My trip and the results of going to Ukraine

[LJCares]

 Hello everyone,
                  I just wanted to tell you of my trips to Ukraine and the results of those trips. My trip was to Kharkov, Ukraine in Sept 2009 where I met Mila Lobunko who assisted me in traveling around Kharkov and in meeting the local women. I was very fortunate in meeting one woman  in particular whom I was interested in and soon Mila arranged a date at a local resort area. The date went well and I decided later in the week to continue to see her exclusively after having met other women that Mila introduced me to. As my two weeks came to end we decided to continue our communication via Skype and with Mila assistance we spoke to each other over the next seven month. I decided to return to Kharkov in May of 2010 to see if our relationship should become permanent and by the end of my trip I proposed to her and she accepted and by 31 August she and her 15 y/o son arrived in my city. This happened in such a short time because I had begun the process for a K-1 visa in February so that if we decided to get married we would not have to wait another six months before she and her 15y/o son arrived, This way he would arrive in time to begin high school and in fact he only missed the first week . So that is my story it goes without saying that without Mila's help this would never have happened so I am very grateful for her assistance and would recommend her to others if they feel they need such assistance. We were married the 20th of November 2011 and began the green card process in December using the services of the same attorney both for the visa and the green card process which I felt was money well spent as he made the process much easier and manageable. They both received their green cards in April and Social Security cards in May 2011.  I write this because I want those of you who are considering doing this to know it is possible to find that special lady but also to tell that you must be very determined because there will be many obstacles that you will encounter along the way so this is not for the faint hearted but I feel the results are worth it. Also realize that once she is here the real work begins in terms of establishing and maintaining a relationship which is even more challenging because of the language and cultural differences not to mention dealing with a teenage boy. My wife spoke very limited English when she arrived here and is taking ESL courses at the local community college as to her son he spoke NO ENGLISH when he arrived so you can imagine the challenges he faced but it is true the young learn faster and now he speaks and understands more English than his mother! Don't get me wrong neither is fluent in English but they can speak and understand enough English  to conduct a basic conversation. There have been and will continue to be misunderstandings, hurt feeling and angry words at times but I expected this so it helps to give me the patience that I need to weather through the tough times and of course there have been many good times also. So I end this as I began which is to say that to only enter this if you do not have SERIOUS doubts or are not willing to look at yourself to see if you are willing to accept the emotional and financial challenges you will face for your decision will impact other human beings. Don't get me wrong I had doubts about this when I began but there were natural doubts anyone will have I am speaking to those who go into this with a naive or idealistic view and not the financial or emotional stability to deal with the challenges you will face.
                                                                      Best of Luck, 

                                                                      LJ Cares

[SFandEE]

Thanks for the post.  Hope it continues to go well.

[Muzh]

We were married the 20th of November 2011 and began the green card process in December using the services of the same attorney both for the visa and the green card process which I felt was money well spent as he made the process much easier and manageable.
 

LJ, should I wait til November of this year to issue a congratulation?
 
Nah, congratulations and well done. 
 
BTW, I'm heading to Xapkib at the end of the month to bring my little one to spend the summer with his grandparents.

[wicheese]

LJ,
 
Congrats on your success, also the K-1 process can be much longer than 6 months as it'll be right at 9 months for me (from time of applying to interview date at the embassy), so good thinking on your part. 
 
Just curious, was the resort area you mentioned just outside of Lviv and it had a little lake with swimming area?  If so, then I remember the place from my visit as it's a good location to spend a day outside of the city during the summer months.

[ML]

We were married the 20th of November 2011 and began the green card process in December using the services of the same attorney both for the visa and the green card process which I felt was money well spent as he made the process much easier and manageable. They both received their green cards in April and Social Security cards in May 2011.

I guess you meant you were married November 2010.

But I didn't understand receiving green card in April 2011.

I thought there was a two year wait after marriage to get green card.

Isn't this what we hear about so often . . . . that the gal may dump you after 730 days when she gets green card?

