HCMC Interview docs organization...

[ScottThuy 140]

You must arrange the copies of your documents in order as listed below and separate all the original documents.

OK this seemed pretty straight forward a week ago... And after reading it for the 100'th time I am rethinking it...

I created an outline that works as a coverpage for each group of documents submitted.

I had originals and copies together and now I am stuck on the words "separate all the original documents"...

The thing is.... some originals will be kept by them and some will be returned to us.... an example.. the original DS 230 medical paperwork, justice report etc will all be kept by them... but Divorce decrees BC's and the like will be returned... all are technically originals

Rather than originals and copies, should I seperate them into what they keep and what they will return groupings?

Here is the list I have for docs they keep (in many cases copies):

1. Appointment Letter

2. Visa Photo’s (4)

3. MVR Receipt

4. Visa Application Forms

a. DS-156 (2 copies)

b. DS-156K

c. DS-230

5. Applicant Identification Card

6. Household registration book

7. Applicant Birth Cert.

8. Petitioner Birth Cert.

9. Marital Documents

a. Petitioner Divorce Decree 1

b. Petitioner Divorce Decree 2

c. Petitioner Evidence of separate domicile

d. Applicant Divorce Decree

10. Applicant Passport Copy with photo attached

11. Justice record

12. Applicant Passport with photo attached

13. Evidence of Support

a. I-134

b. Tax transcripts 2006-2009

c. 1040’s 2006-2009

d. W-2’s & 1099’s 2008

e. Pay Stubs

And here is what I think they mean by originals that will be returned:

1. Appointment Letter

2. MVR Receipt

3. Visa Application Forms

a. DS-156

b. DS-156K

c. DS-230

4. Applicant Identification Card- original included in Attachment Envelope

5. Household registration book- original included in Attachment Envelope

6. Applicant Birth Cert.

7. Petitioner Birth Cert.

8. Marital Documents

f. Petitioner Divorce Decree 1

g. Petitioner Divorce Decree 2

h. Petitioner Evidence of separate domicile

i. Applicant Divorce Decree

9. Justice record

10. Applicant Passport- included in Attachment Envelope

11. Evidence of Support

j. I-134

k. Tax transcripts 2006-2009

l. 1040’s 2006-2009

m. W-2’s & 1099’s 2008

n. Pay Stubs

12. Evidence of Relationship

12 a Pre engagement (separate Attachment)

12 b post engagement (separate Attachment)

[BinhJerome 14]

You must arrange the copies of your documents in order as listed below and separate all the original documents.

OK this seemed pretty straight forward a week ago... And after reading it for the 100'th time I am rethinking it...

I created an outline that works as a coverpage for each group of documents submitted.

I had originals and copies together and now I am stuck on the words "separate all the original documents"...

The thing is.... some originals will be kept by them and some will be returned to us.... an example.. the original DS 230 medical paperwork, justice report etc will all be kept by them... but Divorce decrees BC's and the like will be returned... all are technically originals

Rather than originals and copies, should I seperate them into what they keep and what they will return groupings?

Here is the list I have for docs they keep (in many cases copies):

1. Appointment Letter

2. Visa Photo’s (4)

3. MVR Receipt

4. Visa Application Forms

a. DS-156 (2 copies)

b. DS-156K

c. DS-230

5. Applicant Identification Card

6. Household registration book

7. Applicant Birth Cert.

8. Petitioner Birth Cert.

9. Marital Documents

a. Petitioner Divorce Decree 1

b. Petitioner Divorce Decree 2

c. Petitioner Evidence of separate domicile

d. Applicant Divorce Decree

10. Applicant Passport Copy with photo attached

11. Justice record

12. Applicant Passport with photo attached

13. Evidence of Support

a. I-134

b. Tax transcripts 2006-2009

c. 1040’s 2006-2009

d. W-2’s & 1099’s 2008

e. Pay Stubs

And here is what I think they mean by originals that will be returned:

1. Appointment Letter

2. MVR Receipt

3. Visa Application Forms

a. DS-156

b. DS-156K

c. DS-230

4. Applicant Identification Card- original included in Attachment Envelope

5. Household registration book- original included in Attachment Envelope

6. Applicant Birth Cert.

7. Petitioner Birth Cert.

8. Marital Documents

f. Petitioner Divorce Decree 1

g. Petitioner Divorce Decree 2

h. Petitioner Evidence of separate domicile

i. Applicant Divorce Decree

9. Justice record

10. Applicant Passport- included in Attachment Envelope

11. Evidence of Support

j. I-134

k. Tax transcripts 2006-2009

l. 1040’s 2006-2009

m. W-2’s & 1099’s 2008

n. Pay Stubs

12. Evidence of Relationship

12 a Pre engagement (separate Attachment)

12 b post engagement (separate Attachment)

What we did was basically make 2 seperate folders, one with originals, and the other with copies. We put a cover letter on top and then had the originals in order on top, then behind it was in order with copies. We has 1 copy of each original so that the second stack was in order as they requested, and they could just sort through the originals and if need be look at the rest. We did get blue, so I am not sure if it was correct or not, but the CO did not say anything to Binh about doing it wrong.

Jerome

[Anh map 2,098]

Linh had two folders: one copies, one originals and handed the CO the documents as requested. Don't expect to get much back.

[ScottThuy 140]

Linh had two folders: one copies, one originals and handed the CO the documents as requested. Don't expect to get much back.

I think I got it all sorted out... I dont care if I get the docs back.. The important stuff will be in a folder that goes with the bindings of documents Passports, Ho Khau, ID card etc.... I will let everyone know how the document organization goes when we go for the interview.. I say we even though I will be outside I ended up with four groups of docs... the general ones in the list that they need to keep... the general ones in the list that they will likely return and groups of before and after the engagement proof of relationship docs..all bound together with the two hole ACCO fasteners. The outlines as cover pages are really helping me to be sure everything is addressed because I can put notes next to items needed and just reprint the page later when it is all there... The tabbed sections that correspond with the outline will make it easy for them to find what they need at a glance.

OK how tall is the slot that the docs are passed through? The thickest section is 1 in. and is flexible...

I am actually trying to be really conservative with the stuff I am providing.. Not anywhere near a shortage of proof , but I dont see any reason to have 100's of pics and hundreds of pages of chats and emails... the logs are there and a random sampling of content is included. Enough real photos of everyone together and Thuy with my son and her with me. Its not like they would ever go through every email, yahoo chat or photo anyway... The important things are all there... We have been saying think like a CO and that is exactly what I was doing when I organized this stuff.... I would not want a bunch of fluff... Like Sgt Friday always said.. "Just the facts Maam"

I can really see how a case could look bad to a CO when it comes to the interview after trying to assemble a paper representation of a relationship... when it comes to proving a relationship on paper there is only so much one can do....

[Anh map 2,098]

Don't forget to give her your passport to take in with her and show the CO.

[ScottThuy 140]

Don't forget to give her your passport to take in with her and show the CO.

Thanks...that is one of the items that will be in the folder...

The folder actually has a list of contents on it already... I feel like I am assembling my dissertation again... maybe having gone through that is really helping me with this.

The CO should give us a Pink just for effort!

[Kevin&Loan 0]

Scott,

I give you PINK for tackling this game head-on from the get go. You are determined to get that Pink, aren't you? I applaud your effort.

[ScottThuy 140]

Scott,

I give you PINK for tackling this game head-on from the get go. You are determined to get that Pink, aren't you? I applaud your effort.

That is the only thing standing between Thuy and I and the rest of our life together.

Thanks

[toddandhien 2]

They can't assess what they can't see. I would avoid skimping too much, especially with the pix. The CO asked for our pics and Hien gave all of them. 1 stack of 100 or so from the Dinh Hon and another stack of 100 or so from our times together, including with friends, family. He fanned through the misc. pix but actually looked at the Dinh Hon pix. he seemed impressed by the magnitude, which showed all the different times and places we were together. Be sure that you include the date and location of the pix on the back.

Also, be sure to separate your evidence between pre-engagement and post-engagement. Unless they have changed that rule.

[ScottThuy 140]

They can't assess what they can't see. I would avoid skimping too much, especially with the pix. The CO asked for our pics and Hien gave all of them. 1 stack of 100 or so from the Dinh Hon and another stack of 100 or so from our times together, including with friends, family. He fanned through the misc. pix but actually looked at the Dinh Hon pix. he seemed impressed by the magnitude, which showed all the different times and places we were together. Be sure that you include the date and location of the pix on the back.

