There are essentially two legal ways to bring the woman of your dreams to America:

' As a fianc' (before you are married)

' As a wife (after you are married)

Of the two, bringing her to America under a fianc' visa is the fastest and easiest process and is the best method for you to follow. We will discuss this method first.

The number one rule in the application process is that you should not attempt to fool or mislead the INS, now called the CIS under the Department of Homeland Security, or US embassy in any way.

Even though it is now officially the CIS -- Citizenship and Immigration Services under the Department of Homeland Security, everybody but the government stills refers to it as the INS. We will continue to refer to the agency as the INS throughout our discussion below. However, you are now familiar with the fact that it has been renamed.

They are still using all the same numbers for the forms and all the same paperwork, with very few exceptions.

There Are No Shortcuts:

If you are already married, or you are planning to get married in her country before you bring her to America, don't try to slip this past them. Chances are, it won't work.

The consequences of getting caught are not worth the chance. Your application will probably be denied, without possibility of re-application. Your fianc' will probably be blacklisted, which means that she will never be able to come to the US. You may be blacklisted by the INS and / or subject to criminal prosecution and fines.

Do not show up at the local US embassy in Russia with your fianc' and try to get a tourist visa or student visa for her. Not only will they not give her a visa, they may mark her passport that will not allow her to apply for a visa for at least a year.

They may also permanently blacklist her from immigrating to America. The reason for this is that she is applying for a temporary tourist or student visa while her intent is to immigrate to America permanently. The INS and US embassy personnel consider this a misrepresentation at best and fraudulent at worst.

These shortcuts are not worth taking because of your ignorance or impatience with the legal process. The possibility of having to wait a few more months for you to get married or for your fianc' to come to America is not worth the consequences of getting caught stepping outside the law.

Follow The Rules:

Learn the rules and follow them. Or you can hire someone to help you with the process.

US embassy personnel are aware that many people come to America on temporary visas and then disappear once they are in America.

If you are going to bring your fianc' to America, you have to apply for a permanent visa, which is either a fianc' visa or a spousal visa.

If you follow the law, there is almost no doubt that your fianc' will be allowed to come to America, provided that you both meet the standards established by the INS and the US embassy. It may take a little longer than you would like, but she will be able to come here and stay here legally, which is the ultimate goal.