Please tell.

[Muzh]

Isn't this what we hear about so often . . . . that the gal may dump you after 730 days when she gets green card?

Please tell.

ML, what was the reason for this idiotic statement?

[ML]

Simply that I have read here often the caution that the gals often dump guy when they get green card after 730 days.

Yet, he says his gal got green card in less than 6 months.

I am not an expert in this area, so just asking for clarification as to when they can actually get green card.

[SFandEE]

Simply that I have read here often the caution that the gals often dump guy when they get green card after 730 days.

I think the original statement caught my attention as well because it just seemed unnecessarily negative.  I would like to see more threads on RWD stay as positive as possible as long as possible as well as stay on point.  Positive doesn't mean they can't be critical or informative, just on point.


When you mention that FSUW often dump a guy when they get a green card I would caution that this might be what "you" see, but there are many FSUW who are very loyal, loving wives that work with their WM through difficult times.  I know them.  I also know some pretty horrible behavior of FSUW although it is unjustifiable it is not in a vacuum.   I have met WM who look at this process as more of a purchase than a relationship.  The only guarantees that come with the process are the ability to screen and select a loyal woman, it can be accomplished through skill, luck, or both.


Also, in case it is unclear, just because an FSUW comes to the West does not entitle a WM to behave badly as a husband.  So perhaps some of those stories about green card grabbers are smoke screens for bad husbands to deflect from the real reason a marriage ends.  I am sure there are green card grabbers, even still, but it is not necessarily important to point out or suggest in this thread.  I did not see any indication that this would be the case.

[ML]

I was inquiring if and how a green card can be received in less than 2 years.

For instance, here is a post by member jb:

"  . . . .  I know from personal experience that every romance is different from the next, or the last, but a red flag seen is a better thing than a nasty divorce 730 days after the fact.  (730 days being the number needed to get the green card)
. . . "

My posts have nothing to do with GC gold diggers, etc.  I am merely inquiring about the time needed to get green card.  Surely there are dozens of guys/gals  here who know exactly the procedures and time needed to get green card.

[Muzh]

I was inquiring if and how a green card can be received in less than 2 years.

For instance, here is a post by member jb:

"  . . . .  I know from personal experience that every romance is different from the next, or the last, but a red flag seen is a better thing than a nasty divorce 730 days after the fact.  (730 days being the number needed to get the green card)
. . . "

My posts have nothing to do with GC gold diggers, etc.  I am merely inquiring about the time needed to get green card.  Surely there are dozens of guys/gals  here who know exactly the procedures and time needed to get green card.

I love Gator's "hole" definition.
 
Now the gold diggers.
 
Do you have a foot-mouth connection? Or can you ask the same thing in a diplomatic way where you don't have to include VWs and gold diggers?
 
I can promise you that you will not appreciate the day you get here with your intended and some people start asking you what are you doing on day 730.

[Faux Pas]

I was inquiring if and how a green card can be received in less than 2 years.


My posts have nothing to do with GC gold diggers, etc.  I am merely inquiring about the time needed to get green card.  Surely there are dozens of guys/gals  here who know exactly the procedures and time needed to get green card.

Yes. Although it is only the 2-year green card. It will take 4-6 months from the date of application which should coincide with her "in-status" date or the date she married

[Boethius]

I think the original statement caught my attention as well because it just seemed unnecessarily negative.  I would like to see more threads on RWD stay as positive as possible as long as possible as well as stay on point.  Positive doesn't mean they can't be critical or informative, just on point.

I don't think that ML was referring to the OP or his situation, just that when one hears stories about green card seekers, it's taken more than six months for them to receive the green card.  It was a general statement, and had nothing to do with the OP or his marriage.

[ML]

Moderators, sorry my post seems to have touched a spot with some people.
Boethius understood.

So it would be better to move my posts to a new thread; something like:

How long after marriage to get green card.

