Marriage in Ukraine

[DutchBoyUSA]

My fiance and I are trying to decide when and where we should get married and which immigration process we should take. Should we get married in Ukraine (Dnepropetrovsk) and immigrate as direct family members OR should we go the traditional fiance visa route and get married here? We would like to get married in Ukraine, but the key factor is her 2 children. They are both in elementry school now and we feel it is important for them all to immigrate in June after school is done, but with enough time to adjust to America before school begins again in the fall. Does anyone have experience of the marriage process in Ukraine (ie. what is the paperwork process to get a marriage licence and get married in Ukraine). Does anyone have any recent experience with the immigration process of direct relatives (ie. spouse and minor children) from Ukraine. Today I was interviewing an immigration lawyer that we might use to help us in the process. He told me that the direct relative immigration processing is now being done in Kiev and not Warsaw. He said fiance processing for Ukraine is still being done in Warsaw. Any good info on any of these questions would be greatly appreciated. -Mike-

[DutchBoyUSA]

... in response to Marriage in Ukraine, posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 4, 2002

It's me again DutchBoyUSA the fellow who started this thread. This week I have interviewed 2 lawyers about their experience and qualifications to handle my case. I met with one lawyer in person in Chicago for about 30 minutes and I spoke with another lawyer in New Hampshire on the phone for about 20 minutes. The lawyer from Chicago has parents from Ukraine. The lawyer from New Hampshire has business associates in Dnepropetrovsk (where my fiance lives). Both lawyers were very helpful in explaining the process to me, and they are in agreement on the fiance visa process, but their explanations of how to get married in Ukraine and then immigate as a family differed (no big suprise that lawyers would differ). I think the fiance visa process is a RELATIVELY well oiled machine and there are lots of lawyers with experience in this process, but the process of getting married in Ukraine and then immigrating as a family happens less frequently so it is fraught with uncertainty and risks. I'm trying to get a better understanding of how to get married in Ukraine and then immigrate as a family. Anyone with information on the process, the forms, the length of time, the possible delays, or anything that might help me choose between my two options of getting my fiance and her children here to America I would greatly appreciate it. -Mike-

[Oscar]

... in response to I've spoken with 2 lawyers about this an..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

I can only say what I have heard men who have done it both ways say-  The general consensus has been that it is better to get married here.  The ones I know who have gotten married there and not had it become a problem or delay in any way, got married IN THE CHURCH ONLY without it being reported to the state there.  So they get married for the family etc, nice big affair, but in the eyes of the state or the USA, they are not really married and they proceed with the K-1 (fiance) & K-2 (for the children) visas without any problems.  Now there may be some guys here who did it marrying there and reporting it to the state that came out just fine, I don't know, they can speak to that, but I have heard more than a few say that if they had to do it over again, they would not get married there or just get married in the church.
And just because she has kids does not mean you need to hire an expensive lawyer.  There is very little extra to do for the K-2 visas.  I almost went with an attorney, but guys here convinced me I really didn't need one and they were right and my girl also has a child..

My 2 cents
Oscar

[MarkInTx]

... in response to I've spoken with 2 lawyers about this an..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

An agency owner came on here once and claimed that it was VERY fast and easy to get married in Ukraine and come over as a family.

He is reviled by some on here, (I don't know why) so I'm not sure what the truth is.

However, he gave me the name of a guy, in Chicago I believe, who did it. I wrote him. He said that he did the whole thing in three weeks, and brought his wife with him when he came back.

Pretty amazing stuff for those of us who have to wait thre months just for the INS portion.

From what I understand... if you come HERE and file the K-3, then you are looking for a longer wait than the K-1 fiance visa.

But if you do it THERE and come back as a family, it varies only depending on the embassy you are working with. So, Ukraine is supposed to be a good place to do this.

I'm sorry I don't have first hand experience with this. It is all I know...

[Dan]

... in response to I've spoken with 2 lawyers about this an..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

K-1 visa - which you already know about.

