end and beginning........

[BarryM]

... in response to Gravy train?, posted by KenC on May 14, 2002

Remember? Unless she becomes a US citizen, an immigrant sponsor is on the hook for up to 10 years in the case of an immigrant spouse. All those affidavits of financial support you fill out are for that purpose.

-blm

[KenC]

... in response to 10 years of support...., posted by BarryM on May 14, 2002

Barry,
Isn't the "support" you refer to actually a re-imbursment to the government should the woman go on public assistance?  This girl already has a job and her own apartment.  She doesn't sound like a slacker.  I also wonder if the support affidavit is the same for couples that marry in Russia.  (I just don't know the answer to that one)
KenC

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: 10 years of support...., posted by KenC on May 14, 2002

I read this early on, shortly after I started my search. There was a long discussion on this topic on another board.

It almost scared me off.

From what I can tell... Technically, you are on the hook for any assistance that she gets from the government for ten years.

However, considering the Governments less-than-steller record at tracking immigrants in our country (did you see that two of the terorists posthumously got their VISAs renewed??) this is a clasue without much reality.

Even if she goes on welfare, the governement simply does not have the efficeincy neccessary to find you and bill you.

And if she has a job, then she is paying taxes, and you do not have to support her.

From what I read about a year ago, FWIW...

[thesearch]

... in response to Re: 10 years of support...., posted by KenC on May 14, 2002

I do not expect you to know everything but you do come up with the answers a lot. Please read Ken's post and give your thoughts.

Thanks

[hockeybrain]

... in response to end and beginning........, posted by Mark H on May 13, 2002

You would even consider this cold, calculating woman?  Maybe all the studying has clouded your judgement.  Good luck getting through school and the boards.  I recommend you let this woman, who has now been divorced at least two times, meet her just fate.

[Dmitry]

... in response to end and beginning........, posted by Mark H on May 13, 2002

We have a girl who left for Chicago 2 weeks ago on a K-3 visa. They got married here in Kharkov and 3 months later she had her visa made up. If they did not mess their papers up in the beginning - they could have made it within 1 month!!!I think for now K-3 is the fastest way to make the US visa for a girl.
regards
Dmitry

[Dan]

... in response to That was K-3 visa..., posted by Dmitry on May 13, 2002

It was not necessarily a K-3 visa (K-3 is still relatively new), and the K-3 visa is not always the fastest way. In fact, I don't think the K-3 is any faster, for most countries, than a DCF (and I-130).

Just FYI,

- Dan

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Not Necessarily - and Not Really . . ., posted by Dan on May 13, 2002


Who knows about the K-3?

If what Dmitry said is true, the location of your wedding could shave 3-5 months off of the whole process.

Does anyone have any information on this?

Dmitry... where did your girl get married... what was involved in setting up a legal marriage there, and where does she live now... do you know?

[Dan]

... in response to This would be good to know, posted by MarkInTx on May 13, 2002

It was passed along with President Bush's Life Act and was intended to abbreviate the time that families must spend apart while they are waiting for paperwork to work its way through the INS bureaucracy.

DR and Jimmy from this board (and maybe others) are both familiar with the process from first-hand experience.

The fundamental differences are:

With DCF and K-3 visas, you must marry in the foreign country. This is reportedly easier in Ukraine than it is in Russia owing to more lax (or should I say, less-enforced) regulations for the waiting period. Both countries stipulate a 30-day waiting period before ZAGS is to issue your marriage certificate, but it is malleable in Ukraine (to as little as a day or two).

With DCF you eliminate the INS bureaucracy altogether and deal exclusively with the Embassy's Consular Corps. Whether this is a good, or a bad, thing is dependent on the Embassy. For Warsaw, it is not bad at all.

DCF should take approximately 1 to 3 months from the time of the marriage to the time she is issued a visa and is able to enter the US.

For K-3, the timetable is approximately the same.

K-1 can take as little as 2 months (if using an INS Service Center like Vermont that is lightning-quick) or as long as 6 months (the other 3 Service Centers).

All of these are from the perspective of the first time you take an initiating step - such as marriage or filing the first form with INS - to the point that she is able to enter the country and join you.

It is also worth noting that INS is (finally) apparently starting to spread some of the workload across the 4 regional service centers. If done properly, it would be bad news for Vermont Service Center area residents and good news for CA, NE, and TX area residents.

The long and the short of it is - this is an ever-chaging terrain and the ONLY assurance is that - once you get started, it is best to plan to exercise a healthy dose of patience.

