Vietnam VisaJourney Members

[kvtran 0]

OK.... this is my recollection of what Lan (my fiancee) told me about her experience in dealing with the HCMC consulate. I will have her post her experience so you can all get a first-hand account when she wakes up in the morning (it is sleeping time right now in Vietnam).

Lan's interview was at 10 am. She arrived there before 9 AM in typical business attire (long skirt, blouse -- you know what I mean). She gave her documents to the person at the consulate and they told her to wait. At noon the consulate closed for lunch so they told her to come back at 1:30 PM.

After lunch she returns to the consulate. The CO who would adjuciate her case was a woman, about 35-40 years old. The interview lasted all of 5 minutes. This is what I can recall as far as the questions that were asked:

1) How many times has Lan visited USA? How many times have I (the petitioner) visited Vietnam?

2) Are her parents concerned that she will leave Vietnam and live in America?

3) How long have you known your fiance?

4) When did you get engaged?

5) Has Lan met my parents?

6) Did my parents come to the engagement ceremony? She asked to see pics of the engagement.

7) The CO kept the I-134 form (notorized), the letter from my employer that states my position/salary, and a copy of my 2004 tax return and W2s. That's it... they did not even look at my bank statements or any of the other financial documentation I provided (and Lan was carrying a boat-load of information!)

So after you few basic questions, the CO approved the K1. It will be ready to be picked up at 4 PM the next day (March 30).

Off the top of my head that is all I can remember right now! I am sure Lan will be able to provide a more detailed recollection. A few more items of interest:

Lan said that 9 out of every 10 visa applicants were getting turned away with a blue slip! She attributed this to two things. First most of them cannot speak english so they had to use the services of the consulate-provided interpreter. Very arrogant, not helpful at all, and downright hostile to several of the applicants. She probably is a hindrance to the overall process. Second reason people get blue slips is they are just not properly prepared- they did not seem to be aware of the process and the procedures. In general, it pays to dot all your I's and cross all your T's when working with this particular consulate!

I hope that helps; as I said Lan will follow-up with some more details. If anybody has any questions about the process feel free to ask either in the public forums or you can email me privately if you like.

Congradulations!!! I have one question. When Lan submitted the documents at the front desk did anyone go through it? Or did they just give it to the CO and they look at it? Also, is it important for your fiancee to meet your parents? I've met her parents and also did the engagement party just recently this January.

[chuckandkim 0]

Tran,

When your fiancee entered the Consulate, she will hand in ALL of her paperworks, except the evidence, to the Consulate workers. These workers will sort out your fiancee's documents/paperwork, check-off "must-have" items (Birth Certificate, Affi-Support etc.), put/organize them in a nice folder to prepare your file for the Consulate Officer who will interview your fiancee. During this phase, IF your fiancee is missing any of the MUST have documents, they could send you home right there. Or they still could send you home after the interview, it depends! But these "WORKERS" are major pain!!!

No, they won't just give it to the CO, the workers will check it out first.

I think it's not more or less important ifshe met your parents or not. Each case is different. Think of Lan and Andy, it's a normal question for the CO to ask, just in case "did you meet his parents"? Of course Lan did she was here visiting Andy during Christmas.... It would be crazy for them to ask you knowing that she never been to the US and your parents never come to VN. (at least in my case, it is) Either way, the key is having an engagement ceremony and reception which you did! So rest easy!

my 2 cents...

Love,

chuck and kim

[kvtran 0]

Tran,

When your fiancee entered the Consulate, she will hand in ALL of her paperworks, except the evidence, to the Consulate workers. These workers will sort out your fiancee's documents/paperwork, check-off "must-have" items (Birth Certificate, Affi-Support etc.), put/organize them in a nice folder to prepare your file for the Consulate Officer who will interview your fiancee. During this phase, IF your fiancee is missing any of the MUST have documents, they could send you home right there. Or they still could send you home after the interview, it depends! But these "WORKERS" are major pain!!!

No, they won't just give it to the CO, the workers will check it out first.

I think it's not more or less important ifshe met your parents or not. Each case is different. Think of Lan and Andy, it's a normal question for the CO to ask, just in case "did you meet his parents"? Of course Lan did she was here visiting Andy during Christmas.... It would be crazy for them to ask you knowing that she never been to the US and your parents never come to VN. (at least in my case, it is) Either way, the key is having an engagement ceremony and reception which you did! So rest easy!

my 2 cents...

Love,

chuck and kim

Thanks chuck. Yeah, the "workers" are a major PITA. I've called the place a few times and they are so damn rude. They also wanted to speak Vietnamese to me most of the time after they ask my name. When I'm back in VN next time, I'll give them a few words too.

