Consular Services > Non-immigrant Visa

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NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS

IMPORTANT: BEGINNING FEBRUARY 26, 2010 ALL APPLICANTS FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISAS HAVE TO USE THE NEW ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FORM - DS-160. THIS IS THE ONLY APPLICATION FORM THAT IS GOING TO BE USED. ALL OTHER FORMS THAT WERE IN USE BEFORE (DS-156, DS-157, DS-158) ARE NOT VALID ANY MORE. TO FILL OUT THE NEW DS-160 FORM PLEASE CLICK HERE: HTTPS://CEAC.STATE.GOV/GENNIV.

Welcome to the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit. We are a team of dedicated U.S. Embassy professionals committed to protecting American citizens and facilitating legitimate travel in accordance with U.S. law. In our work, we are guided by the principles of transparency, fairness, professionalism and integrity.

What is a non-immigrant visa?

A visa is issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Non-Immigrant visas are intended for people with permanent residence outside the United States who wish to go to the U.S. temporarily for tourism, business, medical treatment, work, or study.

A visa entitles the holder to travel to the United States and apply for admission. It does not guarantee entry. The visa expiration date and the length of time a traveler is allowed to remain in the United States are two different terms. At the port of entry, an immigration officer of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection determines the visa holder's eligibility for admission into the United States and their length of stay.

For more information about visas to the U.S. please click here.

Who needs a visa?

Ukrainian citizens require a visa to enter the United States. Citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) do not need a visa if their passport meets certain requirements.

How to use a visa?

A single-entry visa allows travel to the U.S. only once within the period of the visa’s validity. That is, once you travel to the U.S. and then leave the country, you may not reenter again on that same visa. A multiple-entry visa allows travel to the U.S. several times within the period of the visa’s validity. At the point of entry to the U.S., an immigration officer will indicate how long the visa holder is permitted to stay in the country.

If a visa type does not allow long-term stay in the U.S., extensive and frequent travel to the U.S. may raise questions about the visa holder’s intent to maintain permanent residence in Ukraine. Such trips may negatively affect his/her ability to obtain a new visa to the U.S.

Visitors to the United States must have a visa and a valid passport. The passport holders of the following countries must have their passports valid for the duration of stay in the US.* Passport holders of other countries must have passports valid for at least 6 months after the anticipated departure from the US.

NOTE: If an applicant presents a passport valid for more than six months but not sufficient to permit admission for the entire period of stay contemplated, an applicant should extend, renew, or replace a passport before visa issuance. In the event that this is not feasible until after the applicant’s arrival in the United States, the visa may be issued, however, the initial period of stay in the U.S. will be limited because of the limited validity of the passport. 

NOTE: If the international passport has expired/will expire in less than 6 months and it has a valid visa in it, the visa holder may travel to the U.S. with this passport along with a newly issued passport. The traveler's nationality indicated in the new passport must be the same as in the visa bearing passport. The difference in the name transliteration in two passports will not affect the visa validity.

For more information on passport requirements, please click here.

 


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