Don't let your fiancee come alone!

[romachko]

Achtung, achtung!

If you are going to let your fiancee come from Ukraine alone, think twice.
Yuliya, my fiancee, would have never made it here if I had not been with her all along. I have just come back home with her today!

The easiest and cheapest way from Simferopol to Chicago is via Istanbul by Turkish Airline. So, I bought one round ticket for myself and one-way ticket for Yuliya. Both tickets were purchased as E-tickets by my credit card. Two days before departure from Simferopol, Yuliya went to Turkish Airline office at the airport to get the paper ticket. She came back, panicked. They won�ft issue the ticket! I went there with her to see what was wrong. The girl in charge insisted that K1 visa was not sufficient; a copy of I129F had to be accompanied. I demanded to see her boss. The manager was much more polite but showed me a teletype (apparently, Turkish Airline internal regulation) which stipulated a copy of I129F as a condition to issue the ticket to the U.S. I explained that I submitted I129F, without which she could not have obtained her K1 visa. She was instructed by the U.S. Embassy to carry two packets, which could be opened only by a immigration officer and that was all she was given. He was calling his headquarter back and forth. Their story changed each time. They demanded that I pay up her �greturn�h ticket in case she was deported!?!?! I offered my visa card but their office didn�ft accept any credit card. I offered cash payment but demanded refund when the ticket was canceled. He told me that I had to authorize, by notarization, some one in Simferopol to receive the refund. We had argued about one hour. Finally he ordered, in spite of the sales girl�fs protest, to issue the ticket. At the airport counter this same sales girl made the last fuss by demanding Yuliya to show a voucher for hotel reservation in Istanbul. I had to tell her off that I had already paid everything from the hotel room to transportation service and I had three thousand bucks, more than enough for Hilton.

At Istanbul airport the passengers to the U.S. were singled out and had to go through four rounds of search. There were signs posted indicating that the U.S. government demanded it. At the first round Yuliya and I were �ginterrogated.�h Two rounds of hand search are conducted only for U.S. bound passengers. There are simple two rounds of X-ray gates for Euro bound passengers. We are the safest country, thanks to Bush!?!

At O�fHare I waited only a few minutes because the lines for U.S. citizens were very short but Yuliya waited in a long line. My immigration officer asked me, �gWhat was the purpose of your trip?�h This was the first time I was asked this question. By the way I traveled 57 countries in the past. I replied, �gI have escorted my fiancee, who is on K1 visa.�h He asked, �gWhere is she?�h I replied, �gOver there.�h He said, �gShe should have come here but it�fs too late.�h I wished there was instruction for that. The immigration officer for Yuliya was very nice. He called me and explained everything very kindly. At the customs desk, a young Hispanic officer wanted to know everything about me, Yuliya and our relationship. I had to explain what AFA was and how they operated. Every tiny detail.
Eventually she let us go even without opening a luggage.

[KenC]

... in response to Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by romachko on Nov 27, 2004

Sorry I cannot help with the customs question, but you can avoid future hassals by ticketing your wife as follows:
(first name)(maiden name)(married name).  That way everyone is happy.  You should do this until you change her passport to her married name.
KenC

[romachko]

... in response to Re: Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by KenC on Nov 28, 2004

I don't think you have any problem in getting a ticket for your wife. The problem arises when you try to get a ticket for your FIANCEE on K1. TK sales girl repeatedly refused to issue a ticket to my fiancee, even while my fiancee showed her K1 visa and two packets that U.S. Embassy in Kiev gave her. The Embassy told her these two packets were the only things she needed to hand over and a passport controller was the only agent authorized to open them. In fact the passport controller at ORD, a young blonde guy, was extremely couteous to her and called me to his side to give me additional helpful instruction. The requirement for a fiancee to carry a copy of I129F as a condition for issueing a ticket is simply ridiculous. How can a fiancee obtain K1 visa without her petitioner having filed I129F? The form was the first step for K1. It is like asking a Ph.D. candidate to present a high school disploma at his oral examination. Yet, without my presence my fiancee would have not been able to get a ticket issued. In fact I argued for more than one hour. The manager's logic shifted from one place to another like Bush's justification for starting Iraq war. In addition this same sales girl tried to give my fiancee hard time at checki-in by demanding to show her a hotel voucher. I had to tell her off that I, her petitioner, was traveling with her all the way to ORD and I had paid for our hotel and transportation. I told her not to worry because I had 50K credit line on my Visa and I had more than a million bucks in my stock account. Why was I upset? Suppose that I had not escorted her. She would have been in TK office in SIP, never being issued a ticket for which I had already paid on non-refubnd basis.
They flatly refused! Her K1 visa would expired two weeks later.

