Finally Finally Finally!

[menyoo 0]

HI VJs,

It’s been a long time since my last posted. That’s because I don’t have any facts or good news to share with you all. Finally I have some good news and experience to share with you all who received blue or green slips. I want to share my experience (when dealing with Vietnamese Staffs in HCMC Consulate) with you guys and hope that it would help some members here. At first I thought my case was simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

My fiancée finally is here with me now. After more than 2 long agonizing years and too many obstacles in this K1 process, Visa finally approved. Funny things is even after the chief Info officer’s assistant called me and told me that my fiancée visa had been approved, 9/25/07 (this was something that I did expect, amazingly quick response from the Chief) one day after I requested to meet with him or her when I was there, it took more than 3 months to get the actual visa due to expiration of her visa application.

Here the details:

After turned in the third or fourth green slip. I waited for 1 month and nothing happened, so I decided to fly back in September 2007 and wrote a letter (simple and straight forward, I paragraph 7-10 sentences at most) requested to meet the Chief. His or her assistant called me the next day, 9/25/07 and congratulated me that my case had been approved and that our meeting is not necessary. Therefore, I did not have a chance to meet with him or her to see what kind of person he or she really is, but that’s fine with me, mission accomplished. Because my fiancée’s visa was expired after 1 year from the initial interview which was in July 2007, she had to go through the whole package 4 process again except paying for the visa fee just like ME mentioned in his email to me--(lawyer that many has mentioned in this forum.)

Here is bullshit story (when dealing with Vietnamese staff members there at HCMC consulate) when I was inside the visa interview area. Those Vietnamese staff does not like to deal with petitioners because they know we (USC) don't kiss ### (not by any means disrespectful) only demand for accurate information and concerns.

I did talk to the CO (African American lady while she was interviewing.) She was very polite, but could help me because she was only doing the interviews.

I was there waited for least 30 mins before I could talk to the CO (African-American lady while she was interviewing.) She was very polite, but could not answer my questions and concerns so she sent me to next window which again f---ing a--hole Vietnamese staff who did not provide accurate information. I asked them that case had been approved and when would my fiancée get her visa because I was there for only 2 weeks and I want to know if I had enough time to bring my fiancée with me back to the US together. The first answer I got from them was "Who are you and Who let you in here? in an unpleasant manner) I politely replied, no one let me in, I just walked in because this is the American soil and I'm free to go anywhere except where a sign states that restrict area and USC not allowed, but I didn't see such sign posted anywhere. She gave me that dirty look and asked to wait. 20 mins later she came back and said “no one here call you, may be someone at the Visa services across from the street call you.” She replied with joy on her face “Do you know who call you? Why don’t you call back that number?” I thought to myself, what kind of shithole was this? I told her that I could not call back the number because it was an outgoing number and I got busy signal every time I called to that number. That ‘s reason why I come here. They all laugh in my face and said “I’m not sure if you case has been approved or not and not guarantee that a person who call you was one of us.” I was so angry that I want to joke that ###### to death, but I kept my cool and walked way. That was so humiliated. I know now that those Vietnam Staff who works at the HCMC consulate has the same attitude and work ethics as the Vietnamese government staff—you know what I mean. The CO keeps his or her boundary line when you try to complain about the VS. They really don’t care how the VS does his or her job there.

My mistake was that I did not take down the name of the chief assistant, so when they asked who called me I did not know the name. VJ members please remember to ask for the name first and last of a person whom you speak with to save you a lot of headache later on. Any way all the bullshit is now in the past.

I learn one very important thing that I would encourage any members here who received blue or green to go back whenever he or she has a chance to do so and request to talk to Chief. I’m not saying that you would get the same result as I did, but you never know. I also know now that all request documents are handled by Vietnamese staff. The CO only looks those cases that have favorable review from VS. I have not had time to look at all the documents returned to my fiancee yet. There is a lot of writing on those documents which were reviewed by VS—the same f---ing ###---- that my fiancée turned in the requested documents for 3 or 4 times. For some reason, he did not give my finance a favorable review and that's why my case was the hole for too long.

If I had to do it all over again, I would fly back and turn in the request documents on my first blue to CIO instead of those FA Vietnamese staff.

I did not use any lawyers in my case. However, it’s all up to you because you know your case better than anyone.

Now I’m ready to go through the next step which will be more expensive than before. I read the guide already, but I still have a few questions for those who’ve done it.

I don’t know where to begin. Any tips and advice that are not in the guide are greatly appreciated.

Menyoo.

[Icarus 0]

Menyoo!!! Way to go!!!! I remember we had our initial interview at about the same time and both got the blue slip. Luckily tho, I was able to go to VN and speak with the CO's almost a year ago and bring Nhu home. I am so happy to hear you are finally together and here in America. I wish you all the best as and you put all this behind you and begin your lives here. We followed the guidelines provided here on VJ once Nhu arrived and began the next paperwork process a couple months after we married. Now, she has her temporary Green Card, so it only took another 6 months for that...a drop in the bucket compared to the wait you've just been through, eh? Relax now and enjoy the new year! Chuc Mung Nam Moi!!

[STL_HCMC 0]

Congratulations to you both, menyoo! This is great news to finally hear from you. I always wondered what the result of your case was. As Icarus said, we too followed the adjustment of status guide here on VisaJourney and had zero problems. As you can see in our timeline, my wife received her green card fairly quickly. Best of luck to you both in the continued journey.

STL_HCMC

[Dave_Thao 0]

Congrats! You have been through a lot! You give me hope for our case! I was going to go to HCMC when Thao has her interview but now I don't know when that will happen. Maybe I will go soon and try to meet the chief. Congrats again!

[Mr323 0]

Congratulations, menyoo.

Please continue to share with us your story and keep us updated.

[menyoo 0]

Thanks all for the head-ups. I still have nightmare about this, but feel better now about the AOS knowing that you guys did have any problems. I'll file our AOS sometimes next month.

Dave&Thao,

I hope you'll get the same result as I did. Good luck to both of you.

Menyoo,

[wait4ever 0]

Menyoo,

Congratulations! :dance: :dance: Way to stick with it. I can relate to your humiliating experience as a USC going into the HCMC Consulate. I was treated the same, on more than one occasion. AOS is, by comparison, a much easier and dignified process (so far). Good luck!