**For anyone who has had already had their interview in VIETNAM!**

[ILoveTan 0]

Just interested in some stats from those of you who have been through the vietnam visa process, please participate because EVERYONE filing for the first time can benefit from your experience - THANKS COMMUNITY!

1) How old are you?

2) How old is your fiance?

3) What is your race? i.e. are you Vietnamese-American or just American?

4) Did you file a k1 or k3 visa?

5) how long did it take from time of filing visa to interview?

6) Did you get blue, green or pink the first time at interview?

7) if you got blue or green, did you try again?

8) if you tried again, did you get pink?

9) how many tries did it take to get pink?

10) did any of you NEVER get the pink even though you tried more than once?

11) did anyone have a strange or unconvential job, i.e. couldn't show normal tax returns and had to show assets or letter from new job, etc? Please explain the situation.

12) for anyone that got blue or green, what was the reason given?

13) what did it take to overcome that reason?

14) what was the most confusing or difficult part of the forms/process?

15) any advice for those of us just starting?

16) are you a male or female?

THANKS ALL - If everyone answers this survey, I think this post has the potential to benefit everyone's VISA JOURNEY! GOD BLESS!!! LIVE FOR LOVE

[PeterFB 0]

Here's our answers

1. 56

2. 37

3. Native Born US Citizen

4. K1

5. Time from sending I-129f to Visa pick up 10 months 3 days.

6. Pink!

7. N/A

8. N/A

9. N/A

10. N/A

11. Straight forward Job type. I'm self employed showed Business Licenses, tax transcript and tax return for current year as well as bank info.

12. N/A

13. N/A

14. The instructions are imcomplete or not well written so there are many questions. I called the USCIS to verify how Thi was suppose to sign the forms and Intent letter. Personal choice (she signs her name "Thi"), US way (Thi Kim Nguyen) or Vietnamese way (Nguyen Kim Thi). Answer from USCIS, US way on all forms and documents.

15. I'm writing a WikiJV article, Vietnam K1 with my thought and experiences to help others, search the Wiki for Vietnam K1 to see it.

16. Male

Peter and Thi

I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26

I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11

I-129F RFE(s) :

RFE Reply(s) :

I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26

Touched: 2007-11-02

NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16

Consulate recieved ??????

Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11

Packet 3 received 2007-12-24

Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28

Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14

Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23

Interview Date 2008-2-27

Passed Interview 2008-02-27

Visa Pick Up Date 2008-3-05

Received Visa 2008-2-29 (called to pick up earlier)

[David-Hien 11]

1) 40

2) 47

3) Vietnamese

4) Benificiary, k1 visa.

5) 10 months, 10 days

6) Pink

7) N/A

8) N/A

9) N/A

10) N/A

11) Interpreter translated wrong word in the interview.

12) N/A

13) N/A

14) Waiting time and stressful interview

15) Study carefully before you file the case.

16) Female

Edited March 4, 2008 by Hien

[Kevin&Loan 0]

ANSWERS IN CAPS (No, I am not shouting LOL )

1) How old are you? 34

2) How old is your fiance? 35

3) What is your race? i.e. are you Vietnamese-American or just American? VIETNAMESE

4) Did you file a k1 or k3 visa? K1

5) how long did it take from time of filing visa to interview? 8 MONTHS

6) Did you get blue, green or pink the first time at interview? GREEN ASKING FOR DETAILED STATEMENT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP. ADDTIONAL TAX DOCUMENTS WHICH THEY ALREAD HAD AT THE INTERVIEW.

7) if you got blue or green, did you try again? YES. AFTER SUBMITTED THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. WE WERE TOLD TO WAIT BUT NOTHING HAPPENED FOR 8 MONTHS UNTILL I SEEKED HELP FROM MY CONGRESSMAN.

8) if you tried again, did you get pink? YES AFTER 8 MONTHS IN A.R.

9) how many tries did it take to get pink? A FEW TRIES

10) did any of you NEVER get the pink even though you tried more than once? N/A/

11) did anyone have a strange or unconvential job, i.e. couldn't show normal tax returns and had to show assets or letter from new job, etc? Please explain the situation. N/A BUT DO SEARCH ON THIS BOARD, THERE WERE POSTS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION.

12) for anyone that got blue or green, what was the reason given? INSUFFICENT DOCUMENTS.

13) what did it take to overcome that reason? GIVE THEM WHAT THEY ASK FOR AND BEST OFF SEEKING HELP FROM AN ATTORNEY OR CONGRESSMAN

14) what was the most confusing or difficult part of the forms/process? THE MOST DIFFICULT PART IS DEALING WITH THE CONSULATE, ESPECIALLY THE VIETNAMESE STAFF THAT WORK THERE.

