Moving From United Kingdom to Odessa.

[woodstock1]

Hi everyone. At the risk of repeating previous threads, I wonder if anyone can give some practical advice on the process of immigration into Ukraine. I am married to a Ukrainian woman, since October 2012, and we are trying to get to a point where we can live together without me having to leave the country every 90 days. After we were married, we went to the immigration people in Odessa, who, unfortunately couldn't (or wouldn't) speak to me without any kind of visa.
So, on my return to England, I applied to the London Ukraine visa office for the necessary visa to start the process of my temporary registration. I have been issued a B13A visa, valid for 45 days. My concern is, will this be the correct visa? It was suggested to me that it needed to be a 6 month visa. Can I re apply while in Odessa?

I understand that after we are married 2 years, I'll be able to live (and work?) in Ukraine, but what process is necessary to get this legal?
I have tried several times to get some help from the Visa office in London, and every time have been given either the wrong, or no advice. Their attitude is a little tiresome. However, I understand that this is all part of the Ukrainian way!! Many thanks in advance for any help..........Si...

[zodoz]

Hi Woodstock,

At this point you have been given 45 days to pursue a Permanent Residency Permit.
This will be the equivalent of a green card {to use US equivalent, or a Ukrainian Passport ID}.
To begin with, you'll apply for a Temporary Residence Permit which you will use for 2 years, renewed once after 1 year.
After 2 years, you will get the Permanent Residence Permit on the basis of Marriage to your Ukr wife.

To get the TRP {Temp. Res. Permit}, you'll need several documents translated and apostilled, etc.
Take these to OVIR in your wife's town/city of registration. Wherever your wife's passport says she lives, or where the home address is for her. Usually this is her parent's home unless she owns a home. You will need to be registered at a property, I was registered at my wife's mother's home, but if you own property I would think this would suffice.

I found the best route was to have my wife contact her OVIR office directly by phone and enquire as to what documents will be needed. Your wife will be your "quarterback" on this process unless you are fluent in Ukrainian or Russian...

The whole process to get your first TRP takes about 1 month so don't leave it until last minute imho. It involves lots of running around, if you have a car it will be easier, but not necessary. The process is not too expensive as a whole, the most money you have already paid by applying for a type D Visa...

Good luck.

S.

[woodstock1]

Thank you so much for the information zodoz, it has cleared up a lot of questions I had. i just wonder why the people in the London visa office couldn't explain as well as you do!!!

[rcshott]

Thank you so much for the information zodoz, it has cleared up a lot of questions I had. i just wonder why the people in the London visa office couldn't explain as well as you do!!!

woodstock... THAT is the "Ukrainian way" mate! I arrived last year for marriage & permanent living so jumping through hoops ATM!
Zodoz's answer is pretty well spot on, although I bucked the system a bit & am now paying for the steep learning curve, but getting there. The Form 'D' is best done at a Ukrainian Embassy BEFORE you get here. I finished up in the Minister for Immigration office to get things really rolling (he was fantastic) & now have my 6 month visa, although still must go out of country for the Form 'D' thing. Every time we tried to get answers in-country we got a huge run-a-round., and no matter the advice given, each person we encountered had a different view as to what to do.

So read woodstocks answer thoroughly and jot down all the main points he has suggested. My Russian is almost zilch too, so your lady WILL be your guide. Treat her with as much passion as possible.... she'll need it. Often! You'll be fine mate, it just takes time.... and maybe a small domestic or 3... :roll eyes:

SUGGESTION:
Have pad, pen, & tape recorder and jot down/record EVERY step you take because you won't remember it all! Dates, addresses, who you spoke to, phone numbers etc. GOOD LUCK!

[woodstock1]

Just a quick update on my travels and temporary registration process. I finally now have my temporary residence permit. It took days, actually weeks of travelling around Odessa into different departments and offices to get this far. Its true to say that without my wife and her fluent Russian I would not have got this far. It is VERY difficult to overcome the beaurocracy there. Thanks again for the replies on here, I wish you all well in you Ukrainian endeavours.....

[rcshott]

Great to hear woodstock, yes, quite a drama hey?
We went to Holland by bus a couple weeks ago to satisfy my wife's Schengen visa qualifications under her now married name. We got back to Ukraine border & they stamped her passport which then cancelled the temp visa so that she can then get the full one (if that all makes sense). That also means she's to remain in UKR until the final paperwork is done in Kiev. So then they looked at my passport & only then was it realised that my visa was not correct as we had been led to believe....( LOOOOng story.)

They split us at the border & I had to spend a week rattling around Poland & get up to Warsaw for a new entry visa. NOW i have it & we're off to Kiev soon for the 1 year resident doc. WHAT A BLOODY DRAMA! We made plenty friends (all Ukrainians) on the bus & they're all concerned about the situation & gave my Wife heaps of support. We are going to the TV & Newspapers (Wife has some connections) about the treatment of the past year & try to get some sort of sense made of it and possibly get a system change for all those who come here in the future.
It really is a crazy system & not too good for the country in terms of name.

One thing I got pissed off about in Warsaw was that I met an Indian bloke at the Embassy & we got talking. His entry visa cost $80.00 Mine... $780.00 & NO, it's NOT a typo!!! We'll be saying something about THAT, TOO!
Cheers, Jim

[Gotno Gizmo]

Aggravation for seeking a foreign bride

It is distressing to learn about the many difficulties men are experiencing on this and other websites because they have committed the political sin of falling in love with a woman from another country.
It seems that the aggravation being experienced by persons marrying outside of their own country is worsening, rather than getting better after years of peace between nations.

On the subject of visa charges, I believe that it has become a "tit for tat" situation. That is to say that countries are setting visa fees to a parity of the charges being applied by the applicant's country for a similar visa for one of their citizens. You must know about the costs for a Ukrainian citizen for a Schengen or UK visa for example. Visas can cost hundreds of $ USD's and there is no guarantee that the application will be successful, and that if refused you can kiss goodbye to the money!

The hassle you have experienced with the Ukrainian authorities is probably resultant from an archaic and inefficient administrative system, coupled with a lack of training in the application of the correct process by government employees.

In the case of the British system, the requirements are better understood only by those with good admin and English comprehension.. However, the system is costly, yet underfunded by the government, and overstretched against the number of applicants. Lastly the requirements for applications are deliberately onerous, and many applications are rejected because of a small oversight by the applicant.

I wish your wife good luck with her intended TV and newspaper campaign within Ukraine about your problems. I tried this sometime ago in the UK, but against a national feeling of anti-immigration, I couldn't get any British media interest whatsoever.

"Storks glide above the trees, how wonderful to have no need of documents to pass these menacing political boundaries"
Photo of migrating Storks in Ukraine