DFC confusion in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

[konton 0]

Can anyone help me with this? I filed my I-130 with the USCIS office in HCMC Vietnam on 3/30. Last week on 5/5 I e-mailed them checking on my status. Tonight 5/13 they e-mailed me letting me know I had been approved on 4/29 stating:

\\

Your I-130 petition was approved by this office on 4/29/09 and was

mailed out the same day. You will be contacted by the US Consulate in

HCMC for immigrant visa processing.

\\

I never got any letter. I think they have a bad address. Is there something I need in the approval letter? I thought I needed to send paperwork to the NVC? How should I proceed?

If anyone has any ideas please let me know. I feel like I'm already two weeks behind. One of those games were I get to move three steps forward and one step back.

~ DFC CR-1 Visa Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29

...

[hieumin 2]

snail mail needs extra time especially in vietnam, it has been just 10 days, hang on for another 10 days then request for pickup at embassy.

[konton 0]

Hey, how come my pictures doesn't show up? Is it because I'm new?

I agree mail can be slow, but it's actually been 14 days. So 2 weeks!

I just called the USCIS hotline. Nice people. I was surprised at their level of customer service. Anyway they told me that the USCIS field office doesn't give NOA's or reciept numbers or case numbers. Once it's approved they mail it all straight to the US Consulate in HCMC. So I think the approval was mailed to the Consulate, not to me. I don't have anything even processed with the NVC. I just wait for the Packet 4 for IV and our appointment date.

This DFC filing is really confusing. I'm can't believe how quickly it's all moving.

Hey, anyone want a job teaching Video Production in Vietnam? Looking like I'll be back in the US sooner than expected.

~ DFC CR-1 Visa Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29 (30 Days!)

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Hey, how come my pictures doesn't show up? Is it because I'm new?

I agree mail can be slow, but it's actually been 14 days. So 2 weeks!

I just called the USCIS hotline. Nice people. I was surprised at their level of customer service. Anyway they told me that the USCIS field office doesn't give NOA's or reciept numbers or case numbers. Once it's approved they mail it all straight to the US Consulate in HCMC. So I think the approval was mailed to the Consulate, not to me. I don't have anything even processed with the NVC. I just wait for the Packet 4 for IV and our appointment date.

This DFC filing is really confusing. I'm can't believe how quickly it's all moving.

Hey, anyone want a job teaching Video Production in Vietnam? Looking like I'll be back in the US sooner than expected.

~ DFC CR-1 Visa Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29 (30 Days!)

Konton, What is DFC CR-1 file? It this the same with CR-1. Your approve for I-130 is less than 2 months. wow.. congrats.

[Dai. 7]

DCF is Direct consular Filing, and In Vietnam you can only do CR-1 or IR-1 case. It's done in Vietnam not USCIS in the United States. They require you to live here more than 6 months I believe. When you do that you get to skip NVC all together since the Ho Chi Minh USCIS Field office is taking care of it. I thought about doing it 6 months after stay in vietnam for that long but I was already half way done with Filing in the US.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Dai_VN

[konton 0]

Yeah, what Dai said. I messed up the letters. Sorry.

DCF stands for Direct Consular Filing. And you can only do it for a direct relative. You must prove you have been living in Vietnam for 6 months, and that you can continue to stay for another 6 months if necessary. At the USCIS field office you file your I-130 and pay for it at the US Consulate. Once the USCIS approves it, the rest is done at the US Consulate. I thought this way might be faster, but I didn't know it would only take 30 days. The USCIS told me 1-6 months.

I only now learned after posting the NVC doesn't even enter into the process. You go straight to the IV interview. So now I'm a little stressed since I thought I'd have a few more months to prepare the paperwork and now I have less. I'm glad I already submitted my taxes. My taxes were not nearly as bad at Dai.

~ DCF Visa Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29 (30 Days!)

[Dai. 7]

Grr... Taxes I had to pay $6000 USD for the Vietnam Government and on top of that pay my US taxes to the IRS which was about $8000 USD. I was getting paid in the US but the great vietnam government decided to tax me on my world wide income since I am contracted to work here.

Anyways I wish you good Luck Konton. I hope your process is smoother than mines.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Dai_VN

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Yeah, what Dai said. I messed up the letters. Sorry.

DCF stands for Direct Consular Filing. And you can only do it for a direct relative. You must prove you have been living in Vietnam for 6 months, and that you can continue to stay for another 6 months if necessary. At the USCIS field office you file your I-130 and pay for it at the US Consulate. Once the USCIS approves it, the rest is done at the US Consulate. I thought this way might be faster, but I didn't know it would only take 30 days. The USCIS told me 1-6 months.

I only now learned after posting the NVC doesn't even enter into the process. You go straight to the IV interview. So now I'm a little stressed since I thought I'd have a few more months to prepare the paperwork and now I have less. I'm glad I already submitted my taxes. My taxes were not nearly as bad at Dai.

~ DCF Visa Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29 (30 Days!)

Konton, seem like DCF is a faster way to go. Good luck

Dai, wow. you have to pay both country for Tax, staying in VN, and pay federal tax for the US> dan.. that's lot of money. for 14K. ouch..

[patricks 0]

Yes, it does work, at least 4 years ago it did....

I filed downtown on 9th floor of Dutchbank building (Maximart on second floor) Tall Grey building on Le Loi

Submitted paperwork Sept. 4th, 2004

4 forms sent back n forth, over two months time

December 30, 2004 Interview @ Consulate, Jan 2, 2005 (Visa Pickup)

4 months total

Note: Back then, required one year local employment and one year proof of local residence (from VNs Police)

Good Luck :-)

[konton 0]

And it still works if you use the right address! Although sometimes to have to hassle people.

I went over to the USCIS today. They let me sit for a half hour with no one even bothering to come to the window till I complained to a guard. That forced someone to appear. But it was not in vein. They has sent my paperwork on 4/5 to my home address which never made it there. They gave me a copy, which basically said we're done with you, go to the consulate. No case number, no tracking number, no nothing, just like they said.

As it happens it was 3:30pm on Wednesday. From 4:00-5:00pm Tuesday and Wednesday the consulate lets U.S. Citizens come in to the Immigration Visa Window "B" and see what's going on with their petition. So I went across the street and as luck would have it there was no line. A fairly easy going lady listened to my case, gave me a ticket to hold while she looked up my info, then called me back. That took about 5 minutes, much faster than the USCIS. She found my packet 3 which was mailed to my work address and I still never got it. She gave me a copy and then for the DS-230 which I gave her. She told me they would contact me shortly, probably by phone, with a interview date. The packet 3 had an actual case number, which calms me down quite a bit.

So anyone know how long it takes to get that interview after they get your DS-230? I actually think my wife still needs to send them the DS-2001 which says we are ready for the interview. That's in the packet 3. But then how long after that should we expect the interview?

I'm excited!

~ DCF Timeline ~

Married 2009-03-27

I-130 Sent 2009-03-30

I-130 Approved 2009-04-29

I-130 NOA 2009-05-05

Packet 3 for IV 2009-05-13

DS-230 part I Sent 2009-05-20

DS-2001 *****

Interview *****

Visa *****