She has a Visa?

[Lazarus]

Some advice: Buy some brand new sheets/pillowcases for her bed/couch and leave them in the plastic store wrappers....SERIOUSLY!
Good luck!

Laz

[Lazarus]

Oh Yeah, I almost forgot, when you go to pick her up at the airport DO NOT be late!

Laz

[Sculpto]

jdaco good luck. I just wonder one thing... she has proven to have 5k in the bank but could not afford to pay $690 for a ticket that would be reimbursed ? Oh well.... let us know how it progresses.

She had to have it to get the visa.. now she has the visa.. two different things..

[Daveman]

She had to have it to get the visa.. now she has the visa.. two different things..

But why?  None of the other business visa recipients I've heard of ever had to have 5k in the bank and a car to qualify.  Is there another multiple entry visa which does have this as a prerequisite?

[Sculpto]

But why?  None of the other business visa recipients I've heard of ever had to have 5k in the bank and a car to qualify.  Is there another multiple entry visa which does have this as a prerequisite?

I dont know Dave.. maybe she got the visa herself without any invitation or some other mitigating factor.. regardless.. I don't take that as an issue or a problem.

I have one friend here in SF.. I have mentioned her before.. she got a green card.. from Kiev.. she hired an agency to do it and it took 3+ years and about $10,000. 

There are too many details about the business visa that we don't know about and that would be in poor taste for the OP to ask about.  She sent him the visa.. if it is real.. and he buys a non refundable ticket.. he has nothing to lose except the $690 if she is a no show. 

[ECOCKS]

But why?  None of the other business visa recipients I've heard of ever had to have 5k in the bank and a car to qualify.  Is there another multiple entry visa which does have this as a prerequisite?

I concur Dave. All I have ever heard about for Ukrainians is a valid business reason and scrutiny as to likelihood of doing a runner. The people I know in the US Visa section indicate that they scan through the documents submitted, however bank statements, deeds, car papers and the like are taken with a grain of salt since paperwork can be had showing anything in Ukraine. They are more interested in things like travel record, logical reasoning for needing to go there, the interview and the reputation of the employer.

I knew a leather buyer who was on her second US 5 year business visa. She regularly traveled to China and the US for sales trips as well as sales shows all over the world (Chicago, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jakarta, San Francisco, Johannesburg, Berlin, etc.). Another (Russian) worked for a large Oil and Gas firm and went everywhere (Nigeria, US, Sweden, Norway, England, ME, China, Mongolia, Japan, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, etc.). When I saw the Russian gal's passport I point-blank asked whether she was a hooker which made her choke on her wine a bit but was understandable when I learned what she did for a living (high-end, simultaneous translation for executives). I knew the Editor-in-Chief for a German-owned fashion magazine who had her 5 year Business visa to the US but had her children's visa requests to visit Euro-Disney denied (her husband and her both had current Schengens).

[Shadow]

She had to have it to get the visa.. now she has the visa.. two different things..

So you wish to imply that she can lie to obtain a visa while not having the money nor direct plans to go to the USA ?

[Olga_Mouse]

you should be able to buy a non-refundable eticket for her. 

Excuse me Eric, but in airline \ travel agent's slang non-refundable means no refund is allowed as such, no matter if prior to the departure date, or in case of "no show".

So if that would be me, I would invest additional amount in purchasing a refundable ticket - so that the original poster could be able to get his money back if the lady in question suddenly decides to cancel her visit AFTER he has already paid for her ticket.

Just verify that you can buy her ticket and not travel with her. 

Indeed, some airlines demand that the person whose credit card has been used to purchase the ticket is (one of) the passenger(s) traveling.

[Olga_Mouse]

So you wish to imply that she can lie to obtain a visa while not having the money nor direct plans to go to the USA ?

February [applying for the visa]: borrow money from all your friends, put them all in a bank, get a bank statement saying you have 5K, bring that statement to US consulate.

March [or any other day after the visa is granted]: take the monies back from the bank and give back to your friends.

August:

- either indeed no $690 left to pay for the flight;

- or willing to see if the man is "serious" and is ready to take some risks and invest some efforts into developing the relationship. I guess it is called "shit test" in US slang? 

[Faux Pas]

Well, no, cannot tell the difference. haha.  I have both her passport, and visa... They look legit to me though.

