From the Embassy in Kiev's website:

However, I have since spoken with my fiance, and she is not too worried about this. Thanks for your replies.

Don

I know I am too curious and I am not in US yet. But who knows what I should do or happens next after I arrive to US on immigrant visa?
Do I have to go through adjustment of status. Or I just wait 3 years and we apply for naturalization?
Can anybody tell me briefly. I will read all the instuctions and detailed guides later on..

No adjustment of status if you arrive on an immigrant visa.

If you are arriving on an IR-1 then you will receive your 10 year green card

If you are arriving on a CR-1 then you will receive a 2 yr card and you need to remove conditions upon expiration.

Naturalization is an optional choice which could begin as soon as 3 years after arrival assuming you meet all the eligibility criteria.

Thank FWAGUY!!!

I arrived to US a few days ago. The flight was a challenge for me having one-year -old son with me.. But we managed Ok..
We adjusted to the time change pretty well..

I have read somewhere that my hubby and I need to file some paper when we have our 2nd wedding anniversary. has anyone heard something like that??

How long does it take for a green card to arrive?

When should I apply for my SSN?

Removing conditions is only required if you receive a conditional greencard...

Apply for SSN is dependant on how you indicated on the DS-230 Part II.... Did you indicate you wanted DHS to notify SSA automatically?

I arrived on CR-1 visa.

And you are right I indicated I wanted DHS to notify SSA automatically. Does that mean I get it sometime without applying?

You will receive a two year greencard and you will need to apply to remove conditons 90 days prior to its expiration.

The SSN is suppose to come automatically, I would wait for two weeks after receipt of your greencard before I would possibly consider a trip to a local SSA office.

Fwaguy, thank yuo!!
you are a walking encyclopedia!!!

We did it! AOS approved yesterday! I want to wish all the Ukrainians a speedy process and say thanks again for all the help as we were going through this! Best of luck!

How long does it take to get a green card after arrival to US?

Where can I get a visa for my American citizen baby to stay in Ukraine longer than 3 months? Do you think Kiev embassy can issue it?

Does anyone has any idea how long it usually takes for the consulate to review additional documents ( bank statements, police certificate and DHS correspondence)
I dropped all that off last Thursday Apr 24
I'm wondering when approximately I'll hear from them

We filed our AOS on Dec. 3,2007 and got approved for the green card on Apr. 23, 2008, but as usual your wait time would depend on your individual case as well as the apparent complete randomness of USCIS processing!

If you are needing a visa for an American citizen to stay in Ukraine, that sounds like a matter for the Ukrainian government. So I don't think the US Embassy in Kiev could help with that. They might be able to tell you who to contact in Ukraine though.

From inside the USA you would need to contact the Ukraine Consulate to the United States. They have one in Washington DC, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Is not your American citizen child also a Ukrainian citizen as well?

[/quote]
Is not your American citizen child also a Ukrainian citizen as well?
[/quote]


Well, our American citizen child has a ukrainian birth certificate too since he was born in Ukraine.. as for his Ukrainian citizenship - I am not sure as according to Ukrainian Law no one can have a dual citizenship.

I got my SSN yesterday! It came in with our mail. It arrived exactly 2 weeks after I entered US.
But I did not receive my green card yet.

Great
I'm so happy for you!!!!

I think the law is that dual nationality is not recognized by Ukraine. In other words, you are treated as if you are a Ukrainian citizen when you are in Ukraine. When entering Ukraine, you must present your Ukrainian passport, if there is conscripted military service you are still obligated, and other things like this.

I really want to understand this 100% as this will be a question my wife/child will face shortly. I will want them to understand 100% what it might mean to them if they opt for US citizenship.

If you were not able to locate original vaccination records in the Ukraine, what do people do?

Dale

There is very little one can do. There are one or two tests that can be done to avoid a couple vaccinations, but others that are required will simply be re-done. This can be done at the medical in Kiev or be done after entry in the USA. It typically will be cheaper to do it in Ukraine unless your health plan covers immunizations.

Quick Question: If my fiance is coming over here on a K1 Fiance visa, what is the visa called that will be issued to her son to accompany her? Thanks in advance.

