HCMC fly back in a week for your visa

[ScottThuy 140]

Just got an email response from the consulate in HCMC to my question from weeks ago.... I asked them if the website was correct when it stated that visas would be ready the next day at 4PM or if everyone else was correct with a week later... I also asked if the visa could be delivered via courier as has been the case in the past...

response=The website is "outdated" and the beneficiary must return to pick up the visa in person... another 150 for airfare and adding taxis makes it over 200 to pickup the visa... I swear they are nickle and diming us to death...

Living in the north makes it far more expensive than if she lived in HCMC... when you figure 3 airplane trips and hotels and taxis... I dont understand why they did away with the courier service like PI still uses... the HCMC website at one point a few months ago boasted about the service now it does not exist...

was anyone in the north able to use the courier service to get the visa delivered or did everyone have to do the 3 trip route?

[Dai. 7]

From what people have said on this board before... after the interview the beneficiary was able to talk to the CO and explain to them that they live far away from Saigon and they it would be a burden to come back a week later to get the visa. I guess depending on CO they will allow you to pick up the visa the day after.

[ScottThuy 140]

From what people have said on this board before... after the interview the beneficiary was able to talk to the CO and explain to them that they live far away from Saigon and they it would be a burden to come back a week later to get the visa. I guess depending on CO they will allow you to pick up the visa the day after.

I am getting her a flex ticket from Vietnam Airlines just in case that is a possibility (costs a little more than jetstar but worth the expense)... I am planning on surprising her in the ATL airport when she gets through POE and I would rather spend the money on my flight to meet her part way and surprise her than to have her spend a day on airplanes flying back and forth accross the country so they can take a week to put a sticker in the passport... When I was just in VN they made an error when they issued my visa. the dates were Nov - Dec 2098.. the guy at immigration laughed and said I would be dead before the visa was any good... My response was the passport would not be valid that long even if I lived that long. They took me aside told me to sit down and not move... 4 or 5 minutes later they handed me my passport with a new visa... so VN immigration can issue a visa and stick it in the passport in that amount of time but the US Consulate in HCMC can't? My friend keeps saying it's the federal govt. not FedEx... nothing happens overnight. (unless its a vote on healthcare )

[Sweet Love 0]

You remind me of my story. (period) I lived in North Vietnam as well so I had to fly to HCM and stayed at a hotel there for a couples day for the interview. My fiance went there with me. And on the way to get a vaccination somehow I lost my ID and it was 3 days away from the interview. I was beside myself: How could I get a new ID in 1 day..... I called my dad and my brother_in_law and luckily his friends can help me to make a new one. I had no choice that I had to fly back to the North and my fiance didn't want me to go alone so we flew together. We got everything done and we flew back to HCM and prepared for the interview for the next morning.... I got pink and got Visa in the next day, it was like a ton of weight on my shoulders went away. The end was good, despite everything. I'm in the US now and becoming a mother

[BinhJerome 14]

Not trying to throw water in your face, but as they say DO NOT MAKE ANY plans until you have Visa in hand. You have not even had an interview yet, and you are worried about the Visa. Preperation is a good thing I will admit, but this is HCMC, as others have said just have your fiancee explain how hard it is for her to get there and quit worrying about it. If it takes a week, you can not do anything about it, if you get a plane ticket and they give you AP then you wasted your money, and you had your hopes up, worst case, they deny your visa and once again you can not do anything about it. Calm down and relax, go day by day and step by step. Most people in HCMC that try to jump to the last step get sent back to the first step. Worry about getting approved first then getting the visa in hand, you might be able to sleep better that way, and you also might see steps that you have skipped that you shouldnt have. Look at all those that should have gotten a visa and didnt, heck look what USCIS said about my case how it was intentionally miss handled. Dont worry about getting the visa, worry about getting the approval first.

Jerome

[ScottThuy 140]

This has nothing to do with the flight here. It has to do with scheduling her trips to HCMC for the med, interview and visa pickup. That is all scheduled and paid for and done before the visa is in hand.

