Toursit Visa for Ukrainian girlfriend

[Jekt 0]

Hello everyone,

My girlfriend is from Ukraine. She is making a 2nd attempt for a tourist visa. Her first attempt she was denied. She had just graduated from school, and they're reason for denial was the expected not enough evidence that she'll return back to Ukraine.

This time she will be better prepared. She has official documents from her job at the Greek Embassy in Kiev, that she works there as well as documents from her university that she was just accepted to their masters program on a full scholarship. She

also has some extra cash from saving most of the summer. She will be scheduling her interview this month. I want her to come with me to my best friends wedding. What should she tell the consulate that interviews her? They will surely ask her, what is

your reason for this trip. She was thinking of saying for a friends wedding, as well as saying that it's a good opportunity to go because the embassy isn't as busy, that she wants to see New York etc. Should she mention me, or that we have a

relationship to them at all? What do you all think? I'll praying to god but I'm still very nervous.

[AB loves AG 54]

Tell the truth.

[RhettVoe 281]

take a look at the headlines in the newspapers.....then ask yourself why a single woman from the Ukraine would return instead of remaining with her American BF....(because the CO will be asking him or herself that exact same question...and this new job, etc, is not likely to represent a strong enough reason to return to a country currently in the midst of chaos and danger)

[Jekt 0]

It's not as bad as you think. I've already been there twice. Everything is normal is Kiev.

[RhettVoe 281]

Is she still young and single? And has been on her job for how many days or weeks? If she tries to be evasive (and virtually no one is going to travel 5000 miles for a wedding of a 'friend of a friend')....that makes no sense...same for applying while the embassy is not so busy....trying to hide the truth will result in a rapid denial, and make it even harder for her in the future to obtain a tourist visa....the COs write notes into an electronic data base...and those notes hang around quite a while (3-5 years)...if she is branded as somebody who did not tell the truth, that blemish will remain on her electronic record for a long time and make it nearly impossible for her to re-establish her credibility by merely apologizing...something to consider...the COs have heard every variation on the 'family friend' theme....they know what that phrase really means (BF or GF)...and once the CO wonders why they are hearing something less than truthful, well, no documents, no letters, no job or job offer, etc, will undo what just happened. Trying to be cute or clever is likely to backfire.

Edited August 4, 2014 by RhettVoe

[MacUK 983]

the COs write notes into an electronic data base...and those notes hang around quite a while (3-5 years)

When I last applied at London in October the CO referred to notes of things I'd said 10 years ago.

[RhettVoe 281]

There you go....just like posting something on the Internet, you never know how long something might linger.....bottom line: if she tries to outwit the CO, that will spell doom a very high percentage of the time....why? First, she is in a demographic that has a high rate of visa abuse....young, single women from eastern Europe have a very low return rate with tourist visas...and when COs review their decisions later, after getting notification that somebody is changing status (yes, mail flows between USCIS and DoS), they see the patterns...the 'family friend..' or 'I've always wanted to visit Idaho'...or 'a cousin is getting married'...etc, etc, etc....second, statistically, those stories have turned into mind changes at baggage claim....her choice of course....better off telling the truth than trying to go down the road so many have ventured down before.

Edited August 4, 2014 by RhettVoe

[Jekt 0]

Okay, so then we'll tell the truth then. The truth is basically this.

"I want to visit my boyfriend in Long Island, New York. We have been together a little under a year and he has already come to Kiev twice and stayed for many weeks. He would like to introduce me to his parents, family, and friends. His best friend is getting married, and he is the best man. It will be a good opportunity to meet everyone. We talked about getting a K1 but don't want to rush into that. A tourist visa is best for everyone involved, his family and my family."

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Woah! You don't need that much detail.

CO - Why do you want a tourist visa?

GF - To attend the wedding of my boyfriends best friend, but I won't stay long because I have xyz documents to show that I am needed back at work.

good luck

[RhettVoe 281]

that phrase, "I won't stay long" is a kiss of death....imagine how many applicants have said that? It does not mean anything, nor do papers....I am not sure why so many people believe otherwise, but could somebody explain how a document can regulate one's behavior or choices? I've never encountered a piece of paper that held sway over me in that regard. How can documents 'force' somebody to board an airplane when it's time? In an age where just about any document can be 'manufactured', why would a CO give any credence to pieces of paper? Letters from a school or an employer are not proof of anything; such papers only 'prove' that somebody sat down at a word processor.

