I filed an expedite request today (Ukraine I-130)

[Natafaith 3]

2 hours ago, texastincup said:

I received this via email today with regard to the Texas Service Center I-130.

 

”We have received your request for expeditious processing of your case.  It has been determined that your case meets the requirements for expedited processing of your application. ”

Did you get response on the same day of the request? And did they asked for any supporting documentation?

i called today too to expedite K1 visa . They said they will respond back in few days ..

[texastincup 52]

1 hour ago, Natafaith said:

Did you get response on the same day of the request? And did they asked for any supporting documentation?

i called today too to expedite K1 visa . They said they will respond back in few days ..

If you read the entire thread, you'll see I made an expedite request last Thursday on two I-130 cases. The Texas one was approved Tuesday and I am still waiting to hear on the Potomac one. I received no request for supporting documentation as of today.

[Natafaith 3]

1 hour ago, texastincup said:

If you read the entire thread, you'll see I made an expedite request last Thursday on two I-130 cases. The Texas one was approved Tuesday and I am still waiting to hear on the Potomac one. I received no request for supporting documentation as of today.

Thanks for information! Hopefully they will expedite for all of us 🙏

[O&R 5]

19 hours ago, texastincup said:

I received this via email today with regard to the Texas Service Center I-130.

 

”We have received your request for expeditious processing of your case.  It has been determined that your case meets the requirements for expedited processing of your application. ”

Same for me. They mentioned most case get a decision in 45 days. Please let us know once you hear on the decision. 

 

Also any ideas for the police certificates for them? Everything is closed in Ukraine

[slavaskii 886]

3 hours ago, O&R said:

Same for me. They mentioned most case get a decision in 45 days. Please let us know once you hear on the decision. 

 

Also any ideas for the police certificates for them? Everything is closed in Ukraine

Police certificates can often be obtained by request through the country's embassy abroad. Of course that operation won't be working now because of the information ministry being closed, but still, if you're planning on leaving I don't think it's an issue you don't have all the necessary documents. Just remember the birth certificate (and perhaps vaccine records, if you have access).

 

One thing I wonder is to where these expedited applications will go. Warsaw seems like the obvious choice, but I don't think there's been any information on that past the USCIS stage. Plus, NVC needs its own expedite application. If reports are true that Russia plans for this war to be over in 2 weeks, I'm not sure what the State Department plans to do with Ukrainian applicants if it's going to take at most 45 days for applications to clear USCIS even with an expedite.

 

I wish everyone in this thread the best. Keep your loved ones safe.

[Boiler 45,402]

Ukraine refugees given right to live in EU for three years

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/02/ukraine-refugees-right-to-live-in-eu-plan

[millefleur 5,046]

Warsaw has updated it's page regarding "humanitarian assistance" for Ukrainians, in case it helps anyone:

https://pl.usembassy.gov/visas/humanitarian-assistance-and-visa-information-for-ukrainians/

 

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

If you are seeking information about immediate humanitarian assistance in Poland:

• There are no visas for refugees for travel to the United States.
• Almost all refugee cases in countries abroad are first processed by local authorities, in this case the government of Poland.
• Please visit the government of Poland webpage for information about resources: https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/ukraina-en.  This website provides the locations of official reception points along Poland’s border with Ukraine.
• Additional information is available from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR): https://help.unhcr.org/poland/, including information about non-governmental organizations that may be able to provide additional assistance.
• In Warsaw, those seeking information on support from the Polish government can direct inquires to the Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców).
  • Phone: +48 47 721 75 75,
  • Web: https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/ukraina
  • Email: ukraina@udsc.gov.pl

VISA SERVICES IN POLAND

IMMIGRANT VISAS

If you are a  U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident with a Ukrainian relative  seeking to travel to the United States on an immigrant visa:

