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Member
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| Hello i am a bit confused as to the best route to take as to my relationship with my girlfriend who is currently in the ukraine, we have been together for around two years, and i have made regular visits to and from the ukraine in all the seasons, we have the nessesary proof and documentation required to show we are serious about each other, but now i want her to come to the uk for a visit, she dosnt have a passport and is having a number of problems getting one, as the passport office is not the most helpful, i have heard of agencys in the ukraine that will arrange the visit visa, does anyone know of any, and is this true? also if i were to go back to the ukraine next april to get married would it help with her coming to the uk to live with me, i mean what do we have to do, where do we have to go, to be together in the uk? i have had the same job for ten years, good bank account, and can support her, just need to know the route to go down, as i dont want to make stupid mistakes... |
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Expert
Posts: 4126
  
Location: South Leicestershire | Welcome
You mean April 2010 or 2011 ? |
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Member
Posts: 10
| Thank you for your reply, we are planning on april 2011 because the relationship will be over two years then and im assuming this will make it easier for us, is this correct? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1189
Location: When at home either Sakhalin Island or Scotland | Hello and welcome.
To answer your last question, the longer the relationship the better.
I would like to add that I strongly suggest that your G/F visits the UK a few times before she makes the commitment to live in the UK.
Yes I do know that getting the likes of a visitor visa can be a right royal pain, but, it is my opinion that a few visits are essential because she will need to look before she leaps. |
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Member
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| Can you give me any advice on getting the visit visa are there agencies like i mentioned out there? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1189
Location: When at home either Sakhalin Island or Scotland | marcog - 2010-02-08 6:50 AM
Can you give me any advice on getting the visit visa are there agencies like i mentioned out there?
The best that I can suggest is to give Real Russia a call, I am quite sure that if they cannot help directly then they might be able to suggest a reputable agency.
I will just add that my only relationship with Real Russia is that of a very satisfied customer. |
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Member
Posts: 12
| Whilst an agency might be useful in arranging a visa as part of a package holiday, they are not likely to add anything useful in your case. You should be OK as a sponsor, your girlfriend will need to persuade the British embassy that she intends to return after her visit e.g. no talk of marriage, living or working in the UK. She will need evidence of a job in Ukraine - payslips, etc.
The big issue is her international passport because she isn't going anywhere without one. The office probably wants a bribe.... Where in Ukraine is your girlfriend? (My wife is from Lugansk). |
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Member
Posts: 10
| Hello john and thank you for your reply, my girlfriend is from kherson in the south, its on the mouth of the river dniper, i dont want to sound dumb but when you say about a bribe how will i know and what do i do? because as you say she cant do anything without the passport..
Edited by marcog 2010-02-09 10:15 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2508
Location: London | johng - 2010-02-09 10:02 AM
Whilst an agency might be useful in arranging a visa as part of a package holiday, they are not likely to add anything useful in your case.
Not so.
She needs a visitor visa not a tourist visa which is what you need for a package holiday.
She will be visiting a friend not staying in a hotel.
RealRussia can assist with a visitor visa, all the info is on the home page.
I don't work for them, I just use their services.
But she won't be going anywhere without a passport.
Why is it a problem to get a passport in Ukraine?
Edited by Malcolm 2010-02-09 10:16 AM
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Member
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| I have no idea thats what i am trying to work out, i have seen that she has applied properly back in aug-sept 2010 but still nothing, im in the ukraine in 10 days so any advice would be helpful.. |
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Expert
Posts: 2603
Location: Volgograd & Moscow | Hi and welcome
1. Nothing will happen until she gets her passport, you should be able to find out where it is in the process and what the hold up, is any?
2. Typically people working in the passport office will have relatives who own a company that can "help" you get a passport, so it is not a bribe as such  you just have to ask if they can recommend one.
3. Agencies, very few good ones in Ukraine, especially for UK visas - I know most of the bad ones, but cant advise on any good ones.
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Member
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| Ok thank you ill try and find out some more when im there, if you can think of anything else that will be helpful id appreciate it, thank you and ill be back on when i return... |
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Expert
Posts: 2417
Location: In the Windmills of my mind... | marcog - 2010-02-09 3:30 PM Ok thank you ill try and find out some more when im there, if you can think of anything else that will be helpful id appreciate it, thank you and ill be back on when i return... Have fun, and good luck..... |
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| Malcolm - 2010-02-09 11:15 AM
johng - 2010-02-09 10:02 AM
Whilst an agency might be useful in arranging a visa as part of a package holiday, they are not likely to add anything useful in your case.
Not so.
She needs a visitor visa not a tourist visa which is what you need for a package holiday.
She will be visiting a friend not staying in a hotel.
RealRussia can assist with a visitor visa, all the info is on the home page.
I'm sure RealRussia are great.
