The Department of State does not currently offer visa services in Ukraine, but is sharing information on what visa options or alternatives Ukrainians might consider. It is important to note that a visa is not a way to secure the resettlement of refugees in the United States.
Non-immigrant visas
Non-immigrant visas are intended for temporary stay in the United States. They are not a suitable tool for starting the process of immigration, acquiring refugee or resettled status.
If you apply for a nonimmigrant visa but cannot demonstrate an intention to leave the United States after a certain period of time to return to live abroad, the consular officer will deny your application.
All B1/B2 visa applicants are presumed to be prospective immigrants and therefore ineligible for an immigrant visa unless they can prove otherwise. Immigrant visa applicants can apply at any embassy or consulate where they are physically present and where meetings are possible.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may experience increased wait times for visa interviews at some embassies and consulates.
After scheduling an interview, applicants will have the option to request an expedited appointment, but must describe the unique circumstances that justify such a request. In addition, due to the war in Ukraine, now all people who apply for a tourist visa have the opportunity to note that they are refugees from Ukraine.
A separate column for Ukrainian refugees appeared in the form. This allows Ukrainians to obtain a non-immigrant visa with immigration intentions.
Immigrant Visas
Immigrant visas are for foreign nationals who intend to permanently live and work in the United States. Additional information about immigrant visas can be found at the link. The US Consulate General in Frankfurt (Germany) is the designated processing point for all immigrant visa applications for Ukrainians, except for cases of adoption. All new applications will be processed at the US Consulate General in Frankfurt.
Adoption cases are processed at the US Embassy in Warsaw (Poland). Requesting Expedited Processing of I-130 Petition for Alien Relative: If you have filed a Form I-130 with USCIS and it has not yet been approved, you can submit an expedited request to USCIS. There is also a USCIS Helpline if you are an active duty member of the US Armed Forces.
I-130 Filing by U.S.
Citizens If you are a U.S. citizen who is physically at the border with your immediate family and have not yet filed an immigrant visa application with USCIS, you can request a local I-130 filing at the nearest embassy or consulate. . This applies only to US citizens who are physically present in this consular district and are petitioning for their spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents who have left Ukraine.
Requesting Expedited Immigrant Visa Processing at the National Visa Center (NVC)
If you have already received approval of your I-130 petition from USCIS but have not yet been scheduled for an appointment in Frankfurt, the NVC can expedite the processing of your case.
Transfer of immigrant visa cases from the manual in Kyiv
If you had an immigrant visa case pending at the US Embassy that was not an adoption case, it was transferred to Frankfurt. Adoption cases were transferred to Warsaw.
If you want to transfer the processing of your immigration case to another US embassy or consulate, contact the immigration visa office of the receiving US embassy or consulate in that country to request a transfer.
The embassy will provide a list of requirements that must be met in order to begin the translation process.
Transfer of Immigrant Visa Cases from the National Visa Center (NVC) I
mmigrant visa applicants who have received an NVC case number and provided all supporting information to become "documentally qualified" will be notified of an appointment in Frankfurt.
Adoption
The Department is actively working with Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) to provide guidance and answer questions during this critical time.
For additional information for US citizens who are in the process of adoption in Ukraine, see the link. This resource looks at adoption at different stages of the process, as well as guidance on who to consult and an explanation of the potential role and capabilities of the Assistance Department.
Prospective adoptive parents should consult with their ASP about how the crisis in Ukraine may affect their adoption plans.
Вимоги щодо COVID-19
Центри з контролю та профілактики захворювань США (CDC) на свій розсуд дозволили деяким особам з України в'їжджати до Сполучених Штатів без тесту на COVID-19.
Додаткова інформація щодо посилання. Департамент внутрішньої безпеки США (DHS) вніс поправку, яка дає змогу деяким українським мандрівникам до Сполучених Штатів в'їжджати без відповідності вимогам у зв'язку з COVID-19. Щоб отримати додаткову інформацію, відвідайте веб-сайт DHS за посиланням.
Humanitarian Parole
Parole is a program operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that allows a person who may be inadmissible or otherwise ineligible to enter the United States to remain in the United States for a period of time for urgent humanitarian reasons or of important .
It is not intended to replace the visa process. Anyone can apply for humanitarian parole. Those wishing to apply for humanitarian parole should contact USCIS directly.
Refugee Status
Almost all refugee cases in countries are handled by local authorities or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Ukrainians should not attempt to apply for a visa to travel to the United States as refugees. Instead, they should apply to local authorities or to the UNHCR for refugee status.
More information is available from UNHCR: https://help.unhcr.org, including information about non-governmental organizations that can provide additional assistance. In addition, the website of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has information for Ukrainian refugees.
The Resettlement Support Center (RSC) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) continues limited work from Kyiv and from the branch office in Chisinau (Moldova). Currently, RSC Eurasia does not conduct in-person events and does not plan flights from Kyiv. We encourage applicants who are in danger to seek safety and shelter wherever possible.
The office in Chisinau can arrange departure for approved Ukrainian applicants who have met all the requirements of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and are physically outside of Ukraine. If you had an active USRAP case at RSC Eurasia, your case remains active and processing continues to the extent possible.
The current security situation in Ukraine will not affect the decision of USCIS or the overall consideration of the case. However, some resettlement processing actions may be delayed.
Applicants who were under consideration in Ukraine and have changed their location or left the country should write to RSC Eurasia and inform them of their new location and contact information.
Local resources
European partners offer many resources for people displaced by the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians should consult with local authorities in their current location to determine what may be available when considering resettlement options.
