Innoculatoins, vaccinations

[JPjr]

Anybody able and willing to point me to some links, about the requirements for the K1 Visa. Thanks

[Admin]

Anybody able and willing to point me to some links, about the requirements for the K1 Visa. Thanks

Joe,

Is your objective information - or links?

If information, ask your question(s) and I'd bet that if someone feels the need to provide links elsewhere, they will.

I could probably answer your question(s) myself, but am unsure what it is you are seeking as yet.

- Dan

[JPjr]

Thanks Dan,  Now that the K1 petition is started for Love, that is my fiancee', we began to look ahead at interview time and wondered what inoculations were needed. I do not know what the standard is in Russia. What are the requirements for immigration?

[Admin]

Thanks Dan,  Now that the K1 petition is started for Love, that is my fiancee', we began to look ahead at interview time and wondered what inoculations were needed. I do not know what the standard is in Russia. What are the requirements for immigration?

Joe,

Here are the details:

Applicant should bring to the panel physician all medical records, which list vaccinations received. Episodes of vaccine-preventable illnesses suffered by the applicant, or medical conditions, which would affect the administration of vaccines. Without appropriate documentary evidence to substantiate an applicant's claims of vaccinations, illnesses or allergies, the panel physician will not consider the vaccination requirements to be fulfilled.

If, at the time of the medical examination, the panel physician finds that the applicant is not in compliance with the vaccination requirements, the applicant may either have the necessary vaccinations administered by the panel physician, or by a private physician of his or her choice. If the applicant chooses to have a non-panel physician administer the vaccinations, he or she will have to provide the panel physician with documentary evidence that the vaccinations were administered.

Some vaccinations require a series of doses. If the applicant has begun the series, and is not due for the next inoculation at the time of the medical examination, he or she will be considered to have met the requirement for that vaccination.  Vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis are required for all applicants ages 2 months to 6 years, vaccinations for tetanus-diphtheria required for all applicants 7 years and older, polio vaccinations are required of those 2 months to 17 years old, vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella are required of applicants from 12 months to 64 years old, hepatitis B vaccinations are required for those up to 17 years old, and influenza vaccinations are required for applicants 65 years and older.
***********************************

I hope this helps,

- Dan

[JPjr]

Thank you Dan, That was quick and I hope easy for you. I grew up with all of these, including TB, vaccinations, I should have remembered. Now I hope she has most of these as the standard in Russia.

[Jet]

What Dan has posted is good info, but timing is off. You will need to provide all of that prior the AoS interview. At the time of her Embassy required physical in Russia, even if she brings her vaccination records, they will flat out refuse to look at them, as this is not a requirement for the K-1 in Russia (K-3 is another story). As has been the case for some time, the most popular place to schedule the physical is the:
AO meditcina clinic

metro mayakovskaya
2nd tverskaya-yamskaya pereulok, bld. 10, rm. 420
125047 moscow, russia
(7-095) 250-9190, 250-9900, 250-9903 --- 095-250-8899

(7-095) 250-9180 fax
appointment hours: monday-friday: 8:00-20:00

which is convieniently just a few blocks north on Tverskaya-Yamskaya from the DHL office where she'll need to get her pre-paid waybill. This hospital is NICE (I've been there) and completely on-par with hospitals here in the states.

When it IS time for the I-693 + vaccination suplement to be turned in she will need to have had vaccinations for:
    * Mumps
    * Measles
    * Rubella
    * Polio
    * Tetanus
    * Diphtheria toxoids
    * Pertussis
    * Influenza type B
    * Hepatitis B

If she is able to get a vaccination record from her local hospital, she IS allowed to translate it to english herself if her english ability is sufficient (Liliya did hers and it was accepted no problem by the Civil Surgeon) You will still have to, at the bare minimum pay the CS to transfer it to the I-693 and undergo another TB test.

[RacerX]

JPjr, you're are a bad boy - now go to your room and don't come out for 30 mins.

[Admin]

JPjr, you're are a bad boy - now go to your room and don't come out for 30 mins.

Huh ?? I don't follow.

- Dan

[Jet]

I've gotten a couple PMs asking if I was SURE my info was accurate, so I'll go ahead and clarify further. The form Dan quoted was absolutely correct and comes from the US Embassy Moscow website at K1(K2) Visa Procedure/List of Documents for Fiancé (e) Visa Interview/#10, but elsewhere in that document it states:

The vaccination requirement applies to all immigrant visa applicants, except K and V visa applicants, and will be incorporated into the medical examination process.