Don

on April 24 I was at us embassy and left the Police certificate, my bank statements and proof of m work authorithation for those years that i lived in the US at the security
Do you have an idea how long it might take for the consul to review it????
thanks for your replies

I need your urgent advice. I entered US on Immigrant visa, however my baby is American Citizen that was born in Ukraine (the country I come from). I am planning to go back to Ukraine with my baby but without my US hubby/

DO I need any kind of paper saying that he allows me to take the baby out of US?? Do they require papers like that in US?

I am asking because in Ukraine they rerquire the notary approved letter sayig that the othe parent allows to take a baby abroad/

I've never had to do that when I've traveled with my children outside the country by myself, but other's may have some additional insight.


The question I have is about the exit from the Ukraine for my fiancee and her 6 year old son. The father was not a Ukraine citizen and cannot be located, they were not married (as the creep fled the country to avoid responsibility). She has a court decree granting sole custody to her, but the father's name is on the birth certificate and in the child's passport. I'm not worried about the k-2 being issued for her son by the US embassy, my concern is with the Ukrainian border control in Kiev. Is there any additional documentation she should get or is the court order sufficient?

If she has an official declaration from the Ukrainian Courts which terminated the fathers rights or giver her exclusive control, then she should be fine. Your best bet may be to email the US Embassy IV unit and ask what document she will need to present. They are VERY restrictive now in Ukraine with terminating rights, and she had better have that in order to get a Visa for him.

One question for her is if she had ever been before a Child Custody Commitee to have his rights terminated. It is a complicated and enduring process. Best to get on it now and make certain it is all good.

Not sure but do know friends that had same situation like you have and they were from another country than Ukraine but they did have to have some kind of letter from one of the parents granting permission to allow the child to travel outside of the USA, they were held up in the Chicago O'Hare airport and not allowed to fly out of USA with the child until the husband faxed a permission letter to the airline desk then they could fly out, it is all due to some kind of USA law about child custody or to prevent one parent from abducting the child and taking them with them out of the USA to another country and hiding them from the other spouse type of thing, which I realize is not you but that is why they had to get that permission letter from the spouse that was not traveling with them, for hoops to jump through with laws that were meant to protect us.

You might want to call your airline you are going to be flying back to Ukraine on from the USA and ask them your question then tell them your situation and what is the policy or what do you have to do when flying back home with your child. Or check out their website, I am sure someone there will be able to tell you the answer to your question.

K-2

Your spouse or im my case ex spouse need this permission letter to take our kids to go visit their aunt in Canada so more than likely you will need a permission letter. this all has to do with the hague Convention on child abduction.

I got my visa
I'm leaving on May 31st

Congratulations - have a great trip!

I flew back to Ukraine from USA a few days ago - US officials never asked for any paper with my husband's concent to take the baby out of the country. I stayed in US for a month, got my SSN, but no Green card yet.

Natashenika,
CONGRATS again!

Congratulations! Enjoy your lives together!



We got our green card a few days ago. No more USCIS for 2 years. Yessssssss!

Congratulations!!!!

Hey there fellow Ukrainians

Anyone had experience getting a new passport through the Embassy (with name change or without)? I've been travelling quite a bit before we finally moved here and have only 2 pages left in my passport. Besides I can't wait to have my husband's name officially

I read the requirements on the Consulate's web-site and they mention proof of official name change in the U.S. (i.e. court order)
Unlike back home, American marriage certificate does not state whether I take my husband's name or not.

Another thing... I really didn't do enough of my "homework" on immigration laws in the Ukraine cause my husband and I were working in Indonesia and Africa while going through K-1 process. There is some permission to immigrate issued by Ukrainian authorities that I did not get due to my hectic schedule and only found out about it recently (cause I can't work here yet, LOL)

I'd really appreciate any useful info/experiences if you have a minute to reply.
Not sure how well informed on the matter you guys are,... if it's a common thing and I'm the only one asking this question would you reply off-line (not to bore the rest of the members of this thread)

Thanks heaps!!

P.S. Soooooooo homesick

Privet,
If you mean embassy of Ukraine in Chicago or Washington DC, then I think you are wanting to have your Ukrainian maiden name changed in your Ukraine passport to your new married name in your Ukraine passport. If so the Ukraine embassy will not accept, the US marriage license/certificate by itself since it does not state what name you are taking after getting married like it does in Ukraine and they are only or so they say now accepting Apostilled statements or letters from you telling them of this name change.

