does using a lawyer = pink?

[Rodney n. 0]

Just wondering how many have used a lawyer to prepare their 129 and other documents and how many have passed their interview with no problems. Does using an experienced lawyer help you avoid problems? The lawyer i used has been doing this for 35 years and said he has never had a case denied, so i am hoping this stay true for me. anyone know if they look at your case differently if you use a lawyer?

Rodney

[LuckyDucky 0]

This is an interesting thread and I'm curious to hear everyone's feedback.

I did not use a lawyer at all during my process. I used VisaJourney's guides to prepare my I-129F. I did all the legwork and paperwork myself. We did not get an RFE and was approved after a reasonable amount of time (for California's service center).

My wife received a green slip at her first interview, asking for a letter from her aunt, who introduced us, and a letter from me. She also needed the correct police certificate. Apparently she brought the wrong one to her interview. She got her visa approval on the second interview.

People have said that having a relative introduce you raises red flags at the embassy, but aside from wanting a letter from her aunt, they didn't seem to raise much of a fuss. It may have helped that I've known her aunt for 6 years and had some evidence showing that we worked at the same company for that period of time. I'm not entirely sure what they're looking for when a relative introduces you ... maybe the relative paid me to bring her over? If so, then I guess my salary and assets was enough to prove I didn't need the cash. (Not that I'm filthy rich or anything, but I make a decent living.)

[Rodney n. 0]

What information do they ask for when they wanted you to provide a letter from her aunt?My interview is on the 22nd and i want to try and cover all bases. I am thinking the way a lawyer who is experienced makes a big difference. in my 129 i was told to had write a time line about how me and my fiancée were introduced. also he provided evidence such as tickets, form of payment for tickets, photos of engagement and other photos from viet nam. these seem to be a few things people get asked for at their interview which they didn't provide in their 129. not sure it helps , but i was very curious if a lawyer makes a big difference

rodney

[LuckyDucky 0]

What information do they ask for when they wanted you to provide a letter from her aunt?

First, I should mention that it seems, by all accounts on here, that the process is not very consistent. Sometimes people will get visa approval with seemingly less evidence and others seem to get delayed even with a mountain of evidence. So there seems to be a bit of "randomness" in the system, which is unfortunate.

So for the second interview we brought the following:

1) Typed, 3-page letter from me detailing our relationship, including a few paragraphs about how I first met her aunt and when she first started talking about her niece. (She didn't introduce us until about 4-ish years after I've known her.) I had it notarized. I've since heard that they've been asking for handwritten letters.

2) My hiring page from HR which showed my hiring date and starting salary.

3) Typed letter from her aunt and uncle. They stated when they first started working at the company, when they first met me, and when they introduced us. They also provided their full names, their Vietnamese names, and their birth dates. They also provided the same biographical information for their children. They included a photocopy of their company ID badge.

4) Typed letter from my immediate supervisor. He wrote how long he's known them and how long he's known me.

5) Typed letter from my friend/co-worker. We both transferred to the building where the aunt and uncle worked and met them at the same time. He wrote attesting that we've known the aunt and uncle for 6 years and that I've been talking about her niece during our courtship period.

6) The correct Police Certificate/Form.

I am thinking the way a lawyer who is experienced makes a big difference. in my 129 i was told to had write a time line about how me and my fiancée were introduced. also he provided evidence such as tickets, form of payment for tickets, photos of engagement and other photos from viet nam. these seem to be a few things people get asked for at their interview which they didn't provide in their 129. not sure it helps , but i was very curious if a lawyer makes a big difference

At the interview, my wife brought more pictures, emails, letters, etc that I did not originally provide for the I-129F. (Per the instructions on VJ, they said only to provide some evidence with the I-129F, then bring everything to the interview.) We did have my boarding passes, credit card statements of the airline purchases, entry/exit stamps, etc for the interview, too.

One thing the HCMC Consulate asks for is the original birth certificate. I could not provide the original because I was born in S. Korea and I had no idea how to get it. I did have a copy of my family registry and the translation into English so I sent a copy of that. Apparently once the officer looked at it and saw I was born in Korea, he moved on to the next item.

I'm sure a lawyer specializing in this will be able to better advise you because of his/her experience. By no means am i saying not to get a lawyer. I just wanted to provide a data point for your research as someone who was able to get through the system with very little problems (so far, knock-on-wood) without an attorney's assistance.

I can only hope our green card and citizenship process goes equally smoothly!

Best of luck at your interview!

Edited July 9, 2008 by LuckyDucky

[craig5977 58]

This question gets asked a lot. I think is more up to the individual if they feel more comfortable using or affording a lawyer.Most using a lawyer pass with no problems, but I have read over the years about many also using a lawyer and getting turned down.

The problem with using a lawyer in USA is he will not travel to the Embassy to represent you if things go bad.

One other problem is the consulates keep changing every six months or so what they are looking for.Usually because the ones doing it illegally figured out what works to get them approved, so they ask for new things. I have read about some getting pink only to get a blue a couple days later after the Supervisor reviews the case and wants more information.

Each case is different. If you put everything you can in your initial application, then this cuts down on questions later.Being in country for the interview also helps, this shows you care and also helps overcome any possible questions in a hurry.

You have to think of the application process like a court case. If you were the VO, would you approve your case with limited information. If a jury heard your case, would they approve or deny based on the info You gave them.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

No lawyer for us and the process was a breeze.

During my time waiting for Anh's interview there were cases where blue and green slips were issues, despite the use of a lawyer. In one case, the lawyer made everything into a disaster.

Be careful who you get.