There have been numerous scams where the perpetrator had photoshopped visas. In that scenario they offer them up quite quickly and start with the romance and wonderland sex fantasies. Later at departure time they run into problems with the authorities that require cash to solve them. After you MoneyGram the damsel in distress, you never hear from her again. However, those type scams worked on a different level than you are describing your situation here. Yours as you describe does sound legit. I would warn not to get over paranoid but also keep your guard up. I'm not the paranoid type myself but, the photoshopped visa is an oldie but goodie. I'm surprised someone hasn't mentioned it earlier. Or if they did I overlooked it.

[Steamer]

The reason for my paranoia was this: jdaco had communicated with RW for only a month, they decide to meet. He is willing to go there but she says no, she will come here.

This has all the signs of a scam in the offing. Of course nothing is certain but he should be on high alert.

[Faux Pas]

The reason for my paranoia was this: jdaco had communicated with RW for only a month, they decide to meet. He is willing to go there but she says no, she will come here.

IMO, all communications can and should move along this quickly. As long as they are both understanding that they are both strangers until after a meeting. I understood that it wasn't a good time for him to travel but, I did note her offering up to travel to him rather quickly. Not good IMHO but not a deal killer nowadays.

This has all the signs of a scam in the offing. Of course nothing is certain but he should be on high alert.

Indeed it does but, no risk, no reward. $670 as he mentions isn't a big deal to him and he can put some safeguards on it in case it's a scam. He should be on guard in my mind "because he doesn't know her" but, her possibility of having a visa isn't unheard of but yes, it is one of the older scams in the book. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if this worked out either way

[Steamer]

IMO, all communications can and should move along this quickly. As long as they are both understanding that they are both strangers until after a meeting. I understood that it wasn't a good time for him to travel but, I did note her offering up to travel to him rather quickly. Not good IMHO but not a deal killer nowadays.

I must still be stuck in 1998.
However a little bit of paranoia can keep you out of a lot of trouble.

[Faux Pas]

I must still be stuck in 1998.
However a little bit of paranoia can keep you out of a lot of trouble.

Agree. IMO, at the very best there is a 50% chance she'll show and not be a scam. If she does show, then there's that 75% chance she isn't legit and just used him as a airline ticket. It's a crap shoot. Only he knows how "truly" sincere their communications is or whether he is fooling himself. One sure way of finding out is to go all in and buy her the ticket. If she does already possess a visa (which I think unlikely) and has friends already in the US, she wouldn't need him unless it was for ticket expense or she truly does want to meet him. He's tossing $680 bucks worth of poop on the wall to see what sticks. If I believed she was sincere, I would likely do the same. But perhaps I would take more convincing than he has

[ECOCKS]

The obvious RED FLAG is a "snag" requiring money to be sent. I would pay for the ticket with a credit card and be okay as long as there were no calls that the clerk wants $400 for this or I need to pay $600 for that kind of stuff.

Use a credit card and don't send cash.

[GQBlues]

Well, all I can hope for jd is, she better be good.

I just checked to see what I can get at Golfsmith for $690, and holy cow...a new set of Adams irons, plus stand bag, and a couple dozen of Titleists....with enough change for a weekend round in a nearby public course to boot!

Then there's eBay and Overstock...Live Nation schedules, etc...

[tim 360]

Soon jd will know--one way or the other.  Could be a pricey date if she's a no-show.  Maybe she will show up in NC and there will be no chemistry.  I just hope her granny doesn't get hit by a bus or catch a cold and things go sideways.  Oh the suspense.

[Lazarus]

.....Maybe she will show up in NC and there will be no chemistry.....

Que sira sira 

Laz

[Daveman]

Good luck with the meeting Jadco..

However this turns out, I do hope you'll come back and give us an update.   

[facetrock]

  The biggest reason I would advocate going to see her first is that if she is nuts or bitchy you can always kick in the backup plan. But if she comes to see you first your kind of stuck with her for the duration unless you change the flights for an early return. If you do that you get to spend some very awkward time with her.
Just my opinion.

[JR]

less risk with her coming here.

Why, are you afraid of being kidnapped or is there a "Shoot On Site" order out for you in the FSU?

[Gylden]

I don't think this horse is dead yet!!

 :crackthewhip:

Hey Dan, can we get an icon of kicking a dead horse?

 

[Admin]

I don't think this horse is dead yet!!

 :crackthewhip:

Hey Dan, can we get an icon of kicking a dead horse?

 

Maybe like this one --

[Daveman]

Maybe like this one --

Looks perfect to me.. probably will become one of my favorites.   :evil:

[Gylden]

LOL....yeah it's perfect!!