U.S. Embassy works to facilitate visa process, warns against unscrupulous intermediaries (08/07/05)

U.S. Embassy works to facilitate visa process, warns against unscrupulous intermediaries

by MaryKay Carlson

KYIV - A great spirit of cooperation marks today's U.S.-Ukraine relations, and I feel privileged to be working at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv during such a time. The enhanced cooperation between the U.S. and Ukrainian governments on consular issues in particular has already benefited the traveling public, both Americans traveling to Ukraine and Ukrainians traveling to the United States.

Facilitating bona fide travel to the United States has long been a U.S. government priority, and the consular section in Kyiv has also taken some independent steps to facilitate the visa application process.

Improvements in consular services

Recent joint action by the U.S. and Ukrainian governments has facilitated travel between our two countries. On July 1, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved toward eliminating the visa requirement for U.S. citizens traveling to Ukraine for short-term family, tourist or business visits. [Editor's note: See story on page 1.] Correspondingly, the U.S. State Department has eliminated the $65 issuance fee for successful Ukrainian applicants for U.S. non-immigrant visas. Currently, we charge only the $100 visa application fee, which is a congressionally mandated fee for every non-immigrant visa applicant worldwide.

Second, the U.S. government has invested over $180,000 in renovating our consular building in Kyiv, which has allowed us to add consular services and create a more comfortable environment for our clients. Specifically, immigrant visa processing for Ukrainian citizens has been moved to Kyiv from Warsaw. Ukrainians who are immigrating to the United States to join family members no longer have to travel to Warsaw to apply for their visas. The savings of time and money for these applicants is significant.

Third, the consular section has a free-of-charge, transparent and fair appointment system, accessible either online or by e-mail. Applicants are able to select the date of their interview, either the next available appointment date, or a later appointment date of their own choosing.

Demand for short-term U.S. visas is extremely high - up 30 percent for the first six months of this year, as compared to 2004. More than 6,000 B1/B2 visas were issued to Ukrainians wishing to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business during the first half of this year, as compared to approximately 4,600 during the same period a year ago. As a result of this increased demand, the waiting period for a visa appointment is currently between six and eight weeks. The online appointment system, however, lessens the challenge of the waiting period by allowing applicants to see when the next appointment slot is available and plan travel accordingly.

There are also expedited appointments available to students, business travelers, those with family or medical emergencies, and those who are able to complete the Electronic Visa Application Form (EVAF).

Detailed information about scheduling an interview is available on the consular section website at http://www.usembassy.kiev.ua/visa_appointment_eng.html. This information is also available in Ukrainian at http://www.usembassy.kiev.ua/visa_appointment_ukr.html.

Finally, I would like to point out that while the visa issuance fee for Ukrainian citizens has been eliminated, U.S. law regarding the issuance or refusal of visas has not changed. In the consular section in Kyiv, visa decisions are made as they are in every U.S. consular operation all over the world: according to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.

For applicants seeking tourist or business visas to the United States, this law requires that the consular officer presume that the applicant's intention is to immigrate to the United States. The burden of proof is on the applicants to show that they have ties to their home country that will compel them to return after a temporary, lawful stay in the United States. Adequate financial solvency and the purpose of the applicant's travel are the two other legs of the "three-legged stool" that makes up a qualified visa application.

Our goal in the consular section is to issue non-immigrant visas to 100 percent of qualified applicants. At the same time, however, U.S. law requires that we refuse 100 percent of those applicants who are not qualified.

Combating misinformation, fraud

Unfortunately, a great deal of misinformation about American visas is in the public realm, both in Ukraine and in the United States. Also unfortunately, despite our efforts to make the process transparent and accessible, unscrupulous people falsely claim that they have links to the consular section or U.S. government and can "help" Ukrainians obtain U.S. visas. These people cheat Ukrainian visa applicants by promising to get people visas quickly, or for a fee, or both. These people are lying. Please don't use these unscrupulous people and their so-called services, and please counsel your friends and family in Ukraine to avoid them.

The usual pattern of fraud is for these individuals to sell an applicant a package of documents, including a phony or exaggerated invitation letter, false bank statement, forged letter of employment and other fraudulent information. Consular officers are extremely familiar with these packages and can identify them immediately - we see them every day.

The particularly unfortunate fact is that these applicants are then refused, and their refusal records remain in the worldwide consular computer systems forever. While the applicant's circumstances might change in the future and they may become qualified for a U.S. visa, the hurdle of once having presented fraudulent documents is a difficult one to overcome.

One more point on fraud, and that is that only American consular officers make visa decisions. There is no consular office of the U.S. Embassy outside of our facility at 6 Pymonenko St. in Kyiv. So, if a Ukrainian citizen operating out of an office somewhere near, or far, from our office promises to obtain a visa for a friend or family member, that is undoubtedly fraud. This kind of fraud hurts legitimate travelers as well, because it causes consular officers to question and scrutinize all the documents they receive. We would like to combat this fraud as much as we can, and we appreciate your support in keeping Ukrainian citizens, and their families and loved ones living in the United States, from being cheated.

The United States government is committed to facilitating legitimate travel to the United States, and welcomes bona fide Ukrainian citizen travelers to the U.S. The consular section in Kyiv is working every day to build on the improvements already mentioned, so that the application process becomes ever quicker and easier. Avoiding unscrupulous intermediaries, and counseling your friends and family to do the same, will significantly aid our ongoing efforts to provide higher levels of customer service.

MaryKay Carlson is consul general at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.

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