If you'd like to read it for yourselves, it can be downloaded in .pdf format here. It is a generic form covering all classes of immigrant visa applications. Since the K-3 is based on an I-130 immigrant relative petition they SOMETIMES require the vaccination records.

[RacerX]

Huh ?? I don't follow.

- Dan

Don't want to be a tattletale, but last I heard JPjr was happily married to a RW.  But, I guess we all need a hobby!

[JPjr]

Thank you Jet and I will certainly study up and be right when the time comes. As  for RacerX's remark I will clarify now so there will be no misunderstanding. Love and I arranged to be  married in the Orthodox church in the presence of her Family and by her friend an Orthodox priest of good standing. We did this without ZAGS. I think I am on good ground when I say that this is not Visa fraud. Not legally married. Racer this is my Wife Love and we will be legally married in the USA when this process is complete.

[Jet]

Love and I arranged to be  married in the Orthodox church in the presence of her Family and by her friend a Orthodox priest of good standing. We did this without ZAGS. I think I am on good ground when I say that this is not Visa fraud.

As long as no document you submit at the interview breathes even a HINT of the ceremony or its planning and you (either of you) don't speak a single word of it anywhere near the Embassy!

[JPjr]

I will take your advise to heart, Jet and Thankyou. We decided this was what her Family needed, to see me as trusted and true. It also made Love very happy and that is what counts most.

[jb]

Jet is absolutely correct, as usual.

Marriages performed in a Russian Orthodox Church are considered valid in the US.  Just because the Russian government doesn't recognize the church wedding doesn't mean you aren't already married in the eyes of the US Government.  You are walking a fine line here because church weddings preformed by duly annointed/ordained priests and ministers of all recognized religions are legal and binding here, regardless of where they were preformed.

If you bring this woman, your wife, over on a K-1 visa, and in, say,,,, 60 days, decide it was not a marriage made in heaven and try to send her back, and she has any documentation of the church wedding, even some photos of the ceremony to back up her story, you may find yourself in need of a clever divorce attorney to get shut of her legally.  I'm not saying anything bad is apt to happen, but I hope you have thought this through somewhat carefully before you decided to get married over there. 

I do wish you much luck and happiness in your marriage.

[RacerX]

Ok, so you don't know anything about "innoculatoins," but how about K-3 visas?

[JPjr]

Thank you JB, Mum is the word then. I have no doubts about our marriage and Life together.  From all read, I thought it had to be ZAGS official. Like I thought marriage in Mexican church is not binding in US court. If things have changed I am on thin Ice. Because I am sincere in My endeavour of marriage, maybe I won't get ratted out by some radical eyes and ears. What will be will be, I made the mistake I will bear the consequences. Racer If I am not throne in jail i will learn about K3

[Admin]

Ok, so you don't know anything about "innoculatoins," but how about K-3 visas?

Racer,

I guess you are suggesting that Joe should be using the K-3 visa route instead of the K-1 -- or am I misinterpreting your comment? I wasn't sure to whom your remark was directed - jb, I think.

In any case, the original question from Joe was specifically aimed at K-1. Now that we know there is a potential complication due to the church wedding - then the smart thing to do is consider the possibility of needing to do a K-3 (since DCF is difficult, at best, in Russia). Sounds like Joe is going to follow the K-1 path, and will remain mum on the church wedding. I haven't read all the BCIS paperwork in a long while - but it would be interesting to see if there is anything he is signing which would give rise to the possibility of a 'fraud' claim - should someone choose to pursue that (for whatever reason).

Anyway - insofar as the K-1 and medical (and innoculations) - Joe should have sufficient information (and links) to be able to make an informed decision.

- Dan

[RacerX]

Hey, I wish you no ill-will, but you are breaking the law, and not that it will ever come to this, but the USCIS AND RW have long memories!

Some of the other posters might want to look up the legal definition of conspiracy   

[edit] Dan, we posted at the same time, no my comment was directed at JP.  Not being an immigration law expert, but the K-1 is rather specific in intent and definition.

[catzenmouse]

Ok, so you don't know anything about "innoculatoins," but how about K-3 visas?

Dan,

 It is the spelling in the title of the thread. I think innoculatoins sound even more painful than inoculations but maybe I'm just a wimp...

Ken

[jb]

but how about K-3 visas?

Since my wife came to the US on a K-3 visa, yeah, a little... We've been down that road.

I thought marriage in Mexican church is not binding in US court.

