ML and Ukrainian Women.

[Saltheart]

Let me clarify, sorry.

The question she posed to the embassy was... do I need a return flight booked in order to enter the country...

The response was, absolutely not... with reasonable suggestions such as: 

- You may book the return flight on a date that exceeds the time allowed in your I94 stamp necessitating a flight change (costs money)
- You may book a return flight and realize you want to stay longer, necessitating a flight change (costs money)

So... come, get your stamp, then determine when you want to leave based on your circumstances.

The point was, a return flight isn't mandatory/necessary.  Again, this could just be a reasonable/open embassy staffer and as I am finding, a lot of this is subjective....which I find irritating.

[Gylden]

That sounds correct.
Most people don't even buy tickets at all, until after their visa is approved. Then they buy tickets to fit with their plans. It isn't often that a vacationer has the flexibility to decide to stay and extra month or two.
It sounds like their have been some changes recently, as before when a visa was issued, it was automatic for 90 day stay. Of course they allways could deny entry at immigration, but it almost never happened.
These changes are positive for men and women considering foreign mates.

[ML]

Her student visa is for 3 years.

So yes they are quite different from tourist visa.  There is no expectation that the student will go back until the end of the 3 years.  It is allowed however.  With the student visa, they can come and go anytime they wish within the 3 year window.

Regarding round trip ticket; she would have gotten it, but the airlines will not book a ticket longer than 300 days in the future.  And she doesn't want to go back for a 2 week visit with her family until July or August, so it was not  possible to book the round trip.

But once she is here, she will start booking round  trips to go to Ukraine and return here after staying in Ukraine a couple of weeks.

In short, for most university students, it is not really possible to book a round trip ticket for their initial flight into USA because most don't plan to return home for a visit until the following summer; and the 300 day airline rule screws that plan.

[ML]

Most people don't even buy tickets at all, until after their visa is approved. Then they buy tickets to fit with their plans.

Gylden, you are still not quite on board with what Salty is referring to.
Visa approval and the stamp on I-94 are quite different things.
The I-94 does not even come into play until the person arrives at airport in USA.

The person might get a 5 year Tourist visa, and upon arrival in USA, their I-94 might be stamped for only 10 days.  So no matter what, the return ticket purchased in advance could be in trouble.  Not saying it  happens often, but the risk is still there.

[LAman]

Gylden, you are still not quite on board with what Salty is referring to.
Visa approval and the stamp on I-94 are quite different things.
The I-94 does not even come into play until the person arrives at airport in USA.

The person might get a 5 year Tourist visa, and upon arrival in USA, their I-94 might be stamped for only 10 days.  So no matter what, the return ticket purchased in advance could be in trouble.  Not saying it  happens often, but the risk is still there.

Man...are you saying the girl's 3 year student visa is guaranteed to be stamped on I-94 for three years...with multiple entry's?
Reason I asked, the girl that recently stayed with me has a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa, she was advised to get roundtrip ticket for only a thirty day stay...she ended up with 90 day stamp so that return portion of trip was lost.

[ML]

There is never a guarantee.  But it is almost certain the I-94 will be stamped for the  same time period as the visa and the I-20.

The student visa is in a little bit different category.

The stampers know the student needs to be in country to complete the degree program they were accepted into and the visa issued for.

It would cause a huge problem for USA image if students accepted into a 3 or 5 year (or whatever) program at a USA university, got a visa for the 3 or 5 years, and then the stampers at airport only gave them 30 days, 60 days, one year or whatever.  It would defeat the whole purpose of giving student visas.

Only reason the stampers would have to not give the full period is if they suspected something phoney or dangerous going on.  But in that case, they would probably just refuse entry rather than screwing up an academic plan.

But none of the above applies to a Tourist Visa.

And, by the way, the 'girl' in my case is in her early 40s.   

Also, different from other men here who got involved in student visas, this gal approached me with the idea of coming here on student visa.   I didn't come up with idea of student visa for her as a way to get a 'trial run' in excess of the 90 days available with Fiancee visa as others have done.

This gal wants to get a masters in business to help her manage her small fortune.

[Saltheart]

The default and max period for a b2 visa stamp is 6 months.

[Gylden]

Gylden, you are still not quite on board with what Salty is referring to.
Visa approval and the stamp on I-94 are quite different things.
The I-94 does not even come into play until the person arrives at airport in USA.

The person might get a 5 year Tourist visa, and upon arrival in USA, their I-94 might be stamped for only 10 days.  So no matter what, the return ticket purchased in advance could be in trouble.  Not saying it  happens often, but the risk is still there.

