Have a question.

[Makkin]

Hi,


  My friend tells me there are a lot of Ukrainaian girls in Galveston, Texas and have been looking for " sponsors". I may be confused but is this something I missed from my membership from 2006?


   He asks me to come visit these ladies and I ask many questions. He tells me they are looking for sponsors and the sponsor needs to make 80,000 per year. I am about one centimeter from calling federal authorities and will not be a part of this.


Makki n

[Kuna]

What's the question???

I know nothing about the US immigration laws (except it's good to be Mexican    ) but it sounds like your friend may not really understand the requirements or process.

Is it possible he believes in MOB's and believes a minimum income threshold is all you need to "import the latest model".

If he's experienced and knowledgable he should know it takes moe than an 80k income to "be a sponsor".

[kievstar]

Do you know what the word sponsor can mean?  I would have your friend arrested. Sounds like he is in the sex trade business.  Where did you meet this guy?

[Doll]

By "sponsors" these girls mean boyfriends with money- who would take some of their expenses over.

[Misha]

My friend tells me there are a lot of Ukrainaian girls in Galveston, Texas and have been looking for " sponsors".

Usually, in Russia, a sponsor is a man who pays a woman a set amount of money each and every month to be his girlfriend. Sponsors were quite often very well-to-do married men who would keep their wives and sponsor a girlfriend (or two :evil:) on the side.

[Gator]

Sponsors were quite often very well-to-do married men who would keep their wives and sponsor a girlfriend (or two :evil:) on the side.

Were? I think the concept continues today.

[Makkin]

Hi,

According to them they must return home in three weeks so I'm confused how they got here in the first place and that seems to be my question. As most Americans in this pusuit know it's usually very very hard to just appear here in Galveston, Texas looking for a sponsor..lol


Makkin

[BC]

Hi,

According to them they must return home in three weeks so I'm confused how they got here in the first place and that seems to be my question. As most Americans in this pusuit know it's usually very very hard to just appear here in Galveston, Texas looking for a sponsor..lol


Makkin

Summer work visas?

[Makkin]

   I may appear stupid here but is a summer work visa possible? I thought they were almost impossible to get?


   Makkin

[Makkin]

   Next week I'm heading down to Galveston to meet these girls. My friend has arranged a meeting and I will probably take them out to eat and say my hello's to them. I must ask them many questions and also insure that they are doing okay here and all that entails. I feel concerned about them in many ways but they are probably okay....
   Last year on a cruise from Galveston I met a lot of Russians and Ukrainians on the cruise who worked on the ship. I met with a 27 year old Ukrainian man when he changed ships to Florida and we spent a few days together here in the Galveston area. I'm familiar with the visa he had but these girls have me wondering...


Makkin

[Vaughn]

BC nailed it just above - it's likely they're here on work/travel visas from a firm like this one -

http://www.interexchange.org/

The East Coast, especially beach towns, are loaded with young Russians/Ukrainians working
the rides, staffing stores and hotel desks, etc. No reason to believe Galveston is any different.

By "sponsor", they are seeking a conditional offer of employment for next summer season. Without
one, they cannot secure a new visa next year. We sponsored a young lady of 19 in 2007. She
was granted the visa through the above firm and stayed with us for 8 weeks or so. In 2008 she
worked at a restaurant in Orange County CA and lived with 5 of her classmates in a co-op.

By all means check on the girls, Makkin, but I've got a feeling all is well. These girls always face
the remote danger that an employment offer is less than sincere and that they face harm - so
it's prudent to check the offer out before accepting one. That is where guys like you & me come in.
See what they have lined up for next year and check out its legitimacy.

Vaughn 

[Makkin]

Vaughn,


  Thanks for the good information..I'll check on them and make sure everything is okay with the visa situation. Hope they are having a good time but my friend tells me they don't want to go home so that's where the sponsorship question came in.


Makkin

[ECOCKS]

As mentioned above, a few thousand young Ukrainians come over for 3-4 months every summer to work at resorts and see the US. The USG has a special visa status covering them and there are several companies which arrange the jobs, housing, transportation, medical checks and visa trips. The visa allows them to work and thhen spend up to 30 days traveling and vacationing. Some choose to work fulltime, even working multiple jobs. My son's assignment was working the door/floor at the Harrah's Casino in Reno, although he also worked as a busboy at a jazz club nearby and did another 14-20 hours a week at one of the licensed restaurants in Harrah's.

In my son's group of about 16-18 persons, two girls ducked out in NY on the return leg of the trip. One arrived back in Ukraine about two months later, the other managed to hideout until sometime in February if I remember correctly.

[CallMeSasha]

   He asks me to come visit these ladies and I ask many questions. He tells me they are looking for sponsors and the sponsor needs to make 80,000 per year.

i don't think they are looking for a job.

[BC]

Vaughn,


  Thanks for the good information..I'll check on them and make sure everything is okay with the visa situation. Hope they are having a good time but my friend tells me they don't want to go home so that's where the sponsorship question came in.


Makkin

Sometimes things are better left alone. Check your motivation.

[Makkin]

  Yes,


    You may be right and that's on my mind.


Makkin

[Vaughn]

....my friend tells me they don't want to go home so that's where the sponsorship question came in.

Bottom line is they must honor the terms of their visas - OR - they face denial on subsequent
applications. Really, why would these kids want to mess up a good thing anyway?

The $80,000 figure is urban legend. That''s bad information they've been given.

UPDATE: If they are on J-1 visas, coach them on responsibility. InterExchange advises
that J-1 Work & Travel visa extensions are not possible. Illegal aliens they will be, with
little to no chance of enjoying another summer here, unless they like living in hiding.

BC, you don't think......   nah, forget it.

Makkin, good luck. Give these girls solid advice - to get their tails out of the USA on time...


 

[Makkin]

Thanks for the advice,


   Thankfully my friend contacted me and we had a meeting at a bar during football game and we talked things over. It just happens that they work with and for him and he finally tells me. He knew I could help on some information but I wish he'd have contacted me earlier. Anyway I'm gonna give the good advice and encourage them to do the right thing is all this for whatever it's worth.


   Makkin

[Makkin]

Hi,


   I met the Ukrainian girls in Galveston who are working on a J-1 visa.  Myself and three friends met them in the place they work. It seems they work three jobs and total about 18 hours per day working at three different locations on the island. They are wonderful girls who I liked from the start and they were happy to meet me and my friends.
   It was akward for me to speak Russian with them as my friends have no experience with this type thing so we spoke mainly English and I was good at communicating my understanding and respect for Ukraine while at the same time my friends had no clue to my communication and the secret understanding I had with the girls. We will take these girls out to eat and pay everything as a show of hospitatlity and respect for Ukraine. They are good girls and only one of them seems to be thinking on the wrong path but her eyes watched me very close and I was tender and honest about her good future if she follows the laws.


Makkin