Fwaguy,

You are very helpful... BIG THANK YOU one more time!

Who has already done medical exam in Kiev? How long the whole proces take? Say.. I arrive to the clinic 8 am? Will I be done by 11 am or not?

I doubt it... My wife arrived at 6 and was the third in line... She was done by 1 and then needed to return after 3 for the results which were available sometime shortly after 4

Anya stated she was there at 8:10 am and was done at noon, returned at 3:30 pm for the documents.
T

I am sure total time is all dependant on the daily volume of people being processed. I am sure since now it is only one clinic doing the medicals the times are harder to predict.

And what about vaccinations? I have almost all of them made but hepatitis B and influenzae.
Are hepatitis B and influenzae mandatory? Those who have been to medical - did you have to get any of those vaccinations there in Kiev clinic? And how much was it?

MAriya,
Vaccinations are not required until you file for AOS. It would be much easier for you to get them before you leave (probably cheaper also)

oh wait---I just noticed you were filing CR-1---your rules may be different. I know my statement above is true for K1

Aikorob,
Thanks for your help.
But seems like if one files CR-1 vaccinations are mandatory.

Sveta received one but I don't remember which one and it was 75 hrivna

I am engaged to a woman from ukraine and i have been living with her since Jan 5th 2007. We have been waiting for the visa interview which is sept 24th in Kiev. Now i am self employed and have assets, however i am still using my father as a co-signer just in case the interviewing officer asks about employment while i have been living abroad for 9 months. I make 100k+ and am using the 1-134, 2006 and 2007 bank statements and my 2006 1040. Aong with my fathers I-134 and his 2006 1040s. On top of the financial issue is that we are pregnant, she is 24 weeks at this moment and yes its my child, remember i have been living with her since jan 2007. So if you ask me i dont think you can ask for a more "real relationship"!!! Of course she is very nervous about the interview and the POE, as most are. I am a little unsure about the interview myself only because of the fact i have been living here for 9 months and not really working 100%, although you would be surprised on how much work you can get done overseas by internet, fax and cell phones. My fiance is a translator and can speak perfect english also. I have some worries myself about the embassy possible asking about my domicile and about financial situation.

When i came here(ukraine) we had been writing emails and had spend thousands of dollars on international cell phone calls already. So i knew ALLOT about her. When i arrived in the Ukraine we fell deeply in love and i could not leave her, there would have been no way i could have a long distance relationship, no way. Of course she was the same way and didnt want me to leave either. So i stayed as i thought the petition and interview process would be done in may and now its going on October. So that goes to show you if you choose to go through with a k-1 it can take 9-10 months easy! I own my own business so i can take time off if i choose, but at the same time i am not 100% working as i would be in the US, so they may ask for more documents or ask more questions about our specific situation. I wish someone would give me some advise or opinions on our situation, i have gone through the whole process with the little help of my hired lawyer(which was useful to a point).

Now for my opinion on lawyers, i have one and he is an #######. However his assistant is useful and friendly. At first i could never have done it without a lawyer. But after doing TONS or reading about this K-1 visa, i have learned a great many things my lawyers never told me. First those lawyers say they have a 100% success rate, and that is only because they tell you do do documents and provide OVERKILL documents. I was told my lawyer that the i-134 is 100% needed and needs to be an original and that it needs to be notarized. Then i was informed by the Embassy in Kiev that it is optional and does not need to be notarized and it does not need to be an original. And a great many other things like that. The lawyers tell you what works for 100% but there are other ways that work also. I wish i would have found this website many many months ago instead here i am posting 1 week before her interview. I would greatly appreciate if someone who has Kiev interview experiences can give me their thoughts about our situation and if we should bring any additional documents.

The K-1 procedure seems overwhelming at first, but the apprehension comes mostly from unfamiliarity with the system. Once you have done it, you see the guidlines posted in VJ are clear inspite of being long. If you have special circumstances, you need a lawyer. Otherwise, self-filing(from the U.S.) is the way to go.

Rob and Tania

Rob & Tania,

Congrats on your Marriage! May you both have many years of happiness together.

Eric

Sorry i should clarify, i have not been earning income since jan 5th 2007. Since that date i have been living in sevastopol. I WAS pulling in 100k+ in the states before hand. I am using 2006 and 2007 bank statements, 2006 1040s and i-134. I am also using my father as a co-signer in case they are wondering about employment, but i own my own company so technically im always employed, but not earning at the moment. I have assets and a home. I hope i dont get domicile questions or questions about employment or anything like that regarding my situation. Any thoughts on that stuff????? We have more than enough proofs of relationships, just overkill in our interview binder.

