Ukraine Passport

[byoung]

Can anyone tell me what is required for a Ukrainian citizen to travel to America? I know they have to obtain a US entry visa and I have read the information at http://usinfo.usemb.kiev.ua/ My question is what is required for the Ukrainian citizen to leave to visit the US. I have read some in the forum about a Ukraine International Passport. What is the cost to obtain the Ukraine International Passport and how long does it take to receive it? Does the Ukraine citizen have to have the passport stamped by local officials to be able to exit Ukraine? Thank you in advance for any help on this subject.

[Gon]

The Passport is not the problem. The problem is the VISA.
A passport to travel abroad, according to my friend in Odessa, costs about $30 and takes about 2-4 weeks to get.
Higher cost for faster service like in the USA.

The issue you will hit the wall with will be the VISA issued from your friends and mine at the US Embassy.
She will have to prove beyond any reasonable standard that she has plenty of reason to return to Ukraine.
The fact you met her on the internet (I assume you did) is an automatic strike against her approval. You can read more specifically about what I said here:
http://www.usinfo.usemb.kiev.ua/amci...okers_eng.html

Bottom line is the visitor VISA is nearly impossible to get approved for. It isn't expensive but you will wait months to get a denial. I even contacted the embassy in Kiev and was politely advised that even leaving her 10 year old child behind to visit me meant nothing to satisfy the "likely to return home" requirement.

Give up on your "she visits you" idea. Its a waste of time.

Either fly to her country to meet her or meet her in a neutral place she CAN travel to. For example Hungary. A Ukrainian can travel to Hungary on just a passport and so can you as a US citizen with your passport only. No VISAs needed.

Good luck to you.

[Gon]

Oh and if you do meet her wherever - take a lot of pictures of you both in front of things that are obviously in the country you met in. This will be your required proof of having met if you ever wish to file for a fiance VISA down the road. The fiance VISA is more doable and although its a mountain of forms and what not they do get approved usually.

[icegoal]

Great information. Thanks, Gon.