Visa free for Ukrainian tourists to the US!

[wxman]

According to article, George Bush has approved visa free travel to US for Ukrainians!

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n156475

[docetae]

According to article, George Bush has approved visa free travel to US for Ukrainians!

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n156475

Seems to be wrong this is except Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria...

If I follow the AP article only 7 countries are included in the visa waiver program:
source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iFNLwiuGbJb_7FBdN33QPNw4yd6wD93SF8DG1

Bush announces visa waiver for 7 countries
By JENNIFER LOVEN – 18 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush, trying to eliminate a major source of contention with allied nations, announced Friday that the United States is rescinding visa requirements for citizens of six European countries and South Korea.
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and South Korea will be added to the U.S. visa waiver program in about a month. Each of those countries allows U.S. citizens to visit without obtaining a visa.

[ScottinCrimea]

I had read previously about this and it didn't mention Ukraine as one of the included countries, so I'm thinking this report is in error.

[wxman]

Darn, my hopes dashed again! Maybe soon in the future. but now I won't get my hopes up.

[docetae]

Darn, my hopes dashed again! Maybe soon in the future. but now I won't get my hopes up.

With political changes ahead in Ukraine, I think this hope is vanishing very fast...

[viking]

And in about 25 years, Belarus.

[zorronocturno]

According to article, George Bush has approved visa free travel to US for Ukrainians!

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n156475

Its supose to be a good news?

Its other way to know your girl better and take the opportunitie that womans  find if is posible living usa?

Ukraine govermet  put  a lot of problems for woman like to come with  tourist visa?

[William3rd]

Since the Ukrainians routinely overstay their visas, work illegally, or attempt to change status to other categories including lpr, it is highly unlikely that Ukraine will receive visa waiver status in our lifetimes.

[tfcrew]

There is a contradiction in that link...
 The banner states--

Seven allies except Bulgaria, Poland and Ukraine to join American Visa Waiver Program

Another case of the mindless leading those without brains again

[Shadow]

That would be bad news for the Ukrainian scammers. Their prices would have to go down as they could only ask for ticket money. 

[Zadan]

I wonder what Ukraine would need to get into the VWP.  EU and NATO membership first?  Russia probably doesn't want that to happen.

[William3rd]

In part, it requires visa applicants to GO HOME ON TIME WITHOUT TRYING TO CHANGE STATUS!!!!!!!

We dont care what Russia wants  and Russia doesnt care at all what our visa policies are except as how it applies to them. . . 

VWP rewards those countries whose citizens are good visa applicants. . . .

[kievstar]

Most politicians in Ukraine do not want visa free travel as they would lose to many smart educated people to the West who would not come back and the country would be devastated.  Politicans do not care as they can get travel anyways.  It is in the best interest of Ukraine to have tough visa restrictions.  Otherwise Bush would have included them on the list.

[groovlstk]

Most politicians in Ukraine do not want visa free travel as they would lose to many smart educated people to the West who would not come back and the country would be devastated.  Politicans do not care as they can get travel anyways.  It is in the best interest of Ukraine to have tough visa restrictions.  Otherwise Bush would have included them on the list.

This is myopic thinking at best when even during the supposed boom times of the last few years Ukraine had tens of thousands of its citizens with multiple university degrees working at the subsistence level as taxi drivers and common laborers. Were these same people living and working in the US, the remittances they'd send back to their families would do a lot more to stimulate the economy than the few grivna they have left over each week to spend on cigarettes and vodka.

I also doubt GWB really cares about brain drain in the Ukraine and instead knows that visa free travel for Ukrainians would result in a flood of poor refugees arriving here and never returning, just as William III pointed out.

[William3rd]

Most politicians in Ukraine do not want visa free travel as they would lose to many smart educated people to the West who would not come back and the country would be devastated.  Politicans do not care as they can get travel anyways.  It is in the best interest of Ukraine to have tough visa restrictions.  Otherwise Bush would have included them on the list.

Third time's the charm, I hope .

Ukrainians suck as visa applicants; and so do Russians, for that matter. Or Thais, Laotians, Somalians. They break their promise. They DONT GO HOME ONCE THEY GET HERE. Asylum, school, marriage, employment. any way to stay, real or not.   

If they acted like the Japanese for a couple of years, then they would get VWP status.

[kievstar]

Regarding Bush do you think he grants free visa to countries without speaking to the Presidents of those countires?  Come on.  Also, Ukraine politicians come to the white house a lot more than most countries.  Just read the Kiev post daily and you will see how much interaction Ukraine and USA have. 

I worked in consulting in Kiev and a big fear for large companies / politicians is shortage of talented employees in medical, teachers, accountants, engineers, attorneys, etc.  Open up the borders and their gone. 