Next: why would somebody earning a few hundred dollars a month wish to spend 6 or 7 times that much just to attend a wedding of a friend of a friend? How many of you have shelled out thousands to do that very same thing? Makes little sense. More than likely, there is something else going on.

[Teddy B 17,251]

that phrase, "I won't stay long" is a kiss of death....imagine how many applicants have said that? It does not mean anything, nor do papers....I am not sure why so many people believe otherwise, but could somebody explain how a document can regulate one's behavior or choices? I've never encountered a piece of paper that held sway over me in that regard. How can documents 'force' somebody to board an airplane when it's time? In an age where just about any document can be 'manufactured', why would a CO give any credence to pieces of paper? Letters from a school or an employer are not proof of anything; such papers only 'prove' that somebody sat down at a word processor.

Next: why would somebody earning a few hundred dollars a month wish to spend 6 or 7 times that much just to attend a wedding of a friend of a friend? How many of you have shelled out thousands to do that very same thing? Makes little sense. More than likely, there is something else going on.

Each case is different. What might help one person could possibly hurt another person. As you have said, there is no sure fire way to getting a visa. If there was, everyone would be doing it. To sit here and claim that no documents, including letters from employers or a school can ever help anyone get a visa is also not true, many people successfully use these documents to get their visas. It all depends on their situation.

According to your posts it's basically useless for anyone to attempt to get a tourist visa, so why bother trying. Yet hundreds of thousands, if not millions of them are granted each year. Something must be affective in getting these visas.

[canadian_wife 1,791]

Granted, the OP is coming from a risky country where tourist visas have been abused, but Rhett, you sound like one should not even try. Many people, including myself, have used documents to prove why that MUST leave the U.S. There is no harm in trying.

Instead of poo pooing on the OP - do you have any other, constructive, advice that may help the Ukrainian girlfriend?

good luck

[Boiler 43,425]

It's not as bad as you think. I've already been there twice. Everything is normal is Kiev.

There was a post about a week ago where somebody had been approved for an expedited from Ukraine.

I tend to agree with you, but seems the Consulate views thing differently.

You apply and see, I would tend to wonder about someone going that far to go to a friends friends wedding.

Visit a BF makes sense.

[RhettVoe 281]

The OP kept offering different reasons for going (or is considering hiding the true reason) and also pointed to the GF's new job, etc, as if those elements would guarantee visa issuance....they won't. Neither will documents. COs interview people, not paper. All I pointed out is that (a) the somewhat expensive trip to attend a friend of a friend's wedding makes little sense (b) attempting to use semantics to avoid saying 'boyfriend' will often backfire © short term employment and registering for school are not strong ties (both could be duplicated easily in the US) and (d) COs are not stupid....they've heard the excuses, the reasons, the semantics, and, the Ukraine is still in a state of turmoil....so...how would she make her case dramatically different than the thousands who have gone before her, without resorting to sleight of hand? And thus far, no one has answered (nor do I have the answer, because, at the end of the day, it is what the CO believes that matters, not what the BF believes, nor me, nor anyone else....) I did not read a single thing that made her case stand out as being approved without a doubt...and all the other window dressing is more likely to reduce her chances than improve them...that is what I offered....not some Pollyanna response filled with warm and fuzzy thoughts that would offer only false hope.

[Jekt 0]

I'm so confused as what advice to give her. I keep getting mixed replies. Some people say tell the truth, others say if you mention boyfriend it's basically shooting yourself in the foot.

As I was getting on the plane to come back to New York, I saw a young couple with Ukrainian passports. I couldn't help myself and I asked them if they were going to New York with tourist visas. They said they were going on a B1/B2 visa. When I asked them what they were asked, they simply replied, they were asked what are you going for, and they told me they replied, "For adventures". Literally verbatim they said, that they said for adventures, maybe that translates differently in Ukrainian. They said they received their visa with their first attempt.

So should we tell the whole truth? Part of the truth? I'm feeling very ambivalent.

In case someone is just reading this thread for the first time. She has proof of employment at the Greek Embassy. She has proof from her University that she will be starting a Masters Program there. She has prior visa's to Greece.

Edited August 7, 2014 by Jekt