US Tourist Visa for Ukrainian friend/girlfriend.

[Jekt 0]

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to ask people who have better knowledge and experience with US Tourist Visa applications.My situation is this; my friend/girlfriend wants to visit me from Ukraine here in New York. I understand that with the current situation there, it may make things more difficult than before.

One of the strong points, and our most compelling piece of evidence that she will return to Ukraine is that she must return so that she can graduate from her university. She will be graduating at the end of May, early June from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a bachelors in philology and greek translation. She has 3 bank accounts, 2 are personal bank accounts with some money deposited. The third is a bank account for her scholarship money. She plans on coming at the beginning of may, roughly May 1-11, or possibly April 28 - May 11 depending on when she has vacation time from her school.

She had spent a few months in Greece, attending a summer session at a university in Thessaloniki. I'm not sure if that is relevant, but I thought it would be something worth mentioning since she returned to Ukraine. Should I mention that she is a girlfriend, or just a friend? Do I speak about how we met and what type of relationship we have?

Here is a rough draft of my invitation letter. Please let me know if I need more or less information and if it compelling enough. I will be attaching a copy of my birth certification. I'm currently waiting on a renewed US passport to come in the mail so I can't put my passport #.

Name Here

555 My Address, My town, My state. My zipcode

Home: (555) 555-5555 Mobile: (444) 444-4444

myemailaddress@gmail.com

Date Here

Embassy of the United States of America

4 Aircraft Designer Igor Sikorsky Street

Kyiv, Ukraine 04112

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Chris Surname, a lawful permanent US Citizen and resident residing at [my current home address listed here.]

I humbly request the approval of my girlfriend, Her name here tourist (B-2) Visa in order to allow her to visit me in the United States. Her name here is a law abiding citizen of Ukraine with strong academic, and personal ties there. She will be graduating and receiving her bachelor’s degree in Greek philology and translation from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her date of birth is DATE. Her registered address is [registered Ukrainian address]

Upon successful approval of her visa, Her name here plans to spend 7-14 days in New York during the month of May where I will be responsible for all her accommodations and expenses during her vacation in the United States. We will be staying at my home at the address given in Long Island. At the end of her 11-14 day vacation she will return home to Kyiv, Ukraine.

Her Name here will be presenting this letter to you, together with other evidence of her ties with Ukraine with an assurance that she will return prior to the expiration of her stay in the United States.

Your kind consideration to this request will be greatly appreciated.

Yours Truly,

My name here

Edited March 24, 2014 by Jekt

[Noura_914 47]

You may want to check out the portal for Ukraine. I dated a Turk for a couple of years, and he was a student with no real ties to anything other than his school, and I wasn't even working at the time and invited him and they gave him a 10 year unlimited entry tourist visa. He came here several times, never once over stayed, all was well. Not to mention they didn't even look at my letter or any of his documents really - they just asked why he wanted to go and engaged in pointless chitchat.

My now fiancé applied for a tourist visa (with the actual intention of just visiting me here last year) and he had a significant balance in his bank account, he owns property and had a job but they told him no. Turns out it's because of the country - Morocco is high fraud, and really picky and temperamental whereas Turkey (at the time at least) was much better.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Noura_914

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Hello everyone,

I'm writing to ask people who have better knowledge and experience with US Tourist Visa applications.My situation is this; my friend/girlfriend wants to visit me from Ukraine here in New York. I understand that with the current situation there, it may make things more difficult than before.

One of the strong points, and our most compelling piece of evidence that she will return to Ukraine is that she must return so that she can graduate from her university. She will be graduating at the end of May, early June from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv with a bachelors in philology and greek translation. She has 3 bank accounts, 2 are personal bank accounts with some money deposited. The third is a bank account for her scholarship money. She plans on coming at the beginning of may, roughly May 1-11, or possibly April 28 - May 11 depending on when she has vacation time from her school.

She had spent a few months in Greece, attending a summer session at a university in Thessaloniki. I'm not sure if that is relevant, but I thought it would be something worth mentioning since she returned to Ukraine. Should I mention that she is a girlfriend, or just a friend? Do I speak about how we met and what type of relationship we have?