ROB and Tania!!!!!





Mariya

You're going to be fine. Any problems with your financials will be negated by the fact your Father is a co-sponsor. The domicile question I can't speak of, but there are certainly many petitioners who are getting through even while living with their families and just getting out of College. You have a residence in the US, you filed at the correct service center, and there are many in the UK (for example) who have done the same thing you're doing. (I guess I did speak of it after all).

Hi to all in the Kyiv Beat! I've been reading your posts for a few months and have found many of the discussions to be very helpful. I recently returned from Kyiv and while there I finally met in person my beautiful Ukranian princess Lyudmila (Luda for short). We are officially engaged and are just now beginning the K-1 process. I hope you guys don't mind if I have a few questions along the way. I've done a lot of reading and have seen the guides, etc., but I still anticipate having a question or two. Thanks and I wish you all the best.

Hi everyone, i'm having my med exam on Friday Sept 21st can anyone tell me what is the size of envelope they give? (Need to know size to take the right bag )
thanks

Anya stated it was a big envelope, I eventually saw it however I am telling you from memory as I am not at home.
To us Americans it is an average 9 x12 clasp envelope.
Similar to this.

http://www.uline.com/ProductDetail.asp?mod...25&ref=1557

thanks, I know the size now i have couple of those home i brought it from the US
THanks for info
I'm going to take Huge bag then

How do i find out that IV fee bill has been generated or not? If I call NVC - do I find it out listening to automatic voice recorder (like it informs on your NVC case #) or only the operator can tell me about details like that?

Mariya, our I-129F and I-130 were both approved on August 8, 2007 and we still haven't received either of our hard copy NOA2 forms either. USCIS tells me their computer says they mailed them (we know the computer can't be wrong, right? haha). Also as proof that they mailed them, the operator pointed out that they never came back as undeliverable...I tried to explain that to me this seemed like further proof they were probably never sent. In any case, they also told me I can file an I-824 form. Either they are just wanting extra money or are just really really bad.

Anyway, I'm curious...did you ever received your NOA2?

I forget who was looking for information on getting married in Ukraine to a Ukrainian citizen, but hopefully this will help:

First of all, here is a link to the page on "The Civil Marriage Process in Ukraine" from the US Embassy in Kyiv website: http://kiev.usembassy.gov/amcit_marriage_civil_eng.html It's a good starting point to understand the overall steps.

If you are looking to get married to a Ukrainian citizen, you must first get permission from the Ukrainian government to do this. You need to get a "Letter of Non-Impediment to Marriage" (LONITM) from the US Embassy. This is to "prove" that you are free to marry (i.e. divorced or never married) since there is no central database in the USA that keeps track of marriages or lack thereof! (In Ukraine, apparently there IS some central database that keeps this information on their citizens) It's a little strange because, in all truth, because the LONITN doesn't really PROVE anything...it is just a document stating you are not currently married (or have never been married) that you will swear to before an officer from the embassy. The officer will then act as notary and put his stamp on the letter. The Ukrainian government takes this as proof that you are free to marry, but first they must authenticate the document. (Apparently notarized documents in Ukraine carry a different weight than in the USA. They are usually very official and picky about what documents they will notarize, unlike in the USA where you can attest to pretty much any statement and have a notary sign it.) It is also important to note that the LONITM must be translated to Ukrainian, but if you fill it out in English and then have your fiancee fill it out in Ukrainian, that is all that is required. I highly reccommend doing this to save a step.

The Ukrainian government authenticates the document (or legalizes it for use in Ukraine) by comparing the stamp on the LONITM to their own records which contain the stamps for all the officers from the US Embassy in Kyiv. This is done at the Legalization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

(Note: if you have other documents like divorce decree, death certificates, etc. you probably need to have these translated and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also...we didn't need to do this so I can't elaborate on that process).

Here are some pictures to help you identify the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine" building (I snapped these when we were going through the process hoping to help the VJ folks that followed!):

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The "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine" building.

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Closer view of the entrance to the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine" building.

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The building across the street from the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine" building (to help in recognizing the right area).

