According to Interfax-Ukraine, the consul general said that the decision to issue or deny a visa is made exclusively by a US consular officer. She emphasized that if a Ukrainian citizen has been denied a visa, he should not reapply in the near future until additional factors arise proving that he will return home after traveling to the United States.
According to Carlson, statistical information on the percentage of visa denials is confidential. At the same time, she noted that on some days about 70% or even more of Ukrainian citizens' requests for US visas are granted.
The consul general said that when issuing a visa, the consular department of the embassy is guided by three main factors: the purpose of the trip to the US, the financial status of the applicant, and the likelihood of the applicant returning home.
Mary Carlson recalled that the US lowered the visa fee for Ukrainian citizens without simplifying the visa issuance procedure. "We are not talking about a new visa regime. The US legislation regulating the visa issuance procedure has not changed. In the spirit of new cooperation with Ukraine, we have lifted the additional visa fee and are looking for ways to ease travel for our citizens to Ukraine and the US. But if a person in Ukraine did not meet the requirements for a visa six months ago and does not meet them today, he will not be issued a visa," she said.
It should be recalled that from July 8, Ukrainian citizens, when obtaining a US visa, must pay only the consular fee of $100. Until then, Ukrainian citizens also paid an additional fee of $65, since US citizens paid $165 for a visa to Ukraine. On July 1, Ukraine abolished the visa regime for US citizens who are visiting Ukraine again.