DCF (Direct Consular Filing) - which involves marriage in Ukraine and then filing at the US Embassy in Kyiv (though they simply send this on to Warsaw for processing).

K-3 visa - which also involves marriage in Ukraine and then filing the necessary forms when you return to the US. Processing is performed by the Kyiv Embassy.

It seems that the K-1 is running about 3 to 6 months, depending on which INS Service Center district you file with. K-3 is unpredictable because it is relatively new. We have 2 posters on this board that have filed K-3 and the most recent is suffering with a long delay and little information. DCF runs approximately 2 to 3 months.

DCF seems to be the shortest - and it also has the added advantage that your family will arrive in the US on "Immigrant" status - not on "Non-Immigrant" status which requires later adjustment. The other advantage to DCF is that processing of the visa is entirely the responsibility of the US Consular Corps (Dept of State) - it does NOT involve the INS (Dept of Justice) as does the K-1 and K-3 visas.

The disadvantage to DCF is that you don't have the opportunity to to as Rick (snowego) did, if things do not work out upon arrival.

Whichever choice you make, this board has links (in the left frame) to "Immigration" that will be invaluable to you in preparing the paperwork, etc.

Best of luck to you!

- Dan

[JimmyUSA]

... in response to 3 Options . . ., posted by Dan on Oct 5, 2002

Dan,

I think you were referring to me for the long delay K-3. Yep, it has been painful and a long wait.  I just found out myself that it is possible to file DCF if I choose but the uncertainty of receiving the K-3 soon makes me think twice about it.  I am now at day 106 for the K-3.  Honestly I would not recommend this method. I thought I was going to have a quick visa and now look.  Even if I get the INS OK for the visa tomorrow then we still have the added wait for the INS to contact the embassy, the embassy to  contact my wife, now the police certificates, medical, and then maybe an added wait for more securtiy checks.  I would recommend the K-1 or DCF.  The K-3 has turned out to be a joke and should be embarrassing to the INS and US government for thinking that the family is important to them.  It only makes me think that the option to join my wife in another country may not be so terrible.

Best Regards,

JimmyUSA

aka

JimmyUkraine

[DutchBoyUSA]

... in response to 3 Options . . ., posted by Dan on Oct 5, 2002

Dan, thanks a bunch for sharing the DCF process with me. This looks very interesting and I will contact the Embassy in Kiev to see if they provide this service. I did a google search and found a number of websites with good information. Here are some of the best for those who are interested:

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/DCFandnoDCFcountries.html
http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com/Spousalartl.html
http://k1.exit.com/spouse2.html
http://k1.exit.com/spouse4.html

Thanks again!

Mike

[Dan]

... in response to Links to info about DCF (Direct Consular..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

The Consular section of the US Embassy in Kyiv does, indeed, process DCF aplications. I visited them myself and spoke to them about the process. In fact, I came VERY near to cancelling my K-1 application and opting for the DCF.

If you need some assistance with the DCF, just drop me an e-mail. I have a close friend that helps people navigate their way through the US Consular maze every day.

- Dan

[Del]

... in response to I've spoken with 2 lawyers about this an..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

http://www.infoukes.com/ukremb/marriage.shtml

It's the Ukraine Embassy in Ottawa site.

[Del]

... in response to I've spoken with 2 lawyers about this an..., posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 5, 2002

http://www.infoukes.com/ukremb/marriage.shtml

It's the Ukraine Embassy in Ottawa site.

[BarryM]

... in response to Marriage in Ukraine, posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 4, 2002

What if she decides that she doesn't want to live in the USA? What if she changes her mind? If you're married, she could divorce you in any state in the US and might be able to get some of your property and alimony.

-blm

[Stan B]

... in response to Marriage in Ukraine, posted by DutchBoyUSA on Oct 4, 2002

which way is better, but from my conversation with an immigration lawyer, she basically told me that other than checking my paperwork for mistakes, there was nothing she could do to speed up the process. So unless you have $ to burn, save it for when they get here, as you will defineately need it then. Good luck & aloha...