There appear to me enough of us around that it might be good to have a thread where we can share our experiences with this beautiful country called Ukraine and the Kyiv Consulate....

Does anyone know what the Kyiv consulate expects when it comes to police certificates that are available but are only available if you travel to the country in question? I e-mailed the consulate and they told me that they cannot advise anything as it relates to PC's. My finacee attended University in another country. PC's are not available locally or through the country's embassy in Ukraine. I will send her on a "road trip" if need be, but of course do not want to if it is not needed. Anybody have similiar situation?

Hey Guys, I was reviewing my Translations that I returned with last Friday, and noted that they do not have the exact wording on them that the USCIS recommends regarding the translator's English abilities. They just have the statement that they are true and correct translations from the Ukrainian Language into English, with the translators name, and the certifications.

Is this going to be an issue when submitted? Or, should I have my fiancee go back out and get the exact wording that the USCIS has on their website?

Thanks in advance

e,

I will tell you in about two weeks when my petition is approved Actually I think you are going to be fine as my translations were similarly signed with certifications stamps all over the place.

Thanks Bro,

Appreciate the quick response. I am still straightening the Divorce Certificate mess out, but should have it fixed by weeks end.

Also, I know that they are saying that we need to send to Nebraska, but since September I believe everything goes to CSC. Come April, do you think I could just send it straight to CSC rather than NSC? I would imagine I will have to use the new form when it is available (That sucks as now I have to re-do it & print her information in cyrillic) and that form will have it switched to CSC.

E.

I really do not expect it to change anytime soon but who really knows. Be interesting to see if they changed the instructions for filing locations on the new form when they finally publish it for good. I had the dang thing on my browser but did not save off.

So as I understand it the new form is supposed to be ready by the end of the week?

Hi guys, i'm also awaiting my Ukrainian fiancee's visa to be approved. Fwaguy, it looks like you're right in front of me judging by the dates we sent our petitions. I don't think mine's been touched though. I check the uscis.gov site regularly and there's no new information.

My fiancee, Julia, is currently on assignment as an Au Pair in Austria. She already has all of the documentation ready for the embassy interview, aside from a few things i need to send. I'm thinking that she shouldn't wait more than 2 weeks to return home once the petition has been approved, though i believe i read it takes about a month before the Embassy contacts her to request the documentation.

BTW, how do i add my timeline to my signature? Do i just have to type it in manually?

Yes you edit into your signature

If you have not already, d/l P3 and P4 from the website. As soon as you have notification of the KEV # from USCIS you can pre-prepare all the docs. As soon as Kyiv has the file from NVC then send in you P3 stuff (you do not have to wait for them to send it out)

Any word from USCIS? I wish February would hurry up and get to the end! My fiancee isn't optimistic about the interview because she has heard of so many people getting rejected in Kyiv without even an explanation of why. I keep telling her that they have to tell her what the problem is, and that most people do get the visa from what i read on this site. I wish she could read some of the things on here but the little girl she's taking care of won't let her use the internet. It's times like these that make being so far away so hard.

Petition APPROVED!! One more milestone down towards her arrival

Congrats on your approval!! I was with my fiance' (now wife) at the time of the interview - it wasn't as bad as WE think, but so many times THEY are used to bribery to get things accomplished - not very democratic. Assuring them it's all on the up and up may settle their nerves. The questions are pretty straightforward, they are just trying to make sure it is a bonafide relationship. The actual maze at the Embassy can rattle most people, knowing where to go, all the other people in line, the two people at a time etc. is intimidating. For those of you still waiting for the interview, and it's not easy to do, is try to get them to relax, be prepared and be honest. Easier said than done, however.

Ah, someone that's actually dealt with the embassy in Kyiv! I hope her interview goes as well as ya'lls did. She's been there twice for rejected tourist visas and she was really worried. But when the petition was approved with no problems and ahead of schedule, it seemed to boost her confidence. She says the US Embassy is a very cold and uncomfortable place compared to the ones for Austria and Germany. Did your fiancee offer any horror stories about it? Julia says the people there are pretty rude and they try to rush everyone along and are hatefull. Did you go with her to the interview? I was told by an immigration legal assistant that it'd be better for me not to go because she needs to show she's able to do it uncoached. We're guessing that it's going to take about a month between the time she hears from the Embassy requesting those documents until the actual interview is scheduled.

Well there are two areas inside the Consulate people go for Visas. The first area inside the double set of glass doors is the general visa area for tourist visas etc. It's also where you pick up your FedEx waybill, should you decide to pick it up the same day, etc. These people tend to be short fused because of the sheer # of people that are there at any time (25-35 when I was there).