[vietazn 1]

From what people have said on this board before... after the interview the beneficiary was able to talk to the CO and explain to them that they live far away from Saigon and they it would be a burden to come back a week later to get the visa. I guess depending on CO they will allow you to pick up the visa the day after.

It appears the interviewer is the only person with the power to do that. So right after the interview and the congratulations, have to ask quickly, efficiently, directly and nicely. Like most everything in life, you gotta ask or else you would get the standard pickup time. How else would they know? But of course expect nothing.

[Sweet Love 0]

try not to worry too much, I dont think they say before you pass the interview how long does it take to get a visa. Like mine, I got it right in the morning of the next day so just praying for her to pass the interview for now so you and her can be together forever soon

[ScottThuy 140]

try not to worry too much, I dont think they say before you pass the interview how long does it take to get a visa. Like mine, I got it right in the morning of the next day so just praying for her to pass the interview for now so you and her can be together forever soon

And back then (2007) there were far more cases going through HCMC than there are now... it all boils down to how generous the CO feels at that point I guess.... for now all we can do is hope for a good CO...

The preparation for the interview has all been done and she is really comfortable and confident. I think her family and friends are getting tired of hearing about our relationship as they discuss it all the time, but it has helped her to get comfortable talking about the details of our relationship.... knowing the details has never been a problem, being ready to answer questions about it and understanding exactly what is being asked is more difficult....

for example: when they ask her "what will you do when you go to the US".. there are two answers that come to mind but only 1 correct response to the CO... If the beneficiary says, go to school, get a job and work, be a house wife... all wrong answers.... Get married within 90 days is the correct response because as has been said so many times before.. we must think like a CO.. the CO looks at it from the standpoint that they are giving a visa to get married (within 90 days) and not to go to work, school etc. it may seem like splitting hairs, but in the context of the ppurpose of the visa, there is only 1 correct response. anything else could cause problems if there was doubt already present...

Again, I think this all boils down to the CO who is reviewing the case since the decision is usually made before the interview anyway....

[Sweet Love 0]

And back then (2007) there were far more cases going through HCMC than there are now... it all boils down to how generous the CO feels at that point I guess.... for now all we can do is hope for a good CO...

The preparation for the interview has all been done and she is really comfortable and confident. I think her family and friends are getting tired of hearing about our relationship as they discuss it all the time, but it has helped her to get comfortable talking about the details of our relationship.... knowing the details has never been a problem, being ready to answer questions about it and understanding exactly what is being asked is more difficult....

for example: when they ask her "what will you do when you go to the US".. there are two answers that come to mind but only 1 correct response to the CO... If the beneficiary says, go to school, get a job and work, be a house wife... all wrong answers.... Get married within 90 days is the correct response because as has been said so many times before.. we must think like a CO.. the CO looks at it from the standpoint that they are giving a visa to get married (within 90 days) and not to go to work, school etc. it may seem like splitting hairs, but in the context of the ppurpose of the visa, there is only 1 correct response. anything else could cause problems if there was doubt already present...

Again, I think this all boils down to the CO who is reviewing the case since the decision is usually made before the interview anyway....

I understand how you and her feeling, back then my neighbours discussed about us all the time because after Dam hoi I didnt want him to come back Vietnam and waited for my interview to go to HCMC with me. My CO asked me very simple questions, It's better talk direct to him in English than talk to Vietnamese lady there, (it's my opinion) special when I have an American fiance. He didnt asked me what will I do when I go to the US, just asked some questions like:

-How did you and your fiance know each other? Can you tell me about it?

-How many times did he come to VN to visit you and for how long?

-What do he do for living?

-When is your engagement?

-Do you have anything to show me about your relationship with him?

-Is he here with you? (My fiance went to HCMC but they didnt let him come inside with me so he had to wait outside but I guess they saw it from their camera)

Then he said congratulation and gave me a pink paper and told me to come back around 10am tomorrow (I dont remember exactly the time) to get my Visa and passport.

Hope the best for you and her.