K1, CR1 and IR1 which one need the timeline?

[Lý Trinh 0]

according to the people have been going through interview at HCM, K1 visa will need the timeline of the relationship, CR1 and IR1 not required as I know of. Please let me know if CR1 really need one too? Thanks

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

according to the people have been going through interview at HCM, K1 visa will need the timeline of the relationship, CR1 and IR1 not required as I know of. Please let me know if CR1 really need one too? Thanks

K1 is require Timeline, howerver it's better for CR1 to have timeline also.

[Dai. 7]

I think K1 doesn't require you to have a timeline for evidence in the packet IV they send out for the 1st interivew. People on here just write one out before to prepare themselves if they ask for it during the interview. Apparently they can ask for a Timeline from anyone to find out if the relationship is bonifide or not. I would take the advice someone else told me on here. Go to the interview 1st and if they ask for a timeline, make the timeline according to how your wife answered the CO questions so that everything goes together.

Edited June 12, 2009 by Dai_Tx

[Lý Trinh 0]

Thanks Mr. Loi and Mr. Dai very much ... I will just tell me wife go to interview first and if they ask for it I will made one and turn it in later day.

[Dave 'n' Hai Au 0]

Like everything here, no two cases are the same so I don't know if there is a right answer. We hired a VN. lawyer for this interview stage and we have decided that we will do a timeline. My feeling is that it is one more piece of evidence on our side and may save her from having to answer additional questions. Some may say that it gives the CO more ways to trip her up, but I think that if that is the reasoning, then the CO will find other ways to deny your visa. This is one of those grey areas, I just feel more confident having one. Good Luck to all!!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Just from observing what people have written here over the past 6 months after interviewing in HCM...

The timeline seems to be one of the most common reasons for the blue slip. Something else that often seems to be included on the blue slip is a list of the beneficiary's relatives in the US. It seems to me that the reason these are both often asked for is because the petitioner knows relatives of the beneficiary in the US, or perhaps was even introduced by one of her relatives. They want these circumstances clearly explained. They want to know if the petitioner was set up by the beneficiary's family to help her get to the US.

If you know any of the beneficiary's family in the US, and especially if you were introduced by a family member, be prepared to address it thoroughly in the timeline. Being introduced by a family member is not cause for a denial, as long as you make it clear that the decision to communicate, meet, and ultimately propose to the beneficiary were yours alone, and that her family had little if any influence on anything you did. You have to look at it from the CO's perspective, and address anything you think a CO would find suspicious. For example, did her family help pay for any of your trips to Vietnam, or cover any of your expenses while you were there? Be prepared to address these things because they raise suspicion.

The timeline does give the CO additional information about the relationship, but this information could only be used to "trip up" the beneficiary if she is not thoroughly aware of what's written in the timeline. Make sure she understands the contents of the timeline completely.

The timeline is not technically 'required' for any visa application. HCM appears to be one of the few consulates that even asks for a timeline. There is no guidance, that I'm aware of, from DoS regarding the timeline. This appears to be something that the consulate in HCM has come up with as an extra tool in weeding out fraud.

[toddandhien 2]

There is NO requirement to prepare or provide a timeline for any visa type. It is not written in any P3 or P4 instructions.

But, with all due respect to the fine gentlemen who posted earlier, I do not know why any interviewee at the HCM consulate would not prepare a timeline in advance and give it to the consulate at the interview. The only information that would be in this document is what you put in it. And if your spouse/fiance(e) is familiar with this information, why not let them have it and let them ask questions from it...it is YOUR information. the answers should be EASY!

If you look back at all the blue slips for the past 6 months, as Jim mentions, you will find that the vast majority asked for a timeline. If you know that, why would you go to the first interview without one, wait to be blue-slipped and then get back into the queue later after turning it in. Our objective at the interview was to have Hien walk out the door with a pink slip. I prepared absolutely everything possible to ensure that we would get this outcome. I even put the timeline in with the papers that were required to be provided so that they would have to see it. The CO read it and he asked her questions from it. I was delighted because it kept him from asking questions about something else. He asked MY questions.

I also prepared a statement that Hien signed saying that she had no family or friends in the US. I did not give them that one but she had it with her in case he asked. She could answer and provide a written statement to avoid getting RFE'd for it.

And regarding CR-1/IR-1: Just this week, Mr. Leggs was blue-slipped for a timeline. This is not just a K-1 item as has been stated here previously.

Oh, and as I posted a couple of months ago, the timeline is a hot topic amongst the VN folks who are close to the visa process. When Hien went for her medical at Cho Ray, all of the ladies there were talking about timelines. Some were failed before because of it and most knew they should do it but did not know how. She came away from the discussion insisting that we prepare a detailed timeline and giving it to the consulate, which we did.

Edited June 12, 2009 by toddandhien

[Dai. 7]

But, with all due respect to the fine gentlemen who posted earlier, I do not know why any interviewee at the HCM consulate would not prepare a timeline in advance and give it to the consulate at the interview. The only information that would be in this document is what you put in it. And if your spouse/fiance(e) is familiar with this information, why not let them have it and let them ask questions from it...it is YOUR information. the answers should be EASY!