I am going to file a formal complaint with TK as a frequent customer in the past. Why am I writing all this on this board? I could just keep everything to myself and let other guys suffer. But, I have received so much help from various board members and I would like to return a favor in a small way. I just want to caution guys who might take the same path as I have. If you absolutely have to let your fiancee come alone, first check with the airline, you are going to use, about all the requirements well ahead of time. Have a plenty of time for her traveling so that any mishap can be fixed in time. The security for U.S.-bound passengers this year is quite different from last year. Even in one month it has quite drastically changed. I went to IST in September-October, then again November (this time). The security procedure has gotten more involved in just one month period. Believe me, I had hands-on experience, not hear-say. All U.S.-bound airlines are quite nervous about being penalized by our government. They pass the bucks to us, passengers. In other words they are saying, "Don't blame us for inconvenience. Blame your own government." USA and Israel are singled out on this issue. If you don't believe me, just go to Atta-Turk AP to find it yourself. If you can afford time and money, escord your fiancee. This is a small amount of sacrifice on your part if you are serious enough about your future wife.

[KenC]

... in response to Fiancee and wife are different., posted by romachko on Nov 29, 2004

romachko,
You're right, but keep what I said in mind for the future when there will be a difference in names between her passport and her married name.
KenC

[romachko]

... in response to Re: Fiancee and wife are different., posted by KenC on Nov 29, 2004

I hear you. Yes, it sounds quite scary. I have heard so many hair-raising stories about it. I would appreciate hearing how this board members solved the problem.

[tfcrew]

... in response to Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by romachko on Nov 27, 2004

When I brought Svetlana back from Warsaw (Aug '00)
she had a round trip ticket (exp in 90 days)
At the time, they were as cheap if not cheaper than one way.
This way, if plans are altered w/in the visa limit, an exit is already provided in advance.

[wsbill]

... in response to Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by romachko on Nov 27, 2004

How many trips over did it take you.  Did you meet her before hand via a letter or what ?

[romachko]

... in response to Re: So you got your wife via AFA, posted by wsbill on Nov 28, 2004

I met her first time in 2001 after a few months of E-mail correspondence. We toured around Krim with a very nice guide-driver for three weeks. I again went there and took her to Istanbul tour in spring and fall in 2002, two weeks each time. I spent some time in 2003 in SIP to prepare for K1 visa petition. In the mean time we exchanged many E-mails.

[Frank O]

... in response to Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by romachko on Nov 27, 2004

I would NOT let my wife travel here alone regardless however I did not know she could stand in line in the American lane. I was told I had to be the one in the foreigners/non citz lane with her. I guess as long as we are together it doesn't matter.

[LP]

... in response to Don't let your fiancee come alone!, posted by romachko on Nov 27, 2004

[This message has been edited by LP]

...If I understand you right you screwed up, she could have waited with you in the US line at the point of entry. You didn't know this? However, I pretty much agree with you otherwise. Especially if she's never traveled much in her life. Some women come alone just fine though, it's not that big a deal depending on the final destination.

Other than that I sure hope you stick around and tell us how it goes. I think we're all very interested, I know I sure am.

[AllenB]

... in response to Huh?, posted by LP on Nov 27, 2004

You are only interested because you have nothing better to do than antagonize people for 24 weeks per year as you admitted below.  I suggest that you take your hands off of the keyboard and walk outside for awhile.  Don't be frighted by the creatures, some are human and some are animals, I'll check with you later to see if you figured out which is which.

[LP]

... in response to Re: Huh?, posted by AllenB on Nov 28, 2004


...I could antagonize chumps like you all year round and enjoy it because it's so dang easy. Lucky for you I have to go back to work soon. Lol, too bad I'll miss any posts from my fans that guys like you bring out.

However, I'll admit the last few days got slightly out of hand. This place can be a source of amusement (and astonishment) to the non-MOB people who visit my humble abode and I let them get the better of me. It was a holiday you know. My bad. No more mouthpiece...I promise to protect and serve based only on my opinions in the future.

Course, where you were concerned it was all me...

[wsbill]

... in response to You're wrong...., posted by LP on Nov 28, 2004

Just remember to hold the mustard and onions, and I'd like to super size it!

[LP]

... in response to Re: LP when you go back to work, posted by wsbill on Nov 28, 2004

[This message has been edited by LP]

...I'll be glad to, lemme know when you can afford to pay for it.

[wsbill]

... in response to How bout tomatoes?....., posted by LP on Nov 28, 2004

Go to your corner market and buy some tomatoes, the hurricanes in Florida have destroyed this years crop.  I'm not having any problems selling everything I grow.

AllenB said it well above about you, LP.

Everybody here knows me and my status, they tolerate my bs posting - which I've really cut down on.   I'm just a novelty on this board until I get back on my feet finanically.   You on the other hand, if Patrick make a ignore feature would be on everybody list.