MIL to Visit from Ukraine

[chuckinwdc]

Hey everyone,

My wife would like to have her mom visit from Ukraine. Does all she need to do is go to the website of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev to register for an interview? Do I need to do anything?

Thanks!

Chuck (and Veronica) in D.C.

[Jack]

Chuck, hopefully KenC will see your request. He has some experience here.

[KenC]

Chuck,

Bear in mind that my experience is in Russia.  We sent my in laws the following letter to present to the American Embassy:



 

 

 

Subject: Visa requests for Yevgeniy B & Olga B

 

To Whom It May Concern:

Please approve the visa applications for Yelena's parents, Yevgeniy B and Olga B to visit us in San Diego, CA in the month of October 2004.  Their care and welfare shall be my responsibility completely.  I am a United States citizen (SS#XXX-XX-XXXX) and Yelena is a permanent resident (SS#XXX-XX-XXXX).  Olga has visited multiple times and Yevgeniy has visited once before.  Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

 Ken C

 

Of course on the first request, I emphasised their return date more.  We had no problems with them obtaining visas.

KenC

[Admin]

Hey everyone,

My wife would like to have her mom visit from Ukraine. Does all she need to do is go to the website of the U.S. Embassy in Kiev to register for an interview? Do I need to do anything?

Thanks!

Chuck (and Veronica) in D.C.

Chuck,

My MIL was granted a multiple-entry 5-year visa from the US Embassy in Kyiv.

Like KenC, we provided her with an invitation letter (similar wording), but that was really the only assistance we provided. All else was done by her and the US Embassy.Well, I think I *did* register her for the interview at the website - but that was it.

My bet is your MIL will have little difficulty being granted a visa.

Good Luck to You,

- Dan

[jb]

Chuck,

I spoke yesterday with an accquantance of mine, who is an "Immigration and Border Protection Agent", (that's what they call themselves these days)

There are other factors at work in the visa question, mostly the difference is between what we see dealing with K-class visas for our women, the USBCIS gets involved in paper pushing, while the U.S. State Department actually interviews and grants the visa.  And so, the foreign visa applicant sees only the U.S. State Department which seems to operate under a different standard.

I think the key in this, the ease with which a M-I-L can get a visa, is the fact that there will be a Papa-in-Law remaining in Ukraine during the visit.  If they apply for visas for Mom, Dad, and any brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and all their babuska's all at the same time, I'm pretty sure that the request would be denied out of hand, right after the laughing died down.

I think, based on what my agent friend said, you should write the letter of invitation, have your M-I-L go to the Embassy and fill out the visa application, and there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Good luck on this.

[Oatmeal]

Not necessarily true,

Ask Rags about his experience bringing both his MIL and FIL at the same time.  I would have a tendancy to think that this may present a few more obsticles to cross but I would not just dismiss it as a rule.  As I remember Rags didn't have any problems bringing both his inlaws to the USA.

Best bet is to check out for sure before making any judgements.

[chuckinwdc]

Thanks, everyone, for your very helpful replies!!

Chuck (and Veronica) in D.C. 

My MIL & FIL did get visas to come at the same time although their ages may have influenced that.

I did make an appointment for them, wrote a letter of invitation, secured a notarized affidavit of support, made copies of my passport/birth cert/plane tickets and sent them all Fed Ex.

Of course as the saying goes..."the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray". Their appointment came before the paperwork arrived so I told them to go to the Embassy as scheduled and try to get another appointment. (The website claimed that appointments would be scheduled in two to three weeks from application but in reality it was four days after I applied).

They went to the Embassy and to my utter disbelief, they helped them fill out the required forms and even took their photos. My MIL paid the required fee and received their visas by courier four days later.

I must say that the Embassy staff in Kyiv have always been helpful when my wife (then fiancee) went there but this just blew me away. The interview was maybe five questions and they didn't even want to see all the documentation that my MIL had so painstakenly accumulated on short notice (letters of employment, deed to flat, letter from her father's doctor, etc.). Affidavits of support are no longer required.

[chuckinwdc]

Thanks Rags for your message. I'm hopeful everything will go as well as your experiences.

By the way, that's a great pic of the two of you in Yalta. I've attached a pic of Veronica and me standing along the railing of the Swallows Nest castle, which is showing in the background of your photo.

Chuck and Veronica

[Muzh]

Thanks Rags for your message. I'm hopeful everything will go as well as your experiences.

By the way, that's a great pic of the two of you in Yalta. I've attached a pic of Veronica and me standing along the railing of the Swallows Nest castle, which is showing in the background of your photo.

Chuck and Veronica

Oye Carlitos.  Por fin vi a tu mujer, pero que guapa!!!

[jb]

These success stories are heartwarming, perhaps there is a kinder, gentler, hand at the wheel now after all.  Under the Clinton administration there were very few visitor visas granted for Russian or Ukraine citizens, almost none, those folks could have cared less about the well being of overseas family members.  Then, with the rule changes in the aftermath of 9-11, things got really tight, but now I think, based on what I'm reading here, we are seeing a return to something that resembles sanity.  

It's about time.

[Todd]

Quick Question Chuck,

Have you and your wife traveled back to the Ukraine after being married?  Is there any issues with traveling there?  Can you wife travel as freely as you do or does she require any special documentation?

Thanks for the information as I'm already planning a few vacations when Kate arrives,

 

Todd

[Muzh]

Have you and your wife traveled back to the Ukraine after being married?  Is there any issues with traveling there?  Can you wife travel as freely as you do or does she require any special documentation?

I have travelled with my wife 3 times to UA after we married.  As a matter of fact, twice she went a week ahead of me and the last time she took our 2 year old with her.  No problems whatsoever.  My wife had her temporary green card the first time and her permanent one the other two times.  The only problem she had was with the "service industry" because my wife became acustomed to be treated with a "the customer is always right" mentality that is absent in UA.  No problems with visa control either way.

If you are planning on travelling with your lady right after you get married, try to get the temp GC ASAP.  If not, you will have to pay extra to get advance parole for her travels.

Bon Voyage

[chuckinwdc]

Just a quick update: my MIL has gotten a multi-entry visa and she will be visiting for a month, beginning at the end of June.

Thanks to everyone who posted with suggestions and advice.

Side note to MUZH: oye, hermano, dejema ver una de su espousa tambien! :cool:

Chuck and Veronica in D.C.

[Son of Clyde]

Sometime in the future I will post my Swallow's Nest picture also.