US K-1 & Spouse Visa from Ukraine — Evidence Guide

For Ukrainian applicants applying to United States. Official source: US Embassy in Kyiv.

Applicable visa categories

K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa (nonimmigrant) (I-129F) — varies by case; check USCIS processing times for Form I-129F, then the Kyiv embassy for interview scheduling
CR-1 / IR-1 Spouse Visa (immigrant) (I-130) — varies by case; check USCIS processing times for Form I-130, then NVC and the Kyiv embassy
F2A Spouse of a Green-Card Holder (immigrant) (I-130) — varies by case; F2A visas are numerically limited, so check the monthly Visa Bulletin on travel.state.gov

What is different for Ukrainian applicants

Kyiv is the interview post again: the State Department announced that immigrant and fiancé(e) visa cases for citizens and residents of Ukraine would resume processing at the US Embassy in Kyiv from October 2024, and the embassy now says it processes most immigrant visa cases for Ukrainian citizens, including K-1. Immigrant visa transfers to or from Kyiv are requested through the embassy’s visa navigator; the Kyiv K visa instructions say to contact the National Visa Center to move a fiancé(e) case from Kyiv to another post.
Martial-law exit rules: the embassy warns that a US immigrant or nonimmigrant visa gives no privileges to cross the Ukrainian border to men aged 23–60 or to others temporarily prohibited from leaving Ukraine under martial law. The restriction comes from Ukrainian law, and the embassy says it cannot intervene with the Ukrainian military or provide supporting documents for an exit request.
Translation rules differ by stage: at the State Department stage (NVC and the Kyiv interview), documents in English or Ukrainian need no certified translation, but a document in another language, such as Russian, does. USCIS asks for a full English translation, with the translator’s certification, of any foreign-language document filed with Form I-129F or I-130, and that covers Ukrainian-language chat excerpts.
Social media and medical exam: the embassy’s visa page instructs K-1, K-2 and K-3 applicants to set the privacy setting on all social-media accounts to “public” or “open”. Medical exams for Kyiv cases are done at the designated IOM Migration Health Unit in Kyiv (only an embassy-approved physician can do the exam), and the exam has to be completed before the interview.

Document authentication (Ukraine)

Ukraine has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since December 2003. Apostilles are issued by the authority responsible for the type of document: the Ministry of Justice for civil-registry (DRACS) certificates, court documents and notarial acts, the Ministry of Internal Affairs for its own documents such as criminal-record extracts, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for other official documents.

Issuing authority: Ministry of Justice of Ukraine — civil status registration and apostille (Minjust).

Civil documents commonly required

Свідоцтво про народження (birth certificate) issued by a state civil-status registration (DRACS) office
Свідоцтво про шлюб (marriage certificate) and, if previously married, свідоцтво про розірвання шлюбу (divorce certificate)
Витяг з Державного реєстру актів цивільного стану громадян (extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts)
Витяг з інформаційно-аналітичної системи «Облік відомостей про притягнення особи до кримінальної відповідальності та наявності судимості» (criminal-record extract) from the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Official form guides

Common refusal grounds at US Embassy in Kyiv

Relationship not shown to be genuine: if the consular officer does not find a K-1 relationship to be bona fide, the visa is not issued and the I-129F is returned to USCIS. The I-130 instructions also bar a petition for anyone USCIS determines entered into a marriage to evade immigration law.
Financial evidence that does not answer the public-charge question: for K-1, the Kyiv instructions prefer Form I-134 with one year of IRS tax transcripts, W-2s, bank statements, earning statements or employer letters; for CR-1/IR-1 and F2A, the I-864 sponsor’s income is compared with 125% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines (100% for sponsors on active duty in the US armed forces petitioning for a spouse or child).
Incomplete documents on interview day, which the Kyiv instructions warn may result in a visa refusal or long delays — for example a short («скорочений») police certificate instead of the full version, a police certificate that leaves out earlier surnames, or no proof that every prior marriage of either spouse ended. A refusal may come with a request for additional documents or lead to administrative processing.
A marriage that is not legally valid: under Ukraine’s Family Code a religious ceremony alone is not a legal marriage, and marriages performed in occupied Crimea or the occupied areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are not legally recognised in Ukraine.
K-1 only: no in-person meeting during the two years before the I-129F was filed, unless USCIS waives the requirement because meeting would violate strict, long-established customs of the fiancé(e)’s culture or would cause extreme hardship to the US citizen petitioner.