Once inside you will find the Legalization Department. It's a room with 4 teller windows sort of like you would find in a bank. Unfortunately, I can't tell you a whole lot of details here as I didn't have a clue what we were doing. This is where my wife really took over and figured out what to do. I think the first window we went to was where we told them what we were trying to do (authenticating the LONITM). They gave us some forms. We then took these to another window where we needed to pay for the services we requested. Once we had paid they gave us a receipt. At some point we needed to sit down at some tables in this room and fill out some more forms needed by this process. On each table they had several different example forms and instructions taped to the table. Your spouse (or you if you understand Ukrainian) needs to look at these and/or ask other people to determine which ones apply to the LONITM. Eventually you'll take these completed forms, your LONITM, receipts, etc. to another window and drop them off for authentication. Depending on how busy they are, they will probably tell you to come back in an hour or more. (We went and visited the big blue church across the street while waiting.) Once you come back and pick this up, you will finally have your authenticated Letter of Non-Impediment to Marriage!

You'll then need to go to RAGS (they will want to see both of you in person), which is the agency that handles the civil marriage ceremony appointments. You need the LONITM, etc. because you are a foreigner wanting to get married to a Ukrainian citizens. You will also need your passport, a translation of the bio page of your passport, divorce decrees, death certificates, etc. It's a good idea to have your fiancee check with RAGS ahead of time to see exactly what documents they want you to bring. In our case, they also wanted us to bring proof from the USA that I was never married, but as I mentioned previously, there is no good way to prove this since the USA does not have a central database on this. Even if you could "prove" you were never married in one state in the USA, you could still have been married in some other state. This is why the embassy gives us the LONITM instead as "proof".

Another important thing to note, usually once you request your marriage date, it must be 30 days in the future (or some period of time that is customary at RAGS). If you are like me and coming from the USA, you may not be have the luxury of taking so much time. There are a couple ways to shorten this amount of time. You can bring a letter from your wife's doctor stating she is pregnant. Or you can do like I did and bring a letter from your employer stating that you only have x number of days of vacation. With some verbal (and financial) persuasion, you should be able to shorten this wait. In our case, we made our appointment for about a week later. Just another note on this, we ended up having to make a few unoffical payments to various people in RAGS...t seems that every time we went back for one reason or another, they wanted a little something. Only on the last visit, they finally informed my wife they were ready for the "official" payment! haha It's a little annoying, but as anyone can tell you, it's a way of life in much of Ukraine.

Anyway, that's the basics as best as I can remember them. Please do your own research though...I'm just providing this to hopefully give someone a little bit better idea of what to expect.

I guess we received it. I told you the details in PM.

Guys who plan to go to med exam to Kiev make sure you have a RECENT Rubella vaccination otherwise you will get that shot in Kiev for 79 hr.

When I got my NOA2, it was about 1-month after the date the NOA2 said it was actually approved. The same goes for my NOA1 too. Go figure. Also, I never received notice from the NVC and the USCIS website says our case is "pending". This despite the fact they did approve it, sent it to the embassy in Kiev, and her interview was scheduled just fine (it's next week, Sep 27th). I've talked to a few folks who had this happen and sailed through just fine and are married now, so I just chalked it up to government incompetence.

I wouldn't bother paying $340 for that I-840 and just be sure to get the info from USCIS and move on. If they say you were approved, you can call the NVC too and get info from them as well (KEV#).

ZADAN, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

Another question. Those who received DS-230 from the NVC - did your DS-230 form have a bar code like DS-3032? or can DS-230 be downloaded from a website and be ok?

And where from can I download DS-230 to fill it out and send it to my hubby just for him to have it and send back to NVC?

Here is a link that contains forms that you can download straight from the Kiev Embassy.

http://kiev.usembassy.gov/visa_iv_forms_eng.html

Bcartr, thanks for the reference.. I just opened it but in the right top corner it says : Expires 07/31/2007... I am not sure if i can use it for NVC..

VJ surfers,

Those who file for CR-1 - does NVC require the following documents or their copies from the Agent:
Birth certificate
Police certificate
Marriage certificate

Or those documents are required in the embassy for the interview only??

I definately don't want to pay $340 because I'm convinced they didn't even mail it in the first place. Unfortunately though I have to have this for my wife to Adjust Status here in the USA. I tried to call USCIS a few times and get them to send it again, but they still claim they sent it and said it must be my post office's fault. I don't know why they can't use certified mail or something.

A DS form is a DS form is a DS form.... The expiration date may not be significant. If it is the latest revision you can use it no problems

Great!!
Does NVC require both parts of DS-230? copies of birth, marriage,police certificates and passport copy from Ukrainian applicants? or just DS-230 part I and a passport copy (bio page)?