• If you have an I-130 petition approved by USCIS pending processing at the National Visa Center (NVC) and want to transfer it to another Embassy, the designated processing post for Ukrainian Immigrant Visas is now United States Consulate General Frankfurt, Germany.  You may request expedition and transfer from the National Visa Center:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/national-visa-center/nvc-contact-information.html
• If you have not yet filed a petition but wish to do so, you may contact U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt to inquire regarding possible local filing (this applies only to U.S. citizens filing petitions for their spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents).  Both the petitioner and the applicant must be present in Germany.
• If you have an immigrant visa case that has already been transferred from NVC to Kyiv for the appointment and processing and you would like it to be processed in Frankfurt, please send an email request with your case number (KEV+10 digits) to U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt.
• If you a question about an immigrant visa case that is already in process at U.S. Embassy Warsaw, please email support-Poland@ustraveldocs.com.

If you are a U.S. citizen with a Ukrainian fiancée/fiancé seeking to travel to the United States on a K1 visa:

• If you have already filed a petition with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that was not yet approved, U.S. law prohibits U.S. embassies from accepting K visa petitions (I-129F) for local filing abroad. USCIS must first approve K visa petitions. However, you can request an expedite for USCIS processing at https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/how-to-make-an-expedite-request

NONIMMIGRANT VISAS

Before applying for a nonimmigrant visa, consider carefully whether you are qualified for the visa you intend to apply for.  Nonimmigrant visas are for temporary stays in the United States and are not for refugees.  There are no nonimmigrant visas for refugees.  If you apply for a nonimmigrant visa but do not intend to leave the United States, your application will be refused.

If you are not qualified for a nonimmigrant visa, you may wish to refer to the humanitarian assistance information above.

If you are a Ukrainian who wants to travel to the United States or a U.S. citizen who has friends, business associates, or NON-IMMEDIATE family who want to travel to the United States on a nonimmigrant visa:

• Demand is extremely high, availability is low, and wait times and processing times are likely to be very lengthy. You may wish to refer to the humanitarian relief information above.
• If you already have an appointment at U.S. Embassy Warsaw but wish to expedite it, you may request expedition via https://www.ustraveldocs.com/pl/en/expedited-appointment.
• If you already began a nonimmigrant visa application process in Ukraine, you may send a request to Support-Poland@ustraveldocs.com to ask for transfer of your “profile” to Warsaw, after which you should be able to continue the process for a Warsaw appointment.
• If you are seeking but do not already have an appointment visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/pl/en/step-4 and sign up for the first available appointment of the type you are eligible for.

If you are a U.S. citizen with a Ukrainian spouse or child seeking to travel to the United States on a  nonimmigrant visa

• If you are unable to schedule an appointment via methods described above, you may instead request a “group appointment” via https://ustraveldocs.com/pl/en/group-appointments and suggest a date convenient for you. Once you have submitted your request, please wait for a response from the Embassy, which will come via email and should permit you to schedule an appointment.

• • The group appointment option is only available for a  U.S. citizen with a Ukrainian spouse or child. Other applicants who apply for the group method will be refused.

[slavaskii 886]

Thanks for finding this @millefleur! It would seem that both USCIS and Warsaw are separately taking expedite requests. Wonder if a Ukrainian will have to first petition Warsaw for a transfer, then expedite. Nonetheless, very happy to see plans in place. I also presume Embassy Warsaw is going to be staffed pretty heavily in the coming months, particularly now that the Ukrainian staff has arrived and the remaining Belarusian staff were just ordered out this week. What a crazy world.

 

Something that's not entirely clear to me from the above information is what to do if your petition has been approved but currently waiting (or yet to arrive) at NVC, and the petitioner lacks a WAW number. Is it possible to request an expedite before it even arrives at NVC or Warsaw requests it? This is another bottleneck, I'm afraid. Any suggestions? 

[Cschaef25 24]

Bucharest, Romania is accepting case transfers as well. This is currently where my I-129F case will be transferred after speaking with them. May not be as busy as Warsaw. 

