Will it be ok for me to file K1 visa for my fiancee???

[thongd4me 69]

Nathan,

If your income in 2010 will only be $36K after taxes,

I would hesitate to hire a lawyer unless your case

has extra-special problems.

Yes, Vietnam is a tough room to play, relative to

most other countries and many do get rejected.

If you use a lawyer, be prepared to spend 200%

more than you would have without a lawyer and

also be prepared for it to take twice as long, because

the lawyer is one more layer of intereference between

you and the immigration authorities.

PS - best to get the "love or money" issues sorted out.

It's fiancée, not finance.

[thongd4me 69]

Best to compare with other VN VJ members' experiences

before you hire a lawyer. With your limited finances, I

would think you could do as good a job or better

without one.

[thongd4me 69]

Consider this:

If you do hire a lawyer, be prepared to go over what they prepared with a fine toothed comb

much the same as you would have done without a lawyer.

Most of the paperwork is grunt work - paying attention to detail and making no typos if possible.

Unfortunately (or fortunately!) it's the clerical staff of the law firm that does most of this work,

and neither the lawyers nor their clerical staff are liable for things such as leaving out a cover

letter (which won't be a deal breaker, but it's one detail that is expected) as Jerome said.

They are not liable for anything in the way of mistakes that they may make.

The responsiblity for the accuracy and completeness of the paperwork is

YOURS and YOURS alone.

If there is an unusual legal question - get a lawyer; for just filing the papers, do it yourself

and check with your VN mates in VJ for their experience & advice.

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Best to compare with other VN VJ members' experiences

before you hire a lawyer. With your limited finances, I

would think you could do as good a job or better

without one.

I totally agreed with this. You better off to do it yourself better without the lawyer. (Just my opinion)

Anh Map = As you are planning on marrying in VN the K1 visa is out as an option. CR1 will be a less involved process as there is no adjusting status after entering the US. She would have the green card and ability to work after entering the US. And the overall cost is less.

Anh Map is RIGHT. CR1 is must better, less cost, and less headache when your wife is in US.

If you are thinking about going back to VN only 3 weeks.

1. Be prepare for your SINGLE STATUS

- Snail Mail to your wife ASAP

- Your wife needs to submitted All paperwork before you going back to VN.

- Has your wedding before going to SO TU PHAP signing a Married Certificate.

I would recommend you to take 4 weeks off.

Good luck,

[nathanpham 0]

Thanks guys!!! I am really appreciated all your comments. I will consider about everything. keep it coming guys.

[lindal24 1]

I was able to get all the paperwork done for my marriage registration in two weeks. REALLY pushing the button, but I signed the marriage book two days (Friday) before my flight (Sunday).

Everything's possible...sometimes, you just have to work harder.

[BinhJerome 14]

Thanks guys!!! I am really appreciated all your comments. I will consider about everything. keep it coming guys.

There are people here that can help when you land, some of the things you can have done before you come, as Linda said mail everything ahead that you need, your fiancee can get those things certified before you even land, this will save 3 days, then when you land hurry to Tam Than (mental test place), if you get that done early enough on your trip and in the day you can then go and file everything, and all you will have to do is wait for the interview, some things you might need to do here I do not know if you can get a copy of your passport certified and accepted in Vietnam, as they looked at my passport quite regularly, but there are many things you CAN get done in the states, your fiancee can fill out all of the forms, you will just have to sign then when you get here. If the CR1 is what you are wanting to file, just remember as with the K1 there are no 100%'s in HCMC, but hope for the best, and the best shall happen. Jerome and Binh

[vietazn 1]

In addition to the cost of the attorney, the attorney costs in other ways such as reliance too much on the attorney

for the paperwork that the fiance is clueless. Fill out the forms correctly, dumb down the evidence by labeling and organizing everything

for the CO, and practicing interview questions should be sufficient. Using a bad attorney will slow down the process, due to errors

in paperwork and the fact that they really don't have much vested interest in the case.

[ScottThuy 140]

There are people here that can help when you land, some of the things you can have done before you come, as Linda said mail everything ahead that you need, your fiancee can get those things certified before you even land, this will save 3 days, then when you land hurry to Tam Than (mental test place), if you get that done early enough on your trip and in the day you can then go and file everything, and all you will have to do is wait for the interview, some things you might need to do here I do not know if you can get a copy of your passport certified and accepted in Vietnam, as they looked at my passport quite regularly, but there are many things you CAN get done in the states, your fiancee can fill out all of the forms, you will just have to sign then when you get here. If the CR1 is what you are wanting to file, just remember as with the K1 there are no 100%'s in HCMC, but hope for the best, and the best shall happen. Jerome and Binh

rather than mail.. please use Fed Ex. as they will have a better chance of getting the papers to her than the USPS...