I have read some post in this Asia forum specific to cases in Vietnam where some petitioners prepared timelines but the CO did not accept it the 1st interview. The beneficiary had it but they would not look at it. They got the blue slip and went back and redid the timeline with more information and addressing all questions that was asked during the interview. We know that the CO will not look at other evidence that your spouse brings unless they ask for it. People offer pages and pages chat logs or money transfer reciepts but the CO will not look at it unless they request it. My wife has tons of evidence but they did not look at anything but our pictures. I am not saying that your wife wouldn't know the answer at the time of the interview. It would be easy but what about those funny questions we would not think about. The advice, that was given to me, was to write it out after the interview to go according to what question was asked by the CO. Address all the questions with answers to all that was interviewed so the CO knows that what all was asked is true. Like if your spouse did not know how many bed rooms were in your parents house, you should include it in your timeline like "My wife has never been to the USA nor has she met my parents, we have never discuss what my parents house is like and the question has never came up." That is only advice, that I thought was good, that someone told me.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Dai_Tx

[toddandhien 2]

You are right, you cannot make them take the info during the interview. That's why I put in in with the stack of papers that she gave at the beginning. That way, they will see it.

But, like with anything else, it is one's personal decision. I am only offering advice based on my desire to not be asked to go back and resubmit anything. Folks can choose the approach that makes sense to them. Thanks, Dai.

[Anh map 2,098]

Some of the best advice when going through HCMC is to front load the file, meaning send them lots of info beginning with the I-129F submission.

Make them read through all the information before the interview. Giving a lot of evidence at the interview window is not convenient for the CO or the beneficiary. You can have an updated timeline at the interview, but go ahead and give them a good foundation from the start.

[luckytxn 2,265]

There have been many on here that had the timeline at the interview and even told them and tried to submit it and given the blue slip asking for it afterwards. This would show they want one that is notarized and dated AFTER the interview. There is a reason they have done this at times if one thinks about it. We also see many times when one has no timeline and they get a pink anyway without having to submit one at all.

The one thing I have noticed over all the time I have been here and stuff is it seems they already have their minds made up on what each will get BEFORE the interview even begins. Every now and again like we saw with MrLeggs they seem to do a switch from what they were going to do but all in all it seems that they already know if someone is getting the pink or whatever. They do know what appointements are coming in that day and even get case files ready. They have meetings EVERY morning and afternoons and go over what is expected of everyone and I am sure they probably talk about their case files and any watches they are going to do.

Now we can all go on like the experts we all seem to be but do we really know what is best for each and everyone? No we do not. If anyone wants to go in with a timeline then all the power to them go for it. Do any want to wait and see and react to circumstances then all the power to them but do not presume that what you advocate is the best method. It is only ONE method.

The best and surest way to get a pink eventually is to do everything possible by the book as far as we can tell it needs to be done. I doubt many had more flags than I had and am shocked that I was able to get a pink so quick. Been told several times that they are going to hit me on several things but somehow managed to pull it off. If I can then most can if they are legit.

Edited June 13, 2009 by luckytxn

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Dai and lucky are correct - many people were not given the opportunity to present their timelines, even though they brought it with them. I recall reading not long ago that someone's fiancee got a blue slip for a timeline, and she tried to offer it to the CO on the spot, but the CO wouldn't accept it.

On the other hand, Todd has a good point. His fiancee brought the timeline, and added it to the stack of papers submitted the first time his fiancee was called up. The CO apparently DID read it, because many of the interview questions were based on it.

Ok, so the theory is that the CO pretty much has their mind made up at the time of the interview. There seems to be overwhelming evidence to corroborate this, as many people have said their fiancee SAW the slip already filled out and waiting for a signature before the interview was even finished. Now we also have the experience of Todd's fiancee, who submitted the timeline with her documents just prior to the interview, and her interview questions were largely based on what was written in the timeline.

So, a logical conclusion is that the tentative decision is made after the required documents are submitted, and before the actual interview takes place. This would mean that the CO spends a moment reviewing the documents before the interview, and then fills out the sheet (or perhaps more than one sheet, if they aren't sure) before calling up the beneficiary for the interview.

Do this sound reasonable so far?

It would seem to make sense, then, that any red flags which are known before the interview should be addressed before the interview. Now, I was told by M.E. that the best time to do this was with the initial I-129F application. His thinking is that if USCIS approves the petition with these documents included, then the information they contain has to be accepted by the consulate. In other words, the consulate isn't allowed to question what USCIS has already approved.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem to be absolutely clear that all of the documents which are submitted with the I-129F actually make it to the consulate. One member whose spouse was not from Vietnam suggested that any documents which weren't required with the I-129F would end up in the trash bin at USCIS. Another member whose spouse was from Vietnam said they saw what appeared to be their package, and some documents were obviously not there. If this is the case, then it would make sense to RE-SUBMIT those documents which might have been stripped from the I-129F package, and submit them with the required documents BEFORE the interview. From what has been described about the interview process in HCM, the beneficiary is called up or goes to a window twice - once to submit mandatory documents, and again later for the actual interview. This first trip to a window seems like an ideal opportunity to submit an important final "appeal" document like a timeline.

Comments?

[Dai. 7]

During my wife's interview she did go up to the window twice, 1st time to submit documents like the another copy ds-230, I-864, Medical papers, passport photos, and etc. There, the Vietnamese staff member, not the Consulate officer, went through all the paperwork pulled out what was not needed. In the intial paperwork submited during that time I put in there all of the obvious and then these:

-My wife's w7 papers that she got her ITIN number with big number showing that I claimed her for tax

-Tax receipt that show that I paid income taxes in Vietnam for the year I have been working here

-A testimonial letter from the General Manager of my company acknowledging that I have been workin in Vietnam for a year, he was a witness at our wedding, and he is aware that we were staying in a company condo together during the whole year with the official company seal.

The Vietnamese staff pulled these items out of the stack and handed them back to my wife saying that it did not need to be in there. I think you might get lucky or might run into a risk of the Vietnamese staff taking out the timeline if you submit before the actual interview. At any rate you can try any which way you can to submit the timeline on the interview date.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Dai_Tx