[yellow123 0]

Wow. We feel your excitement just by reading your texts. We're all excited for you Landy. I'm next in line in our little community of VisaJourney, so I better pay close attention to whatever you say. I hope i'll be excited as you on April 12th.

[STL_HCMC 0]

A few questions for all of you:

I've read a lot lately about the engagement ceremony. My first question is not in regards to having one - we did - but to the necessity of the elaborateness?

I live/work in HCMC. Our ceremony was small (30 people). I was the only one, representing myself. Of her guests it was family only. We did the ceremony (i.e. meal, drinking, etc.) while we were visiting her family in the countryside of Can Tho this past Tet holiday. They, like my family, are very laid back and were more than pleased with the occasion.

We hired a photographer, no DVD made (nobody in the countryside available during Tet), had a cake made, she wore the traditional pink ao dai, have pictures presenting the ring, etc.

I see her EVERY day, she cooks dinner for me every night, and technically (VN laws) she has her own place in HCMC, but lives with me every night.

Right now our evidence (aside from checklist items & I-134) looks like this:

1. MobiFone (cell phone) call logs for her and I both.

2. Emails from her and I, and also her frequent emails with my family (i.e. mom, dad, sister) in the USA.

3. Skype Chat Transcripts. Sometimes we chat a bit on my lunch break at work

4. Phu Hai Resort (Phan Thiet) receipt (no signature, but pictures showing us there)

5. Engagement ring sizing receipt (passed down the ring my dad gave my mom 30 years ago)

6. English school receipts (I sign for payment)

7. Pictures (engagement ceremony; showing dates consistent with me living here)

8. Airline boarding passes (I pay up front for ticket, company reimburses me)

9. Passport stamps and business visas

10. Congratulatory emails/cards from family/friends on engagement

11. Letter I wrote to her family

12. Letter her mom sent back to me (translated to English)

13. Probably something else I'm forgetting to list as I write this at work!

- Pictures: should we only show pictures that have BOTH of us in them? I've got many of myself with her family, their place in Can Tho, etc. Perhaps we just put em all in there!

- Will the fact that I live/work in HCMC be a benefit to our situation?

I just wonder if the process will be different for us seeing that I'm currently living/working here. I still maintain a domicile in St. Louis, Missouri (parents home; the home I moved here from), and my contract here is finished in December 2006, although an earlier departure only requires 30 days notice. I've got a co-sponsor (father) lined up as we all know VN salaries bring one very close to the poverty line in the USA.

We are just a normal happy couple (met June 2005) and so very lucky that we get to spend every day together during this process. I just hope that doesn't take the edge off for us and get us too relaxed. So I'm writing to let you all "check us" and make sure we're in line.

Sorry for the length and thanks your responses in advance!

STL_HCMC

[patricks 0]

STL-HCMC

Are you getting married in VN? I filed a CR1 from VN and it only took 4 months for everything. Mind you, I had to prove I had been living and working in VN for that previous year, BEFORE filing. (Plus, my wife got her SS# within 2 weeks of arrival in the USA) Sounds like you're sincere and you have a lot evidence; you'll be fine.............My wife is from Can Tho also!

[Mike n Huong 1]

My fiancee lives in Hanoi, which is far far north of HCMC, and she needs to fly to HCMC for her medical as well as her interview. The site says that she should get her medical at least one week before her interview. THis would mean that she would have to fly to HCMC for her medical then return to Hanoi, and then fly back to HCMC for her interview, and then she may have to stay for a few days to wait for her visa? Does anyone have any suggestions that would enable her to just make one trip? I know that she could stay for like two weeks, but I don't think she would be able to do that. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help

[dalegg 143]

I know that she could stay for like two weeks, but I don't think she would be able to do that.

[Bruce and Han 0]

Well,

We are in the line up for our interview. The only thing I am most concered about is not having the formal Dam Hoi. We just had a very small get together at a resturaunt, We do have a few pictures, and she does have her engagement ring. It is certainly too late now to have one before the interview. Has there been a case when a blue slip was handed out because of the Dam Hoi lack of proof thing. I pray I will not be the first case.

[dalegg 143]

Well,

We are in the line up for our interview. The only thing I am most concered about is not having the formal Dam Hoi. We just had a very small get together at a resturaunt, We do have a few pictures, and she does have her engagement ring. It is certainly too late now to have one before the interview. Has there been a case when a blue slip was handed out because of the Dam Hoi lack of proof thing. I pray I will not be the first case.

Mmm, seems like this guy fastfred had the ceremony one day before the interview and he got a blue slip and put on AR for a month. It might be better not to have one than to have one a day before the interview.

