QUEENS, New York (Press Release)— Congressman Steve Israel (D-New York) hailed the safe return of four-year old Mykhailo Kuzmin to his mother and step father in New York. Rep. Israel had called on the State Department to expedite the processing of an approved immigration petition for Mykhailo to come to the United States and live with his parents as a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card holder). Mykhailo had been living with his grandfather in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, but due to the recent instability in Ukraine, his family feared for his safety. At Rep. Israel’s request, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services expedited the approval and processing of the Legal Permanent Resident Petition.
Rep. Israel said, “It’s wonderful to see Mykhailo reunited with his mother, Nathalia, and his step father, Julian, after a nerve wracking few months. With the ongoing unrest in Ukraine, I knew how important it was to convince the State Department to expedite the processing of Mykhailo’s travel documents so he could safely join his family in New York. I am thrilled to welcome him to the United States, where I know he will thrive.”
Mykhailo Kuzmin was living with his grandfather in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, about 150 miles from Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev. He is the step-son of Julian Zagorodnev and the biological son of Nathalia Kuzmina who live in Whitestone.
The normal processing time for a U.S. citizen requesting a green card for a child under the age of 21 is between 10 to 12 months. Upon learning about Mykhailo’s situation, Rep. Israel reached out to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the State Department to request expeditious processing due to the violence in and around the child’s home in Vinnytsia. With the expedition, Rep. Israel was able to cut the wait time down to two and a half months.
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Preceding provided by Rep. Steve Israel of New York