Down the hall, take a left and proceed to the end is the K Visa area. When we were there, there were 4 other people as well. Even if you go with your fiance', they don't call you up together, she goes first (and foremost) and if you are there, they may ask you some questions. I thought the people to be very professional, but not rude at all. You check in at the main window, they verify your papers, appt. do you have photos etc. then you sit & wait until your name is called. You then proceed to one of two windows where they are on one side of the glass and the fiance' on the other. They look thru the papers, ask questions and just try to validate it is a true and bonafide relationship.

Due to some paperwork glitch, we had to go back to the Embassy a couple of times, but I thought the people we dealt with were great.

Did they really want originals as well as copies of the financial and important documents? I'm reluctant to send anything original because if it gets lost we're out of luck. The CSC accepted all copies from me, even of signatured forms.

They probably spent a whopping 10 seconds on the financials. While I did have the original form, the 3 years worth of taxes were copies. I did not enclose any other financial backup (ie insurance, 401k, whatever) since I was over the guideline requirements. Every other document we used were copies as well, but we did bring some original photos, of course her original passport, sealed medical envelope but copies of the NOA2, petition etc.

During the interview, they brought up my (step) daughter who was 11 at the time and asked her questions. Not normal, but I'm sure they did to take advantage of her being there, me being there, etc.

Interesting. Did you give them a copy of the entire petition package during the interview? I'm sending Julia 2 folders, one is a copy of the original petiton and the other has copies of the NOAs, I-134 Affidavit, copies of 3 months of phone records, statements from my bank, 2006 tax returns, USPS receipt, recent letters of intent to marry, and a letter from my employer. All were copies.

They had a copy of the petition when we got there, came from the NVC after USCIS was done with it. They complete their portion, probably make a copy and send it back to USCIS for follow-up. Not exactly sure what that process is.

My fiance' had a copy of the petition as well, along with all the docs you mentioned and a current set of the financials she surrendered to the Consulate. Fortunatly I had spare pictures of them both, because she only brought one of each of them, and they require two. That would have been a pain to get booted and reschedule because we lacked a couple of pictures for the Visas.

Anyone with a fiancee from Ukraine heard about these cards you can purchase for about $12USD? It's a prepaid card of some sort that gives you exclusive contact to the consulate in Kiev to set your appointment for an interview. My fiancee told me about this today. She purchased a card and she's calling tomorrow to set her interview. I don't know much more about this prepaid-type card. I'll let you know if I find more about it. If you know more about it, I'd definitely like to hear more!

Have you searched the Embassy website? While the info is a little difficult to find, it is there.

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

The $12 PIN allows you to contact the call center (loocated in Poland) to schedule an interview. The USC can do it from the states as well via an 800 number and credit card. The PIN's are purchased at a branches of ProCredit bank. This is the new procedure since the end of March.

My fiancee used it today. She said it was so much easier than before. She highly recommends it. It's worth spending the $12. Unfortunately, our case hasn't been received at the consulate yet. They told her to call back next week. Thanks for giving me, and everyone else, more info about this.

I used the service to purchase a PIN since my fiancee works in NW Kiev nowhere near a ProCredit bank. I would get the PIN, then Ski would then call to schedule an interview. But it would have taken her a 1/2 day off work to go to SE Kiev to go to the bank. I got the PIN by an 800-number phone call and emailed her the PIN, but she could not get it to work. Later that night, I called the service and they used the PIN to set up an appointment for July 3.

When I called the scheduling service, I knew I needed a copy of her passport to set the appointment. I made an error, and thought her national passport was what they needed. The very helpful assistant said I "MUST HAVE THE CORRECT ENGLISH SPELLING OF HER NAME FROM HER INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT." He set the appointment up, but ordered me to call back once I had a copy of her international passport in front of me. I paid another $12 for another PIN to make the call, all went well. Now we wait 2-1/2 weeks for the interview.

George

Fantastic! Best of luck to you on the interview!

George, What day did you actually call for the interview?

I called Memorial Day evening/night about 2:00 AM EST from Michigan. That would make it 9:00 AM Tuesday morning in Kiev, the day after Memorial Day, May 29. I gave him the KEV number I received from NVC in N.H Friday the 25th. He asked if all was completed from the KEV-1 checklist, and I assured him it was.

He asked when I wanted the interview. I said the earliest possible date, so he set it up for the morning of July 3. He gave me a confirmation number, a specific time, and said my fiancee should appear 15 minutes early.

