Which language does a consular officer speak, English or Ukrainian? Do the additional documents need to be translated into English? Should an applicant be able to speak English during an interview to get a nonimmigrant visa and what language does the applicant need to speak? Does the mere knowledge of the English language influence the decision of the officer to issue a nonimmigrant visa?

All of our visa interviewing consular officers are able to conduct interviews in either Ukrainian or Russian. An interpreter may be provided to assist during the interview if needed. Any supporting documents issued in Ukraine which an applicant brings to a nonimmigrant visa interview do not require translation. Applicants applying for special visas to study or work in the U.S. should be prepared to answer the questions in English during the interview in order to establish that they have the language skills necessary for their course of study or for their job. If an applicant is applying for a special visa to work in the U.S. in a typical job requiring communication in English or is going to attend an academic program other than an English as a second language course, and he/she cannot communicate in English, we will take that into account as one of the factors in our decision of whether or not to issue the visa.