What officers scrutinize on this corridor

Printed relationship evidence for the interview: the Kyiv K visa instructions list print-outs of letters, emails, photos, phone bills and Skype logs and say electronic media is not acceptable; for immigrant visas the instructions ask for evidence of the relationship such as photographs, letters or emails.
For the I-130, the bona fide marriage evidence USCIS lists: joint property, a joint lease, combined finances, birth certificates of children you have together, sworn affidavits from people who know the marriage, or other evidence of an ongoing marital union.
For the K-1 petition, evidence the I-129F instructions suggest: a written statement about your in-person meeting with airline tickets, passport pages or other proof from the two years before filing, and statements of intent to marry within 90 days of entry signed by both of you.
Original Ukrainian civil documents: the marriage certificate (Svidotstvo pro shlyub) issued at civil registration, and proof that every earlier marriage ended — a divorce certificate or, for divorces on or after 27 July 2010, the court decree in its place. Ukrainian authorities do not issue notarized or certified copies of civil documents.
A full-version («повний») police certificate from Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs for applicants aged 16 and over, listing every name used, including maiden and married surnames.

Frequently asked questions

Where will my Ukrainian partner have the visa interview?

In most cases at the US Embassy in Kyiv. The State Department announced that immigrant and fiancé(e) visa cases for citizens and residents of Ukraine would resume processing there from October 2024, and the embassy says it now processes most immigrant visa cases for Ukrainian citizens, including K-1. For an immigrant visa case, a transfer to or from Kyiv is requested through the embassy’s visa navigator; for a K-1 case, the Kyiv instructions say to contact the National Visa Center to transfer it to another post.

Can my fiancé(e) or spouse leave Ukraine during martial law once the visa is issued?

Not automatically. The US Embassy in Kyiv says a US immigrant or nonimmigrant visa gives no privileges to cross the Ukrainian border to men aged 23–60 or to others temporarily prohibited from leaving under martial law. The restriction comes from Ukrainian law, and the embassy says it cannot intervene with the Ukrainian military or provide supporting documents for an exit request. The Kyiv instructions also advise against making non-refundable travel arrangements until the visa has been received.

Do Ukrainian documents and chats need an English translation?

It depends on where they go. At the State Department stage (NVC and the Kyiv interview), documents in English or Ukrainian do not need a certified translation, but a document in Russian or another language does. Anything you file with USCIS, such as the I-129F or I-130, needs a full English translation of any foreign-language document, with the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate. That covers any Ukrainian or Russian chat excerpts you file as evidence.

Which Ukrainian police certificate does the embassy want?

The full version («повний»), not the short one («скорочений»), issued by Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The State Department notes that Ukrainian citizens with no criminal record can request it online, or it can be requested at the nearest administrative service centre (TSNAP). For immigrant and K visas it must list every name the applicant has used, including maiden and married surnames, and the request has to ask for this specifically. The Kyiv instructions require one from applicants aged 16 and over and treat police certificates as valid for two years.

Does a church wedding, or a marriage registered in occupied territory, count for a US spouse visa?

According to the State Department, a religious ceremony on its own is not a legal marriage under Ukraine’s Family Code; a marriage is legal only from the date it is registered with the civil registry office. The State Department also notes that marriages performed in occupied Crimea or the occupied areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are not legally recognised in Ukraine, so couples need to marry outside those areas to establish a legal relationship.

Do Ukrainian birth and marriage certificates need an apostille?

The Kyiv embassy’s current immigrant and K visa instructions ask for original civil documents and do not mention an apostille. Ukraine joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2003, and the State Department’s Ukraine document page notes that the Ministry of Justice apostilles civil-registry documents for use in Convention countries. Follow the document instructions you receive from NVC or the embassy for your case. Note that Ukrainian authorities do not issue notarized or certified copies of civil documents.

Can we bring our WhatsApp or Telegram history on a USB stick?

Not for a K-1 interview. The Kyiv K visa instructions ask for print-outs of relationship evidence such as letters, emails, photos, phone bills and Skype logs, and say electronic media is not acceptable. USCIS also tells I-129F filers not to send non-paper items such as CD-ROMs, DVDs or thumb drives, or graphic photos of intimate relations. Print a selection of messages instead (for example, a chat export formatted with PartnerProof), with English translations of any Ukrainian or Russian messages filed with USCIS.

Official sources

Related corridors

US K-1 & Spouse Visa from Vietnam — US K-1, CR-1, and IR-1 evidence guide for Vietnamese applicants — Ho Chi Minh City consulate, commune-level marriage registration, translation requirements.
US Spouse & K-1 Visa from China — US CR-1, IR-1, and K-1 evidence guide for Chinese applicants — Guangzhou consulate, notarial certificates, 2023 apostille change.
US K-1 & Spouse Visa from the Philippines — K-1, CR-1, and IR-1 evidence guide for Filipino applicants — CFO GCP certificate, PSA documents, Manila embassy interview specifics.
US Spouse & K-1 Visa from Colombia — CR-1, IR-1, and K-1 evidence guide for Colombian applicants — Bogotá embassy, registro civil copia del folio, two-year police certificate.

PartnerProof converts WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage exports into USCIS-formatted PDF evidence packets for United States visa applications. Try it free →