Information about Ukrainian mIlitary records for the interview

[Islapaz 41]

HI every one!! I would like to know more information about military records. We are getting help from my fiance family and we already obtain the police records from Ukraine. But one paper is missing, Military records! Fiance was never in the military. He was a student at the university in Ukraine and then he move to Germany to complete his degree. My fiance told that he will need to go in person to pass some kind of medical test, to get his military records.That they do not know how long it can take... He is currently living and working in France. I am confuse about this, how long can it take to produce this paper telling he was not in the military? It is a paper or a card?

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge

[elya 17]

my fiance is in Russia, SO this probably doesn't apply 100%. but, perhaps similar, so I will share anyway.

This was a huge hassle for us - fortunately he had already gone through his medical exam (medkommissiya) and his basic training/service obligation, but for some reason he had never received his record (voenniy bilet), which is basically a little wallet-card sized book. It took about 4 months to get and that was WITH good connections (noted: we also had to get the records transferred from another city, which didn't help). Basically you have to go to a place called "Voenkomat" and they will set everything in motion. It's very useful if you know someone there or someone who knows someone - that can get you processed faster!

IF the Ukrainian system is the same as the Russian system, and your fiance is obligated to do military service unless he can defer while in college or out of the country, he technically should have already gone through this medical exam and gotten his booklet. So now it will be catch-up and I would count on it taking a few months at least. Our back-up plan (which we almost had to use, but didn't - so I can't say if it would work) was to have him prepare a signed statement of sort explaining what his service was limited to, and to have his signature on it notarized.

One thing to be careful - IF again Ukrainian system is the same as Russian, if your fiance is still of the right age, and he has not yet completed his service obligation, make sure he does his research and he is confident they can't ship him off to fulfill his service obligation (and/or make some note in his international passport so he can't leave the country) once he starts setting things in motion to get his document. At least that's what has on occasion happened in Russia to people.

Anyway, like I said, this is not 100% applicable because my knowledge and experience is based on Russia, not Ukraine. Hopefully you will find someone who can share something more applicable to you.

P.S.: That Russian voennij bilet is a #%$(%! to translate - if anyone needs help I don't mind sharing my work with fellow VJers :-)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

HI every one!! I would like to know more information about military records. We are getting help from my fiance family and we already obtain the police records from Ukraine. But one paper is missing, Military records! Fiance was never in the military. He was a student at the university in Ukraine and then he move to Germany to complete his degree. My fiance told that he will need to go in person to pass some kind of medical test, to get his military records.That they do not know how long it can take... He is currently living and working in France. I am confuse about this, how long can it take to produce this paper telling he was not in the military? It is a paper or a card?

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge

Ukraine has compulsary military service. ALL men must serve two years in the military sometime between the age 18-25. For our oldest son (18 when he interviewed) we showed his military registration papers AND his student deferrment, translated. He had a student deferrment until 2013. He is now a US permanent resident which DOES NOT excuse him from military service in Ukraine, he is still a Ukraine citizen and has an obligation to serve his two years...BUT he is registered for the draft in the USA and Ukraine accepts that fulfillling his service to "someone", so to speak. He has now received a defferment until age 25, provided he reamins a US resident and registered for the draft.

Your fiancee did not escape his obligation by moving to Germany or anywhere else. I do not know his age. If he is between age 18-25 and is a student, he can receive a student deferrment, but he has to go to his local military administration, register and apply for a deferrment. He will have to show he is enrolled in a university, the university can be in any country (our son goes to school in Russsia)

The US will not issue visas to people who have not met their military obligation and be accused by Ukraine of aiding "draft dodgers".

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

HI every one!! I would like to know more information about military records. We are getting help from my fiance family and we already obtain the police records from Ukraine. But one paper is missing, Military records! Fiance was never in the military. He was a student at the university in Ukraine and then he move to Germany to complete his degree. My fiance told that he will need to go in person to pass some kind of medical test, to get his military records.That they do not know how long it can take... He is currently living and working in France. I am confuse about this, how long can it take to produce this paper telling he was not in the military? It is a paper or a card?

