Trying to understand this process

[Kvinna]

Kvinna,

Sure you are not referring to citizenship?  I'm talking about a permanent residency document.

sure I talked about permanent too
Denmatk is in 7 years
Sweden is in 2 years
Norway is in 3 years

[BC]

sure I talked about permanent too
Denmatk is in 7 years
Sweden is in 2 years
Norway is in 3 years

Kvinna,

Yes each country has it's quirks. I stand corrected. Strangely enough a EU citizen may find it quicker to get permanent residence status for his/her spouse if they live in another EU state.. as was our case. In any case temp permits and renewals, usually yearly are no big deal at least here in the south and there aren't any travel restrictions I know of with temp permits.  When I immigrated here as a non EU citizen I vaguely remember that they first gave me a permit for one year, then one valid for two years.  Once I acquired citizenship (from ancestry) I received permanent residency immediately and as such my wife was also afforded the same privilege regardless of whether she was a EU citizen or not.

I guess in the US there really isn't a permanent green card.. or?  Just a conditional valid for a couple of years and a 10 year card.  I guess by then one would apply for citizenship.

Sorry for the OT's..  but maybe it relates -to show that US folks and their partners have to have a fully stocked reserve of patience and money for immigration.

[Rvrwind]

Okay, lets take these one at a time.
I just love question & answer time, LOL.
I'll do my bestest & I always appreciate feedback about the site. Helps me to improve it but you have to realize that only so much can be improved & you can't please all the people all the time..
That being said...ronthebikeguy first...

As a newcomer, I find it difficult to understand. I don't quite 'get' the pricing and how everything works. I think your packages and FAQ need to be 'dumbed down' a bit. Along with maybe an example of how it would work for Mr Jones, or something?

The pricing is done in Roubles. Why because I live in Russia & all the services I contract & what I pay my employees & what I purchase for the office & all bills I pay are in Roubles. Now I understand that for many working in US funds is more convenient but with the dollar dropping & the rouble rising I would be losing money or in a position where I would have to change my prices once a month minimum so I don't end up in the toilet, so from a business perspective it makes sense to publish my prices in Roubles. It keeps my prices more constant & I only need change them if the price of a certain service should rise.
To make it as convenient as possible for you the client, there are currency converters on the left side of all the pages where prices are posted. That way no matter what country you are from, you can find out exactly what the cost will be in your native currency. As I get many Europeans they feel my prices should be in Euros & the Americans want it in US funds, so already you can see, you can't please everyone so knowing that I made it as easy as possible by including the currency converters.
The Packages are quite simple & I don't think I could dumb them down anymore than they are. The list in Red is what is included in the package. The # of days you stay the more the services are used so of course he more you pay but as you will note because you stay longer we give a discount as sometimes, not always, we can get a discount from some of our providers. When we don't we take the hit, not you, we don't raise the price.
As far as the FAQ's, I didn't know I had any, LOL. I think you are referring to the TOS, Terms of Service. This is a fairly standard set of TOS displayed on many websites. I tried writing my own but decided this was more succinct & covered all the bases, which is paramount. As far as an example of how it would work for Mr. Jones, well I don't know Mr. Jones so I couldn't say, LOL, Gotta inject some humor!!
I feel if anyone has any questions or concerns it isn't all that difficult to drop me an email. The Contact Us page has all that info & I usually answer all emails personally within 24 hours & usually sooner unless something very extraordinary should happen. I have a few clients on this board that will attest to that.That is part of the personalized service & free I might add.
Anything else you would like to know, just ask.
Now for Tiger...

Maybe what I am talking about could be described as a highly personalized service to men who are able and willing to properly compensate you for your time and efforts for a more full service approach.

I give that now. Even if a client doesn't purchase a package but only a pay for what you use he gets the whole meal deal. By that I mean he has my attention for whatever he needs. most times I give it freely but if I feel it is taking up a lot of my time or the time of my staff then I ask for a small fee to cover that time as I had to do recently with one client. Unfortunately soon as I did, I never heard from him again, imagine that. I don't like to do that but if the time I spend with him is taking time from other things I could be making money at I have to make a decision, but I am pretty lenient. I think ACrazyBear could attest to that. As well as DKMM.

