Who's next in line?

[BC]

Clyde..
Turbo..

anyone else on this board getting near the front of the line?

[Son of Clyde]

Well, BC I have good news.

In my county you can purchase a marriage license for $35.00 and get married at the same courthouse 2 days later for $25.00. Neither of us want a huge ceremony so the other option would be to have a small ceremony at a church and reception at the church hall or at home.

jb and Ken will probably jump on this one. I need to buy the kid a new suit for the wedding.

[jb]

No, Clyde, I won't jump on that one, as the father figure of the house it's your resonsibility to make sure the boy has a suit.  Of course, you could make him wear sneakers, jeans and a Wal-Mart tee-shirt, I'm sure he won't mind.

[BC]

Better plan on a quite few nice bells and whistles for a wedding and reception Clyde.. She may not want anything big but it's a bluff or to please you.. She will want to send videos home where the grand occasion will be rated by her family and friends.

Tens of thousands of miles travelled, many thousands of hard  earned bucks and an eternity waiting and edgy nerves the whole time....  A simple affair may not do it justice.

Yeah.. ain't that cheap.. that's why we married in RU and had an all out blast.

all FWIW..

[Bruno]

Yeah.. ain't that cheap.. that's why we married in RU and had an all out blast.

I have married in Russia... yes, it is enough cheap... but my health was very bad after these 3 days of party and all these alchohol... they have not agree that i drink a lot of orange juice with little vodka... only vodka... after 3 days of these regime, i was almost dead...

The first evening, we have good to bed at 02.00 in the night... of course, not sleep directly... at 05.00 morning,  they have take us for party at the river...

Yes, marry in Russian... but don't forget to rest a lot before... when russian make a marriage party, it is not only for a few hours... they count in days...

 

[Shadow]

BC, I hope to be able to start the adjustment period soon.  The papers are filed and all I need is soe government people returning from holiday to look at them  Of course I am following the European method that allows visa for a pertner without the obligation of marriage.  I will be happy to inform everyone once there is some progress .:cool:

I have to disagree with BC on this one. My girl has made it VERY clear that she does not want the wedding to be a big affair. This is her second as well as mine. Her first was a grand traditional Russian wedding (I looked at her photo album). For her it is more about superstition than anything. I get the feeling she does not want it to be anything like the last one as that one did not work out. I even offered to have it done in a traditional Russian Orthodox Church. She will not have it. So I have started to plan a small chapel wedding with less than 25 quest followed by an at home reception. It will be small but memorable.

Pssst. Don't tell her, but the honeymoon is going to BLOW her mind!!! LOL!!! If I can't give her the wedding I think she deserves I will give her a honeymoon she never could have ever even dreamed of. And before you ask, no  I cannot reveal any details on this open forum.

As for timing. Here is my VJ time line

12/23/04 - Met online
4/16/05 - Trip to Russia.
4/21/05 - I'm engaged, WOO HOO!
5/02/05 - Sent I-129F to CSC today.
5/04/05 - I-129F was delivered, signed for by V SEMEGI.
5/11/05 - Actual NOA1 date.
5/13/05 - They cash my check.
5/16/05 - NOA1 in via snailmail & "touched" today!
5/17/05 - Made a mistake on I-129F that I realized after I sent it. Sent letter of explanation.
5/19/05 - Mistake notice was delivered signed for by V SEMEGI.
6/14/05 - Touchamundo (Oh baby do me one more time!)
6/14/05 - NOA2 (The touch above was them sending me the notice) Got the email from USCIS on 6/15/05. Actually they sent two identical emails?? YEHAAAAA!
6/17/05 - NOA2 arrives via snail mail.
6/23/05 - NVC receives our case.
7/1/05 - NVC ships our case to Moscow.
7/5/05 - Package received by Embassy!
7/12/05 - Packet 4 sent. I found this out on 7/18/05.
7/14/05 - Got our interview date from the Embassy call center.
7/29/05 - Received Packet 4
10/18/05 - Interview!!!
12/17/05 - Our Wedding Day!

[Bruno]

[user=336]doudis2[/user] wrote:

Don't tell her, but the honeymoon is going to BLOW her mind!!! LOL!!! If I can't give her the wedding I think she deserves I will give her a honeymoon she never could have ever even dreamed of.

Doudis, she is already dreaming over the best honeymoon... it will be a honeymoon with you... never forget that YOU and HER are the main thing in the relation, the rest is detail... if she love you really, same the best place of the world will be sad without you...

 

Bruno,

You put it perfectly, that is her and that is why I am so driven to give everything I got to please her. She has said those very words to me when I mention the honeymoon. She says she does not care where, when or how elabrite. All she would like is for me to have some time off work for this! Her incredible selflessness and non-materialistic attitude is beyond sweet it is down right irresistible! She is by far the most wonderful woman I have ever known (sorry mom)! I love you Marina!

Now I must show her off some more, I hope you don't mind. This was my B-Day gift. Well I thought it was but it was only the beginning. After this 1-2 more came all day during my b-day! It was so wonderful as it was the first time I laid eyes upon her since my trip to visit her in late april (this was July). Is she a poster child for Russian beauty or what! I just love those Eastern European Features! God do you folks know how to grow em over there!!!

