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Ukrainian nationals: Other visa processing options

On Behalf of | Aug 17, 2022 | Immigration

With the U.S. consulate in Kyiv closed, as of February of 2022, there are now options for Ukrainian nationals who wish to have their visa processed. Ukraine became an addition to the Homeless Nationalities list. This means that the political or security situation is uncertain. This might affect visa applicants that might be friends or family of California residents.

The Homeless Nationalities visa happens for countries where there are no consular services; this is specifically for immigrant visa applications. Warsaw and Frankfurt are now designated processing centers for Ukrainians, and Frankfurt is the primary post. After the National Visa Center receives an application, the assignment goes to one of the centers.

Border crossings

The EU reached an agreement with Ukraine, due to airspace closures. People traveling to European countries may apply for a U.S. visa at one of the consulates in Europe. There are backups, however, at crossing points in Poland and Moldavia. One can expect longer lines at these points.

Alternative countries

Rather than spending time waiting in long lines, Ukrainian nationals can cross into Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. At these borders, there will be shorter lines. Within the European countries, American consulate processing can begin; it may eventually include a face-to-face interview.

No visas for EU

By agreement, Ukrainians will not need a visa to travel to an EU country. They can stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This is happening until the end of 2022. You can find out more about visa-free travel at the official website of the European Travel
Information and Authorization System.

With the closing of the U.S. embassy in Kyiv, the U.S. Department of State announced that Frankfurt and Warsaw are the new processing centers. Ukrainians may cross the border into EU countries and have visa-free travel until the end of 2022.