The cost of getting a Visa
Just came from a staff meeting talking about a new requirement for Visas in Russia. We have to have Apostille copies of our diplomas in order to get a new Visa starting this year. This is not impossible, but is not cheap either! And it is just another hoop to jump through!
So I don't have access to my diplomas right now (have NO CLUE where they are as a matter of fact!). So, for $20 I can get a copy from the University of Illinois (but it takes three weeks). It'll probably have to be sent to my parents, who when then have to sent it back to Champaign so that I can have it Apostilled (which actually only costs $4 from what I can tell) and then mailed back to my parents who will have to have it DHLed to me in Russia for about $100. My diploma from Trinity is a little bit easier. They charge me $40 and take care of everything in one fell swoop, except for the overseas delivery, which will cost extra.
Altogether I am estimating about $200 to get this all done (is the Russian government getting a kickback from DHL on this?). Good news is I only have to do it once!
Oh, and I have to get my passport and all my diplomas translated into Russian once they arrive here. How I can get this all done and still have three weeks left before I leave to get my Letter of Invitation processed and into my hands by June 2nd, I have no ideas. Does not seem possible at this point since the LOI takes 3 weeks, which means that all documents have to be here and translated by May 12th. Which gives me 1 month exactly to get the documents done.
Whew! don't know if that is possible since I am going to be doing all this from Russia!
So I don't have access to my diplomas right now (have NO CLUE where they are as a matter of fact!). So, for $20 I can get a copy from the University of Illinois (but it takes three weeks). It'll probably have to be sent to my parents, who when then have to sent it back to Champaign so that I can have it Apostilled (which actually only costs $4 from what I can tell) and then mailed back to my parents who will have to have it DHLed to me in Russia for about $100. My diploma from Trinity is a little bit easier. They charge me $40 and take care of everything in one fell swoop, except for the overseas delivery, which will cost extra.
Altogether I am estimating about $200 to get this all done (is the Russian government getting a kickback from DHL on this?). Good news is I only have to do it once!
Oh, and I have to get my passport and all my diplomas translated into Russian once they arrive here. How I can get this all done and still have three weeks left before I leave to get my Letter of Invitation processed and into my hands by June 2nd, I have no ideas. Does not seem possible at this point since the LOI takes 3 weeks, which means that all documents have to be here and translated by May 12th. Which gives me 1 month exactly to get the documents done.
Whew! don't know if that is possible since I am going to be doing all this from Russia!