About USA Visas for Ukrainians
The following materials were collected by Irina Timchenko from the USA Embassies in Kiev and Moscow.
1. Life is a journey where the destination is unknown
Visiting other countries has always been an exciting, beneficial memorable event for each Ukrainian (Russian). During almost 3 generations of living behind the so-called «iron maiden», going abroad was hardly possible to anyone. Now, more and more people can afford tourist trips to satisfy their curiosity and see «the other world». Buying tourist trips remains the most common reason for visiting other countries. Some people (very few, so far) obtain business visas to go and survey investment or partnership opportunities. Some prefer to try their fortune with immigrant visas. Some try to create international families and be able to travel between the two countries all the time. According to recent statistics, there are 1,5 times fewer Ukrainians and 2 times more Russians stating they want to immigrate to the USA these days, compared to 2005.
Ukrainians love to talk about going abroad. In everyone's life a visit abroad is a big event, if it ever happens, of course. Ukrainians love listening to stories about what life is like «out there». At the same time, with so much talk about visiting the USA and Europe, very few people know how to apply for a visa, and what kinds of visas they are eligible for.
2. He that travels far knows much
Today, travel is regarded as one of the most efficient ways to learn. In the 21-st century, neither distances, nor difference in languages can be an obstacle for people to travel and communicate. In more civilized societies of the world, travel is becoming a norm of life to those who want to learn about other countries and nations of the world. Russians and Ukrainians are still beginning to discover the world of travel, though. The most civilized and the wealthiest of them can afford to send their children to educational tours, or to educational exchange programs.
We collected some information from official sites of the USA Embassy in Kiev, and arranged them into digest-type notes, to see how many options an average Ukrainian has
Nonimmigrant Visas are for people with permanent residence outside the United States, but who wish to go to the U.S. on a temporary basis - for tourism, business, medical treatment, temporary work, or study. There are a few types of non-immigrant visas for Ukrainians visiting the USA:
Employment-Based Immigrants
Exchange Visitors
Family-based Immigrants
Immigrants
Religious Workers
Temporary Workers
The types of visas have their shortened names, depending on a person's reason to visit the USA: B1/B2 - business and tourist travelers; C1/D - Crewmembers / Sailors; F1- Students; J1 - Exchange visitors; H,L,O,P - Temporary workers; R1 - Religious workers.
There are for steps in the Nonimmigrant Visa Application Process:
Step one. Go to the website of the USA Embassy in Ukraine and download the application forms that are required to get a U.S. non-immigrant visa.
Step two. Schedule an appointment on-line.
Step three. Get ready for the visa interview.
Step four. Go through the interview and get your passport and visa.
The Immigrant visas are required by anyone seeking to take up indefinite or permanent residence in the United States. To e eligible for this type of visa, one needs to be a immediate relative of the USA citizen, or a fiancée, or an adopted child of U.S. Citizens. Upon entry into the United States, an immigrant visa holder is processed for a Permanent Resident Card (I-551), commonly known as a Green Card.
The petition for a visa is filed in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv accepts petitions only for family members of the U.S. citizens resident in Ukraine.
After the USCIS approves the petition, it is forwarded to the Consulate where the beneficiary resides and where he or she will apply for his or her immigrant visa. An immigrant visa allows a person to request admission to the United States as a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and is typically valid for six months. However, the validity of the visa could be limited if a certain medical condition exists or if the applicant becomes 21 prior to the visa expiration date.
To qualify for an immigrant visa as an immediate relative of an American Citizen, the applicant must be the beneficiary of I-130 Petition for an Immediate Relative. The American Embassy in Kyiv will accept I-130 petitions filed on behalf of spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of American Citizens. Legal Permanent Residents can only file
for their relatives with the USCIS in the United States.
3. Travel broadens the mind, and raises the spirits
The above information looks pretty clear. One may grow an impression that obtaining a visa to the USA is a simple formality. At the same time, there are numerous stories about people being refused in obtaining visas, or even receiving a terrible «Fraud» stamp which blocks their ability to go abroad for years. It seems, the problem lies in undeveloped culture of dealing with Immigration offices and Embassies. Those who did not succeed with their visas, either failed to find a correct approach, or were careless with paperwork, or could not do well at the visa interview.
There is a common understanding that, once you have obtained a visa to a country like America, you will easily obtain visas for future travel. However, having visited the USA once does not guarantee you an easy visa next time. As the Kiev US Embassy officials state, the most reliable basis for obtaining your visa is filling out all papers precisely and thoroughly with real information, and being able to give clear and honest explanations to each fact from your paper files to the officer
during the interview.
4. A hopeful heart and an open mind are the best traveling companions
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv processes non-immigrant fiancée visas for Ukraine. The fiancée or K visa allows the prospective spouse of a U.S. citizen to travel to the United States for the purpose of marriage. The minor children (under 21) can also travel to the United States with a K visa. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv provides a detailed guide to Fiancée Visa
Processing, for the majority of the applicants in the Embassy are fiancées seeking marriage with their American men. Make sure you have studies the website materials thoroughly before starting the process. If one does this really well, there may be no need in hiring a lawyer to assist you in the process.
5. Along the way there will be thorns. But if you look above them you will discover roses
One can hear numerous stories about visas being denied to 19 applicants out of each 20. There are also sad examples of people applying for a few times during years, and not getting permission to visit their relatives, or friends in the USA. The talks spread fast, but are they really true? If a visa was denied at the first try, a person can reapply.
There is no restriction on the number of times a person may apply for a visa. However, without additional evidence of binding social, familial, or economic ties which demonstrate a compelling need to return to Russia(Ukraine) after visiting the United States, there may be little reason to apply a second time. It may be prudent to wait until there is new evidence of such ties before reapplying.
6. There are as many paths as there are travelers
Many stories about the visa interviews in embassies scare hundreds of people away. When a thin chance of visiting the USA occurs, every 8 in a dozen of people would not even give it a try, motivating their skepticism by the fact that there are so many refusals at the visa interviews. Let us take a look at the Moscow' US Embassy website materials about the interviews.
«Due to recent changes in American immigration regulation, nearly all visa applicants throughout the world must appear in person at an embassy or consulate for an interview prior to visa issuance.
Each applicant should come to the interview prepared to explain his or her purpose in traveling to the United States. General answers like "negotiations" are not as helpful as "I am buying medical equipment for my firm. We have done business with the company in the U.S. for two years and here are copies of my previous orders." Applicants also should be prepared to explain how they will finance their visit to the U.S.»
«Applicants should bring the Pony Express appointment ticket to the Embassy at the proper date and time to ensure speedy admission to the interview.
When applicants come for their visa interview, they must possess a valid internal passport to provide to militia officers at the Embassy entrance.
There are certain types of applicants who do not require an interview.
These groups include:
1. Children thirteen years of age or younger.
2. Persons eighty years of age or older.
3. Persons who had a valid U.S. visa that expired less than twelve months ago, if they are applying for the re-issuance of the same type of visa. In this case, please submit the passport that contains the previous visa.
4. Diplomats and officials traveling on official business (A or G visas).»
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