Back from Odessa. Having Jamaican Wedding.

[Ravens9273]

OK I got the answer. After many many phone calls I finally got the proper answers. A transit visa is not needed if she is never leaving airport.
A transit visa is only needed if a person wishes to leave airport instead of waiting. They can be issued for up to 29 days.
However I was told today no visa would be needed if she is stay in International section of airport. The moment she would leave the international section she would be considered entering the USA in which a visa would be needed.
She will however have to go through inspection and wait in special room but she can come.
So now I can breath once more.
However thanks to everyone for bringing the issue up. Even though it turned out fine it could have been a disaster if we had not know to do something about it.

[Gator]

Ravens,

We wish you the best and a safe and pleasant journey to your wedding.  Please give us a full report with some photos.

BTW, what was your source of information?

[Ravens9273]

Well I spent the whole day making phone calls. I called Homeland Security to only get recorded messages. I then called Department of State and got an operator who transfered my call to Imigration where I got my answer.

Basically she will be detained until next flight. However I guess I should point out in case others end up in same situation. One area we were lucky was the fact she arrives in terminal 4 and we leave from terminal 4. If she did have to go to another terminal she would need the visa because she would then have to step out of the International Zone and into US territory. So if anyone else is doing the same and usinging different terminals the visa would apply.

[I/O]

A transit visa is only needed if a person wishes to leave airport instead of waiting. They can be issued for up to 29 days.
However I was told today no visa would be needed if she is stay in International section of airport. The moment she would leave the international section she would be considered entering the USA in which a visa would be needed.

That is exactly my understanding and as it is anywhere I have been. Do report after the trip. Will be interesting.

I/O

[Ravens9273]

OK I wanted to update this since our own STATE DEPARTMENT gave me wrong information yesturday.

As many here know the discussion here was would a Ukraine citizen need a transit Visa to fly into the USA and board another plane.

I called yesturday to the State Department that told me she would not however she would be detained to a TRANSIT AREA until her next flight. At the time I received this information it was already late for my girl so I could not tell her. When she woke in the morning she called the US Embassy in Kiev and was told she would need a visa just to change planes in USA and that she could not get interivew for this visa not until end of the month. Well we did not have until the end of the month since we would be leaving in two weeks.

So even our own government gave two different answers to this question. This is very comforting to know

Now here is the real kicker. When she called the US Embassy in Kiev they charged her $20 to give her this answer. She told me right away this morning she had to use the card I mentioned above to pay them the $20 just to be told she would need a transit visa to switch planes. They would not answer the question for her without the $20.

So long story short. We ordered her new airfare today

We are taking no chances. She will now fly from Odessa to Mulan Italy then Mulan to Jamaica.

Now I thought when I posted my original post was basicaly to make an announcement to everyone because I am proud to be getting maried to such a great, wonderful and beautiful girl. I did not expect it to turn out into what it did. I did not expect others to analize my announcement. However if I had not made this announcement. Others kind enough to reply, and others analizing the situation more then a simple announcement I would be out almost $8000 on a trip. My girl would have been deported with deported stamped in her visa (and good chance arrested and fined as well). Wedding ruined amoung many other things. I woud have been one of those coming here to post later what a diasaster everything turned into and venting my frustrations.

I have no words to express what everyone here just saved me from. Because of everyone here who took a moment to post and felt a concern to my original post you just made this wedding possible to take place and a great vacation to happen. If not April there would have been a whole different post on this website from me.

From Karina and I we thank all of you tremendously.

[Admin]

OK I got the answer. After many many phone calls I finally got the proper answers. A transit visa is not needed if she is never leaving airport.
A transit visa is only needed if a person wishes to leave airport instead of waiting. They can be issued for up to 29 days.
However I was told today no visa would be needed if she is stay in International section of airport. The moment she would leave the international section she would be considered entering the USA in which a visa would be needed.
She will however have to go through inspection and wait in special room but she can come.
So now I can breath once more.
However thanks to everyone for bringing the issue up. Even though it turned out fine it could have been a disaster if we had not know to do something about it.

Not so quick.

We had a rather unpleasant surprise recently when my in-laws visited us here in the US. First, they were detained by Border Control in Houston simply because nobody spoke Russian - and it meant they missed their scheduled connection. All because someone could not ask them 5 minutes of questions.

