John Adams

[Jeff]

I just read an interview in FHM magazine with John Adams who owns A Foreign Affair.  This guy is saying the men who attend his socials usually get married in Russia.  Either this guy doesn't have a clue or there is something I don't know.  I was always told it would take forever to process everything when you get married oversees.  How could an agency owner be so stupid as to think this is what men usually do?  Maybe he isn't in close contact with his clients, or lies about the success of his buisness.

[Pete]

... in response to John Adams, posted by Jeff on Feb 9, 2002

Last year I stayed in Ukraine, in various cities, for 5.5 months getting to know different ladies with the idea of marrying one of them.
I met up with another American named Randy at an AFA social in Kiev. We kept in touch and ended up sharing a rented house in Kherson together. He wanted to stay there and get to know his favorite girl better, and see if she was "the one".
They married in late September,in Kherson, honeymooned in Yalta, and after getting all the paperwork done and waiting, they arrived in Oklahoma in early January,2002.
From speaking with different ladies about marriage, it does seem to be preferred to get married in their home country, with their family and friends in attendance. And the cost is not high as it would be here for a similar ceremony and reception.
Just under 4 months from the time they married until they were in the USA. Not too long in my book.
While waiting for the visa for her to come through, Randy taught English at the local University. He taught 3 different classes, and told me he met so many girls it was crazy, but he was married and only looked, no touching.He has convinced me to take the English teaching post there. Not much money but a lot of fringe benefits. In fact, quite a few, 10 or so, people have asked me to stay in Ukraine and teach English. Some of you readers may want to consider the same.

[WmGo]

... in response to Re: John Adams, posted by Pete on Feb 10, 2002

Pete,

This is very interesting - I met Randy from Oklahoma in a nice (very nice) restaraunt in Kherson the first week of June last year. I was having dinner with a lady I had met there. He was having dinner with a lady and some new friends he had made there. He heard my American voice and came over to my table and introduced himself. I am glad to hear that he found his other half. Prior to my having met him, I had been in Odessa (on my own meeting ladies). I met some American men who were participating in an Anastasia tour. They were talking about some well to do Oklahoman who was "spending a fortune" all over the Baltic States and Ukraine looking for his dream bride. To these AM, Randy was somewhat of a legend because he had been traveling the FSU continously for something like a half a year or more. A couple of weeks after I met him I was in Riga. Guess what? One of the ladies I met there did not appeal to me (she was great in letters and on the phone) so I went to an agency there - it is some kind of subsidiary of AFA (great local staff)and they had a lot of pictures of recent socials and parties and I looked through them...and guess who I saw? That's right - Randy! That guy really got around. He was doing it right. Spending a lot of time. Not rushing anything. Too bad most of us cannot take off for six months. I am happy for him. He was a quality AM still in his youth.

WmGO

[Pete]

... in response to Re: The Oklahoman: small world, posted by WmGo on Feb 10, 2002

Randy did spend a lot of time and money in "the search" but overall he had a good time, and I have also seen the AFA photos from Riga where he is all over the place.
He tells me he is writing a book abut his experiences, but I don't know when he will finish it.
In the course of this activity I have met a lot of different guys from many areas, many different occupations,
some becoming friends and some good friends.Only a few have shown themselves to be real jerks;i.e., very insincere with the women they met.
I look forward to being back there again for the most part.

[Bobby Orr]

... in response to John Adams, posted by Jeff on Feb 9, 2002

He had to be misquoted.  When you go on an AFA tour you meet with their lawyer who pushes the fiance visa route and offers to do it for you for the special price of about $800 per client.

[Bobby Orr]

... in response to Re: John Adams, posted by Bobby Orr on Feb 10, 2002

The attorney AFA recommends is Bob Livingston.  I would recommend you do the fiance visa yourself.  It is easy to put together once you get the paperwork together.  An attorney depends on you to put together all the paperwork anyway, so why use one?  No reason at all.  Let the liars sleep together at the bottom of the ocean.

[Mike]

... in response to One other thing, posted by Bobby Orr on Feb 10, 2002

I agree 100%! After my divorce and other dealings with attorneys I've always had a low view of them and the prices they charge, After doing all my paper work myself ( for the k-1 and AOS ) and realized it was somewhat easy, and then seen how these guys charge $800 to $4000 to do your immigration paper work made me sick!  

Mike ---- who will do your K-1 paper work for half the price of the cheapest fees you can find ( joke )

[BarryM]

... in response to John Adams, posted by Jeff on Feb 9, 2002

especially for expatriates. Sometimes the I-130 takes less time than the K-1. I don't think it's a good idea to marry a women after a weeks meeting. One big downside is that if she wants a divorce and to go back to the FSU, she can liquidate up to half your assets in the divorce settlement before she goes.

-blm

[BubbaGump]

... in response to John Adams, posted by Jeff on Feb 9, 2002

I would think the girls would rather get married there around their family and friends, but I would rather do it here and just go to Vegas.  If you want the girl to sign a prenup then you want to get married here.  Since a lot of guys doing this are older and have kids to consider, they are probably thinking about prenups.

[Mike]

... in response to Getting married, where?, posted by BubbaGump on Feb 10, 2002

That is if you're lucky enough that your FSU bride doesn't find a divorce attorney that can prove she had no understanding of the prenup because she was a forigner, and thus making the prenup void.
Mike

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Re: Getting married, where?, posted by Mike on Feb 10, 2002

I have been leaning towards looking at alternate asset protection strategies without the prenup.  That way you don't have to offend them.  There is a local short course on that coming up and you can get books on it.  I don't think you can tell a lot of women that you love them but please sign this prenup just in case.

[Mike]

... in response to Alternate strategies, posted by BubbaGump on Feb 10, 2002

What is that about ? Do they teach you things like putting your house in your moms name and then buy it from her on a land contract and then she makes your morgage payment? Or things along those lines?
Mike

[MarkInTx]

... in response to John Adams, posted by Jeff on Feb 9, 2002

What does he care how long it takes to get her over here?

If you get married in Russia after one of his tours... who do you think is going ot advise you every step of the way?

Good ol' AFA. They will hook you up. Wedding dress, ring, dinner... everything!

EVerything will be perfect. And it will const you about three times what it would have cost you if you had done it here.

Then he will even provide you with a K-1 attorney who will charge you $2500 to fill out all of your paperwork.

It's no faster, but it sure is better for AFA!

[Richard]

... in response to Nope -- it's good for business, posted by MarkInTx on Feb 10, 2002

Are you sure he was talking about his Eastern European clientele in particular or AFAs entire operations?  From reading the Latin and Asian boards here at Planet Love, I get the feeling that marrying over there is more popular in those groups that in ours.