US embassy in Kiev Q&A on their web site

[wxman]

Interesting few questions on their web site. They claim that 70% of all visa requests are approved (Answer to question 4).

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

[ScottinCrimea]

Keep in mind that this includses all types of visas including visitor visas.  I wonder what the percentage is for immigrant visas?

[philb]

Yeah, about one half of all visa apps are from categories that are virtually 100% approved (employer sponsered apps think crews on ships or other similar situations). Then you have education based apps and the like which also have a higher approval rate although far less then 100%.  Somewhere around the bottom are the percentage of tourist visa approvals.  A good guess (from a reliable source) puts the percentage of these approved at somewhere between 30 and 40%.

[BC]

Keep in mind that this includses all types of visas including visitor visas.  I wonder what the percentage is for immigrant visas?

They mentioned 200 to 300 interviews per day...  immigrant is *probably* a very small portion.

[Kuna]

Out of interest...  When my girl went to Kiev for her medical a few weeks ago she said there were "many" people there waiting for medicals who were going to USA and Canada but NONE were there at the time seeking fiance or marriage visas.

She said the majority of people that she spoke to were seeking family visas (I guess like the family reunion visa in Australia???).

By the way...  none there on the day were immigrating to Australia and more were heading to Canada than the USA.

[ScottinCrimea]

Maybe they know something we don't?  :noidea:

[wxman]

I read awhile back that Canada has a large population of Ukrainans. Plus the loony is almost equal to the dollar. One gets the best of both worlds, and one doesn't have to deal with the population mess of the US.

[catzenmouse]

I thoroughly enjoyed living in Canada (was there for 14 years) and if the taxes were lower I wouldn't hesitate to live there again. Just before I moved back below the 40th parallel I lived in Nova Scotia and the 10% Provincial Tax + the 7% GST (or the other way around, don't remember now) that you pay on everything you buy was killing me. Plus the fact that if you smoke, cigarettes were over $9 a pack, a 6-pack of beer was over $8, etc. it just became too damn expensive to live there anymore.

Ken

[Kuna]

I thoroughly enjoyed living in Canada (was there for 14 years) and if the taxes were lower I wouldn't hesitate to live there again. Just before I moved back below the 40th parallel I lived in Nova Scotia and the 10% Provincial Tax + the 7% GST (or the other way around, don't remember now) that you pay on everything you buy was killing me. Plus the fact that if you smoke, cigarettes were over $9 a pack, a 6-pack of beer was over $8, etc. it just became too damn expensive to live there anymore.

Ken

Ken,

Cigarettes are AUD$13 here (CAN$12) and a six pack is about the same...

I've been off the dreaded weed for 8 days now (it ain't easy but My Girl said she could live with it but hoped I could live without it) but thankfully there's no pressure to give up the odd beer.

[catzenmouse]

but thankfully there's no pressure to give up the odd beer.

Does that mean you only drink the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. and give the even numbered ones to your mates? 

Good luck on the quitting! Elena would like nothing better that for me to quit. It's a horrible, nasty, stinky, unhealthy habit but I've got so few bad habits left now that I tend to cherish what I have left... :noidea:

Ken

[Louie]

And besides, nobody likes a quitter

[Kuna]

HAHAHA.....

I wish it was as easy as giving up some other vices... I've quit once before... but I don't think you ever get over it.

This time is MY time... or that's what I keep telling myself! 

[Mir]

the 10% Provincial Tax + the 7% GST (or the other way around, don't remember now) that you pay on everything you buy was killing me

And we in UK have to pat 17.5% Vat on anything we buy, sheee......