If you look here:

http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/forms/

They have links to all the 'official' forms right from the state department, which you would think are authoritative, but:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81807.pdf

Also has an expiration date of 7/31/2007, so the Kiev website has the same file, and it should be fine to use.

As to your DS-230 question, maybe these threads will be helpful for you:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28708
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1988
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41201

Sounds to me like part II is for the interview, at the bottom it says: "DO NOT SIGN this form until instructed to do so by the consular officer".

If still in doubt, call or email the embassy at KyivIV@state.gov and ask. Hope that helps.

ZADAN!!!!



Looks like that there are different requirements as for DS-230 Part I and/or II and documents that one should send to NVC for certain countries.

Can anyone tell me, please, how can i find out if kiev got my case from NVC?
and when does it happen?
thanks
Natasha

It took about two weeks for me from the time I got my case # from NVC until the embassy received it. I found out by emailing them at kyivIV@state.gov. They did end up sending me an unsolicited email a couple days later saying the same thing with all the documents attached. They usually respond within a day to email.

Another tactic is to just call the call center, buy your pin, and try to make an appointment. The pin is good for 8 minutes which will let you call about 4 times if they don't have your case yet. It took me three pins but I know I got the best possible appointment as a result, and for that I have no regrets. Good luck!

FYI...they are running about 40 days out right now for appointments.

Well another approved K-1 visa interview for you guys! They didnt even ask her any questions and the "interview" took less than a whole minute. The officer just asked "hows your fiance" thats it. He said that he looked at everything and he didnt have any questions. It was super easy.

When we got to Kiev on Friday we had to go for the medical exam which was uneventful, however we did not show up until 11am and we were done about an hour later. You go in and there is just a hall with seats on one side and doors on another. First you have to go into a USA Regristration room and then they give you all the documents and other room numbers you have to go into before you are done. Its first come first serve for each room and the people waiting have a order made of who goes first. It seems like there were more people getting other visas than K-1 or K-3. We decided to wait until 3pm for the results and they even have a nice little cafe in the medical center to sit and wait. The medical center is nice for Ukrainian standards.

As for the interview it again was uneventful. We arrived at the embassy at 8:45am and there was a line to enter. The line consisted of all boys and men though, no women. So i took Tanya and walked right to the front of the line and just walked into the security area, ya know since im a US citizen i can do that. Then we went to the immigration area and there was about 3-4 women sitting already. It kinda reminded me of a DMV but with glass windows. There was a man being trained in that took our documents and organized them into a little folder. It was not rushed and we all took our time. He called both of us up to the window to hand in our documents. Then we had to go and pay and come back with the receipt. Then we waited about an hour, in that time a few other k-1 and k-3 visa applicants came with their men. Tanya was called basically first and like i said she was done about 1 minute later!

We submitted in a VERY organized little 3 ring binder; (2) DS-156K, (1) DS-156, pregnancy letter that was signed and UN-notarized, My I-134 signed and UN-notarized, My 2006 1040's and schedules, My 2006 and 2007 bank statements, My warranty deed and evaluation of my home, My fathers I-134 and his 2006 1040's that were both scanned and emailed(NOT ORIGINALS) and notarized, Proof of our relationships, my passport, color copy of my registration to stay in the Ukraine and passport control stamps, plane tickets to the Ukraine, proof of both of our travels to Egypt, over 100 photos of us and my emails and phone records. From the pregnancy letter i stated i was living with her since Jan 5th 2007 and they can verify that by my passport stamps and Ukraine Regristration. I could tell that all was fine when the officer called her name and had a big smile, im sure our case was over documented and very easy for them. We were kinda nervous because we didnt have my fathers original I-134 or a notarization for my I-134 or the pregnancy letter. But since i was there i can verify the signatures. Plus we included her birth certificate and criminal record and her medical exam, plus translations and copys which are a must of course.

At the embassy there was a ton of men and boys that were Ukrainian that were there for something, it was weird. They were not in the immigration area though. Oh the officer told Tanya that they would issue her visa either today (same day as interview) or tomorrow and she should receive it in a week. Just for the record i would not have had to use a co-sponsor but as i stated above i have been living in Sevastopol with Tanya since Jan 5th 2007 and its September 25th right now!! So just to be safe since i obviously cannot work in the US when im not there, however i do have assets and am self employed so i can do that. Plus we are expecting a child in Jan. 2008.

