In recent years, thousands of young Russian women have come to the USA by way of marriage to western men. A majority of these couples have met through online agencies. There are many dating services featuring young, beautiful Russian women in search of Western life partners. Women that place their ads with dating services, hope to find a husband in the USA or Europe and have various reasons to do so. The most common reason is the notion that Western men treat women better than Russian men do.

Many online agencies charge a fee for applicants to register. A few of them project themselves with catchy slogans such as Free Russian Brides. Typically, free dating sites have a hidden cost involved; registration and browsing through profiles may be free of cost but there would be a fee to establish contact with a bride.

Most online dating agencies have started offering a free registration on their Web sites. Women who enroll usually pay a fee upfront to have their profiles listed. Men are charged a fee later for obtaining address of prospective brides. Addresses of Russian brides come with a price tag of $10 to $15. A catalog is usually available with the agencies for a fee of $120. Some reputed agencies offer free translation services for correspondence with Russian women. They also organize trips for a prospective groom to Russia and offer support for visa applications, though those services are not free.

It is estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 mail order bride catalogs are sold annually. Grooms are allowed to correspond or call the ladies of their choice in order to learn more about them. A few Internet agencies ensure that women meet a certain standard for selection. The women are screened for any criminal background. They must be at least 18 years old. Needless to say, it is impossible for any Web site to provide all these services for free as they incur a cost too.

A prospective groom must guard against apparently cheap matchmaking services. Many sites have been exposed with advertising Russian women who never applied to their sites. These unscrupulous sites function with an objective of cheating wealthy Americans with promises of beautiful, obedient women. A thorough research of the matchmaker service is advisable. As the saying goes, nothing in life is ever free and if you see an advertisement promising Free Russian Brides, then there will be a catch somewhere.