Working with the gentleman on everything concerned with the logistics of his various trips (someone to meet him at the airport, car, driver, interpreter, lodging, suitable places to eat and such)

.
Gee Tiger, we call that a Full Service Package. Everything they need is included for the legnth of their stay. We even have a deal with one of the local nightspots, my personal favorite, so that we can give free passes to our clients & they don't have to pay a cover charge to get in. Tips on where to eat or whatever are part of the friendly service at no charge to the client,   .

Assistance in understanding what is involved and expected in finding and courting a Russian lady as well as the time line necessary for a successful search (in general) and help with a K1 or other visa should he want or require  help.

That'll cost him a couple of shots of vodka if ts after 4pm before that coffee will suffice. This is just something I do to get to know my clients, what they are looking for & what they need to help them in their search. When they have spare time I encourage them to let me know & we can go for a walk or sit in the park or whatever & I am always open to sharing what I know & helping all I can.

Assistance with both telephone and written correspondence with previously screened ladies who are interested in meeting with the gentleman

.
Thats covered as well, however the correspondence & phone calls need to be paid for separately as we don't really have any idea how many letters or phone calls each individual will make but our membership plans cover the correspondence end quite well I think. We even had video chat for awhile but the sound driver had a metltdown & I haven't made enough to replace it yet, LOL. The meetings are included in the Full Service Package or if a guy comes Pay as You Go they can also be charged individually.
Each service we provide is priced individually as there are those who do not require everything, but all of them are included in our Full Service Packages. We even have clients that don't meet ladies, imagine that. Well it ain't hard really. We have a lady & her two children that have used our airport transfer twice now, once last year & once so far this year. Not here to meet ladies but just to visit family, but because our services are priced individually it allows us that sort of flexibility. They were turned down by all the other agencies before they found us & now they use us every year, actually they are using us again in October this year. They also like the fact that we have several different cars at our disposal a Russian Lada, Ford Focus, Ford Focus CMax, & a Nissan Pathfinder, which is the one they are using in October as they are bringing Hubby along ext time & figure to have a lot of luggage, LOL..

Facilitating the meetings once the gentleman arrives in country with the opportunity for additional activities should the gentleman and one (or more) of the ladies so desire depending on how much time the gentleman will have in country.

Answered the first part above. As to the second, yes indeed. We pride ourselves in having much for the guys to do. If you read our site, the Services page towards the bottom & our Travel Agency page you will see we have everything from local tours to trips to Moscow or Saint Pete, fishing & camping trips, day trips to the country dacha for shashlik & a banya with an authentic Babushka & Dadushka as your hosts with real Russian cuisine!!! Museum trips & we can get you theatre tickets or movie tickets.
We have been criticized in the past for offering all these extras by those who don't understand what full service truly entails.

Rvrwind I am not talking about a matchmaker in the traditional sense but more of a facilitator. As I said this type of service would require a great deal of your time and you would be expected to charge for that as the type of men I am talking about fully understand that you would need to be properly compensated you for your efforts.

I appreciate your distinction but as I said earlier on, most of what I provide is free & comes with you using our service. Its fun for me for the most part & I enjoy helping a guy as much as I can. If it starts to cost me money then it will cost him money but for the most part those little extras are all part of the service at Tver Angels.
Hope that answers your question but should you have more don't hesitate to ask.

[I/O]

1. Simple and quick immigration, took us 3 weeks for EU K3 approval / visa.
2. Tourist visa for young ladies possible.
3. Local immigration offices, not 'black holes'.
4. Get married on tourist visa.
5. No long wait for AP travel document process, -fly back whenever you want.
6. Low flight costs, -wife flying back this week for 7 days for a wedding. Flights under 300 bucks. Sometimes to Moscow and back as low as 70.
7. EU 'green card' almost immediate when married to EU citizen.
8. Quicker citizenship.
9. Visa for relatives rarely a problem, in-laws coming for the 3rd time in 5 years this summer.
10. Cheap phone calls.. 7 cents per call regardless of length without a computer.
11. No great problem calling with time zone differences.
11. Around 20 FSU TV channels available free via satellite.
12. Free or at least affordable health insurance and good service most places.
13. Orthodox church nearby.
14. Most cities have RU/UA food stores or serviced by travelling busses, even in the 'boonies'
15. Easy travel without visa to all EU countries.
16. No trailer parks.

BC: I can't comment on trailer parks, but I notice plenty of travelling mobile homes on the roads of Europe so maybe the habit will develop there also in due course.  Nevertheless, I think you are pretty close to the mark with your list. It is a no brainer that Europe would be very often more attractive to a Russian woman in the first instance.  "Perception of Proximity" is often number one in the thinking of many. 

