Ukraine

Our law firm, Palant & Lust, PLLC, has over 45 years of combined experience working with Ukrainian entrepreneurs, investors, and other Ukrainian citizens interested in acquiring permanent residence (green card) in the United States through work, investment, relatives (parents, children, brothers, sisters, spouses, fiancés), as well as various types of nonimmigrant visas.

An increasing number of Ukrainian citizens wish to start and develop a business in the United States. The E-2 investor visa and the L-1 intracompany transferee visa have become quite popular among Ukrainians, the latter for transferring employees from a Ukrainian company to its American branch. Fiancé(e) visas (K-1) are popular for citizens of Ukraine who have found their soul mate in the United States. Immigrant visas based on relatives’ petitions are the best option for those who are already married to an American citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.

E-2 visas for Ukrainian citizens

Since 1996, the citizens of Ukraine have been eligible to apply for an E-2 investor visa pursuant to the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between the United States and Ukraine. The E-2 visa allows the successful applicant to start a business in the United States with a relatively small investment amount as opposed to the EB-5 visa investment amount of $900,000. The minimum amount for the E-2 visa has not been established by any regulation. However, in previous cases, an amount of at least $100,000 has been considered as acceptable, provided said amount is sufficient under the applicant’s business plan.

Having obtained an E-2 visa, a citizen of Ukraine can indefinitely renew his/her E-2 nonimmigrant status in the United States as long the business continues to operate. For those who wish to obtain an E-2 visa by buying an existing company or a franchise, we offer a variety of options throughout the United States as we work closely with experienced U.S. business brokers.

It is worth noting that many clients who have received an E-2 visa and have successfully demonstrated good earnings through their E-2 businesses were subsequently able to apply to the EB-5 Investor Immigration Program.

L-1 intracompany transferee visa for Ukrainian entrepreneurs

Another strategy for Ukrainian entrepreneurs to gain entry into the United States is to apply for the L-1 visa. This visa is issued to those employees of Ukrainian companies who hold the highest managerial or executive position in the company, have worked in the company for at least one year, and are transferred to work in a company branch in the United States by the decision of the Board of Directors. Subsequently, the holder of the L-1 visa has the right to apply for the status of a permanent resident of the United States in the category “manager of an international company.”

The type of visa most suitable for your particular case depends on many factors. That is why we advise that you seek our expertise via a detailed private consultation to decide upon your best option to make your American dream come true. We will ask you questions regarding your corporate and financial information, as well as your priorities and vital biographical data. The consultation can be in person or via Skype, Facetime, or WhatsApp.

Do not be surprised if we ask you during the consultation whether you have ever been arrested. While conviction under certain articles of the criminal code leads to a life-long ban on entry into the United States, many past “sins” may be forgiven. In some cases, one needs to be prompt in filing an expedited petition due to their minor children coming of age (note that in the American context, there are two types of “coming of age,” 18 and 21 years of age, and we can guide you as to the purposes for which each age limit is used). In other cases, we can help you prepare your application without any haste.

Should you have a partner or relative in the United States, Palant & Lust, PLLC has extensive experience in helping couples obtain Fiancé(e) Visas or green cards via immigration through marriage and through other family relationships; more details appear in the section dedicated to filing relative petitions on our website.

Applications of citizens from each country need to be individually tailored. Often this specificity is determined by the work methods followed by the United States consular service in a particular country. A consular interview in London is, for example, significantly different from that in Kyiv, and the preparation for such interviews also differs.

In many cases, working on an immigration case requires knowledge of Ukraine’s legal requirements, be it a divorce certificate or a company’s statutory documents. Palant & Lust, PLLC is perhaps the only American law firm to partner with Ukrainian lawyer Sergey Kunin, who is licensed by the New York State Supreme Court to advise on Ukrainian law in the United States, on a permanent basis. Sergey Kunin’s expertise in matters related to the immigration of Ukrainian citizens to the United States has been invaluable.

The ties of our firm with Ukraine extend beyond just business. Boris Palant, a partner of the firm, was born in Kharkiv. He graduated with an English and French Degree from the Kharkiv State University, Translation Department. Mr. Palant has been a practicing lawyer in the United States since 1984 and has provided legal assistance to thousands of Ukrainian citizens. In 2018, the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University published his book, Bill of Rights, and invited him to lecture their teachers and students on the American Constitution.

Whatever your immigration path to the United States of America, we will consider your situation seriously and responsibly, and understand its specificity like no other, given our vast knowledge of the political, social, and economic realities in Ukraine. We closely follow all the news relating to Ukraine, not only because it is interesting, but also because unlike other immigration lawyers, we are confident of representing the citizens of the country as we know all about its history, cultural traditions, politics, and pressing problems.

We hope to serve the citizens of Ukraine in all immigration-related matters and strive to achieve successful outcomes for each case.