Here is a rough draft of my invitation letter. Please let me know if I need more or less information and if it compelling enough. I will be attaching a copy of my birth certification. I'm currently waiting on a renewed US passport to come in the mail so I can't put my passport #.

Name Here

555 My Address, My town, My state. My zipcode

Home: (555) 555-5555 Mobile: (444) 444-4444

myemailaddress@gmail.com

Date Here

Embassy of the United States of America

4 Aircraft Designer Igor Sikorsky Street

Kyiv, Ukraine 04112

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Chris Surname, a lawful permanent US Citizen and resident residing at [my current home address listed here.]

I humbly request the approval of my girlfriend, Her name here tourist (B-2) Visa in order to allow her to visit me in the United States. Her name here is a law abiding citizen of Ukraine with strong academic, and personal ties there. She will be graduating and receiving her bachelor’s degree in Greek philology and translation from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her date of birth is DATE. Her registered address is [registered Ukrainian address]

Upon successful approval of her visa, Her name here plans to spend 7-14 days in New York during the month of May where I will be responsible for all her accommodations and expenses during her vacation in the United States. We will be staying at my home at the address given in Long Island. At the end of her 11-14 day vacation she will return home to Kyiv, Ukraine.

Her Name here will be presenting this letter to you, together with other evidence of her ties with Ukraine with an assurance that she will return prior to the expiration of her stay in the United States.

Your kind consideration to this request will be greatly appreciated.

Yours Truly,

My name here

Ukraine will be hard right now, and is reasonably difficult under the best of circumstances. You can scrap the invitation letter, it's not going to have any relevance. Evidence of visiting other countries and returning is a small help, depends on the embassies mood that day. She will need to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that she will return after her allowed stay is up, and there needs to be a lot of proof of that.

[Boiler 45,486]

How will you assure she returns?

[Jekt 0]

Proof of returning flight plane ticket booked on the date specified in her application.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Jekt

[Boiler 45,486]

Then do not book before you have visa in hand.

Simple really.

[Jekt 0]

Would that drastically improve her odds of being approved? If she had a return plane ticket.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Don't send the invitation letter. People apply for visas on their own merits, and your letter has no weight and might backfire. I know it sucks, but you cannot request or influence the decision in any way.

[Boiler 45,486]

Would that drastically improve her odds of being approved? If she had a return plane ticket.

No.

Why do you think it would?

[Jekt 0]

Don't send the invitation letter. People apply for visas on their own merits, and your letter has no weight and might backfire. I know it sucks, but you cannot request or influence the decision in any way.

She said she read at the US Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine that an invitation letter was listed as one of the documents that she may present but it wasn't obligatory.

[Avery Cates 1,141]

Would that drastically improve her odds of being approved? If she had a return plane ticket.

Nope. Just because you have a return flight doesn't mean it will be used.

Lots of people, world over, would gladly forfeit the cost of a return flight to remain in the US.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

She said she read at the US Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine that an invitation letter was listed as one of the documents that she may present but it wasn't obligatory.

Yes, she is allowed to present it. She has permission to do so. Doesn't mean it is wise or meaningful or will change anything...

[Jekt 0]

No.

Why do you think it would?

I figured purchasing a return flight would just be another supporting factor that she intends on returning. I'm just thinking with the mindset that any bit may help.

I don't have any experience with this, that's why I'm here.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Jekt

[Boiler 45,486]

Yes, she is allowed to present it. She has permission to do so. Doesn't mean it is wise or meaningful or will change anything...

Actually this one could make matters worse.

I figured purchasing a return flight would just be another supporting factor that she definitely intends on returning.

You have lost me, the Airline will track her down and put her on the plane?

[Jekt 0]

Actually this one could make matters worse.

You have lost me, the Airline will track her down and put her on the plane?

All I'm saying is that I thought it would be just another supportive piece of evidence in addition to official documents from her university stamped, and sealed, scholarships, visas from other countries, her bank accounts, etc.

I wouldn't want her to waste money unnecessarily.