Peace,

Doug

PS Where are the photos of everyone else and their loved ones. It is always so nice to put a face to the person:)!

And her is another of us. This is me proposing.

One more, this is her accepting:D

[Bruno]

Yep, already see some of these photo on VJ... since you have begin post here, i have take a look on your photoalbum at VJ and read some of your post... only i like to know with who i speak... and i think that you are on the good way... i wish you a lot of hapiness... but never forget that the more difficult need to come, her first year in your country... it is a very critical periode where she go need all your support... the year can decide of the futur of your couple... some problem can appear during these periode where yourself cannot make a lot but you moral support can help a lot...

If you search on the forum, some topic speak about the periode and you can find some interesting advice... be ready, not surprised...

Oh sure Bruno, that is the main reason I come here, for the excellent advice. Sure some folks like to go off on a tangent sometimes, but for the most part I think everyone has some good life experience that they have shared and I know that personally I have benefited by much of this. The other reason i like to come here is to pass the time, American saying "misery loves company," LOL! Just kidding I'm not miserable, but I am lonely for my girl! It helps to talk with other who know what it feels like to go through this process.

As for Marina, I gave her a quick call this morning before I jumped into the shower for work. Man this girl keeps busy. Today she is doing some remodeling in her mothers apartment, new paint for the ceiling and new wall paper. She also just finished having some major bathroom work done as well. In addition I just paid a boatload of cash to have a phone line put in so Mother could call Marina at our house anytime and vise versa. Before she used a cell to talk to Marina but that does not make financial sense for the long distance international thingy though.

I'm glad that Marina is doing all things for her Mother before she leaves. She is rather ill and I fear her time is waning. I wish her the best and I will do whatever I can to make her remaining time comfortable. I wish I could bring her to us after Marina, but with her health problems and no way to afford her medical bills in America it is best if she remains under the Russian medical plan. God bless her.

Ok folks have a terrific weekend!

Doug

[Shadow]

Back on topic...well my topic. Received a letter today that the visa will be granted. She can call the Embassy to make an appointment.  

We will set the timeline next week, seems I might be in front of the queue very soon.

[Bruno]

Back on topic...well my topic. Received a letter today that the visa will be granted. She can call the Embassy to make an appointment.  

We will set the timeline next week, seems I might be in front of the queue very soon.

What type of visa have you use for her coming in Holland... a tourist visa or a personel visa ( with invitation ) ?

[Shadow]

My first idea was to get a tourist visa or personal invitation for a limited time period. When we were exploring the possibilities there were a few major negatives about this.

As my woman is not self-employd one the the proofs of return would be a declaration by her employer. However as she already nearly lost her job when they heard she was dating a foreigner, there was little chance of her getting her job back after spending 3 months with me, and even less of them declaring this on paper. Also if everything would go allright she would be obliged to go back to Moscow and wait for the next visa. She would probably be without a job and without me, not really a good prospect.

Dutch laws created equality for non-married and married partners. This allows to obtain a partnership visa without the obligation for marriage. I decided to apply for this visa, as it does not need financial proof or reason to return to Russia. I will buy a ticket for her with open return date, so she will have the freedom to go back when she wishes. But if all goes well, she will stay here and probably I will be practising some Russian sentences to say to her parents.

The most questionable thing about receiving the visa was the proof of a relationship 'stable and lasting'. For this I sent a copy of many e-mails, the list of Skype calls (nearly daily). In my accompanying letter I indicated that applying for a tourist visa had crossed my mind, but this would not be proper use of this kind of visa.

Dutch Immigration has a bad reputation, like most immigration services. They publicly state that it takes in average 13 weeks to process applications. Mine was done in 9 weeks, including this being holiday season. Probably I was just lucky, but may be it helped that I prepared the paperwork in detail.

For those who are interested in the Dutch visa process, it will soon be obliged to take a Dutch language test before visa is granted. Initially this was to be applied to all visa applied for after July 1st, but it has been postponed due to difficulties with the software that judges the test. I expect it to be put in to action very soon, and probably without warning.

[Bruno]

In case of personal visa, she don't need a paper from her work... she need a official invitation fill by you, along with document who prove your european nationality and your income... personal visa are maximum 3 month but can be prolong to 6 month during the stay. Since a marriage is planed, a other procedure is started and she can stay until she receive a immigration visa...

In Belgium, we have too the same right for married of not married people... but at the international level, this apply only for citizen of Europa... it seem that holland is a country who make big step in the freedom of people... these partnership visa seem to be something very good...

We have too a partnership system in Belgium but it is not very different that a marriage... you need to go together at the cityhall and sign a partnership contract... only after, you can use the system like in case of marriage ( regroupment familial )... these partnership contract give some right and duty to each parnter without be married... in case of separation, it is make at the townhall and not more a long procedure with lawer and justice...

Yep, we are neightbourg but have light difference... Thank for the info... Maybe i need to go life in Holland... i am living now at 10 km from the border  ...

 

[Shadow]

Bruno anything is possible, but on the Dutch websites there are people who advise the 'Belgium-route' because they are easier in giving visa for married people.

Another difference is that in Holland it is not allowed her to be here while the residence permit is applied for, not even after marriage. Schengen or not, there still seem to be a number of differences.

 

[Bruno]

Now where it is perfect... but you have find your way... lucky guy... be happy !!!