A tourist on a package holiday to the UK will be issued a Visitor's Visa - Local travel agencies are useful in obtaining the documentation needed to support such applications. Those visiting family or friends will also be issued with a Visitor's Visa, for which they will need supporting documentation from their sponsor. I suppose an agency here might be useful for those sponsors who don't have Internet access or cannot follow the instructions on the UK visas website. |
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Member
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| marcog - 2010-02-09 11:19 AM
I have no idea thats what i am trying to work out, i have seen that she has applied properly back in aug-sept 2010 but still nothing, im in the ukraine in 10 days so any advice would be helpful..
I guess you mean Aug/Sep 2009 - that's too long. I have heard of delays because they ran out of passport blanks but it shouldn't take that long.
My wife tells me that it is now possible to apply for an international passport in Kiev, even for those not resident in Kiev. There are specialised agencies in Kiev who reckon they can obtain passports in timescales varying from 21 working days down to 3-5 working days, depending on the fee paid (from 100 Euros). Documents needed: Internal Passport, Tax Code document, any previous International Passport. |
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Expert
Posts: 2603
Location: Volgograd & Moscow | A tourist on a package holiday to the UK will be issued a Visitor's Visa
No, they will be issued a tourist visa, this is a different type of visa for a different purpose - a tourist implies you are a tourist and staying in paid accomodation.
You will find, and we fully support, that applying for the correct visa will remove many problems later on should a relationship develop.
http://www.realrussia.co.uk/visas/uk/uk_visas.asp#visitorvisa |
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Expert
Posts: 2508
Location: London | That's what I said  |
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Member
Posts: 12
| Chris - 2010-02-09 8:18 PM
A tourist on a package holiday to the UK will be issued a Visitor's Visa
No, they will be issued a tourist visa, this is a different type of visa for a different purpose - a tourist implies you are a tourist and staying in paid accomodation.
You will find, and we fully support, that applying for the correct visa will remove many problems later on should a relationship develop.
http://www.realrussia.co.uk/visas/uk/uk_visas.asp#visitorvisa
Maybe we are talking at cross purposes here but taken from the form "General Visitor (VAF1A)":
"IF YOU ARE VISITING THE UK AS A TOURIST OR TO VISIT FRIENDS YOU SHOULD COMPLETE THIS FORM"
and
"Which type of Visitor Visa are you applying for?" The options being Tourist, Visit friend(s) and Other.
When issued, the type of visa will state "Visitor" not "Tourist".
I can see the benefit (if not outright need) to use an agency when applying for a UK Visitors visa as a tourist (proof of travel tickets, reservations, etc.). I don't really see the point when applying for a UK Visitor's visa to visit friends or family - the sponsor has to provide all the documentation and I don't see what benefit an agency will add in this case.
The reason why I am a bit sensitive on this issue is not related to Real Russia but to local agencies in Ukraine (as I mentioned in my earlier post). When my girlfriend (now wife) first applied for a visa to visit me, she used a local agency in Lugansk. I had forwarded all the relevant forms and documentation to my girlfriend and arranged an appointment for her at the embassy. The local travel agency took 120 US$ and took all the documentation. The visa was issued but the agency rep. in Kiev had been told to collect all the documentation and send it back to Lugansk rather than allow my girlfriend to have it. Once back in Lugansk, the local agency denied all knowledge of having my girlfriend's passport (I guess they planned to sell it, along with the new visa). Luckily, my girlfriend visited the agency offices when the boss was out and one of the staff gave her all her documents.
Edited by johng 2010-02-10 9:56 AM
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Member
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Posts: 7
Ok so I am still in the Ukraine and it seems that the government are having problems with passport across the board, my girlfriend says that the government are looking for a new printing company to make the passport papers but is sure that she will have hers soon, to apply for a visit visa us it better of we both meet in Kiev and go direct to the embassy or rely on this site, do I need to be in the Ukraine for any visa issues, she may have, as and when we apply..? Thanks marco
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Member
Posts: 10
| So hello again im back off to the ukraine in 6 weeks this time to kiev, im hoping we can resolve the passport issue, is there a fast track section in kiev at the consolate or do you know of any way i can get a fast track passport for her, i have heard that the embassy charges 100$ for a three day turn around is this true? thank you.. |
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Member
Posts: 10
| Hi Marcoq
My wife applied to change the name of her passport to mine, they said it would have taken 28 days, but through a friend of a friend, she got it within 7 days, because we met the head man in her city who deals with passports. The cost was approx 1000 hryvnas, but we could have paid 1500 hryvnas and had a 3 day turn around, luckily for us we didnt have too.
I hope this helps
Phil |
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Member
Posts: 10
| Hello again and thank you for your reply, can you explain in more detail, maybee some names or adresses of where we go to all i want is a fair chance at a relationship with my girlfriend, but to do that she needs a passsport and this seems to be a huge problem, if you know any one or have any contacts i would greatly appreciate this, you can email me privately if its easier thank you, marco... |
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