It is something of a falicy when it is thought through, in so far as by far the most time consuming part of any travel is preparation and NOT the flight times, therefore it makes very little difference in a lot of cases if it is a 3 hour flight or a 10 hour flight. However, any person will look at a map and immediately think, hey thats closer to home and family.

The other factor which springs to my mind is the closer relationship of building styles and cultural styles.  I am not suggesting they are the same, but European styles are closer to Russian styles than are styles in USA or Aus for example.

IMO the main driver behind the attractiveness of Europe to the Russian woman is the perception of proximity. Nothing the rest of us can do about that other than continue to exhibit our superior quality. Just take a look at Dave24, how could any Russian woman refuse such a catch?

I/O

[Wayne B]

JB and Phil have given you some clues regarding Siberia.  I went there in the first instance as a result of childhood curiosity, not looking for a partner. On my first trip way back when, I visited 5 Siberian cities which of course are less well appointed than Moscow or St Pete.  I had not even scratched the surface as I was to realise in retrospect.  Remember Siberia alone is roughly 4 times the size of USA. 
                                                                                                                                             I/O,    I had to comment here that, as you I also went to Siberia for my first trip. Novosibirsk to be ex act. In early September during my birthday week. The signs of winter were starting to show her strength.....I would also say that English speech was not to difficult to find...as there were some restaurants owned by Americans....not many.  I can only say to you all, that the memories of Novosibirsk will never leave my mind....I had such a good and wonderful time there. Then jb, spoke of Vladivostok....This rang the bell...of why in my mind we live in such a small world....  Anna's mother's side of the family all came from different cities in Siberia.... Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle and Mother My (MIL) I like this word MIL...anyway's my point to this memory, is that I met Anna in Kharkov Ukraine, several years later...during my birthday week of September....and through time found that her mothers side of the family, all came from Siberia....and all moved to Kharkov....  

[Mir]

Fly from New York to Moscow,,, then fly from Moscow to Vladivostok,,, it's a longer trip~! 

New York to Moscow 4668 miles
Moscow to Vladivostok 3991 miles

http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm?loadpage

[I/O]

New York to Moscow 4668 miles
Moscow to Vladivostok 3991 miles

Mir: Maybe you have neglected to take into account the differencial in air speed of the various planes?

I/O

[BC]

Mir: Maybe you have neglected to take into account the differencial in air speed of the various planes?

I/O

And jetstream..

[Mir]

Maybe, and maybe the Russian planes are slower
I have never been on that rout myself

[DKMM]

TigerPaws,

Rvrwind will go all out for you if you do the full service.  He'll make sure you are never feeling lost or lonely.  He answered my 100+ emails and was always available to help with my many questions.  he'll do everything but wipe your bottom and come tuck you in at night.  (well maybe but I didn't ask)

[TigerPaws]

DKMM,

Thank you for the reply but it is not for me I am very happy with my lady, it is just that I have been asked many times by men of means where to turn for assistance and without trying to sound like I am slamming Rvrwind and his web site (I am not Richard) the sites presentation is very weak.

 In the social circles we are generally part of men are used to paying $500 to $1,500 dollars per hour for expert advise and for that kind of money they expect a certain polish in the presentation and a very high level of service.

While I have not met Richard yet I believe him to be a honest and straight forward person who is trying to make an honest living and there is nothing more anyone can ask of someone. It is just that most of the men I have counseled are not interested in some prepackaged arrangement, what they would like is more of a menu of services which they would be able to select from to fit their needs, wants and desires.

TigerPaws
 

[DKMM]

Well hey if they have that kind of money they can pay me to go with them and I'll guide them around. 

I think what sets Richard apart is that he is as much motivated in finding good guys for his ladies as the other way around.  The other agencies I've used were more interested in getting me to spend as much as I could meeting lots of girls.

[ronthebikeguy]

After all the talk and the reading, I think I am going to give this a go. The payoff of a happy life is so tempting that the downside, loss of a few bucks and some time, seems trivial.

Off I go into the wild blue yonder. I have signed up at freepersonals.ru and also I still have my free account at Elenas, but now more detailed and pictures have been added.