[groovlstk]

Regarding Bush do you think he grants free visa to countries without speaking to the Presidents of those countires?  Come on.  Also, Ukraine politicians come to the white house a lot more than most countries.  Just read the Kiev post daily and you will see how much interaction Ukraine and USA have. 

I worked in consulting in Kiev and a big fear for large companies / politicians is shortage of talented employees in medical, teachers, accountants, engineers, attorneys, etc.  Open up the borders and their gone. 

I don't really understand your point. Yes, of course there would be brain drain. But do you honestly believe GWB, in his infinite wisdom, didn't grant Ukrainians visa-free travel to the US soley because he respected the wishes of Ukrainian politicians? 

[Mark Davis]

Tell me if I'm wrong here, but Ukrainians can travel to many parts of the world on just their passport.  I'm not aware that the Ukrainian goverment puts any restirctions on going, it's the inbound country that puts conditions on the visitor coming.
Mark

[docetae]

Tell me if I'm wrong here, but Ukrainians can travel to many parts of the world on just their passport.  I'm not aware that the Ukrainian goverment puts any restirctions on going, it's the inbound country that puts conditions on the visitor coming.
Mark

yes and this is the problem...

Western government before fall of USSR: There is no freedom in your country ! people can not travel where they want
Western government after fall of USSR: You are from FSU ? Don't come to my country !

It is totally hypocritical... I would like that my wife has the same freedom of travel than me and this is not possible..we are doing procedure with two countries and this a shame that no international agreement exist on this topic ... two times the same work and at least another 7 months to live far from each other with only a few days together every 2 months...

[Mark Davis]

docetae:
wow, I'm sorry to hear that.  Will you have a permanent solution anytime soon?
Mark

[William3rd]

Uhhhhhh- third time didn't take.

The ORIGINAL VWPP-Visa Waiver Pilot Program- was aimed at countries like Japan and the Scandinavian countries where none of them remain here. For whatever reason , they like their home better than ours.  Initial eligibility was based on a 97% return home rate-I may be off a point or so but its not worth it to me looking it up-for a multiple year period. Its been around for a long while. Used to have Argentina on it until their economy took a dump. If the folks dint go home, then the country can be dropped. Other candidates are proposed from time to time.

[docetae]

docetae:
wow, I'm sorry to hear that.  Will you have a permanent solution anytime soon?
Mark

Because I am french and living in Canada, we had to do all paperwork with France and Canada. We have finish procedure with France and all went well. With this country, interviews, all papers are done before wedding. With Canada, we have to start again from scratch. Our hope was that my wife can travel like I do between Canada and Ukraine (I travel every 2 months), I have met her son, her family, she has not yet met my children..and she will live with them. We just want to have 6 weeks together for christmas and new year time, her son staying with babushka in Ukraine.

We applied for temporary visa in Kiev and visa was refused without interview and answer given in different language than the one requested. I suspect them to have not even read our documents.  

Permanent Visa application will start as soon as she has her new passport (I must provide her passport number) in 10 days and at same time we will try to ask another time for a temporary visa in one month, when she will get her multi entries Schengen visa on her passport, with her new name.

Average time to get the permanent visa is around 8 months...

[kievstar]

groove, do you ever go to Europe.  If so,  I will arrange for you to meet with some high ranking officials from USA in Brussels if you want.  You can discuss how visa entry happens.  It is a very political process.  Reason I mention Europe as most of this talk takes place in Brussels.   Groove, what do you do for work?  You seem to act like you know everything and wonder if you really work with politicians on a daily basis like I do.

[groovlstk]

groove, do you ever go to Europe. 

I don't live there and never will, but enough times that I've had to have my passport modified w/extra pages.

If so,  I will arrange for you to meet with some high ranking officials from USA in Brussels if you want.  You can discuss how visa entry happens.  It is a very political process.  Reason I mention Europe as most of this talk takes place in Brussels.   Groove, what do you do for work?  You seem to act like you know everything and wonder if you really work with politicians on a daily basis like I do.

I don't want to meet your politicians in Brussels as I have better things to do when I'm on vacation. William III has already pointed out the basic requirements of the visa waiver program, which Ukraine doesn't meet and probably won't in our lifetimes.

I certainly don't know everything but I do know BS when I see it, and your crediting GWB with refusing to grant Ukraine into the visa waiver program simply because the great minds of Ukraine will flee to the US (and not that our country will be flooded w/people who will not abide by the terms of their visas) simply smells like something I stepped in while walking through the doggie park yesterday.

[kievstar]

Groove, I never credited Bush as you say.  But countries presidents talk before thinking about granting visa travel.  Than a lot more work takes place.  Its a very long process but starts with the countries leaders first. I do like how you dodge questions.  I did some homework and found out you work for an entertainment company and used to be a writer.  And you like to hack into email accounts.  But you must be a decent guy as you know a friend of mine in Slava Fetisov.