Initial visas from women in Russia/Ukraine to a European country.

Hi Ian,
Good to see a fellow countryman here  

As for your question
Inviting a lady from Ukraine is way simpler, because they do NOT need a visa as long as they have a biometric passport. (If they say otherwise, they're scammers and please do report them!)
Russia is a little more tricky, but still easy:
Of the five existing types of visas we can comfortably ignore
- diplomatic
- working
- student
visas
That leaves you with two options:
1) a regular tourist visa
(Including full board and tour)
2) a visiting visa
Inviting people to the UK is a nightmare process yet still doable, if you plan carefully and well ahead.
Otherwise I most strongly recommend booking a cheap (and lousy) package tour - which are really within an easily affordable range, considering that they arrange everything (visa, invitations, return 'guarantees' and insurance).
You can always meet your lady and take her some place else, where you'll be on your own.

Thanks Ben, and yes, a fellow Brit.

Additional to your reply, I did a bit of digging earlier and

Russia to EU (not UK)

Russian for a schengen visa to most of EU (not UK) - https://travelvisabookings.com/schengen-visa-russian-citizens/

Seems pretty straight forward but, as you mention, perhaps get the lady to book a package to make it easier except visa only 66 euros whereas package in the mid hundreds?

Russian lady to UK

I do have a Russian lady I have been conversing with already who is going for a tourist visa to UK via travel agency, she says she has passport and visa now but needs funds to book the return flights (I was going to pay her back on landing in UK), slightly wary on this r.e. scammer, but did come across this government site in any case - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-online-application-service-for-uk-visit-visas-launches-in-russia

What do you think sir?

I would be tremendously cautious with issuing upfront payment to someone whom I have known only very shortly.
Besides, her story sounds utterly suspicious to me!
Someone who claims to have a valid visa to the UK, needs to show full proof of financial assets upon registering (the MINIMUM fee that they required, when I last enquired was £7.500). I cannot even faintly fathom how someone with such monetary backing would or could ask or even need help with booking RETURN flights. When I had my last invitee, we even needed to show the booked return tickets, so as to ensure that the guest wouldn't convert the temporary stay into a permanent visit.
If you care to follow my posts, many of them deal with the issue of scamming, but you're welcome to contact the admins to sound out the lady. The do an admirable job of eliminating bad eggs. To me it sounds all to fishy already.
My key questions:
1) how long have you known each other?

In answer Ben
1) how long have you known each other? - Five weeks
2) how old is she? - 44 years
3) who is the 'driver' of your communication? - Both really
4) have you only texted or also spoken via camera? - Texted and a short phone call, she says her mobile not running for international calls and she used a common meeting booth, sent her number but can't get through, perhaps that's me though.
5) have you seen any official documents? - Yes, she very recently got a new passport as she said she was going to, looks legit.
6) have you connected via social media - No
(Show me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are).
7) has she offered you to visit her too? - No
has she shown you 'around' - photos of her surroundings, where she lives, her place of work… - Yes, house pics and wok pics sometimes with her company badge on.
The golden rule of thumb is that meeting in real life requires trust, based on patience and good will.

Ian, I'm sorry to disillusion you - that is a first class scammer!
Anyone who is genuinely interested would OFFER to go to a cybercafé (even after a tough day of work - it is still peanuts by contrast!)
450 quid merely for a return flight is gaga!
Scammers have become more sophisticated and much more tricky than before.
Report her profile to the admins, they have superb and effective means verifying the person (including a "hard check")
I'll risk a wager that (s)he's a trickster.
I had such an encounter myself and ended up tracing her husband…
IF you still want to go on with her, ask her to go to a wifi caf. I bet she refuses. She'll find more excuses, than Swiss cheese has holes. Sorry sir, but that is my hard reckoning.

Unfortunately I did not find her on this site Ben, I found this site after some research suggesting that it is one of the most reliable in order to find a suitable 'real' partner.
In your opinion does the fact that she posted me the image of a passport, days old, with her full traceable details on and no signs of adulteration (I am designer myself so could likely tell), does that count for little, would she believe that I would not track her via the authorities or indeed not care if she was traced?
She is also from deep South of Russia, a bit of a backwater perhaps?

There are entire agency networks that specialise in procuring all kinds of data. Some of them even hire models to pose as bait, hire translators and interpreters, work with hotel chains and travel agencies who all participate in sharing the loot. When the man comes, "she" is hired to talk to him, react coldly so that he would lose interest. The person who poses as interpreter is usually the GUY who chats with the blokes who seek a spouse. These are quite cleverly set up networks.
I can only reiterate:
IF she were serious, she would show herself with her passport ready at hand in front of the camera.
She can BORROW a friend's phone - one that carries viber, skype, whatsapp or whatever else to videochat.
She can EASILY go to a cybercafé too. (Even in the WARZONES of Donetsk and Luhansk / Lugansk) inet services are still operational to the extent that they allow for videocalls. (I have first-hand experience myself).

Сейчас есть у всех Вайбер, Ватцап, это бесплатные звонки по миру. Разводит вас мадам на деньги.

Hello,Ian.

I'm a bit sad from what I  read here, in these discussions of the two men.