I got my first letter back from a teacher in Penza. She sounds great in her profile, although a bit short, and it is rather promising. The big things I take from this are really lessons I have learned over the past few years. Anyone who asks for money is someone I don't want to be with. It is quite a big turnoff for me. I almost hope they would cut to the chase and ask for money right up front or not at all, it would definitely help in the selection process.

I have also started browsing and reading through the catalogs at both Khersons and Riverwind's agencies. Both come highly recommended.

The jist is I want to try to establish some sort of correspondence with 10-12 women and then go visit Russia in the winter, late fall depending on the responses.

I guess I truly am a sadist.

[BC]

I guess I truly am a sadist.

No.. you're addicted.. much worse..

[Rvrwind]

It is just that most of the men I have counseled are not interested in some prepackaged arrangement, what they would like is more of a menu of services which they would be able to select from to fit their needs, wants and desires.

Easily solved Tiger, They can use the pay as you go, same service but they tailor it to fit their needs, use only the services desired & pay for only the services rendered. Makin' a menu is rediculous. I'd have to sit down & figure out prices & all for 101 different possible things that I could possibly charge exhorbantat rates for. Best they just email me & tell me what they want & ask how much it costs, course maybe the butler isn't puter savy.
Why is it people with money think that just because they pay more they are getting better sevice? What they are really getting is a bunch of ass kissers that will cater to their every whim & tell them there is no fire when the damn hotel is half burnt to the ground! I give the same service to the rich as I do to the not so rich. They get straight answers to their questios & the facts, no holds bared. To me that should mean more than the costs involved.
Hell if it will make them feel better I'll triple my rates for anybody who makes a quarter mil or more a year, but I'll be straight with ya', that ain't gonna change the quality of the service, that will remain the best as always! Much of it free!
Don't know what to say Tiger, I really don't. Sorry but I've never understood the attitude of rich folks & I guess I never will. Just seems to me that they seem to live in a whole different world from what I like to call reality.
There was a guy in Saint Pete the other day, this was on the news actually, & he was a rich dewd from somewhere. The two people that told me about this, my wife & my secretary, said he was walking across a bridge over the Niva River when he flung his arm out to indicate something to his companions. When he did so, his watch went flying into the Niva. A $250,000,00 watch, which he is offering a $10,000.00 reward for anybody who finds it. The divers are thick as flies but so far no luck. Appearantly there are only 3 or four watches like it in the entire world.
My wifes first reaction was, "Is he friggin' nuts or does he have a lot of bodyguards? This is Russia where they will kill you & rob you for a hell of a lot less?"
My reaction was any fool stupid enough to pay $250,000.00 for a friggin watch that don't tell time any better than my $10.95 Timex that I have owed for 20 years is an idiot to begin with. So probably didn't even consider he could be robbed or much less throw the sucker into the Niva!!
Just seems to me that a lot of rich folks like to flaunt there wares & make the rest of us well aware of it. But I got a hot flash for ya'll, their S***T don't smell any purtier than mine!
Sorry if that offends anybody but I calls 'em like I see's 'em!

[KenC]

ronthebike,
Just take your time or you could be out a lot more than just travel expenses.  Time exposes most misconceptions that can be devastating later after you tie the knot.  Good luck to you.
KenC

[Rvrwind]

The jist is I want to try to establish some sort of correspondence with 10-12 women and then go visit Russia in the winter, late fall depending on the responses.

ronthebikeguy - Just a tip...you might want to keep those ladies in close proximity. Traveling around Russia on your own can be a logistical nightmare, not to mention time consuming. Not every city has an airport & to get to some by train can take up to six days if you head out to the east end.

[BC]

RVR..

I think you missed Tigers point completely.

If everyone thought like you there would be no first class sections on airlines, much less private jets... but there is a demand for comfort and speed and those that will happily pay the price..  Take a simple example.. the CEO having his hair cut or massage in his office..  Some may laugh, but in the end the final  laugh is his.. - why? saves money by doing so.

Believe it or not a website along the lines Tiger describes would not have one lady's profile visible.. not even one!..  The potential ladies should never have been listed at another agency before, have extensive background checks beforehand, numerous meetings with her etc etc.  That is the type of 'discretion' being sought.

It has nothing at all to do with 'flaunting'.

I've had the pleasure of doing a couple of well paid consulting stints and was quite impressed with those I've dealt with.. impressed more by their quite 'human' qualities than their wealth.
 