As I noted earlier, he wanted the English spelling of my fiancee's name from her international passport. So I called back that evening to give the correct spelling, and had to pay another $12.

All in all, the procedure was quick, efficient, courteous, and painless!

George

For $12 I would hope he's courteous Seriously that is a good tip though, sounds like they are 4-5 weeks behind on the interviews although I have heard of another coming in about 3 weeks or so.

Thanks for the info.

Wow, I like the sound of this system alot better than what it used to be... Good luck on the interview, are you going to be there?

Not for the interview, I've heard it's simple. The Kiev embassy can be a stickler for paperwork brought to the interview, though.

George

I was there and it went very well. The woman that went through the paperwork is a Ukrainian and seemed to know what she wanted to see. That took about 10 minutes of actually looking at what we had with us (we were both at the window for this). I then walked off to the restroom and they called her up for her interview, an hour early and out of order. When I got back other people that were waiting told me that she had been called and that she was behind these partitions. I sat down where I could listen. The guy that was conducting the interview was American and was very nice. He was patient and friendly. The questions were simple and he put her at ease, he could tell that she was very nervous. It helped that she opted to do the interview in English. The interview was about 5-10 minutes although it seemed like 2 hours! We were done and leaving before our actual appointment time. All in all it was a great experience, if you can, you should try to be there.

It would be nice to have the free time.

Just curious but why do you say this? My SO's interview consisted of zero questions and it took about 30 seconds in total (basically the amount of time for them to look at her passport and stamp the application approved) and she opted for it in Russian.

For thos who have previously stated the Kiev is a stickler for paper work... YES they are.... Make sure your paperwork is organized and complete and this will help you come interview time....

Other than it costs $12USD for each phone call... before an e-mail to the embassy with the KEV-1 form attached was no charge...

I have used the email system and it worked great, always had an answer within 24hrs.
The pin number was used to set up an interview date as well. Although I called that same day Skymas did, the earliest time they had for me was July 16th. Damn the bad luck.
I will be traveling on the 13th arriving on the 15th in time to be at the interview with Anna.
Yes she will have to interview alone, but she will know I am right outside the door.
I have plans to travel back on July 21st so hopefully the Visa comes back on time or earlier would be better.
I have all the paperwork now, so this weekend I will put it in a nice little package to take with me.
Anna is arriving on the 10th, to do the exam, we have rented an apartment in Kyiv which I have paid for in advance so she will not have to deal with that. I told her to fly to Kyiv but she has never flown and stated she rather take the train. Yup, she realizes she will be flying back with me, but she stated at least I will be there with her.

Would be nice to hear from those who are Recently going through through the process of interviews, since some of the changes etc...
I will post our experience when we get through as well.
T

For us the interview was anti-climatic...

Sveta arrived early and went to the guard to be allowed in. Since she travelled all night she had a small bag. She was not going to be allowed in with her bag and/or cell phone. She ended up finding an office nearby and paying the gal to watch her stuff while she was in the embassy. So only bring the essentials with you!!

When she entered the embassy she was directed to a "special room". It was at this time she handed in her paperwork and paid the visa fee. The lady on the other side reviewed the documents and asked one question. Who prepared your documents? Sveta indicated that I and her did it all... The lady responded with "I wished everyone would arrive this organized." She was then given a number and told to wait. She said there were about 20 other ladies who were having interviews that day. After about a 2 hour wait, she was the first called to the window for the interview. She showed her identification and the interview took less that 30 seconds. Simply enough time for the interviewer to stamp "APPROVED". Absolutely NO questions whatsoever! She then went to the courier desk and filled out the delivery instructions. She then exited the embassy...

The visa was approved on May 3rd (a Thursday), printed/issued on the 7th (a Monday), and delivered on the 9th (a Wednesday)....

I did not realize that the Visa took that long from approval to on hand delivery. I was hoping to go in on Monday for the approval and fly out by Saturday. Staying in Kyiv is costing us around $70 a night just for the apartment. I spoke with Anna about the timeframe and she made a great suggestion.
After the interview on Monday we take a train back to Mariupol, gives me a chance to see Ukraine from the train. LOL But this will also save us approx. $550 USD by staying at her place while waiting for the Visa.
I will have to call Delta and see what the charges are for changing the flight once I have a good date.
Regards,
T.

Mail delivery outside of Kiev is slow and occasionally does not arrive. I lived in Kiev for almost two years, and had contact with several Americans. Often, men in America would send me mail and packets to cities outside of Kiev. I'd go to the main train station and give the mail packet to a passenger with a promise of 20 or 30 griven (or so) on delivery to the recipient's city's train station. I'm leaving a few details out, but it was VERY easy and VERY fast! This method of sending mail is quite common in Ukraine.