[Muzh]

I don't think that ML was referring to the OP or his situation, just that when one hears stories about green card seekers, it's taken more than six months for them to receive the green card.  It was a general statement, and had nothing to do with the OP or his marriage.

With all due respect, ( and I do respect you), I got what he said from the very beginning. MY point is he could have ask the same question a bit different.
 
Here is one guy talking about his experience with his new wife and one of the first things he read is gold digger dumping a guy regarding a question the OP made.

[Anotherkiwi]

Hello everyone,
                 I just wanted to tell you of my trips to Ukraine and the results of those trips. My trip was to Kharkov, Ukraine in Sept 2009 where I met Mila Lobunko who assisted me in traveling around Kharkov and in meeting the local women... So that is my story it goes without saying that without Mila's help this would never have happened so I am very grateful for her assistance and would recommend her to others if they feel they need such assistance. ...   LJ Cares

A nice coincidence that, as I read this, Mila's beautiful wedding portrait was in the random gallery at the top of the page!
 
P.S. and of course, congratulations LJCares on your success! 

[Ronnie]

First, congratulations to LJC on his successful process, though it came across more as an advertisement for Ludmila Lobunko.  LJC, you still have many hurdles ahead and the misunderstandings and arguments need to be monitored and hopefully you will find them diminishing over time, though that is not as likely as one would hope.


ML... your misunderstanding of the process obtaining a green card is probably fairly common.  You haven't done the in depth reading you need to do yet, so I would refer you to the Q&A section of the USCIS.gov website.  Faux pas seems to be the only one who directly address your question and I'll just repeat his answer here:  It does NOT take two years to get a green card.  The length of time from application (which can be made immediately following the marriage) to the interview varies and decisions are often not given at the interview because of other delays that can come up.  I want to insert something here that is the source of some confusion:  There is no time restriction on applying for a green card.  In other words, you will read that you must apply with six months of marriage or one year or two years.  All these time periods are false and many are actually handed out by attorneys or the state department.  But the law carries no such time restriction for obvious, I think, reasons.  What would they do if after 3 or 4 years of marriage the wife applies for AOS?  Turn her down?  On what basis?
As a practical matter most people apply fairly soon after marriage so that they can get the wife and child some greater documentation such as an Employment Authorization card (EAD) or permission to leave the USA and return with is called Advance Parole (AP).  But if the wife has no interest in driving or working or visiting outside the US, the I-485 application can be delayed.
I did this because despite several months of living together in Ukraine and speaking my wife's language, I still was unsure of her intentions and the of the character of her son.  We applied 15 months after the wedding and by the time the green cards were issued, two years had passed since the wedding which meant they were both issued green cards for 10 years.
So that leads to the need to clarify the two-year thing.  During the 1980s there was concern that many couples were marrying for immigration purposes alone..money was even changing hands as foreign nationals were paying US citizens (often college students needing money) to engage is a sham marriage so that the foreigner could come or stay in the US.  So a new requirement was put into law that if a marriage was less than 24 months old at the time the green card application is adjudicated, then it would be with a two-year restriction.  This means that even if the marriage is 22 months old at the time of adjudication of the I-485 (application for adjustment of status), the Perment Resident card would expire in 24 months from the date of issue, meaning it could take much longer than two years from the date of marriage to received the 10 year card.
Court cases recently have found that even if there is a divorce within the two conditional period, the immigrant may still be entitled to have the two-year restriction removed as long as the court determines that the marriage was entered into in good faith.  To do otherwise, the courts determined, would tend to force an immigrant to live in a hostile marriage for two years or be refused permanent residence.  Cases have even determined that if the US citizen dies before the two years are up, the immigrant is still entitled to the 10 year card.  So no, ML, there is no need for an RW to wait until the 730 day mark to "dump" her mule if that was her intent.  She can divorce earlier as long as she can convince USCIS that her intent was sincere at the time of marriage.

[ML]

Ronnie, thanks much for your in-depth reply.

