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Music and Art at the Ukrainian Institute of America
Posted by Tatiana B. Durbak on November 24, 2001 at 13:38:58:
In Reply to: Tourist Visa (B2) for girlfriend to visit me in the US posted by Bruce Fontenot on November 19, 2001 at 19:01:13:
: I am presently corresponding with a lady in Kiev. I would like to bring her to the states for a visit. I would like to know if its possible for her to get a tourist visa (B2). Everything I read says "NO" but her agency assures me they can get her a tourist visa for a visit. I don't know what to believe. Can anyone give me some advise or help with this????
As I wrote on this web site before, it is EXTREMELY difficult for young people from Ukraine to get tourist visas. By law, everyon who applies for any kind of visa is considered to be an intendingimmigrant. Tha applicant must prove that s/he is a non-immiogrant. To prove this, it is necessary to show ties to one's home country that will make it very likely that the applicant will return home at the end of the visit to the US. Unfortunately, consular officers often refuse to look at the documentaiton that one brings to show strong ties to one's home country. They then deny the visa, because the applicant has not established the necessary strong ties.
In addition, Ukraine, unfortunately has a very bad record regarding the large number of people who choose to remain in the US illegally, after the period of permitted stay has expired. This causes the consular officials to look at eeach applicant as if s/he were a liar. Then, visas are denied.
Applicants for nonimmigrant visas must also prove that they do not intend to work illegally in the US. Because the economic situation in Ukraine is very bad, consular officials often assume that each applicant for a visitor's visa is going to work. In the denial notices, it is often stated that since the person would make more money by working in the US illegally than s/he would make by working legally in Ukraine.
A third problem is that because the process of visa issuance is so arbitrary, many people believe that there is no point in trying to obtain visas legally. They then turn to individuals and to agencies and who/which, for a substantial amount of money obtain fraudulent visas for their "customers." This is done to some degree in collusion with persons who have access to the process inside the consulates. The US Department of State is aware of the the trade in fraudulent visas and believes that the way to stop it is to issue even fewer visas. Of course, that only encourages the fraudulent visa business.
So, there you have it.
This situation will change when two things happen:
1) Ukrainians who come to the US will stop working illegally and will return home when they should
AND
2) The law is changed so that: (a) there is oversight over consular decisions; (b) consular officials must make decisions on a rational basis, not on the basis of their often prejudicial points of view; (c) there is a normal appeals process.
I am baffled by the fact that so many US citizens write on this site and to me, expressing their profound unhappiness with the current state of affairs, and yet no one seems to be interested in working to change the basic process. I realize that it takes time to bring about change, but the fact that no one is working on this at all ensures that no change will come about. I guess that many people would rather complain.