[O&R 5]

The Consulate will be in position to issue respective document after the required data has been received from Ukraine's competent authorities.

 

https://ny.mfa.gov.ua/en/consular-issues/criminal-record-certificate-ukraine

[Ozan 7]

I had my first expedite request denied a month ago for fear of a war breaking out in Ukraine. I-129F.
This time I just said you guys denied us for fear of war, now war has happened. I am now requesting an expedite for war. Whole conversation was like 5 minutes.
Surprisingly, it was approved 2 days later. I have been waiting for a year anyways so it's not much of a consolation, but better than nothing I guess.

[keystringzz 3]

22 hours ago, O&R said:

The Consulate will be in position to issue respective document after the required data has been received from Ukraine's competent authorities.

 

https://ny.mfa.gov.ua/en/consular-issues/criminal-record-certificate-ukraine

Please what do you mean by this?

[chivaschivas 33]

Hey guys.

 

I’m a Ukrainian fiancé, for now am in the EU. I have most documents with me, even a police certificate that I grabbed in haste - but not my birth certificate. It’s left in Ukraine with no way to obtain it.

 

Anyone knows if it’s even possible to get an interview abroad without one? I’m really worried that even if our second expedite request will be approved, this would fall through. Best I can do is a good quality photo but I’ve read somewhere they only want originals. Really worried about this.

 

Thank you and good luck everyone. Stay safe.

[slavaskii 886]

5 hours ago, chivaschivas said:

Hey guys.

 

I’m a Ukrainian fiancé, for now am in the EU. I have most documents with me, even a police certificate that I grabbed in haste - but not my birth certificate. It’s left in Ukraine with no way to obtain it.

 

Anyone knows if it’s even possible to get an interview abroad without one? I’m really worried that even if our second expedite request will be approved, this would fall through. Best I can do is a good quality photo but I’ve read somewhere they only want originals. Really worried about this.

 

Thank you and good luck everyone. Stay safe.

Have you filed an expedite yet with USCIS? Even with an expedite it can take up to 2 months for the approval to get to NVC, and then Frankfurt will need to deal with it from there. I only say this because a lot can happen from now until then, directly affecting your ability to get the birth certificate. It is good though that you're in the EU. When the situation 'normalizes,' the Information Ministry will begin working again and you can request the original birth certificate through Ukraine's consulate in the EU country you're currently in. Again, this is a very fluid situation, and the most important thing for everyone is just to find safety. 

 

Also, for the moderators: we've been getting lots of questions about document request and I'm not sure if they're best fit for these threads. Can we create a pinned discussion about such matters? Like documents/medical/expedites? We have good information here but all in different places.

[chivaschivas 33]

Just now, slavaskii said:

Have you filed an expedite yet with USCIS? Even with an expedite it can take up to 2 months for the approval to get to NVC, and then Frankfurt will need to deal with it from there. I only say this because a lot can happen from now until then, directly affecting your ability to get the birth certificate. It is good though that you're in the EU. When the situation 'normalizes,' the Information Ministry will begin working again and you can request the original birth certificate through Ukraine's consulate in the EU country you're currently in. Again, this is a very fluid situation, and the most important thing for everyone is just to find safety. 

 

Also, for the moderators: we've been getting lots of questions about document request and I'm not sure if they're best fit for these threads. Can we create a pinned discussion about such matters? Like documents/medical/expedites? We have good information here but all in different places.

We’ve filed an expedite request through Senator, after being refused ~2 weeks ago for the first time, and got an email that it’s under review and we should hear back shortly. I really hope it will be approved…

 

The timeline NOA2 - NVC - Embassy is a bit confusing too, but that’s probably because my mind is all jumbled up from the war events.

 

So up to 45 days for them to decide whether they approve the petition or not, up to 2 months to get to the NVC (does it include processing? can that be expedited as well?), and then however long at the Embassy. I hope there will be more options than Frankfurt…the wait is probably gonna be massive.

 

Thank you for all the answers and wishes of safety for us all!