THUS, you will have to go and get a statement that you will type up and state that you are taking whatever your married last name is now, the letter will have to be apostilled by your Secretary of State office(where you live now in USA - the state - then Secretary of State office(s)), usually you go to the Secretary of State office in person, tell them you wish to get your letter(statement of married name change) apostilled, which they can do for a small fee, you pay them, they witness and watch you sign your statement letter in front of them then they apostille it. You will then mail that apostilled letter/statement which you signed telling whomever(Ukraine embassy or passport offices) it may concern you changed your last name to whatever it is now and are married to USA citizen and wish to have your name changed and recorded as such on your new Ukraine passport, reflecting your new married American last name.

That is only way the Ukraine embassy here in USA will do it. If you were in Ukraine, and if you knew someone over there in one of the local Ukraine Oblast passport offices or had tip/bribe money to give them then you could probably have it done there without getting the Apostilled statement/letter, IF not then plan on getting this official Apostilled seal/stamp from your current Secretary of State office in the USA. Also when you type up your letter stating you are changing your last name to the new married name do not sign it or date it until you are witnessed by the Secretary of State office doing the apostille stamp/seal.

Good luck.

First of all - anyone know how to delete a 'New Topic'
(I managed to first post this to the 'New Topic' section, not to the 'Kyiv Beat' section..)


Hello fellow Ukraine fiance's/fiancee's (husbands/wives)!!

-Newbie here - well, have been a member for a week or so, but took me a week to read through all 39 pages of discussions. (enjoyed reading everyone's stories and comments..)

Anyway, just submitted my I-129f about 2 weeks ago, and I am starting to work on the embassy/interview stuff.
(Even though I am probably a good 4 months away from our petition approval - gotta love the CSC..)

What I know.
-After approval, petition is sent to NVC and hangs out there a while (week to a month)
-When done at NVC - I get notified, and also get the Case Number ('KEV' number)
-Then gets sent to US Embassy in Kiev
-Embassy enters into their system, and sends packet to my Fiancee
(my understanding is that this is very slow)

Interview:
-From what I read, Cannot set up an interview until Embassy receives packet, and enters into their system.
(Although, it sounds like some people have somehow set up even before they get it into their system.)

Now - to know when they have in their system - can either:

-Wait for the packet from embassy to be delivered to my Fiancee. (Even the website suggests this is very slow and to not wait for the packet.)

Or
-Can send like weekly emails to 'kyiviv@state.gov' - asking if they have entered the info into their system
Or,
-Can do the 'PIN' thingy, and pay the $12, and call once a week or so to see if they have the info entered into their system

Question - am I right with my 2 options to speed things up?

Also

Everything I read says that we can just do the 'Download packet' thing - instead of waiting for the packet.
http://kiev.usembassy.gov/visa_K1K2_eng.html - 'Download information packet HERE.'

Question
-Does this download thing contain the EXACT same forms and information that thing they send?
(I know the website says it is, just kind of hoping for confirmation from someone who has actually seen both)
-If so, it doesn't matter that the forms are EXPIRED? (Do they send 'expired' forms as well?)
-If so, I could then just print, and fill out the DS-156 and DS-156K forms at any time right?
(Is there ANYTHING in the packet they send that is needed at the interview that is not in the downloadable packet?)

-I am heading back to Ukraine this summer, and I want to bring her as much stuff as I can.
(I want to bring the filled out DS-156 forms, my Financial information, copy of original petition, etc.)

Thanks much for any help!!

-Good luck to anyone still in the process,
-and Congrats to everyone who has finished the process.

Also, I noticed someone on here was from Minnesota
-I would like to get in contact with any guys from MN who now have (or will have) Russian speaking wives.
-I hear it is easier for the women to move here and adjust to living here if they can hang out with and talk with other Russian speaking women who have gone through the same thing.
(I live in the Cities - and my email is yyz26@hotmail.com)

Sean (Fiancee is Natalia - from Kherson, Ukraine)

My husband has a interview 7/15 for his CR1 in Kyiv can anyone offer any help or suggestion to make this event easier for him What kind of paper work should he take with him if any

Can anybody tell me how they went about obtaining airline tickets online for their fiance, with the flight originating in Kiev and ending at a U.S. destination? Any problems or things to watch out for, and what website did you use? Thanks in advance.

