The Foreign Service Journal, September 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 49 Embassy Kyiv’s consular section, where I had worked from 2018 to 2019. They contributed their unique knowledge of Ukrainian nam- ing conventions and other invaluable local knowledge that helped inform visa deci- sions. I was so grateful for my Polish consular colleagues, as well, who welcomed us and whose graciousness provided us the comfort needed to do this difficult work. Our team of approximately 60 people all worked together to support this effort. On the visa line, the team adjudicated hundreds of cases each day. This was not easy. Consular work relies on a strong knowledge of U.S. immigration law, but adjudications also draw heavily on local cultural knowledge and experience. Not only was our group of TDYers new to this applicant pool, but the Ukrainian applicant pool had been fundamentally changed by the war, as well. Most of them had never applied for tourist visas before, and all of them had just left a life that had been completely upended. The primary applicants were mothers with small children accompanied by grandparents or relatives. Most of their stories were the same. They were traveling to visit a cousin or other relative and planning to return to Ukraine as soon as the war is over. They were planning to stay only for a few months since their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers were left behind. One young boy was so excited to receive a visa that he started crying when told it was approved. His mother explained that he had just spent days in a bomb The Registration Center in Przemysl, Poland. COURTESYOFLILIALALLY Because I was born in Ukraine, participating in this temporary duty (TDY) assignment was my dream from the moment the war began on Feb. 24, 2022. shelter. A family of five had to stay in a school’s gym while wait- ing for the interview. They were so delighted to continue their journey after their visas were approved. It was not only Ukrainians who were applying for visas; Rus- sians were, too. The officer’s job is to assess each application individually, taking into consideration all the factors unique to each applicant. With U.S. Embassy Moscow’s staffing severely decreased due to Russian government strictures, Russians have been applying for visas across the world. Many of the Russian applicants we saw in Poland had traveled to the United States previously and were simply looking to do the things people, regular people, do. They were visiting friends and family. They have children in American universities. We provided the same service to them as to Ukrainian applicants and the same careful consideration of each specific case as we do for people every- where.