UNITED STATES ELIMINATES VISA ISSUANCE FEES FOR UKRAINIANS

To better facilitate travel between Ukraine and the United States, the United States has eliminated all nonimmigrant visa issuance fees for Ukrainians. Ukrainian applicants for nonimmigrant visas will be charged only the Congressionally-mandated $100 visa application fee, which applies worldwide to all visa applicants.

This is one of many ways in which the United States is improving consular services for the Ukrainian public.

For example, every Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., travelers with a recent, proven travel record to the U.S. can reapply for a nonimmigrant visa on a walk-in basis without an appointment. See http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/visa_appointment_dropbox_eng.html for instructions and further information on those who qualify for this expedited processing.

The U.S. government invested $180,000 to renovate the U.S. consular building, nearly doubling and improving the public space. As a result, nonimmigrant visa cases are processed more efficiently, and immigrant visa applicants no longer need to travel to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw for their visa interview. This is a great savings of time and money for Ukrainian applicants.

Via an easy-to-use, free on-line/e-mail appointment system, Ukrainian applicants book their own nonimmigrant visa appointments for a specified time slot at the next available opening, or a later date of their own choosing. The Embassy provides expedited appointments for medical emergency cases as well as for student and business travelers who can demonstrate a need to be in the U.S. by a certain school- or business-related date.

This spring the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued a record number of exchange visitor visas to Ukrainians. Nearly 3,000 Ukrainians college students will participate in work and travel programs in the United States this summer.

Consul-General MaryKay Carlson will be available to answer questions about American visa policies and procedures as well as recent changes in visa fees for Ukrainians on Wednesday, July 13 at 11:00 in the Public Affairs Section, 4 Hlybochytska. Please call 490-4090 or 490-4129 by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 12 to register.