I hope this helps.

- Dan

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Mark, K-3 Isn't Really A Mystery . . ., posted by Dan on May 13, 2002

From what I saw in the little roll call I started, Texas would take 5 to 6 months from the moment the paperwork is initiated until she actually touches American soil...

If you are saying that in Ukraine that might get cut down to 1-3 months, that is a significant difference.

I'm looking at it from this scenario:

Man goes to Ukraine, and meets several women. Finds one he thinks really might be the one. He plans to come back in two months to spend more time with her... He has her start the paperwork after the month before he gets there to get married there. (Is there such a thing as a Justice of the Peace marriage in Ukraine? Or does it have to be in the Orthodox Church?)

He arrives, and they get married and file for the K-3 (or DCF? I'm really not clear on what the differences are). She can come with him in one to three months...

The same scenario where he goes back, and then starts the K-1 has her here in six months.

That's interesting information...

I mean.. .I understand... patience is required. But, if you think about it... I'd rather be patient for three months than six...

[Dan]

... in response to Thanks -- It does help, posted by MarkInTx on May 13, 2002

Yes, you are correct that both are for marriages first take place in the foreign country. And both involve the filing of an I-130 - but they differ in most other characteristics. In the case of DCF (Direct Consular Filing) the I-130 is filed either with the Consular section of the American Embassy in Kyiv (which, in turn, send it on to Warsaw for processing), or you can file it directly with Warsaw. I'd probably opt for the former - even though it may add a week or two to the overall processing time.

From that point forward, they are processed quite differently. In the case of the DCF, the Consular staff in the Embassy is responsible for all processing and decision-making. The result is an approved *immigrant* visa which means that you don't have to fuss with such things as AOS and EAD.

In the case of the K-3, you return to the States and file an I-130 AND an I-129 with the INS. I believe they may have recently set up a central processing location for all K-3/K-4 applications, but I may be wrong on that. Supposedly, the K-3 (I-129) action will be relatively quick - but you are, once again, working through the INS and they must also coordinate with the Embassy's Consular staff for things such as the interview.

The K-3, as I mentioned earlier, was designed to eliminate the long waits for people that were separated from their spouses (and sometimes families) while waiting for their family members visas to be approved. Those waits were normally far longer than 6 months - and some lasted a year or more.

In that context, the K-3 is a dramatic improvement - and it probably is close to as fast as the DCF. However, having worked with the INS now for more than a year - and having spent some considerable time with the American Embassy Consular Staff in Kyiv, and to a lesser extent, in Warsaw - I'd opt for the Embassy Consular Staff every time.

A word of caution is in order however. Mike not long ago told of some stories in Russia where the American Embassy was somehow involved and NOT allowing marriages to be recognized for people that had lived in Russia for less than some minimum number of months (6, as I recollect). So - as I said in my other message - this is an ever-changing landscape that requires some considerable study and preparation once you've decided on the lady you want to spend your life with (or at least, the foreseeable future --smile--).

FWIW

- Dan

[SteveM]

... in response to K-3 and DCF . . ., posted by Dan on May 13, 2002

According to recent reports, it should be noted, for those going through Moscow instead of Warsaw, that DCF is now limited to USC's actually living in Russia.

[KenC]

... in response to end and beginning........, posted by Mark H on May 13, 2002

Markster,
Congrats on your new life!  Be careful not to screw it up with Ms. Alabama.  Even though she is convienent, she has proved that she is not above being deceptive to get what she wants.  Not the best character trait I would look for in a relationship.  Because she doesn't need you for the free ride to America, I would check her side of the story out, but with a very leery attitude.  If any inconsistancies arise, I would run for the hills. She gave her marriage a whole 6 weeks, huh?  Be very careful.
KenC

[Stan]

... in response to the good, the bad and the ugly, posted by KenC on May 13, 2002

Good post,,,, all too often true. My wife has freinds, FSU, in all parts of the States and I've heard this kind of story more than once. I mean let's face it, there are 2 type of men that go to the FSU or abroad for love,, those that are fed up with AW or just love european and the type that would never find a wife here. Sounds to me like she's a sharp girl whose lonely and maybe wants to rekindle an old thing? Give her a call!  
Steve

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: the good, the bad and the ugly, posted by Stan on May 13, 2002

Not that I disagree with your post... but it reminds me of something my father told me once:

"Son, there are two types of people in the world...

Those that divide the world into two types,

And those that don't..."