Next, on the return to Kyiv, the flights were scheduled with Continental from Denver to Houston to Paris, and then Air France into Kyiv. Like you, we could not find a convenient connecting flight, so settled on one that arrived into Paris at about midnight, and then departed for Kyiv the following morning - about 8 hours between flights, and the in-laws understood they would need to sit around in the terminal.

What we had NOT planned for is that Paris (De Gaulle) is one of many international airports that DO NOT allow transit passengers overnight in the terminal. As a consequence, Continental would NOT allow them to board the flight from Houston to Paris - so they were effectively stranded in Houston. I first thought to return them to Denver, and then re-plan the trip, but FINALLY, there was a CS agent with Continental who finally found them some seats on a morning flight that allowed them to connect to a daytime flight in Paris, which *is* allowed.

Moral to the story - do NOT expect to spend the night in an international terminal. While the published transit procedures might indicate a transit visa is not required, if there is an overnight wait for an onward flight, there may well be problems.

- Dan

Oops - I just saw your final post from a few minutes ago. I missed that before posting. Guess these comments are moot at this point. Congrats to you and best wishes for your upcoming meeting - and beyond.

[Jet]

So even our own government gave two different answers to this question. This is very comforting to know

Be glad it was only two! Usually you can get at least ten *wildly* different answers for any given question USCIS or DoS is involved in answering  :selfharm:

Anyway, good luck with your new itenerary, and have a lovely wedding 

[William3rd]

glad I could be of service. And better, I am glad that you listened. . .

I take caviar .

Congratulations and good luck on the wedding!!!!!!

[myrddin]

OK I wanted to update this since our own STATE DEPARTMENT gave me wrong information yesturday.

So even our own government gave two different answers to this question. This is very comforting to know

We are taking no chances.

That's the way to go.  Jet's right, unfortunately only two answers is actually rare with gov't agencies.  Consider that you will always have more invested in getting the right answer than the person you're talking to.

And congratulations!!

[UTRO]

Hate to say, "I told ya' so", Ravens!

As I wrote in my replies....

"Screw JFK and US Immigration Services. Fly her from Kiev via Moscow, Frankfurt, Paris,, whatever, to Jamaica! You take a separate flight from Continental USA and meet her in Jamaica within a few hours, or even a few minutes, of each other's flights! JFK, or any other American Transit, is completely unnecessary,  a waste of time, stress and her good nature"

"I still believe that flying her directly from Europe, through Airport International Transit areas, is the most comfortable way and will save her much unnecessary flying and transit time. She'll see NYC anothertime. Besides, what will she see of it locked inside JFK
I went through this same decision with my girlfriend. Flying her direct made more sense and I arrived 4 hours before she touched down. I enjoyed a cold beer, or two, waiting. Remember Ravens, your flight is only what, 3 hours vs her 12-15 hours?"

"She'd definitely be okay passing through Europe via Charles de Gaulle, Schiphol, Frankfurt... or even Pearson International in Toronto like DKMM did.... but JFK? Good point William. Time to make some enquiries!"

 

I'm funnin' ya, but glad to have been one of Many who brought this to light Not bad for a Newbie, eh?!?  You did your homework!.... yet it's really disappointing that your own Government couldn't even give you an answer that was the right answer. I'd be calling the State Department and demanding your $20 back simply for the time and BS you went through looking for the right answer. Funny, we're so quick to judge and criticize the FSU for the shitzen Bureaucracy they have  ???

[Cold Warrior]

So what docs do you need for a marriage in Jamaica or the Dominican Republic and how quickly can it be done? Does RW birth certificate needs to be be translated into English?

[Ravens9273]

This was actually very easy. Jamaica does not have crazy rules. Since we were both never married before we just needed certified copies of our birth certificates. If married before you need to turn in copies of divorce or death certificates if widow.
Hers did need to be translated in which she had done in Ukraine.
Now we personally did not file for the license. The resort we are staying at took care of everything. All we had to do was mail them the copies of birth certificates and that is it.
If you are doing so on your own the information is online as to the government agency you need to apply for license too. I think on average they say it takes 6 weeks to get. Resorts can get license in a couple of days for you.
Most resorts offer free wedding if staying at a certain level of room which also includes taking care of all paperwork. We took one of these packages and considering a 7 nights stay all inclusive with wedding was $2880. We ordered our own airfare since being in two seperate locations.

[Talon71]

Sounds great.  Learning a lot from this thread.  Which is great.  Where exactly did you stay?  Would you recomment that place?  I may be doing the same thing in 6 - 8 months.  Thanks.