Has anyone lived (or even if you have traveled) in Georgia or Russia (that part near border)?

Forums › Off topic › Has anyone lived (or even if you have traveled) in Georgia or Russia (that part near border)?

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quickymart

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#2242332 21-May-2019 13:38

cddt:
TeaLeaf:

no regardless of marriage you have to have spent 12 months living together (im pretty sure i read that correctly)

You're thinking of the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa. If she wants to work here, and you haven't lived together for 12 months, she should apply for the Partner of a New Zealander Work Visa. Alternatively, if she's happy not to work for a while, she can apply for the Partner of a New Zealander Visitor Visa. Means she can't work, but you can live together to get up to the 12 months to enable her to apply for the Partner of a New Zealander Resident Visa.

Yep, that's what my wife did. Also - I paid her return airfare from LAX to AKL, she footed the cost from her state to LAX and she had a little money in her pocket to survive.

She was originally going to come for a three week holiday and go back, but she fell in love with NZ and decided to stay. She was studying at the time (not working) so it was slightly easier as opposed to giving up a large income from a well-paying job.

The first six months for her were quite tough. She struggled a bit understanding the NZ accent (although she could understand me fine) and I supported her financially at first. But eventually she landed a temporary job in a call centre talking to customers in the United Kingdom; her American accent was an asset in that regard. That lead to her being offered projects and eventually she got fulltime work.

@Tealeaf if your lady wants to come here, make sure she has enough money to support herself. Don't send her any cash - offer to buy the ticket instead (that way, if it is a scam, she'll back out when she realises you won't just hand over money). My 2c/suggestions.

brucehoult

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#2242437 21-May-2019 15:56

quickymart:

@Tealeaf if your lady wants to come here, make sure she has enough money to support herself. Don't send her any cash - offer to buy the ticket instead (that way, if it is a scam, she'll back out when she realises you won't just hand over money). My 2c/suggestions.

From that part of the world I'd simply assume she doesn't have enough month to buy tickets or support herself for a few months in NZ. That's 100% normal.

So just get her details (full name, international passport number), buy some tickets on Expedia (I recommend Emirates from there -- only use China Southern if you hate her), and fill out a sponsorship form for a visitor's visa. Worst case you're not out much more money than air tickets and feeding her for however long -- you'd have to buy the tickets to go there anyway, plus you'd need to take time off from work.

As others have said, absolutely do not send any significant amount of money. If it's $400 for visa processing and a train to Moscow that's probably worth the risk (that's up to you), but certainly not anything in the thousands.

wellygary

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#2242444 21-May-2019 16:05

brucehoult:

As others have said, absolutely do not send any significant amount of money. If it's $400 for visa processing and a train to Moscow that's probably worth the risk (that's up to you), but certainly not anything in the thousands.

If as the OP indicated she is near the Georgian Border and has the ability to cross, Her easiest option is probably Tblisi, someone like FlyDubai to DXB and then EK to NZ....

brucehoult

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#2242457 21-May-2019 16:33

kobiak:

@Item, I'd say the state of freedom is more limited here in NZ, then in Russia. Needs to be judged on the laws. But i'm not here to argue, you have to experience both to make a comparison.

I agree, Zhenya.

If you don't loudly criticise the political leaders and if you minimise your interactions with government departments then to a large extent no one gives a f*ck what you do, especially once you get a bit away from Moscow. Do whatever kind of eccentric or dangerous things you want (as long as you're not endangering others) and no one will care, no one will report you.

Just as one example, my fellow kiwis, remember how in NZ in the 1950s your grandfather built a bach himself, with next to no plans, inspections, approvals? Russians still do that today. Yeah, things are no doubt fractionally safer now, but look at the PRICE we pay in time, inconvenience, and the absolutely ridiculous cost of building anything in NZ now.

I've spent a number of idyllic weekends in this rustic old place near Kazan:

And then there are large houses that families have build over decades -- even generations. This is my wife's parents' house, in the south near Pyatigorsk.

Of course it looks better in summer. They laid every brick themselves, make all the interior wooden staircases and linings (both beautiful) etc. That white structure is a small swimming pool. In the basement is a billiard room and a banya (sauna) with traditional entrance room for drinking tea. Natalia's father is an electrical distribution engineer, and her mother was a computer programmer (she told me worked in Ada in the 1980s!)

There on my birthday in 2017:

You can see Mt Elbrus 80 km away (this shot from Mt Beshtau but you can see it from ground level too).

brucehoult

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#2242463 21-May-2019 16:44

wellygary:

brucehoult:

As others have said, absolutely do not send any significant amount of money. If it's $400 for visa processing and a train to Moscow that's probably worth the risk (that's up to you), but certainly not anything in the thousands.

If as the OP indicated she is near the Georgian Border and has the ability to cross, Her easiest option is probably Tblisi, someone like FlyDubai to DXB and then EK to NZ....

Sure, anyone can cross to Georgia. I've even considered us living there for a bit, while I was working remotely waiting for the US visa, as NZers can go without a visa for 12 months.

My wife's family normally go to Baku rather than Tbilisi for e.g. US visas. It's a little further but you don't need to cross the mountains and there's a direct overnight train.

However, NZ's consular services for Azerbaijan are thus far available only in Moscow. Services for Georgia are provided from Ankara, Turkey.

Actually, the NZ consular services were conveniently 500 metres from my apartment (and also the same from my work).

TeaLeaf

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#2242650 21-May-2019 20:47

gbwelly:

TeaLeaf:

Ok she said yes (and to a lot more). One problem, she doesnt have the money side to enter the country for student Visa.

You're getting scammed.

What are you on about, Ive known this person IN person a long time. Kiwis should be the least Xenophobic people to apply propagamda and stereotypes to a situation.

How would you even, actually its a troll. Im not going to dignify that any further.

For the record this person when they had money lent it to me, not the other way aroumd.

quickymart

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#2242654 21-May-2019 20:51

That information wasn't included in your post however, so I can see why people are being skeptical. Good to hear it's probably not a scamming situation then.

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freitasm

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#2242657 21-May-2019 20:55

TeaLeaf:

gbwelly:

TeaLeaf:

Ok she said yes (and to a lot more). One problem, she doesnt have the money side to enter the country for student Visa.

You're getting scammed.

What are you on about, Ive known this person IN person a long time. Kiwis should be the least Xenophobic people to apply propagamda and stereotypes to a situation.

How would you even, actually its a troll. Im not going to dignify that any further.

For the record this person when they had money lent it to me, not the other way aroumd.

There's no xenophobic propaganda here. It is not unheard of - and very common - for "love scam" to happen. It is one of the most common in New Zealand.

People got worried for your safety because this is so common. But instead of recognising people wanting your wellbeing you got all up.

I think there's enough information around this thread, so I am locking it now.

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