Advice from Kevin and Friends.

Check on your k-1 visa processing time at www.visajourney.com

1. Married in Ukraine vs. K-1 visa

2. How much money should I send my fiancée

3. What about the age difference

4. How much is it going to cost.

5. WAGS, ZAGS and DCF.

Marriage in Kherson.  A post from one of our clients.

 I was married to Oksana in Kherson on the 20^th of March, 2004 and filed a DCF in a 2-week period. (It’s hard to do this in 2 weeks but it can be done.)  And of course, this document is what I can remember of the process so

use at your own risk…  :)

More Info…

http://kiev.usembassy.gov/amcit_marriage_eng.html

Before you leave the US.

Get you paperwork in order. (Ukraine now accepts apostle documents) If

You have never been married then no problem, else you need your court certified

divorce decrees / spouses death certificate apostle by your local state

official. This can be done at the state capital (State’s Secretary of State.)

of where the divorce happened.

1.        Obtaining a letter of Non-Impediment.

To do this, head over to the Consular section of the Embassy in Kiev. 6 M Pymonenka Street, Kiev (380 44)490-4422  8:30am - 12:30pm M-F) Ask for the letter and fill it out,

pay some money ($30 US) and hand it back in. They will ask you if you understand what the letter is and then stamp and sign it. I also brought my divorce decrees but they never asked for them. Now its time to head over to the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine, 2 Velyka Zhytomyrska (212-8392, 238-1669 9:30am - 12:00pm) for 1 more stamp and signature. (I think this was around $16 US but you pay in local currency) I also brought my apostle divorce decree but they also did no want them. You leave the letter and return around 4:00pm and pick it up. That’s it; you are ready to head to your future wife’s hometown.

Observation, thoughts:

** When you first get to the consulate, there may be a big line, go to the head of it, as you are an American. On top of the door to get in there are red and green lights, wait for a green and go in and show them your passport. Now it’s time for the metal

detectors and such. The guards will direct you to the American Citizens Unit.

** The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine is only 5 minutes by taxi from the consulate so you can do this whole thing in 1 day if you start early enough.

2.     The actual marriage.

Before you get started at WAGS, you have to get all the American documents translated and certified. We did this at the ‘Polylog’ in Kherson (I do not know what the exact

name is but I am sure you future wife knows) I dropped off my Passport, (only the data page needs translating), 2 apostle divorce decrees and my letter from my employer stating 2-week vacation. This takes about a day or 2 to get done.

I do not remember the exact dollar amount as at this point I did not care anymore.

When you get the documents back head to a place with a copy machine and get 2 copies  of everything. Now its time to go to WAGS and submit all your paperwork.

We went on a Thursday afternoon and they accepted all the paperwork. They then took us across the street where you purchase all you wedding options. Here we got the dress, rented cars to go to and from the wedding, a video, a gal to come in the morning and do makeup and hair, etc, Total cost for WAGS, the frilly stuff and translation of documents was a hair under $500 US. By Friday we found out we where to be married on Saturday.

Observation, thoughts:

** Have you future wife lay the groundwork before you get there. My wife went to WAGS and asked many questions and we got the 28 day waiting period waved by my bringing a letter from my work stating that I only had a 2 week vacation per year. ** When getting your documents translated at the ‘polylog’ for your marriage it also a good time to get hers translated for the I130. ** Have you future wife fill out the Ukraine section of the non-impediment letter so you do not need that translated.

** Get your wedding filmed!!! The guy who did this came to Oksana flat and filmed us getting ready, going to WAGS and getting married, leaving WAGS and touring around the city and then reception. He did a GREAT job!!! (He cost about $60 US)

** Get your wedding certificate apostle for use in the US.

3.        Filing the DCF in Kiev.

Before you head off to Kiev you need to make sure you have her needed Documents translated and certified. This includes the new marriage certificate, her birth certificate and if she was divorced, her divorce decree. You need G325a for both of you. I130 for her and optionally at this stage the I834. I had pre-filled out the G325a and the I130 but made 1 mistake; I filled them out before we where married and before her name changed. I had to fill them out again! I am just glad I caught this before I went to the consulate. Follow the instruction on the forms. (Bring her originals and certified copies to Kiev with you. They return the originals) Now head over to the consulate again and file your I130, pay your money and if all is good at this point they give you the option to take the documents yourself to Warsaw or they will send by diplomatic pouch. (30 days!)

I chose the option to send them by DHL. It cost $40 US and got there is 2-3 days. (Warsaw process all immigrant visa so filing in Kiev just starts the process but Warsaw does the actual processing) I was told when filing that formal acceptance is about 30 days from when Warsaw receives them and interviews are about 30-45 days or so from that.

Observation, thoughts:

** This is NOT a K1 visa. It is a immigrant visa. She is filling to come and live with HER HUSBAND! K1 visa go through Kiev, all immigrant visa go through Warsaw. ** Again, get copies of all translated documents. Get BCIS pictures of both of you. Yours are like your passport, hers are looking to the side showing 1 ear. ** Buy some paper clips  as it helps when you put all the documents together. ** Fee is $130 for each I130 filed.

Well, that’s as far as I have gone at this point. We are at day 20 and hope to have Warsaw acknowledge the I130 in 10 days or so.

 Questions:

If I understand correctly... it sounds  like “On the way in, get the docs you describe “signed off” in Kiev.  Go to Kherson, translate (certified) everything and copy it.  On the way out, go to Kiev, File the I-130 and DHL it to Warsaw.  In about a month, you’ll have an appointment date (about 30-45 days later).

Questions Please:

1)   Does this mean you don’t need to deal with the K-3 process at all ?  In other words, You never need to send anything to or deal with the BCIS offices IN THE US and wait forever ?

A.   No, you do not send anything to BCIS in the US at all to get her here.

2)   Will the I-130 appointment (interview I assume) be in Warsaw ?  They’ll give her an actual ‘Green Card’ immediately and she hops on a plane to the US the following day or so ?

A).   The interview is in Warsaw and as I understand, there is no wait for a green card and she can actually fly out of Warsaw to the US.

 3)   Do you need pay stubs, bank statements or tax returns for proof of support AT ANY TIME ?

A).     You need to file a I834 and that is due at the interview. You need 3 years of tax returns.

4)   Not to be redundant, It sounds like this completely eliminates the K-3 process.

a.   Yep, no K3 needed.

Basically, that is it. Kiev, Kherson and then Kiev again.

2. How much money should I send my fiancée

Typical we advice as little as possible. My rule of thumb is never more then twice what she was earning before.  Gifts are fine, but keep the cash flow low.  The problem we see is when you take your lady out of the poor category and make her a rich lady in kherson. No longer is she staying home on the weekends but heading out with her friends. It doesn't take long before the local guys see this new flow of money and developed interest in your  lady.

3. What about the age difference

Quite often I get this question. My advise is too keep it in the same mental age group. Even though these ladies are more mature then western ladies, They are still going to have the same life experiences. A max age difference of 15 is a good rule. Expect a maturity age of 23 to be a good starting point if you are over 35.

4. How much is it going to cost. A post from one of our clients

5. WAGS, ZAGS and DCF. (from tommy Monks)