My personal recommendations are to not show up for the medical exam until 10:30 or 11am as there are tons of people at earlier time i hear, and we started her exam within 5 min. They will get to everyone for the medical exam so dont worry. Plus there is a cafe in the medical center to wait for your results. At the embassy do not wait in line, go right to the front and walk in the security door. All US citizens and K visa applicant get in first. The security at the US Embassy will treat the US citizens like gods, just so you know! Do the DS-156 AND DS-156K online and DO NOT sign them until instructed by the officer. We filled ours online and it saved about 30 min. at the embassy. Some people had to go up to the window 2 or 3 times because of mistakes on their 156 applications. Be very organized in your documents, it does help. Be calm and take your time, nobody at the embassy rushes you in any way. If you can, attend the interview with your fiance(e). It is easy if you are prepared! My finace says that for all the girls DO NOT worry about the interview at all, it is easier than you are expecting!!!!!! For us waiting was the hardest thing, we mean waiting from the time the petition was filed to the visa interview. If anybody reading this wants to know more we will help in any way. My fiance can speak perfect english and is a translator. We can help anybody find apartments or help you get around in Kiev. DONT use a lawyer unless it is a unusual case! We can help and im sure many others like us on this site can and are willing to help for free. You can email us at tsloula@gmail.com. We would like everyones experience to be like ours, no questions asked at the interview right???

Thank's for the great write up, Tony! And congratulations to you and Tanya!!!

Congratulations!

[It took about two weeks for me from the time I got my case # from NVC until the embassy received it. I found out by emailing them at kyivIV@state.gov. They did end up sending me an unsolicited email a couple days later saying the same thing with all the documents attached. They usually respond within a day to email.

Another tactic is to just call the call center, buy your pin, and try to make an appointment. The pin is good for 8 minutes which will let you call about 4 times if they don't have your case yet. It took me three pins but I know I got the best possible appointment as a result, and for that I have no regrets. Good luck!

FYI...they are running about 40 days out right now for appointments.

Thanks for your reply!!!
and i'd like to ask you if you know can i make an apointment for interview before my case is completed in NVC?
can you also give me the phone numbers for pin and appointment
Thanks
Natasha

I think for CR1 that NVC schedules the appointment for you....

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/in...nfo_3734.html#K

Thanks a lot
It's very helpfull and supporting to have friends like on this thread
thanks a lot
Natasha

My fiancee just had her interview in Kiev and was approved!!! I was a bit worried because she sent me an SMS at 9:40am and said she there was about 200+ people outside. Her appointment was at 9:30am. Searching through VJ, I found reports of others, and told her to try and go in or ask a guard for directions. Previously she had taken a train ride in from Eastern UA and gotten sick on the ride over, making it more of an ordeal. They only asked her one question: "What is the name and family name of your future husband?"

I'd like to thank everyone here, especially in this thread, it's been invaluable! Now I can sleep, or try to.

Congratulation on your approval
it would be very helpful for other members to know your timeline
could you add it please?
Thanksa a lot and congratulations again

Congratulations! So was she able to move to the front of the line and just go in?

Applicants with appointments do not need to queue up, you simply go to the guard and they will have your name and then you are allowed to enter immediately.

Great. Thanks!

Congratulations!!!

HI everyone,
Just want to let everyone know that I had question about the validation police certificate in Ukraine I e-mailed them
here I'm pasting the answer from kiev embassy
"Dear Ms. XXXXXXX:

Thank you for contacting us via e-mail. In response to your letter of October 1, 2007 we would like to inform you of the following.

The police certificate is valid for 12 months since the date of its issuance. The translation of the document should bear the stamp or seal of the translation agency and additional notarization of the document is not required.

We hope this information will help you. If we can be of further assistance in this or any other matter, do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail.

Short version of my question; anyone a Russian or Ukrainian native that is interested in discussing my paying them to help teach me more Russian over the phone? I'm thinking 30 minutes once or twice a week, I'd call you so I would pay for the call, I'd be willing to pay maybe something like $25 a session (PayPal, etc.).

Just been thinking about it and thought I'd throw it out there for some feedback...

Tim,

You may be better served paying for your fiancee to learn English. She'll have to speak it here in the states, and it will be much more convenient for her to find someone to teach her over there rather than you trying to learn over a phone. If you want to learn Russian (where is she from in Ukraine?) check around where you live or find some self study materials. PM me for more information.