What is with ZAGS? My fiancee and I are having some difficulty with them. It's like pounding a nail in the floor and another pops up. Pound that nail in the floor and another pops up. And so on. ZAGS seems to have endless excuses about foreign marriages. You must apply with all the right papers and you will get married in 30 days. One problem... tourist visa is only good for 30 days. My fiancee does not qualify for sponsorship invitation. Couriering the document to my fiancee with my photocopy of a notarized photocopy of my passport and ZAGS application translated. Every time my fiancee submitted these documents to them there were always endless technicalities. How can one overcome them? Tell me/us your experience with them.
ZAGS in Russia
- Thread starter sieberi
- Start date
I believe what your fiancee can do is to apply for a visitor's visa invitation for you. To do that, she needs to apply to the local department of Federal Migration Service (FMS) in her city. I recommend you to ask your fiancee to search for web links to the local department of FMS in the city where she is going to apply in order to look thourgh a check list of required documents. From my experience, she will be required to prepare a couple of documents and pay around RUR 500 (approximately USD 15) for goverment charges. This invitation will allow her to invite you as her guest or boyfriend / fiance for a period of 90 days as the longest. Her application will be considered for 30 days under the Russian law, upon which she will get a paper issued by the FMS. Then, she has to mail the original paper by post to you. Your move is to bring this paper along with your passport to the nearest Russian Consulate at the place of your residence and fill up a visa application as well as pay some visa fee (probably about USD 50) in there. The Russian Consulate will stamp a visa in your passport within a week or so, and your visa will be valid for 90 days. I guess 90 days will be more than enough to manage all registration and wedding party formalities in Russia, if any. Good luck!
We tried that. She didn't qualify financially. She was not earning enough money to qualify nor did she own her home. She needs to prove to the Russian agency that she can pay for my ticket home if my non-refundable ticket expires. She could not prove that they could pay for my way in that event. I was recommended that a tourist visa would be easier, and ZAGS did not care what kind of Visa you have.
I see your point. Well, than you have two more options. First option is to ask her parents or any of her relatives to assist you in getting such invitation at their name, of course, if their income is suitable for the Federal Migration Service. Just for the record, my mom invited my fiancee showing her bank statement with around RUR 100,000 (it accounted for US 3,000). This money was enough to get an invitation for a 90 day visit period to be issued. If first option still doesn't work for you, then you may check second option. Second option is to apply for a business visa through a travel agency based in Russia. An agency will get a similar invitation for you at around USD 200. A business visa is valid for one year, besides you may stay for upto 90 days every 180 days. Cheer up and all the best to you!
It's too late now. I already have my tourist visa and it is valid from April 5 to May 5. What is worst, I am at the mercy of the Russian Consulate in Toronto because they have not released my documents. Once I get them, I will have too try to convince ZAGS to give me a shorter wait because of overstaying visa consequences. If you have any positive advice, it would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
I am sorry to hear that the Russian Consulate keeps your documents. As of now, I have no idea what you might do with ZAGS issues. I believe there should be a way to ask for an earlier marriage ceremony in ZAGS based on the Exceptional Circumstances you have. I think it will be helpful if you go to ZAGS with a copy of your visa and passport translated into Russian to prove that your period of stay in Russia is quite short. Good luck!
Update: Cheboksary ZAGS would not accept our application and would not comprimise a shorter waiting time. I am travelling on a tourist visa which is only good for 30 days. My fiancee called NN and Kazan ZAGS and both were willing to help us. We went to Kazan ZAGS and got married. Although we had to pay 3500 roubles more, it was worth it. Now we are married and unfortunately I cannot bring my new wife back to Canada with me until all approvals are in place for a family visa. "Thoughtful, et al, what is the next step dealing with the bureocrats?
Congratulations! I am glad to hear that you have got married successfully in Russia. If you want to bring your spouse to Canada, you will have to prepare a Famiy Class Sponsorship application package.
First, you have to decide whether you would like to forward Outland or Inland application. Some people believe that outland application process goes faster. If you choose Outland application, then you should mail your application package to Mississauga, which will prove you as a sponsor.
Second, you have to think about how you will prove the genuineity of your relationship. It is very crucial to prepare photos, emails, letters or other evidence that will show immigration officers that you had been in touch with your spouse for a period of time before you got married.
Third, you need to provide some sponsorship supporting documents. You may also mention your parents or relatives as co-sponsors if possible.
I recommend you to read the government web-site and topics on Family Class Application of this forum carefully to go through all requirements and procedures. Moscow visa office also has a pretty good web-site you should visit.
One should say that your wife will be required to stay in Russia waiting for the proof of your sponsorship if you submit an outland application. In general, her immigration visa will be issued in 6 - 12 months if all supporting documents are fine. Inland application process takes longer time, but you may start it only if your wife can enter Canada on a visitor's visa, for example.
First, you have to decide whether you would like to forward Outland or Inland application. Some people believe that outland application process goes faster. If you choose Outland application, then you should mail your application package to Mississauga, which will prove you as a sponsor.
Second, you have to think about how you will prove the genuineity of your relationship. It is very crucial to prepare photos, emails, letters or other evidence that will show immigration officers that you had been in touch with your spouse for a period of time before you got married.
Third, you need to provide some sponsorship supporting documents. You may also mention your parents or relatives as co-sponsors if possible.
I recommend you to read the government web-site and topics on Family Class Application of this forum carefully to go through all requirements and procedures. Moscow visa office also has a pretty good web-site you should visit.
One should say that your wife will be required to stay in Russia waiting for the proof of your sponsorship if you submit an outland application. In general, her immigration visa will be issued in 6 - 12 months if all supporting documents are fine. Inland application process takes longer time, but you may start it only if your wife can enter Canada on a visitor's visa, for example.
The law says that "an original notarized consent signed by the other parent of the child who is under the age of 18 years old is required only if the child is going to immigrate with you to Canada". By the way, the Russian Passport Control Services on the border may require such consent signed by the other parent too. In case if the child under the age of 22 years old is not going to accompany your wife to Canada, she must provide the proof that she has already fulfilled her obligation as stated in the divorce agreement. She must provide an original notarized separation agreement and an original divorce agreement. All these original documents will not be returned to you. I hope this information will help you. Good luck!
We submitted all of our papers and documents in February of this year and now I am told that the processing time could take 12 months. They received all of the papers and documents on February 18, 2011 and we still haven't received any acknowledgement. Is the Department of Immigration changing the rules?
getting married in russia isn't so difficult. documents are most important. and the time period you have to do the deed. i will marry my partner in ST. Petersburg. i have a 90 day private visa which gives us plenty of time. she will go to ZAGS and get the pertinent information.
visa
passport
certificate of divorce
affidavid of marital status
documents notarized
translated (apparently they will do)
will update soon as she will go to ZAGS tomorrow. and keep in mind it has to be the ZAGS that handles foreigners that want to marry russians. i think there is only one in SPB.
visa
passport
certificate of divorce
affidavid of marital status
documents notarized
translated (apparently they will do)
will update soon as she will go to ZAGS tomorrow. and keep in mind it has to be the ZAGS that handles foreigners that want to marry russians. i think there is only one in SPB.