How can you run into in a scam when this site is full of beautiful, well-groomed, intelligent and worthy women?

Are you looking for a young model for travelling together? - you find the scammer!

He said, he did not find that one on this site.

Who said anything about a young model?? He said she was 44 (or so 'she' claims to be).

Reading everything is useful!

do you think fro Russian( or Ukrainian) woman 16 years difference - is this a norm?

And if a man looking for a woman for  travell- i think there are special website for this .

I suggest that he look for a woman ( if he have serious purpous) on this site.  I read a forum here ans see many smart woman, even if i'm not vey smart and inattentive.

p.s.  I don't pretented to be his friend or lover.

Наталья, я думаю каждый человек в праве сам решать с кем ему строить отношения. Зачем же так откровенно критиковать его выбор?   Приятный симпатичный мужчина нашел женщину которая ему интересна и они планируют встречу. Мы можем только пожелать им удачи и счастья  

Natalia
I am sorry, I don't mean to cause offense, my questions/thoughts are scientific in nature, just asking the questions in the hope of other people's thoughts. The lady in question is not young/model type, although she is very attractive in looks and letters (although as said, might not actually be her).
She is not from this site unfortunately, but until very recently she was arranging a trip to visit me and I said it's only fair I pay the half or more when she arrives since many in Russia do not get the income we do... it was only in last few days that she tells me she cannot afford to pay the flights and that sent up worries for me.

My last medium term relationship, a British woman was only 38 years old and extremely pretty, my previous long term partners have been 10, 11, 11 years younger than me, one a German, one a Dutch lady, I am very young in nature, I see nothing wrong with that Natalia, I love women for their minds and femininity, doesn't really matter the age but for me younger women are more open and enchanting as a rule.

We are all young in our souls. But men are not looking for women 16 years older, only younger.😊 )

I wish you good luck!

Спасибо, Ольга, за критику. Это форум . Человек просил совет, я как смогла так и посоветовала. Ничего плохого не имела ввиду. Не отговоривала. Он взрослый мужчина и поступит так, как посчитает нужным. Видимо, зацепило меня что то в этом. Скорее, разница в возрасте. Поэтому и написала. А счастья желаю всем, кто в поиске.

Человек просил совета по вопросам визы  

Thank you Olga for your words of support, and to my mind, wisdom.

It would be disappointing to me to find my hopeful partner is not what she seems be be after all the words she has spoken to me, but not the end of the World, for one cannot form a true 'love' bond until we meet and find that there is a true connection.

Maybe Natalia, but I do hold an honours degree in evolutionary biology and think I could explain why mostly, not always, men would tend to choose and obtain a younger woman as a general rule rather than the other way around, I see nothing sordid or wrong in this and my intentions are not purely sexual driven.

Ian was asking about visa issues and potential pitfalls.
Your comments totally miss the point.

Мне интересно какие преимущества с точки зрения эволюции имеет пара где женщине 40 лет а мужчине 60.
Буду благодарна за ответ Jan.

Did you actually read the post?
Your comment is totally off topic…

I wonder what advantages from the point of view of evolution has a couple where the woman is 40 years and the man 60. I would be grateful for a response to the Jan.
And you will get a response Natalia but not now for I have to get down to work but I will mention a couple of points...

When was the last time a woman well past puberty actually made themselves to look older rather than younger? Applies to an extent with men of a certain age also but not so much.

I suggest you think of the difference in ages, circa 15 - 20 years at a later stage in life rather than the different ages 40 - 60 for evolution by natural selection works on the 'nature' rather than the 'nurture'.

The 'nature', genetic adaptation works in the background, unseen and unrealised except when thinking about it or studying it, the 'nurture' , upbringing, society pressures, various forms of indoctrination through life gives false representations of reality that try to imprint physically onto the 'nature' which is unchangeable.

Действительно?
Я не имею право удовлетворить мое любопытство выяснив у специалиста интересную информацию которой он готов поделится? Или я плохо перевела через гугл? Цитирую "but I do hold an honours degree in evolutionary biology and think I could explain why mostly, not always, men would tend to choose and obtain a younger woman as a general rule rather than the other way around".

Jan спасибо за ваше желание общаться. Я жду продолжения.
Хорошего дня!

Так просто оплатите билет самостоятельно Вашей избраннице и вышлите ей на почту. Вы себя обезопасите от скама, а Ваша знакомая может либо прилететь на встречу (если она реальный человек) либо Вы потеряете 450 фунтов и все.
По-поводу отсутствия аккаунтов в соцсетях - странно. Обычно они есть. Но мало ли...
Скайп, Вайбер, ВотсАпп имеют опцию видеозвонков. Никаких проблем быть не должно. Я сама не люблю видеозвонки, но для подтверждения реальности человека - почему бы и нет?
P.S. Не думаю, что тактично вслух обсуждать выбор ТС, разницу в возрасте и т.д. Это его личное дело. Да и не просил он об этом. Плюс, 16 лет не есть прям критичной цифрой. Хорошо им вместе и отлично. Оба совершеннолетние.
Удачи Ian!

Человек разумный это человек интересующийся   Почему бы не спросить о том что заинтересовало