Kiev interview process -- recent experiences?

[sideskraft]

For those who have recent interview experience in Kiev, I'd like to know if you/your fiancee gave your documentation package to someone when you arrived, and after the package is looked at in another room, you are then called in for the interview?  Or did you keep it with you and present it to the interviewer and then the "interview process" began (the documents never left your sight).  A lady friend from Kazan said that the former process was the procedure when she interviewed in Moscow about 7 years ago, but this has no bearing on what the Embassy in Kiev is doing.  From every post I have read concerning interviews conducted when the US Citizen is present with the fiancee, the documents are hardly even looked at, and a couple cursory questions (if that) are asked and the couple is whisked away to make way for the next applicant.  I would like to get comments from any American men who recently joined their fiancee for the interview process in Kiev, what documents the interviewer looked at, questions asked, etc.  And was the interviewer Ukrainian or American?  Thanks!

[johnichka]

Here is the process of what we experienced.  I traveled to Kiev to be with my girl for the interview.  You will arrive at the embassy gate, there will be armed guards and many people standing around.

They will ask you what you are there for and will confirm your name versus a list that they have on a clipboard.  You will then go through a security checkpoint simliar to an airport screening.  Then you enter what would be considered almost like a double wide trailer.  Go immediately to the right and back.  There is a small room that seats about 8 to 10 people. 

Be sure to go to the "desk" that is enclosed with glass simliar to a currency exchange.  Tell them what you are there for.  An individual will ask for ALL of your papers and will follow the checklist that is listed in the packet three that your finance received.  They take all of the paperwork and disappear.  In our case, they had all the paperwork for about two hours.

Ulyana was then called back to a window, where an American will conduct an interview.  In our case, he said that I could accompany her back to the window. Our "interview" consited of the following:

Officer: "I reviewed all of your documents and I really don't have any questions.  Congratulations and here are all of your documents back.  You can take this sheet of paper out to the tent where Fed Express is, pay for the shipping and your visa will arrive in 7 to 10 days.  Have a great day"

We had an appointment for 9:30a.m. and were in the pub at 12:30p.m. celebrating with cognac and vodka.  This was 6 months ago this week - August 2008.

Good Luck

[sideskraft]

John, thanks so much for sharing your interview experience!  Where was her passport/visa sent to (city) and how many days did it take?  My honey lives in Kyiv, so we assume it will arrive within two days.  The transit time for the passport/visa is a factor in deciding when to fly to the states.  Thanks again!

[ScottinCrimea]

My daughter had her interview in Kiev a couple of weeks ago and it took only four days for the visa to arrive in Simferopol.  I think anywhere from 4-6 days is the norm.  But you need to be a bit careful because when my wife got her visa it got stuck on some clerk's desk by mistake and took nearly two weeks because I had to call and track it down.  We had made flight plans for 12 days our and ended up having to change them.

[johnichka]

The Visa arrived in about 4 days.  Uli lived in a small village in Western Ukraine in the Carpathian Mountains and Fed Ex would only come to the nearest big city - which was Ivano Frankvisk. So, when the visa was delivered to the Fed Ex Office in Ivano, they called her and she drove and picked it up.

To her surprise, when she opened the Fed Ex envelope, there were TWO envelopes inside - one for her and one for another girl...... So another girls visa got delivered to her.....

But here is what you can do since your girl lives in Kiev.  Tell the embassy official that you want to pick up the visa at the embassy or a local fed ex office.  There was a girl that interviewed the same day as us and this is what she did, since she was staying in Kiev.  Three days after the interview, she picked up here visa at either the embassy or a local office.....

[dispozo]

We had our interview on Monday 2/23. My experience was the same as johnichka. We gave all our documents to a very nice lady at the first window. We waited and then she was asked to do finger prints. We waited some more then a very short interview, but she had her pink slip before he asked a few questions. Then we went outside to the white tent for Fedex. I was with her the whole time. You as a USC you are allowed to carry one bag inside. Do not let anyone outside tell you otherwise. We now wait for her visa maybe tomorrow or Monday.

Good luck!!!!