[nathanpham 0]

Thank you!!! We are looking to CR1 right now, i have all the paperwork that VN embassy in US requires. I just have to fill out and send it in for them, we will try to get it out the way. As for everything else, i will take time to organize, I will work on the time line on my next day off. I will post it up after i finish with it. I think we will still have the wedding on December, and i will tell my fiancee to turn in the marriage paperwork 7 days ahead, so we won't have to waste our time. Quick question: do i have to go to a psychiatrist here as request of the VN embassy? Or can i just go to a family doctor? To me, that step is really inconvenience and unnecessary for everyone.

Please let me know, and thanks for all your replies

[lindal24 1]

Thank you!!! We are looking to CR1 right now, i have all the paperwork that VN embassy in US requires. I just have to fill out and send it in for them, we will try to get it out the way. As for everything else, i will take time to organize, I will work on the time line on my next day off. I will post it up after i finish with it. I think we will still have the wedding on December, and i will tell my fiancee to turn in the marriage paperwork 7 days ahead, so we won't have to waste our time. Quick question: do i have to go to a psychiatrist here as request of the VN embassy? Or can i just go to a family doctor? To me, that step is really inconvenience and unnecessary for everyone.

Please let me know, and thanks for all your replies

If your aiming for a December wedding, I would recommend waiting till maybe August or Sept to get your paperwork done here in the US. Once everything's done, at that point, I'd say to send it to your fiancee via FedEX to get ready for filing. If possible, you should try to get someone in the Justice office to "push" your paperwork through, if possible, right before you go back...(if you're only able to go back for two or three weeks...)

[BinhJerome 14]

If your aiming for a December wedding, I would recommend waiting till maybe August or Sept to get your paperwork done here in the US. Once everything's done, at that point, I'd say to send it to your fiancee via FedEX to get ready for filing. If possible, you should try to get someone in the Justice office to "push" your paperwork through, if possible, right before you go back...(if you're only able to go back for two or three weeks...)

There was something that I saw where there was a 7 to 15 day option to speed up the License being issued, I have not been able to find it again for a link, but your fiancee can go to the justice department and get the papers for free, then fill them all out. The things that take time are getting things certified, and if you are pushed for time I would say for you to arrive on a monday morning or sunday night so that monday morning you can get the affidavit of single status done at the consulate, then go to Chao Ray hospital for the mental exam, pay extra and get the results back in a few hours, you will also need to get certified copies of your passport usually done in the local police station in Vietnam, then with all the required papers go to the external relationships department to have them all certified, this takes two days, so then wednesday you can go and pick them up, and go to the justice department and turn in the paperwork, I think you might be able to have them speed up the process a bit with a little coffee money, but not sure, when we went it was 1 week later for the interview then 26 days later for us to go and sign the license. The only thing we paid to have hurried is the Chao Ray report, I think it would have been done the same day, but in like 4 or more hours, and we did not want to wait that long or come back since it is quite a ways out there. You might be able to get your affidavit done in a US conculate in the US, but not certain on this or not, If you want the number of the guy that charges $300 for your fiancee, then PM me and I will send you it, he might be able to help get everything done ahead of your arrival, or even speed the entire process up faster. Jerome

[lindal24 1]

To get our marriage certificate, I got all the paperwork here in the US (I had to re-do the mental exam in VN, but it was quick, easy, and cheap).

The affidavit of single status you can and should get it done in the US. Just remember, you have to get everything notarized by a notary, domiciled by the state, and then authenticated by the VN Embassy in the US...

[luckytxn 2,264]

To get our marriage certificate, I got all the paperwork here in the US (I had to re-do the mental exam in VN, but it was quick, easy, and cheap).

The affidavit of single status you can and should get it done in the US. Just remember, you have to get everything notarized by a notary, domiciled by the state, and then authenticated by the VN Embassy in the US...

Yes. After notary it has to be sent to the secretary of state in the state the notary and you live at to certify the notary seals. The reason for the wait from what I remember is the VN embassy requires that the seal and notary to have been done 6 months prior.

I went to my family doctor and he certified that I was sane but I never needed to use it as I ended up getting the K-1 pink and we married here in the states.

[BinhJerome 14]

From my understanding the mental exam MUST be done in Vietnam, but you can get it done in 1 day and it is not that expensive. Jerome