting beauracracy. Second of all, I figured out I will have to spend extra $$ to get things expediated while I am there.

When she gets back and IF she wants to change name in her Russian passport (I decided not to, I can keep Russian passport valid all the time and buy tickets in maiden name, plus my maiden name is the same as the one of famous Russian politician, so you would be surprised how it helps sometimes
Ayways, you need to contact Russian Consulate in USA and they can do everything for you. The only bad thing is that it seems to be little bit more expensive (but not much if you had to pay in Russia), plus you have to mail passport to them and it takes between 3-6 months for everything. I am not sure which Russian Consulate you will have to use, I was checking with the one in Seattle. So if you do it after she gets back and before you anticipate any travelling plans, it should be OK.

But as I mentioned, as long as she keeps her International passport valid, buys tickets in her maiden name to eliminate troubles in Russia - she should not have any troubles. So, it might not worth it for her to change her maiden name in Russian passport. Just a thought.

Russian Wife

[KenC]

... in response to Re: visa/airline ticket questions, posted by RW on Jan 24, 2002

n/t

[RW]

... in response to thanks Ms. Putin  n/t, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

n/t

[Stevo]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

as you know, my wife just got back from Moscow using her green card which is in her married name (and all her other American ID).  Of course, her passport is still in her maiden name.  This has NEVER been a problem in 4 trips (1st 3 w/o the green card).  For all 4 trips, the airline ticket was in her married name.

Of course, she was asked (at SVO) why the names were different and she showed them a copy of her marriage certificate.  They sometimes accepted this w/o question, and at other times said she needed to get her passport stamped that she was living in America.  She just told them that she would take care of this when her passport expired and she would make the changes at that time.  Like my wife says, just show them who's the boss....'piss off'

Stevo

[KenC]

... in response to Ken, don't worry..., posted by Stevo on Jan 24, 2002

Stevo,
Thanks for your pep talk.  LOL.  We have already discussed the "proper" attitude for Lena to have when dealing with the Russian customs people.  She is a sharp girl and no shrinking violet, so she should be OK.  She also does have a copy of our Marriage License too.
KenC

[Charles]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

Ken, I would check with airlines about changing the name on the ticket and, in the future, book the tickets in her maiden name.  While my experience is with Ukraine and not Russia, you do need to be concerned if she still owns any property in Russia, such as a flat.  I don't think she will lose her citizenship, but in Ukraine if you become a permanent resident abroad your property is forfeited to the state so if she has any property she would be wise to transfer title to a relative.  Dan and others have written extensively about this problem in this and other forums as it relates to Ukraine.  I don't know about Russia, but my thought would be to not rock the boat by changing names on passports, particularly since your wife now has the "green card" stamp in her passport which might trigger some adverse ramifications regarding any property she may own in Russia.

[KenC]

... in response to Re: visa/airline ticket questions, posted by Charles on Jan 24, 2002

Charles,
Thanks for your input.  Lena doesn't own any property in Russia yet.
KenC

[Mike]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

She may want to tell them she has no intentions of becoming an American citizen, if she is pressed, and that you both have plans to live in Russia in the future.

[Mike]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

I see why my wife decided to keep her name the same! In any case I would advise taking a copy of your marriage certificate when traveling ( maybe you can FedEx it to her ). My wife hasn't returned to Russia yet but she is also worried about dual citizenship. As of now we understand that Russia doesn't allow dual citizenship. My wife is worried she will lose her Moscow residency if she tries to go there. When she tries to return they will have to see if she is able to enter the country and they will learn of her immigration here.
Mike

[KenC]

... in response to Re: visa/airline ticket questions, posted by Mike on Jan 24, 2002

n/t

[RickM]

... in response to visa/airline ticket questions, posted by KenC on Jan 24, 2002

Wow,Ken!
What a can of worms...
You know,I've been reading the whole process inside out because soon my wife and I will be traveling back to Russia on vacation.Galina's interview for AOS is next week.
From the way you explained it,your wife did not get her green card yet but has her passport stamped already

Now Ken,
Didn't your wife have to apply and pay for a Russian tourist visa because she is now a conditional USA resident??? Or does she still have Russian citizenship with her Russian passport stamped and making it a "dual-citizenship"
That part,I am not clear on from all the reading that I've done...

I think the airlines would have given this some question in the beginning when she left the states if they had any problems.She definitely should save her boarding passes and luggage routing bar code stickers just in case.
As for the Russian visa,I wouldn't mess with it.Her stamped passport,her EAD card and any US id's should be more than sufficient along with the stamped passport.Any changes to the passport should be done here in the states...She is now a spouse of a US citizen and a conditional permanent USA resident...Why have Russia mess with her documents

Is there a USA Embassy close-by her?
That should remove any insecure feelings for her if she spoke with someone there.
As for the airlines,maybe a "pre-phone-call" from you in the states here may help some...
Best of luck Ken.That's a "first" in questions to me...

[KenC]

... in response to Re: visa/airline ticket questions, posted by RickM on Jan 24, 2002

Rick,
Lena is a permanent unconditional resident.  We skipped the "conditional" permanent resident because by the time we had our interview, we had been married for over 2 years.  Yes, you are correct that she has a stamp in her passport and had not yet received her actual green card.  It has since arrived here.  She remains a citizen of Russia and is not yet a citizen here.  That will come later.

The potential problem is this: Her airline ticket is in her maiden name and her passport (which contains her re-entry stamp) is in her maiden name.  She did take a copy of our Marriage License, so that may be fine.  I think all of this could have been avoided by having the tickets issued in her married name followed by (maiden name).  That is what Western Union had said for their purposes.  Although Western Union did not accept the Marriage License as proof because it was in English.  
KenC