As you noted, very strange that many will repeatedly spend several paragraphs criticizing a question without ever even answering the question.

And again I note sorry that my question was interpreted in any way as a warning to OP.  I was merely trying to get answer as to when green card issued.

Adding to my confusion was the words of jb that I quoted above.  He was thought to be a near expert in matters of immigration.  And I had read many times on the boards about the 730 day 'dump' line.

Also, note that I am not at all subject to such a concern as I am not bringing a woman here for marriage.  The one gal that will be arriving to live in one of my homes is on a 3 year student visa.

I am by nature a very curious person.  I have posted many times about situations that I have heard about or witnessed and was seeking some clarification.  Invariably, when I ask questions about these situations, some are always ready to claim that it is myself whom I am asking about rather than the other person (situation) I have observed.

So thanks again Ronnie for taking the time for your very informative post.

In summary, it seems to me the critical thing about the 730 days . . . is that is the point that the gal (or guy) can get a 10 year green card rather than just a two year green card.  Do I have it right?

[Muzh]

How about:
 
Your Q: They received their green cards in 4 months? I thought it would take two years.
 
My A: Not necessarily. My wife received her green card a couple of months after we applied. It most probably depends on the Service Center.
 
 
Now, isn't this better than throwing in gold diggers and VWs (day 730 ladies)?
 

[ML]

No it's not. 

Because you did nothing to address the question of what was magical about the 730 days that we hear about so often.

Ronnie answered the question.

[Muzh]

No it's not. 

Because you did nothing to address the question of what was magical about the 730 days that we hear about so often.

Ronnie answered the question.

Boy, you are being obtuse.
 
Ronnie's explanation is a direct result of the hammering you received.
 
All you had to do was ask another question if you were not clear and why. Are you that lazy you cannot ask more than one question? Or are you one of those who think every RW is jumping ship on day 731 and is very normal to assume that?
 
If you still don't get it, allow me. There was no need to inject the visa whore subject on LJ's excellent post. The gold digger comment was just the icing on the cake. It just tells me this is how you think about these women.

[ML]

Talk about being obtuse Muzh, look in the mirror.

You have spent hundreds of words banging me here with only about 1 percent of the words having anything to do with my questions.

I already said I was sorry and even asked the mods to move my questions and the answers out of this thread.

And you are 180 degrees out of sync re what I think about these women.
All of my words were merely repeats of what I have read here many times on these boards.
I have absolutely no worries about the intentions of these women and have never nor will ever get myself into positions where I worry about this.

I just like to know what the real situations are for many topics, including the many phases and types of immigration.

[GQBlues]

....But I didn't understand receiving green card in April 2011.

I thought there was a two year wait after marriage to get green card.

Conventional understanding of this process is, the woman and child arrived by way of a K-1, they filed for an AOS (Adjustment of Status) since they got married within the 90 days as conditioned by the K1.
 
The woman and child received 'conditional greencards', which then requires a 24 month period before they can file to remove the condition and thereby become a full pledge Permanent Resident ( 10 yr GC).
 
Conditional GCs are variably received anywhere from 100 days to almost a year after the filing of the AOS.
 
YMMV.

Isn't this what we hear about so often . . . . that the gal may dump you after 730 days when she gets green card?

Please tell.

No. These cases, whoever they may be, has nothing whatsoever to do with USCIS/DHS's protocol.

[Ronnie]

 
The woman and child received 'conditional greencards', which then requires a 24 month period before they can file to remove the condition and thereby become a full pledge Permanent Resident ( 10 yr GC).
 

Just a minor correction...the filing for removal of conditions must be done BEFORE the 24 months are up.

[GQBlues]

Just a minor correction...the filing for removal of conditions must be done BEFORE the 24 months are up.

Yes, thanks a bunch Ronnie! Before the 24th month.
 
As a matter of fact, the USCIS advise you file the removal of condition, IIRC, 90 days prior to the 24th month, or the expiry date of the Conditional GC.