Posted on June 04th, 2003 06:45 PM by admin

provided by Gregory Temkin Intour Visa Consulting

Four proven stages for success.

I assume that you are considering writing a letter to one (or several) Russian ladies whom you have found on one of the many Internet sites. That means that you are facing a courtship by correspondence. You will judge and be judged by what the paper or electronic pages convey. You would not be wasting your time and money unless you were not after a result: that is, finding the one to share your life with. So do not be casual with what may alter your whole life!

Staying romantic, let's be schematic for a moment. There is basically only one course for a successful relationship to develop: CORRESPONDING - MEETING - CORRESPONDING - GETTING MARRIED. Why don't we walk through these 4 stages.

1. The best way to build up a fruitful relationship would be to start your correspondence in a friendly, sincere manner, exchanging pictures at the first opportunity and trying to find out more about each other. Do not rush things, but do not be too slow either. The odds are that your contact is in correspondence with other men, so beware the competition! This stage may last about 6 months, you exchanging 2 letters each a month.

Unless your pen pal lady is really proficient in English, we strongly recommend you to have the correspondence translated. Good, clear and precise rendering of thoughts and style is crucial at the beginning, it is really instrumental in establishing initial contact, reaching first understanding and buffering possible cultural differences.

Plan for some progress in your relationship, build a strategy to win the heart and affection. Be courteous and gallant. Send her a birthday greeting. Women love to receive flowers. Or a small gift. Or a postcard. Any nice something that could warm up her heart and give her a proof that you really are as caring and outgoing as you have written in your profile, and that you do take your relationship seriously. As your relationship evolves, send her more pictures of yourself and your family, your favorite places. Ask for more pictures from her. Come to know each other's tastes.

2. If after a while you start feeling that you and the girl are getting closer, it is probably time to start talking about meeting in person. This step involves time and money. You may be very busy, but we still strongly advise you to spare at least one week and visit your pen pal. It is much better if it is you who pay the first visit, and not the lady. There are several reasons to it. For one thing, the girl's budget is definitely tighter than yours. You can afford staying at a hotel when you arrive in Russia. She most probably cannot, and will have to stay at your place. Which leaves her very little room for backing out if actual things do not seem as they did in letters. Another reason is that when in Russia you may explore several introductions. For the girl, you would be her only option in America. And last but not least, getting a US visa is a next to impossible task for a single Russian female, unless she qualifies as a fiancée. Whereas you can easily avail of a Russian tourist visa through your agency.

Meeting your lady in Russia means that you have to make a trip, hence, all necessary travel arrangements. Russia is an exciting country to visit. However, it is essential that you have a stand-by support of a reliable Russian tour operator - only a Russian company would be able to handle problems should they occur (God forbids!) during your visit. Most agencies would offer you their travel services, but few of them know enough about tourist business and do not qualify as travel agencies. A sloppy travel agent can ruin months of work and turn a happy rendezvous into a mishap. So, when the time comes, be prudent about choosing your Russian travel agent who should be one-stop service for you, from entry visa and transportation to a romantic dinner in a cozy Russian restaurant, tickets to the Bolshoi ballet, interpreter or whatsoever.

3. After that wonderful week or fortnight together you each return to your confines and think it all over again: do you really want to be together for good? Are you really meant for each other? You exchange a few letters, and decide you cannot waste any more time apart. You spend more time on the phone and your telephone bill grows. You start working on obtaining the fiancée visa. When it comes down to that, your agency must be able to give you some helpful hints, or refer you to a lawyer who never takes a no for an answer.

4. Then come your marriage and post-marriage situation. Just keep in mind what you have read above, and stay in touch with your agency: they should stay kind of a family counselor to you. You may and will be encountering situations when a friendly professional advice will be needed - call the one that you trust!