As one of the inaugural recipients of the Visa Network Program, Andrii works as a data engineer in the oil and gas industry, Originally from Ukraine, Andrii moved to Tulsa with his spouse and children to build a new career in tech in a new country, with the help of inTulsa’s Visa Network Program.
Tell us where you’re from, and how you ended up moving to Tulsa.
My family and I are from Ukraine, from Kyiv. We lived in Kyiv for over 20 years, and before that we lived in eastern Ukraine, in what is currently occupied territory. But we left that area many years ago and have actually no relatives there, thankfully.
When the situation escalated in Ukraine last year, my wife and two daughters left Ukraine and moved to France, where we had relatives. I stayed behind in Ukraine with my eldest son, because he was a young man, and the government doesn't let such young people leave leaves the country. I stayed with him for some time, but a few months later, my wife said she could not raise our daughters alone in an unknown country without knowing the French language, without knowing people, without support. She needed me. I talked to my son, and he told me that he would be okay on his own. So, I left Ukraine in the beginning of June 2022 and came to France, where we lived in our relatives’ house.
How did you get connected with the inTulsa Visa Network program?
In France, I was able to work my job in Ukraine as a remote worker. But that salary was not enough to support a family in Europe. So, I started to search for a new job in Europe or other countries. While researching online, I came across the inTulsa Visa Network program. I'd heard about programs like this, but it sounded too good to be true. The idea that someone just gives somebody money to come to their place and live there, I couldn’t believe it!
My wife said, “Why don't you just try it and see what happens? Nobody will force you to go. If it doesn’t feel right, then you just stay where you are.” So, I filled out the form on the inTulsa website. And within a week, the Visa Network Program contacted me.
What appealed to you about the program?
The program’s head, Stan, contacted me directly. He is from Ukraine, and he knows what the situation is there. He told me the program had just started working for Ukrainian refugees, and our family would be one of the first actually supported by this program. I provided all the required documents and started waiting for the decision. Then, Stan called me again and told that I was selected for the program. My family could start preparing for the move. That was amazing, actually. It was in the beginning of October that I applied for the program, and by the end of November, I had already been approved and I had a plane ticket. The Visa Network Program paid for our plane tickets so we could leave France and come to Tulsa. That was great. And the support from the Tulsa team was very, very good.
What was it like when you first arrived in Tulsa? How did the Visa Network program help settle in?
First of all, Tulsa is a small, small city. It’s not like Kyiv, which is big, very crowded, and noisy. Everywhere in Kyiv, there are lots of people. Here in Tulsa, it is enclosed, not crowded. It’s like the suburbs.
When we arrived here, we were impressed that the program had provided us with a house where we could live. Everything was ready for our family of four to settle in and start living here. We had a couple of tours around the city and the downtown area. Actually, we had the architectural tour. We’ve even visited some other districts to search for more permanent housing—this house we're in now is great, but it's small. We want more space for our children to enjoy.
What was it like to work with the Visa Network program to find a job?
I started working after living here for a month. One of the greatest things about the program was that I had already been approved to come work, and I was already selected by my current employer. inTulsa found my new employer for me, and they arranged my series of interviews with them. Before I came here to the United States, my job was already secured. And it was the best thing.
What is your current job right now?
I'm currently working at a software company. They provide information and statistics for the oil and gas industry here in Oklahoma, in New Mexico, and in Texas. I am working as a data engineer. My previous role in Kyiv was working in software development, providing services for online businesses, optimizing websites for the search engines, and a lot of things related to doing business online. It was a bit different, but it's still information technology.
What do you enjoy about living in the city of Tulsa?
I think Tulsa is very quiet and peaceful. The people here are very easygoing. You can just ask anybody in the street, “Where can I find something—like, where can I find the best ice cream shop here?” And they just will tell you and provide every bit of help they can. There are good people here.
What has surprised you most about life in Tulsa?
I was actually surprised that in contrast to living in multi-story buildings, everybody here has their own houses, and it's unusual for people to live in apartment buildings. Also, this big schools! I’m amazed how spacious the classrooms are. The streets are broad. There’s just a lot of space.
What tips would you offer to people like you who are considering the Visa Network program?
I would tell them that they shouldn't be scared about such things. They should apply and provide the information that is required and just see what happens. If you're not trying, then you will not get anything. That is the main thing, because I was the one who was not believing in this program at first. If if I didn't tr, then I wouldn’t have gotten here.
Another suggestion is to learn the English language. It’s very useful. Without it, it's very difficult to get by, not only in the USA, but in Europe too. Knowing English helps you with finding accommodations and a place to work. Actually, it helps a lot.
What would you suggest to employers who might hire Visa Network participants?
It depends on the job role and the employer, but the main thing is to provide information. The hardest thing for me was to find information about what jobs are available in this particular state, in this particular city. When searching for IT jobs in Tulsa, there are not many search results. But when you have a list of opportunities, then you can just start trying all the tools to connect with those opportunities. Employers can provide job information over a lot of channels, including partnership with such programs like inTulsa. If they provide this information, then the people who come to the United States will find it.
Any final thoughts you would like to share?
Yes! I just want to say thank you to all the people on the inTulsa team, and the Visa Network Program that helped us and our family and are helping other families from Ukraine. They do a really great job, and it helps us very much. I have already told my former coworkers about this program. And if they have opportunities to come and work here, they will definitely use it, because I have already provided the information that your program works.