This does not help passport/visa delivery from the embassy, I know.

I often flew Northwest/KLM to Chicago or Detroit. Twice I had to adjust departure or arrival dates of rock-bottom priced non-refundable economy coach tickets. The fee was a flat $200.

George

I was under the impression that the embassy used DHL to deliver the Visa to your door. If that is the case it should arrive to Mariupol in around the same time as Kyiv? Within a day I am assuming.
Or are you saying they ship the Visa via regular mail?

I don't know if you've rode the trains in Ukraine yet. I won't give away the funny things about it. But it's something to experience! Unless you're going 1st class on the train, throw the thought of an Amtrak out the window! You'll laugh when you see how the toilets flush in coach!

Passports with the visa stamp from the Kiev embassy are delivered to the beneficiary's address via courier, FedEx I believe. DHL is used from the NVC to the embassies.

I did state this method of fast "Train Mail" delivery does not help visa delivery from the embassy.

Also, the embassy takes time to get their work out of the building and to the postal system or to a courier. "Ski" told me she just received packet 3 from the embassy. It was dated June 8 in the cover letter. This is when the embassy SAID her packet 3 was sent. LOL! The post-mark from the post office was June 20, it took almost two weeks for the embassy to drop packet 3 off to the post office! LOL!

George

I rode busses and overnight trains all over Ukraine, they're quite an experience. I took a premium/first class cabin only once. All other times I'd have a cabin with four berths, and shared with stangers. I have a few interesting stories.

George

I want Anna to receive her Visa as soon as possible, of course to get to the USA quickly. But also so that I can return to work ASAP as well. So I am trying to determine if we should stay in Kyiv and hope for the best or if it is not going to make a difference to go ahead and go to Mariupol.
So I am waiting for some recent experience to see how long it is currently taking folks to receive their Visa.
So I am interested in hearing from SkyMas as yours is July 3 so it is going to be some recent info.


I have never been on a train, but I have read some stories, had my own to share on a bus from Kyiv to Mariupol. So we will see what happens.
T.

Travel by train to any country of the former union - really huge experience , but you with the favourite person then try some moments to make for you two more romantic then , it is possible you to see, the main thing in Ukraine.
I am very glad, that my favourite person see in Ukraine, the main thing and accepts many tests with a smile,
I from Ukraine therefore, can give advice - buy tickets for a train at once a full compartment (4 places) and be ready to experience!

I now only prepare for forthcoming interview but I know that with the visa deliver the passport in current of 10-14 days

I'll be there on July 9th, and on July 10th My fiancee and I will travel overnight by train to the Carpathians for a little over a week. It should be an experience to remember from what she has told me. It will also be my first experience at a Sanatorium (The health type to you Americans....NOT a Sanitarium i.e Mental Institution here in the States) although in dealing with this prolonged and painful process I suppose I could end up in one of those as well.

Well, I see my fiancee, Karolina, has made her way to the Kyiv Beat! Everyone meet my lady! She's a sweetie!

Thanks my love(L)
I really happy bride JoeMama and very much wait for our meeting on 24-th of August .
I was born in Odessa (it is Ukraine) if I shall be useful to you, and I can answer your questions about Ukraine - I with pleasure shall write the answer to your question.

etripke- Your trip to Carpathians will open to you eyes, and you will see, that Ukraine - very fine country and Carpathians is good rest of a resort - you will love Ukraine, I am assured, only really take tickets for all a compartment (4 places) the first class then you сможите to be with нивестой one without neighbours on your trip. Accept much, that it for you will surprise with a smile so Joseph always does, аlso speak everything, that you are surprised to the bride - it will explain to you, and then everyone will be for you good.Good trip! For you two! It is probable to find in a train also the fine moments , if you on tete-a-tete with a favorite. We with Joseph could.

Welcome Karolina, and thank you for your posts as well. I look forward to reading about your experience at the interview.
Regards,
T.

Thanks for kind words and invitations in your dialogue in a forum... I wish to give the help to everyone who requires it, and certainly I shall divide the impressions with you after interview

I have read, and it seems to be confirmed by many Ukraine timelines, that the visa must be sent by FedEx but that you can go pick it up typically the same day from FedEx, rather than waiting for them to ship it to you. It seems like this was quite possible in the past, can anyone confirm that this is still a possibility?

Before the consulate would print and issue the visas on the same day of the interview... Now it appears they batch them and print and issue the visas for the week on the same day (I think on Monday for the previous week) .... Makes it much more difficult to wait..