 
I think I am up to speed, the difference we are talking about is the difference between the student visa (in which the return trip could be undetermined as of yet) vs. the tourist visa (in which most people have a determined length of stay due to vacation time/financial resources) I am pretty sure if someone traveling for tourism and had a return ticket for say three weeks later, no one would stamp 10 days on the I-94.

[Muzh]

My outlaws have been to the US a combined 4 times and I have never seen a departure date on their I-94.

[SANDRO43]

My outlaws have been to the US a combined 4 times...

Are you importing criminals on a regular basis ?

[Muzh]

Are you importing criminals on a regular basis ?

Sandro, some people here use "outlaws" as a term of endearment for the inlaws.

[ML]

The 40 something student visa gal will be arriving in just over 2 weeks.

She wants me to help her choose and do the transaction to purchase (she will pay all) a new car.

She has been doing some research and thinks she wants a small hatchback priced less than $20,000.

The Hyundai Elantra Touring and Subaru Impreza Hatchback come to mind.

Anyone have suggestions of other cars and recommendations?

[Muzh]

I strongly suggest you look at the Ford Focus hatchback. My son has one and it is one nice little car.

[ML]

My 'student' friend has been wire transferring $10,000 a week into my bank account here in USA for last 4 weeks.   She arrives in 3 days, so I guess it is time for me to head south with the $40,000.   

Her tuition alone for one year will be around $20,000 and minimum of $20,000 for a new small car.  So where the he!! will the grocery money come from??

[JR]

My 'student' friend has been wire transferring $10,000 a week into my bank account here in USA for last 4 weeks.   She arrives in 3 days, so I guess it is time for me to head south with the $40,000.   

Her tuition alone for one year will be around $20,000 and minimum of $20,000 for a new small car.  So where the he!! will the grocery money come from??

Better yet, what are you going to tell the IRS when your bank sends them the info about that those 40 Gs?

[ML]

Better yet, what are you going to tell the IRS when your bank sends them the info about that those 40 Gs?

In the final analysis, that is not a problem if there is documentation (which there will be) tracking it etc.

But before the final analysis, it will be a big PIA if I am audited, as I have been before.

[tim 360]

Hope the 40 G is clean. 

[Boethius]

There wouldn't be too many Ukrainians with $40,000 in "clean" money.
 
I'd be more worried about the bank flagging this under money laundering legislaton (which will happen, unless you routinely deposit large sums of cash on a monthly basis) than I would be about the IRS.

[Vincenzo]

She wants me to help her choose and do the transaction to purchase (she will pay all) a new car.

She has been doing some research and thinks she wants a small hatchback priced less than $20,000.

Is she  going to export her car to the Ukraine?
I heard that the custom duties on cars imported to the Ukraine are 100% or more.

[chivo]

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/alternative/112_1003_2011_honda_cr_z_drive/index.html
 
Whatever you chose find the invoice price on the internet (or simply ask the dealer) and don't pay a dime more. Simple.

[ML]

Hope the 40 G is clean.

There wouldn't be too many Ukrainians with $40,000 in "clean" money.

Read my prior posts backstream a bit.  This is life insurance money and is in a Belgium financial institution.

[Gator]

So the money is clean. 
 
Are there any implications other than morality about money that originated from some venture considered illegal by US law?  I realize that the Feds trace large money transactions looking for terrorist connections.  While $40k would probably trigger some analysis, it would seemingly be difficult to trace money laundered within Ukraine unless the Ukrainian government 1) had reliable and comprehensive financial transaction data and 2) allowed the US access to such. 

[ML]

The bird is safely in the air from Paris.

[ML]

Gal arrived.  We spent two and half days in the big city doing a thousand things and she in high spirits.  Got a lot of caffeine down her in afternoons and early evening to try to get her onto our time schedule.  But she always was an early to bed, early to rise person, so only moderately successful in getting her to stay awake past 9 PM  or so.

But now at end of third day, we are into house, and the exhaustion (I think that is what it is) and/or jet lag really caught up with her.  She not feeling well.  No temperature, no headache, no stomach ache, but just feels like crap.  Will see what morning brings; and if not better will have to go to physician.  That will be really, really, big bucks because medical insurance hasn't kicked in yet.  Oh well, such is life.

Just remembered a similar thing usually happens to me.  I don't really have much problem with jet lag in going East to FSU.  The Adrenalin, excitement, etc., seems to take care of everything.  But, when I come back West to the regular routine life, I am mostly out of it for nearly a week.  Who knows.

[Muzh]

Give her some melatonin. About 9 mg; that should help quite a bit. You can find it in the vitamin aisle.