How long to wait?

[MarkInTx]

I know that opinions will vary on how soon before you ask her to marry you... and how soon before you think you can know...

But I have another question:

Is there any advantage (time wise) to starting the K1 process while you are still in Russia (or Ukraine?)

Or does it take as long, no matter if you start the process there or here...?

[RW]

... in response to How long to wait?, posted by MarkInTx on May 22, 2002

Mark,

I don't think there will be any advantage as the worst thing you can do is to fill out your papers in a hurry and than find out that you missed something or did it wrong. Looking back at all the hassle and wait with INS my husband and I both laugh how "life threatening" it seemed then, and how now - on the big scale of things it does not seem that important.

There is no need to rush. Of course, you don't have to make her wait forever till you file papers, but all the things will take time it suppose to take. So I would suggest for you and your fiancee, BOTH of you should rather spend more time on preparation and working out "what if" scenarios.

Just my 2 cents,

Russian Wife

[MarkInTx]

... in response to Re: How long to wait?, posted by RW on May 23, 2002


Thanks RW... Sound advice.

And thank you all who responded...

Just for the record though... my question was merely hypothetical... I don't have a fiancee... not yet anyway :-)

[JR]

... in response to Re: How long to wait?, posted by RW on May 23, 2002

This is the BIGGEST mistake most guys make. Is to rush the paperwork. Gotta get her here now. Going to call my congressman. Email embassy etc. etc. I wonder why this is? No man would marry a woman here after only spending a couple of weeks or less together. Maybe they are afraid she will find someone else? If so, then I guess she wasn't "the one"

I agree not to drag it out for a long time, but a few months to think about it is fine.

[Anastassia]

... in response to How long to wait?, posted by MarkInTx on May 22, 2002

You cannot start there, because you have to come here to US and file all the K1 documents to INS. You can take K1 forms with you while going to her even first time and then if you hit it off and decide to marry you can fill in those forms with her right away, she will need to write her biographical data and sign with her handwriting.

And then when you come from this trip, the first thing that you can do is to send all the package to INS, providing you gathered all the documents on your side long before the very trip.
Doing so you will save a month or even more.

Anastassia
Notarized and Certified Russian/English Translations
Moscow Diploma with Honors; Cambridge
http://www.translation.wasem.net

[Oatmeal]

... in response to Re: How long to wait?, posted by Anastassia on May 22, 2002

Assuming that everything goes great and you do decide to get married, you could take the doc~steen website address with you and print out any necessary forms you might need right from the internet cafe in the city you might be in.  (this is also assuming that the computer you would use has the Adobe acrobat and access to a printer.)

This would save you the trouble of packing all that paperwork in your luggage.  Not that it is a big deal but just one less thing you would need to pack or worry about on your way over.

[MNKenr]

... in response to Here might be a way to save you some tro..., posted by Oatmeal on May 23, 2002

They use different sized paper in thier printers over there. When you fil,e the paper will be mismatched with what you print in the US or recieve from INS. It would not hurt to bring your own blank printing paper. Otherwise you will have  mismatched paper, and that could be one more thing to delay the paperwork with INS.

Just a heads up if you are going to print 'official' documents overseas.