Mexican Church???  I don't know exactly what you mean by that, there are many churches in Mexico, the majority happen to be Roman Catholic.  If you got married in a Catholic Church in Mexico it would be as legal and binding as getting married in a Catholic Church here in the USA.  The marriage certificate just has to be registered/recorded with your local county registrar's office, just the same as if a local priest preformed the service.  I'm not certain of the procedure, but I'd be willing to make a small wager that if you brought a translated copy of your Russian wedding certificate to your county clerk's office it would be registered just fine and you'd not have to go through another JP wedding here after she arrived.  As I said, you are already married in the eyes of the church, the US recognizes church weddings.

I honestly don't know what we are arguing here.

[jb]

In re-reading this, I think I could have been more clear on the subject legality.  I'm not a lawyer so I'm simply giving you the version I get from the BIS handbook.  In so far as the Russians are concerned, the church wedding is a show wedding only, and is not binding... In Russia.  Once recorded here at home, it would be a legal and binding marriage.  It has piqued my curiosity enough that I'll have a chat with our Orthodox priest about this subject on Sunday.  I'm sure he'll be able to answer the question right off the top of his head since a large portion of the young men in the congregation go back to the "old country" to get married.  I'm sure there is a method by which these foreign church marriages are folded into American Family Law. 

I'll get back to you on this.

[jb]

OK, 

There are a number of Orthodox Churches in America, Russian, Greek, Armenian, Romanian, etc., and while your RW may be of the Russian sect, they all practice basically the same Orthodoxy, and welcome other Orthodox worshipers gladly.  There is only one Orthodox Church in Corpus Christi and it happens to be Greek Orthodox.

I had a visit with the priest about this issue.  He said the men who bring home a bride from the *Old Country*, (Greece), must submit their original marriage certificate to him, he sends it to the Greek Orthodox Church headquarters here, (for our Church it's in Denver), they record the marriage and issue a Certificate of Marriage which is then recorded at the local County Court House to make everything street legal.  It simply boils down to an extra paperwork step, but the Greek Orthodox Churches in America fully recognizes the validity of Greek Orthodox rites preformed abroad. 

He went further and said that there are some differences between the different Orthodoxies, but wouldn't get into a huge theological discussion over it, it has something to do with the Russian church being desolved by the Soviets, and some parts of the church are unable to trace their heritage in an unbroken line since 1918 to present, but the crux of the matter is whether or not the rite of Communion was valid between churches, it gets complicated.   Therefore you probably wouldn't want to bring your Russian Marriage Certificate to a Greek, Armenian, or Romanian, Church.    So,,, it would be better to look up your nearest Russian Orthodox Church, have a visit with the local priest, and bring your Russian Orthodox Marriage Certificate to a Russian Orthodox Church here in the States, that way you would avoid the need for a translated version.   Certainly the Russian Orthodox priest there will steer you in the right direction.  Basically our priest said, yes,,, you are already married.

I'm sorry if this is not the answer you were hoping for, but I did my best for you.

[brent23]

There are a few marriages that are legally recognized in the united states that can not be used for immigration.  one being proxy marriage.  Another would be common law marriage.  You could be in the situation where you are married but the USCIS would not able to use the marriage because there is no record.

I see no fraud here that anyone would care about.  I would not loose any sleep over this.

[Elen]

 Does  Russian Church gives ANYthing at all wich could be seen like marriage sertificates or like a proof that ceremony was complited? Just a question as I didn't marry ib Church and have not idea what papers they give in that matter but suspect - no papers at all especially if wedding was performed in 'illegal" way due to "ties" with priest

[Bruce]

I agree with Racer X on this completely.  Jet is correct - you could go with mums the word.  However, its only your fault you did not familiarize yourself with US immigration law prior to your wedding in Russia.   You will be signing the K-1 paperwork and swearing that the information you attest to on your K-1 visa application is true.  You will be committing visa fraud the way I interpret the intent of the application.  However, I am not a lawyer and suggest you get one to see what exactly is the legal way you can do things.  As far as I am concerned you definitely are not going about the immigration process ethically.

K-3 is the only ethical visa you can apply for at this point  .  Marriage in an Orthodox Church by an ordained member of the clergy, whether in Russia or here is legal marriage any way I look at it - and JB confirmed my initial thoughts and posted it above. 

Practically, I am not sure what route you should go.  If I were you I would speak with an immigration attorney with a good reputation like John Roth.  You can PM him on this board.