DCF in Ukraine - best route

[John and Sonya 0]

Anyone thinking of getting married to an Ukrainian woman, please feel free to contact me. I have lots of valuable information to make your process faster and easier. We spent a month getting our documents together, I went to Ukraine on 11/1; married 11/10; and filed and was approved on my I-130 on 11/14!! Interview can be scheduled within 3 weeks and she can have her visa two days later.

The embassy in Kyiv was WONDERFUL and very helpful. We made a couple mistakes on forms and they allowed us to correct right their and were very friendly. My hats off to the people in the US embassy in Kyiv!!! I expect no issues with interiew.

The biggest issue was preparing RAGS and ZAGS and the Church to allow us to marry all within 7 days. It took alot of ahead preparations and incentives and smiles and begging. And be prepared to have your paper work rejected by Ukrainian government officials until you offer them incentives to allow your paper work to go through. They like to take advantage of americans.

I also recommend to have an Ukrainian wedding, best wedding I have ever experienced and its VERY important to her family. It will also ease the transition for them to accept you and that you are taking their daughter away to america. The Ukrainians are wonderful family oriented people, and you need to respect that. I and my family that I brought over for my wedding, had a wonderful experience.

[meauxna 15]

Anyone thinking of getting married to an Ukrainian woman, please feel free to contact me. I have lots of valuable information to make your process faster and easier.

Congrats, John and Sonya!

John, so that many others can benefit, would you be willing to write your experiences out one time, and post them here instead of having people write to you? It would be a great contribution to the community if you could sketch out what you needed to be eligible to file the petition and any other notes from your various trips to and fro.

Sharing our research and experiences is what makes this available to many---thanks for your help!

[John and Sonya 0]

Anyone thinking of getting married to an Ukrainian woman, please feel free to contact me. I have lots of valuable information to make your process faster and easier. We spent a month getting our documents together, I went to Ukraine on 11/1; married 11/10; and filed and was approved on my I-130 on 11/14!! Interview can be scheduled within 3 weeks and she can have her visa two days later.

The embassy in Kyiv was WONDERFUL and very helpful. We made a couple mistakes on forms and they allowed us to correct right their and were very friendly. My hats off to the people in the US embassy in Kyiv!!! I expect no issues with interiew.

The biggest issue was preparing RAGS and ZAGS and the Church to allow us to marry all within 7 days. It took alot of ahead preparations and incentives and smiles and begging. And be prepared to have your paper work rejected by Ukrainian government officials until you offer them incentives to allow your paper work to go through. They like to take advantage of americans.

I also recommend to have an Ukrainian wedding, best wedding I have ever experienced and its VERY important to her family. It will also ease the transition for them to accept you and that you are taking their daughter away to america. The Ukrainians are wonderful family oriented people, and you need to respect that. I and my family that I brought over for my wedding, had a wonderful experience.

I have created a excel timeline already with all the specifics, I just need to update with some changes then I will post. Good idea, would love to see people benefit from our experience so its easier for them.

[dave68 0]

Hi John,

Checked your link to US Embassy in Kiev. It says I - 130 petitioner must be US citizen. Then it says something about both of you must be residents of Ukraine?? As far as I can understand you can not do this if say I visited for a couple of weeks??

I assume I would have to do K-1. Actually leaving 1/2. I will read when I return, Thanks. Dave

[John and Sonya 0]

Hi John,

Checked your link to US Embassy in Kiev. It says I - 130 petitioner must be US citizen. Then it says something about both of you must be residents of Ukraine?? As far as I can understand you can not do this if say I visited for a couple of weeks??

I assume I would have to do K-1. Actually leaving 1/2. I will read when I return, Thanks. Dave

Yes the petitioner has to be a US citizen and you have to file at the US Embassy in Ukraine. You are filing a DCF, not a K-1 or K-3 visa. You have to marry a Ukrainian resident and then goto embassy to file the I-130 petition.

As far as the requirement, it is correct that technically you have to be a resident, but Ukraine allows you not to have a specific length. You put on application where you are staying in Ukraine whether your wifes apartment or a hotel you are staying in Kyiv. I filed, as well as many others, as a US Citizen visiting Ukraine. I married my wife, both Church and ZAGS and filed my petition all in 14 days.

If you are thinking of doing this soon, I have alot of information to help you with the process including the marriage process in Ukraine.

John

[dave68 0]

Thanks for the clarification John. Very useful info I did not think this was possible reading the embassy website. I am not sure when we will make decision. Just got back, and had a great time.