[ronthebikeguy]

My comments about the money issue,

I think it was really hit on precisely in an earlier post. To me, its not about the level of service. Its about the efficiency of said service. As hit on by one of the first posts, time is my greatest enemy. When I take a vacation, I lose money every single day that I dont work. Even with a paid vacation, I am losing money by not contributing.

Let me give you an example. I read a few trip reports and from what I gather, I would want it to be very efficient. I want to save as much time and headache as possible. Instead of saying, "Hey, when you fly in stay here and you have a date on mon, tues, wed, thurs, fri and you fly out on Saturday and it costs $1000. The point being that it really costs me much more because I am away from work.

I would much rather hear "Hey, we have a car coming to get you to take you to the hotel, you have a driver 24/7, you have 3 dates on monday, 2 dates on Tuesday, you have a translator on call if you need him/her, you have 3 dates on Wednesday, the first one is at 9am, we will have someone wake you up, Thursday and Friday are open to second dates.. and you will fly out on Saturday, someone will be there to get you at the hotel, after a nice late night Friday show." This will cost you $4500." Then I would ask about having a chaperone. Someone to ensure I am up and at them, and at the appointed place and time.. an assistant if you will. If that costs an extra $500, I would do that because having someone running around with me to make sure I am where I need to be without hassles, is worth $500 to me.

I would choose the 4500/5000 dollar option every time. Its efficient, it saves me time, it saves me headache.. but most importantly, I don't need to think about things. I make the absolute most of my time away from work. I don't need to worry about getting cabs and making sure I have cash in my pocket, or haggling about things. I want to prepay and be done with it. The less things I have to deal with the better, especially in a foreign country.

I dont want to walk around for 5 hours looking for a nice restaurant for dinner. I want a car to take me to it and then have 3 hours to watch the sunrise.

I'll give you a specific example. I belong to the largest and one of the best gyms in the country. When you sign in at the front, they offer bath towels. I really enjoy it, because it has everything you could ever need. Every piece of equipment has a hand towel on it. They all have cleaner fluid. The bathroom has shaving gel, razors, hair gel, everything. They also have a mini store where you can buy gym clothes and equipment if you need it. The most important thing is if you go to that gym, you dont need to worry about towels, hygiene equipment, anything. You just go and its all taken care of. They even have a built in spa, massage, anything and everything you want. You can even get your car detailed while you work out. They save everyone lots of time.

[ecr844]

"Ron,"

It sounds like your looking for a full time "Fixer..24/7. I think one of the things "RVR," is taking into consideration is that he has a family and a life as well. Perhaps I am wrong?

[Nat]

Ron, do you really think it’s possible to arrange 3 dates a day and have a quality dating process? Women tend to be late to their dates first of all, then if your partner appears to be interesting for you and she has an interest in you, how will you just finish a dating in 2-3 hours after it started? It’s not enough even for a quality phone conversation, IMHO... And without all this walking-searching of restaurant-and so on actions you’ll loose a huge part of dating process, because when you do all this, you don’t waste your time, as you think it to be, you learn your partner, you make decisions together...

[ronthebikeguy]

Oh, I wasn't saying I wanted to do that when I eventually go, was just giving an example.

[DKMM]

Hmm, I have to agree with Nat here.  Except, you can go on 3 dates a day.  But if you want everything done for you, that takes away a big part of the bonding that can occur with a lady.  When you find the one, she will likely step up and be that "assistant" you describe.  There is no way to rush this and if you don't have the time, stick with domestic women.

[catzenmouse]

Ron,

 Nat is right on. There is no "Fast Track" to this process. You need to take the time to get to know the country and people, and then the girl in order to have any kind of chance at success. If you cannot take that time or if time away from work is more important then you really should just stick to the girls at home and forget about the FSUW.

 If you want to do something efficient to get a feel for the FSU then do a vacation tour. You'll get whisked from place to place and get to see lots of things. If you want to find the perfect woman to be your life partner then you better be prepared to throw efficient out the window in many instances.

FWIW,

Ken

[philb]

I second everything Ken said.  If you stop and think about it there is really very little that is efficient about this entire process.  I guess you can do things to maximize your time but....

One other thought, if you let yourself become so dependent on a guide agency or whatever while you are there that you don' have to "think" about things you would be missing out on a huge part of the experience IMHO.

Experiencing the culture certainly has helped me in getting to know and understand my wife (and there is still a lot I don't know or understand ;-) )