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge

There is no medical test involved. It did take some weeks to get the papers we needed. Our son went to Donetsk from Moscow at the time of his 18th birthday, applied for a passport, police certificate, registered for military service and then filed for a deferrment. A few weeks later he returned for the deferrment hearing and was granted the deferrment, picked up his passport, picked up his police certificate and was ready to go except for the medical exam. We did this all while he was at school in Moscow, but it did require a couple trips back to Donetsk to assemble all the papers he needed for the interview. We were directing him from here.

We did not call to set an interview date until all the needed documents were in hand.

[Islapaz 41]

I do not know his age. If he is between age 18-25 and is a student, he can receive a student deferrment, but he has to go to his local military administration, register and apply for a deferrment. He will have to show he is enrolled in a university, the university can be in any country (our son goes to school in Russsia)The US will not issue visas to people who have not met their military obligation and be accused by Ukraine of aiding "draft dodgers".

His age now is 28. He is currently working for an University but is not a student anymore.

There is no medical test involved. It did take some weeks to get the papers we needed. Our son went to Donetsk from Moscow at the time of his 18th birthday, applied for a passport, police certificate, registered for military service and then filed for a deferrment. A few weeks later he returned for the deferrment hearing and was granted the deferrment, picked up his passport, picked up his police certificate and was ready to go except for the medical exam. We did this all while he was at school in Moscow, but it did require a couple trips back to Donetsk to assemble all the papers he needed for the interview. We were directing him from here.We did not call to set an interview date until all the needed documents were in hand.

Well I think the most correct thing right now is to cancel interview, and make himself go to Ukraine to try to resolve this.

Elya and Gary and Alla for sharing your experiences.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

His age now is 28. He is currently working for an University but is not a student anymore.

Well I think the most correct thing right now is to cancel interview, and make himself go to Ukraine to try to resolve this.

Elya and Gary and Alla for sharing your experiences.

So he kind of skipped the whole military experience unauthorized. I am not sure if that is a problem. His obligation is expired, as far as I know, as he is over age 25. I never heard of them nabbing someone at age 28 and making them serve. Nor have I ever heard of them prosecuting someone for it. The consulate is going to expect some military papers of a man of his age. Maybe he just needs a letter explaining it, or maybe he can get a deferrment now...a deferred deferrment. He has no criminal record. He has no military record. Maybe he just needs a paper saying he has no military record?

[elya 17]

I googled Ukraine military obligation and also found age 25. Obviously Gary and Alla's personal experience should count for even more :-)

If he is 28 now he should be safe from getting pulled into the mandatory service. That's a good thing. I know of a few Russians who also unofficially got through this and had no problems being back in Russia afterward.

My thoughts are that he should go to Voenkomat (or Ukrainian equivalent) and get his military registration papers. Hopefully it doesn't take as long as it dis for us in Russia. I am fairly certain even in Ukraine everyone still needs to have them and be registered (sort of like being registered for Selective Service in the U.S.) In Russia at least the registration document and military record are one and the same item. So if the military history pages in the registration document are blank, it's official proof that he has no military record.

[Islapaz 41]

Thanks everyone for your help. I got great news, my love got to obtain his military records in just 5 minutes. I do not have all details yet, but he told it was super easy. Now the only thing left is his medical. We flight the 29 and our interview is the 7th of October.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

HI every one!! I would like to know more information about military records. We are getting help from my fiance family and we already obtain the police records from Ukraine. But one paper is missing, Military records! Fiance was never in the military. He was a student at the university in Ukraine and then he move to Germany to complete his degree. My fiance told that he will need to go in person to pass some kind of medical test, to get his military records.That they do not know how long it can take... He is currently living and working in France. I am confuse about this, how long can it take to produce this paper telling he was not in the military? It is a paper or a card?

Thank you all in advance for sharing your knowledge

Our son, still a student, had to get his military registration card and his deferrment. This took about 6 weeks from start to finish. He first registered for military service and at the same time filed a request for a student deferrment and gave all his documents that he is enrolled at school. Some weeks later he got his deferrment. He did not need a physical exam. He did not ask for, exactly, the same thing your fiance is asking for. His military document is a card. The deferrment is a paper document.