[Bruce and Han 0]

Well,

We are in the line up for our interview. The only thing I am most concered about is not having the formal Dam Hoi. We just had a very small get together at a resturaunt, We do have a few pictures, and she does have her engagement ring. It is certainly too late now to have one before the interview. Has there been a case when a blue slip was handed out because of the Dam Hoi lack of proof thing. I pray I will not be the first case.

Mmm, seems like this guy fastfred had the ceremony one day before the interview and he got a blue slip and put on AR for a month. It might be better not to have one than to have one a day before the interview.

I agree with you there, It would send the wrong message if I were to have the Dam Hoi just before the interview. We will just have to wait and see.

Matt_Stevens, I will be the Guinee pig on this one.

[STL_HCMC 0]

STL-HCMC

Are you getting married in VN? I filed a CR1 from VN and it only took 4 months for everything. Mind you, I had to prove I had been living and working in VN for that previous year, BEFORE filing. (Plus, my wife got her SS# within 2 weeks of arrival in the USA) Sounds like you're sincere and you have a lot evidence; you'll be fine.............My wife is from Can Tho also!

Hi Patricks,

Thanks for the reply. I have lived/worked in HCMC since the end of May 2005 (May 25, 2005 to be exact); not quite a year yet. Plus I was back in St. Louis for 26 days over the holidays. So it looks like either way the timing would be about the same since we're already in this deep with the K-1 process. To answer your question, we are NOT married and didn't plan on doing that in Vietnam.

I wonder how your process was done so quickly? Did you DCF?

STL_HCMC

[Landy 0]

STL_HCMC,

I don't think the engagement ceremony has to be fancy. Ours was pretty basic, and it involved just Lan's family. Actually the fact that you LIVE in HCMC and spend time with your fiance every single day probably has more weight than an engagement ceremony. It's nice to have (a feather in your cap) but not essential.

A few questions for all of you:

I've read a lot lately about the engagement ceremony. My first question is not in regards to having one - we did - but to the necessity of the elaborateness?

I live/work in HCMC. Our ceremony was small (30 people). I was the only one, representing myself. Of her guests it was family only. We did the ceremony (i.e. meal, drinking, etc.) while we were visiting her family in the countryside of Can Tho this past Tet holiday. They, like my family, are very laid back and were more than pleased with the occasion.

We hired a photographer, no DVD made (nobody in the countryside available during Tet), had a cake made, she wore the traditional pink ao dai, have pictures presenting the ring, etc.

I see her EVERY day, she cooks dinner for me every night, and technically (VN laws) she has her own place in HCMC, but lives with me every night.

Right now our evidence (aside from checklist items & I-134) looks like this:

1. MobiFone (cell phone) call logs for her and I both.

2. Emails from her and I, and also her frequent emails with my family (i.e. mom, dad, sister) in the USA.

3. Skype Chat Transcripts. Sometimes we chat a bit on my lunch break at work

4. Phu Hai Resort (Phan Thiet) receipt (no signature, but pictures showing us there)

5. Engagement ring sizing receipt (passed down the ring my dad gave my mom 30 years ago)

6. English school receipts (I sign for payment)

7. Pictures (engagement ceremony; showing dates consistent with me living here)

8. Airline boarding passes (I pay up front for ticket, company reimburses me)

9. Passport stamps and business visas

10. Congratulatory emails/cards from family/friends on engagement

11. Letter I wrote to her family

12. Letter her mom sent back to me (translated to English)

13. Probably something else I'm forgetting to list as I write this at work!

- Pictures: should we only show pictures that have BOTH of us in them? I've got many of myself with her family, their place in Can Tho, etc. Perhaps we just put em all in there!

- Will the fact that I live/work in HCMC be a benefit to our situation?

I just wonder if the process will be different for us seeing that I'm currently living/working here. I still maintain a domicile in St. Louis, Missouri (parents home; the home I moved here from), and my contract here is finished in December 2006, although an earlier departure only requires 30 days notice. I've got a co-sponsor (father) lined up as we all know VN salaries bring one very close to the poverty line in the USA.

We are just a normal happy couple (met June 2005) and so very lucky that we get to spend every day together during this process. I just hope that doesn't take the edge off for us and get us too relaxed. So I'm writing to let you all "check us" and make sure we're in line.

Sorry for the length and thanks your responses in advance!

STL_HCMC

[yellow123 0]

Landy,

i'm so eager to hear your fiancee's version.

[Landy 0]

So am I! She will go online in about 15 more mins so just hang in there for a little longer, ok? :)

Landy,

i'm so eager to hear your fiancee's version.