Also, be sure to separate your evidence between pre-engagement and post-engagement. Unless they have changed that rule.

They have a sampling of pics from every trip of us all together in the initial packet several cities and several dates.. I dont want to show them 5 or 6 pics at the same location unless its different pairings of people in the pic. They all have the dates places and who is in them... will likely have 100 or more from the Dam Hoi...

The crappy part is that I am usually the one taking the pictures and that leaves me out most of the time... I have as many pictures of her and my son together as I do of her and me together except for the couple hundred they took at the studio... Do you think they want to see all of those studio posed pics?

[lindal24 1]

I would think a few poses in each outfit would suffice.

[toddandhien 2]

They can't assess what they can't see. I would avoid skimping too much, especially with the pix. The CO asked for our pics and Hien gave all of them. 1 stack of 100 or so from the Dinh Hon and another stack of 100 or so from our times together, including with friends, family. He fanned through the misc. pix but actually looked at the Dinh Hon pix. he seemed impressed by the magnitude, which showed all the different times and places we were together. Be sure that you include the date and location of the pix on the back.

Also, be sure to separate your evidence between pre-engagement and post-engagement. Unless they have changed that rule.

They have a sampling of pics from every trip of us all together in the initial packet several cities and several dates.. I dont want to show them 5 or 6 pics at the same location unless its different pairings of people in the pic. They all have the dates places and who is in them... will likely have 100 or more from the Dam Hoi...

The crappy part is that I am usually the one taking the pictures and that leaves me out most of the time... I have as many pictures of her and my son together as I do of her and me together except for the couple hundred they took at the studio... Do you think they want to see all of those studio posed pics?

Scott, we opted to not include any of the studio pics because they were wedding shots not dam hoi shots. Not sure what you folks did. I did not want to in any way get the CO thinking that we had married while applying for a K-1. Hien wanted to do it because it is popular in VN, it was relatively inexpensive and they produced a very nice book full of the shots with lots of different computer-generated backgrounds. But they were just for us to enjoy, not the CO.

Regarding you being the camera operator, we carried a small tripod with adjustable legs with us everywhere and used the self-timer on the camera to take all of our shots. If we didn't do that, we would never have had any of the 2 of us.

[lindal24 1]

Yea, we didn't even go to a studio photographer...the only pics I had were from the dam hoi and the dam cuoi...but I'm in AP so I shouldn't be talking...lol...j/k...

...I think you should include some, just not all 100+ poses...

Scott, we opted to not include any of the studio pics because they were wedding shots not dam hoi shots. Not sure what you folks did. I did not want to in any way get the CO thinking that we had married while applying for a K-1. Hien wanted to do it because it is popular in VN, it was relatively inexpensive and they produced a very nice book full of the shots with lots of different computer-generated backgrounds. But they were just for us to enjoy, not the CO.

Those books ARE really nice...I wished we would have done that just for the book, but I REALLY don't like taking pictures!

[ScottThuy 140]

Scott, we opted to not include any of the studio pics because they were wedding shots not dam hoi shots. Not sure what you folks did. I did not want to in any way get the CO thinking that we had married while applying for a K-1. Hien wanted to do it because it is popular in VN, it was relatively inexpensive and they produced a very nice book full of the shots with lots of different computer-generated backgrounds. But they were just for us to enjoy, not the CO.

Regarding you being the camera operator, we carried a small tripod with adjustable legs with us everywhere and used the self-timer on the camera to take all of our shots. If we didn't do that, we would never have had any of the 2 of us.

We got the same pics you did at the studio, but we didnt get computer gen backgrounds... just the props they had.. I have been torn by that same issue.. include the wedding pics when a wedding has not taken place.. not this go.. I am including all of the ones in dresses other than Wedding dress... Will have Dam Hoi end of November... Will for sure have those pics.. I will get a tripod so We have more pics of the next visit.. it may be just before the interview...

[ScottThuy 140]

Those books ARE really nice...I wished we would have done that just for the book, but I REALLY don't like taking pictures!

I dont like the photo sessions either.. over 3 hours and I was really sick that day... You can still get one done.. It is a great dealover there compared to the same thing here and the quality of the pictures was excellent.