Hi,

My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Ukraine. She's got a green card. When going through passport control in Ukraine, my wife was told she needed a stamp in her passport. This is required since she has a green card. I can't find any info for this process on the Ukrainian US embassy websites. Does anyone know how to get this stamp? She was told they could technically hold her in the country and not let her return to the US without it. So right now, she can't go back and visit without it. It's like some kind of BS exit visa, which I thought was stopped a few years ago. Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks

I have heard anecdotal evidence of the need for this stamp as well. I am only aware of one person who actually managed to get this stamp (If I remember correctly it took the lady's mother quite an effort to receive). They got the stamp from within Ukraine so I do not know if the Ukrainian Embassy in DC can or will help or not. I will look for that information and if I find it I will post.

I don't know the answer....but this BS seems to be the norm in these Former Russian countries..You wouldn't beleive the process the get this new Visa to enter Romania for the interview.. Luckily Veronica has a relative high up in the Moldova Government..and even he needed to go with her to the Moldova embassy and plead her case.. I think even then the only thing that saved us was the expiration of the NOA2 approval.. But then a Bribe might of got it done in minutes...LOL

"Russian" is an ethnicity. There are NO "former Russian" countries - there are "former USSR countries", and it is NOT the same thing. USSR and Russia are not the same thing - Russia was one of the 15 republics in the USSR, and not all USSR citizens were Russian. Moreover, not all citizens of Russia are Russian - we have over a 100 nationalities in Russia alone.

Russian, Ukrainian, Moldovan, Kazakh and the rest are different ethnicities, and we get offended when people confuse them.

I didn't no exit visas still existed in Ukraine, we don't have anything like that in Russia.

It's very annoying and capricious. This is her 2nd return trip since leaving. They didn't say anything about it when she left Ukraine on the 1st return trip. This time they were somewhat threating and said they could detain her.

I do not know which airport you typically fly out of when returning but until such time that you can decipher this "stamp" issue you may want to consider using the VIP service when departing. A lot less hassle! I just departed ODS last month with my fiancees cousin, who is has been here 5 years, and was not hassled for this stamp. Might also be true if you use VIP from KBP. Just an interim thought....

Yes sorry about that..I was just using general terms to keep it simple... Like when people use "You Americans"... Well as you know American is made up with 100's of nationalities.. lots of States...lots of different cultures..etc..., So if we got offended everytime the world lumped us into one thing "Americans" with the idea that we are all the same.. Well wouldn't that be a mess.. So to keep it simple...We don't worry when they say Americans..Idahoian..NorthWestern..US Citizen..etc.,

So again I was using a general term for a general problem .. Didn't mean to offend..

But I think the point that I was trying to make..is this.. they seem to adjust/bend the rules to fit the person/Dept. that is enforcing it.. this seems to be a normal problem there..
As for us right in the annex for the new Visa Law's that came into effect jan 2007 it says that Moldovians don't need a invitation letter to get the transit visa.. But they insisted she needed a letter from the consulate..even after I pointed out what is said in the annex..
It's all about the $$$..

We left out of ODS. The VIP service is a good idea. That is worth considering.

No offence taken

Yep, all those 15 countries inherited their bureaucracy from the good old Soviet Union, so, I guess, we may only see any positive changes when a change of generations happens - that is, in about 50 years from now. And until then, we don't have any other choice but to deal with tons of stupidity.