Red Flag

[WeatherEmperor 21]

I read the I-129F Instruction sheet more carefully and saw that if the matchmaking agency serves customers from the US exclusively then they are a marriage broker. The agency I dealt with serves customers from all over the world, so I don't think they are a marriage broker. In any case, the CO will still not like the fact that I met a Vietnamese girl through a matchmaking agency, marriage broker or not. lol. Bummer. Now I gotta figure out what I am going to do.....

[Dai. 7]

dg2000, I believe the agency I dealt with had Vietnamese girls who traveled to Singapore to find husbands. When I visited Thu in Singapore I made it perfectly clear that I had NO intention of marrying in Singapore or Vietnam. I made it clear to Thu that I wanted to get to know her alot more before making any commitments. I just want to know if there is anything I can do to combat this negative image that our meeting in Singapore could cause to a CO. Would 3-4 trips to Vietnam address this red flag? It is worth noting that Thu initially wanted me to move to Vietnam so we can live our lives there. Could I also use this to show our intentions are good?

<CARRICK>

It's not worth anything if you tell them that she wanted you to live in Vietnam but you didn't. Actually doing something and saying something are totally different. I was going to file for k-1 whenever I first thought about marriage with my wife. Eventually I lived in Vietnam for 1 year to actually get to know her and a year later we married and I filed for CR-1. I had everything backing us up from the government acknowledging that I live there from different pictures from different time periods (we had different pictures from each holiday in Vietnam). It was so clear we had a long going relationship they gave us the visa easily, no blue slip, no timeline submited nothing, we got the pink slip on the day of her initial interview. My red flag was we met through family, her family and I talked about marriage and got engaged the 1st month I met her, we had a dam hoi after 3 months of meeting each other, and she's tried to get a visa before as a student 3 times but got denied 2 years before meeting me. A few people have tried for k1 visa's and never get the k1 visa so they go to Vietnam and File CR-1 or Direct Consular Filing which is the quickest visa to get from filing date to the visa issue date, I think it takes like avg 3-4 months to get.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Dai_Tx

[Anh map 2,098]

How you met is how you met. That can't be changed. And it's not an automatic anything. As others stated, if it was fly to Singapore, meet and marry, that could be a problem.

How your relationship grows now and the timeline that it takes is all up to you. A story that just unfolds "naturally" is a good story to tell. No one is stressed at the interview, the facts are easy to remember.

Go spend time with her, get to know each other better, have the Dam Hoi. Don't try to fit into a formula. You will be fine.

[WeatherEmperor 21]

Roger,

I think you are correct. You know what guys? I don't think I will worry about this anymore. I will just spend my time building my relationship with Thu. That is most important to me. We have all the time in the world before we file the I-129F. Heck, I may take another 1 or 2 years before I file. I really do believe that the longer Thu and I take and the more trips I take to VN to visit her, the more it will help to address this matchmaking red flag issue. I didn't go to Singapore to get married. I went to Singapore to find somebody special with the hopes of developing love in the long term. Thanks guys

<CARRICK>

[dq2000 1]

So would it be safe to assume that Thu and I are in big trouble because of the way we met through the matchmaking agency? Wow that would really suck. I was thinking of waiting another 1-2 years to really develop my relationship with Thu before filing the I-129F but it appears that even if I wait 10 years, the fact that we FIRST met at that matchmaking agency will always haunt us. No girl has ever liked me the way Thu does. I have to admit, I am feeling a bit deflated right now

<CARRICK>

OK....thanks, I got a better idea of ur situation. To be honest, yeah, its a red flag that you met thru a paid matchmaker in Singapore. But that doesn't mean anything..you should be able to outweigh that red flag with good evidence. My biggest piece of advice for you is that for every story of someone getting denied at HCMC there is another person who, under the same circumtances, gets through the system with a visa. That isn't to say that there are some things that will automatically get you denied, but if you've got an honest relationship then you shouldn't worry. At least not now, yeah? There are always horror stories.

I think I read this here before: keep every bit of evidence of your relationship.....every email, mail, card, letter, picture, receipt of your relationship. Prove that you've got a solid, honest relationship. ANd make sure Thu knows every bit of information in your packet...and as much about you as she can handle.

good luck....

Roger,

I think you are correct. You know what guys? I don't think I will worry about this anymore. I will just spend my time building my relationship with Thu. That is most important to me. We have all the time in the world before we file the I-129F. Heck, I may take another 1 or 2 years before I file. I really do believe that the longer Thu and I take and the more trips I take to VN to visit her, the more it will help to address this matchmaking red flag issue. I didn't go to Singapore to get married. I went to Singapore to find somebody special with the hopes of developing love in the long term. Thanks guys

<CARRICK>

right on....

[dq2000 1]

A story that just unfolds "naturally" is a good story to tell. No one is stressed at the interview, the facts are easy to remember.

hahah...honest to G-d story...my wife and I were at the Adjustment of Status interview after she came here on the K1 visa, and we were both pretty nervous. The interviewer ask my wife what my phone number was...mind you she's called me at this line for the past 3 years..and she couldn't remember it! Actually, she remembered in Vietnamese and translated wrong! SO yeah..sometimes the facts aren't easy to remember.

Oh...but we ended up passing

[WeatherEmperor 21]

Meeting Thu through a paid matchmaking agency is a red flag no matter how I try to analyze it to prove myself otherwise. That is over and done with. There is no sense in myself stressing over how I met because what is done is done. All I can do now is figure out a way to "address" this red flag. The best thing I can do is focus on my relationship and visit her as many times as possible before filing. Here is what I had in mind:

I visit her in January to meet her family. I visit her again for a Dinh Hon and then once again for a possible wedding. This could change our plans from K-1 to CR-1. I have to do everything I can to convince the CO that we are not a fraud. If anybody has other suggestions please do share with me

<CARRICK>