15) any advice for those of us just starting? READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ON THIS BOARD. YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE HERE.

16) are you a male or female? MALE

Edited March 4, 2008 by Kevin&Loan

[Dave_Thao 0]

1) 43

2) 24

3) American Caucasion

4) K1

5) 8 months

6) Blue slip then Green and sent back to USCIS

7) Yes

8) waiting for packet 4

9) on second attempt

10) N/A

11) No

12) Lack of communication documents prior to engagement and 1 trip

13) N/A

14) Knowing what to do when cases are sent back to USCIS

15) Document everything.

16) Male

[STL_HCMC 0]

1. 27

2. 24

3. American

4. K1

5. 6.5 months

6. PINK

7. N/A

8. N/A

9. 1

10. N/A

11. Was working for a private Vietnamese company in HCMC

12. N/A

13. N/A

14. Uncertainty regarding I-134 and co-sponsor (in the end didn't need the co-sponsor)

15. Think big picture! Vietnam VJ is an excellent resource with members that stick around to help those just beginning

16. Male

STL_HCMC

[Robert & Van 0]

1) How old are you? 47

2) How old is your finance? 45

3) What is your race? i.e. are you Vietnamese-American or just American? American

4) Did you file a k1 or k3 visa? k1

5) how long did it take from time of filing visa to interview? 8 months

6) Did you get blue, green or pink the first time at interview? pink

7) if you got blue or green, did you try again? NA

8) if you tried again, did you get pink? NA

9) how many tries did it take to get pink? NA

10) did any of you NEVER get the pink even though you tried more than once? NA

11) did anyone have a strange or unconventional job, i.e. couldn't show normal tax returns and had to show assets or letter from new job, etc? Please explain the situation. normal tax returns

12) for anyone that got blue or green, what was the reason given? NA

13) what did it take to overcome that reason? NA

14) what was the most confusing or difficult part of the forms/process? we paid a service in Vietnam for 125.00 for my wife to have all her docs ready for her interview. I prepared them here in the US and they went threw them to make sure that she had everything that she needed at the interview. They also

prepared her for the interview.

15) any advice for those of us just starting? Read the Guides, While preparing for your petition make sure you have all the up to date forms.

16) are you a male or female? male

[chuckandkim 0]

1) How old are you?

In the 30's

2) How old is your fiance?

In the 30's

3) What is your race? i.e. are you Vietnamese-American or just American?

Human-American

4) Did you file a k1 or k3 visa?

K1 baby!

5) how long did it take from time of filing visa to interview?

6 months

6) Did you get blue, green or pink the first time at interview?

Expected to receive Green

7) if you got blue or green, did you try again?

No choice, of course you have to respond to the request on that blue/greem sheet or risk of having the case sent back to the US

8) if you tried again, did you get pink?

Expected to get PINK

9) how many tries did it take to get pink?

One

10) did any of you NEVER get the pink even though you tried more than once?

Read up on VJ you'll see. But there is always K3 as the fall back.

11) did anyone have a strange or unconvential job, i.e. couldn't show normal tax returns and had to show assets or letter from new job, etc? Please explain the situation.

Right before I filed Kim's 129F, got a consulting gig, then a full time job, then NO job right after she got the Visa. Show 3 years worth of ITR, show Employment Letter from the last full-time job stating: Employment start date, salary, current status "Present". Bank Statements for 6 months. Bottom line is, showing them that you are NOT a deadbeat, that you will have a way to feed this jungle boy when he comes here with you

12) for anyone that got blue or green, what was the reason given?

We knew that they needed PC from Japan - Kim was living ans studying in JP for 8 years

13) what did it take to overcome that reason?

Bring the Green letter to JP Consulate in Saigon, fingerprinted, paid a few $$$, got the JP PC back within 6 weeks. Returned to HCMC with a clean PC from JP. Returned to HCMC to pick up the PINK slip for Visa. Got Visa 2 days later.

14) what was the most confusing or difficult part of the forms/process?

Nothing, VJ has all the answer!

15) any advice for those of us just starting?

Think Big Picture and stay focus. You are here to get the Visa, not to get engaged, not to get Tax paper filing, not to get financially fit, not to write 1000 letters, not to call days and nights, not to take 10,000 photos and track million lines of chat-logs, no sending $1000's of dollars to prove your relationship is real. Not one single evidence will make or break your case, you need to show them, make them see the BIG PICTURE, of your on-going genuine relationship. How are you going to get there? Ask VJ!

16) are you a male or female?

You as in me? I'm Chuck and I am Kim! I think HCMC and the State Dept are very old-school when it comes to the definition of marriage Has to be Female and Male when it comes to applying for Visa. They will deny your application if you a male or female who try to petition for your "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" to come here, accordingly!

Edited March 6, 2008 by chuckandkim