I can say this...being a student or being in another country DOES NOT excuse him from military service, he needs a deferrment for that. If he did not get one he, effectively, "dodged the draft". I have not heard that Ukraine takes any action against someone for this if they are NOW over age 25 (I think you said he was) So I do not know what difficulties he may have because he did not have a deferrment before. Maybe none. Ukraine does not "automatically" grant deferrments for any reason, they have to be asked for and approved. Our son has now (as of a couple weeks ago) asked for another, indefinite, deferrment because he is now a US resident and has registered for the draft here. Ukraine will most likely allow him this deferrment, but they CAN say "No, report for military duty in June 2013 as ordered!"

Rather than ask here, because it is highly unlikely anyone here has had exactly the same circumstances, he should go to his local military board and find out. It is always difficult to process a K1 visa if the person is not in their home country, particularly when they need specific documents. It is unrealistic in your case to expect he will spend all his time in France and then go to Kiev just for an interview.

On the other hand...he is over age 25, yes? He has no military records, correct? So, on the one hand it is a moot point. You are trying to collect that which does not exist. Note that the instructions say to provide copies of military documents "if any". Alla had none, our younger son had none, I did not try to produce that which does not exist. One could say..."go to the interview without it" as he is no longer of military age and the US has no interest in enforcing Ukraine's military requirements. The US simply does not want to be accused of being a hide out for Ukrainian draft dodgers. If he is over age 25 he is no longer under any obligation to Ukraine for military service and never had any military service.

I wrote the consulate and was given an answer that said, specifically, because our son was of military obligation age, he needed these documents.

Just another way to look at it. You COULD write the consulate and ask. Tell them exactly what you have stated here...he is over age 25 and had no military papers because he never served but he was out of the country and has no deferrment either. THEY are the ones that will decide...not us.

Thanks everyone for your help. I got great news, my love got to obtain his military records in just 5 minutes. I do not have all details yet, but he told it was super easy. Now the only thing left is his medical. We flight the 29 and our interview is the 7th of October.

Or...you can go with that.

[Islapaz 41]

Thanks Gary, we will go with that He went to his former hometown for his vaccination records and to visit the military office and find out more info about the records. He planned to stay few days there but as he got to obtain all the documents so fast, now he is on his way back to Odessa. I am curious to know why it was so easy , I was freaking out a bit about it. Also the police certificate was very easy to obtain. We were thinking that he needed to be in person, but his mother offer to give it a try, and she was able to get it in few weeks.

Thanks all.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thanks Gary, we will go with that He went to his former hometown for his vaccination records and to visit the military office and find out more info about the records. He planned to stay few days there but as he got to obtain all the documents so fast, now he is on his way back to Odessa. I am curious to know why it was so easy , I was freaking out a bit about it. Also the police certificate was very easy to obtain. We were thinking that he needed to be in person, but his mother offer to give it a try, and she was able to get it in few weeks.

Thanks all.

Ask him if he paid any bribes. Bribes are an easy way to get most anything done in Ukraine.

[Used to be broken 147]

Thanks Gary, we will go with that He went to his former hometown for his vaccination records and to visit the military office and find out more info about the records. He planned to stay few days there but as he got to obtain all the documents so fast, now he is on his way back to Odessa. I am curious to know why it was so easy , I was freaking out a bit about it. Also the police certificate was very easy to obtain. We were thinking that he needed to be in person, but his mother offer to give it a try, and she was able to get it in few weeks.

Thanks all.

Sounds like all you have left it to get it translated for the interview. good luck

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Sounds like all you have left it to get it translated for the interview. good luck

More good news! Kiev dropped the rquirement for translations if the documents are in Ukrainian, Russian or English. No translations needed for the interview. You WILL need to get documents translated for the AOS but you can do that here.

[Islapaz 41]

We are almost ready, just need to take that flight. For the interview we have translated just the french and german police certificates. Our visa journey has been smooth and painless until now. I have enjoy the process of reviewing our story , but I cant wait to be done with our first step. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. Hope to bring good news soon.

[slim 1,525]

Good luck!