Don

I used a travel agent (Shipka Travel) to assure that all flights were coordinated properly.... We had no problems.



Start by d/l'ing the required document checklist from the embassy website

It depends on which US destination. Will you be meeting her at the POE, or will she need connecting flights?
For instance, if she will arrive into JFK from Kiev (non-stop flight), you can typically get cheaper tickets going directly to Aerosvit, and booking it. For a connecting flight from JFK, you can use JetBlue, and you'll get $100 off the price from Aerosvit. Personally, I like British Airways (Kiev->London->Boston). For other POE's, you can check out Expedia for options.

- Scott

In all honesty, she will probably be able to buy a cheaper ticket in Ukraine than you can here, do not know why but that has been the case every time for us. I have checked all of the travel sites and agents in USA, but for some reason Ukrainians can get a better price by booking their flights on their own in Ukraine coming to the USA or round trip. So that is what we did. Otherwise you can use any travel agent or site in USA but you will see what I am talking about the prices will be a lot higher doing it that way. Good luck.

So, this means I can call the call center, pay the fee, and make the interview appointment for my fiancee, correct? She does not have to call
Just want to make sure, I read this on their web site last week too

Either can make the appointment..... Cost is the same

all the forms on their site are expired

Is this okay to download and complete?

May I ask how did you book yours in Ukaine?
what airlines? What agency?

Read the information below on the KEV1 document.
It does not make sense, first says I must pay the fee at the bank and then it says "Please, do not pay your visa fees at the bank."
So, what should I do??


The total fee for EACH K and V VISA APPLICANT (including children) is $131 payable in Ukrainian Hryvnya equivalent only.
Beginning January 01, 2008 the fee for K and V visa can be paid only at the bank.
ProCredit Bank currently offers this service at the following branches:
• Kyiv, Pavlivska Street 26/41 (closest to the Consular Section)
Monday-Friday: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Kyiv, Chervonoarmiyska Street 24
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Kyiv, Bozhenka Street 86
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Kyiv, Baseyna Street 17
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Kyiv, Mykhaylivska Street 19
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Lviv, Mitskevycha Street 5
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Ivano-Frankivsk, Sichovykh Striltsiv Street 11
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Odesa, Bunina Street 33
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

The total fee for EACH IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANT (including children) is $400 payable in U.S. cash only. You can pay immigrant visa fee only at the Consular Section. You do not need to pay additional immigrant visa fee if it has been already paid at the National Visa Center.

Please, do not pay your visa fees at the bank. The erroneously paid fees are not refundable.

This is for immigrant visa only

So my faincee must pay the fee in Odessa:
• Odesa, Bunina Street 33
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

So, she pays the fee, the bank gives her a reciept, and she must take the reciept with her to the interview, correct?

Regards

Recieved this email from the US embassy in Kiev, I had asked them if they have recieved my file from the NVC so that I can call them and schedule the interview:
We are in receipt of your email message of June 18, 2008. The Consular Section is pleased to inform you that currently your case has been loaded electronically into our database. However the hard copy of the case has not been received yet. Therefore we cannot take any action on the case until we receive the hard copy of the approved petition from the National Visa Center (NVC). Upon the receipt of the hard copy of the case the instructions on how schedule an appointment will be mailed to the applicant. Meanwhile you may familiarize yourself with the Informational package on http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/visa_K1K2_eng.html. If we can be of further assistance in this or any other matter, do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail.

Yes, this is normal. When the NVC approved your case, they electronically sent info to the Embassy that the petition was approved. You must wait for DHL to deliver the physical package to the Embassy, and then the Embassy must "process" the package (which will take about a week), then you can setup the interview. As I have mentioned in prior posts to you, first determine when DHL has delivered the package, then wait 3 or 4 days, then start calling the Embassy directly every day, and ask if the KEV # is complete. Once they tell you it is ready, you can then call for the interview. In the mean time, you should contact the Call Center and purchase a PIN code with your Credit Card (this will be required in order to schedule the interview). You should also download that Information Packet, and begin getting all the specified documentation ready.

- Scott

Yes, she must present her proof of payment to the consular section