The HMC Consulate

[just phobulous 2]

Ok, so I'm a little confused .... I have read and heard conflicting information on whether or not I am allowed to accompany my fiance into the consulate on her interview day. I have both heard and read many many stories on how USC's are forced to wait across the street. Now I have both read and heard that people have gone inside with SO's and waited while they interview. So.... can we enter.... or not ??

[BinhJerome 14]

Yes you can, but there are ways that it has to be done. Some say you have to sneak in, and basically you do, but not really. First you need to make sure you do not show up at the same time, you are allowed to go in for US citizen services, and instead of going there you would just go in and wait in the interview area. People will probably get mad and say you cannot do this, but you can, are you supposed to, yes/no they do not want you to, but if you were not allowed and it was forbidden then I am sure there would be someone checking everyone that came in to the interview waiting area. If you do go in there, just sit with her and dont make a big deal out of it, or disturb people, or they will make it harder to get in. I personally know 8 people that have done this and everything worked out fine, but if you cause a scene they will make changes. Jerome

[Jason_Do 7]

Dude, you can ENTER the consulate WHENEVER you feel likes to. You can even come there for the US based notarize documents. I did that when i need the paperwork done for my child's birth certificates. Hand you passport to the guards and tell them whatever reason u want to come in... getting paperwork done, or accompany. The only thing i hate about is WAITING...other than that...nothing. Only that who cant come in are dont have appointment letter, non-us citizen, terrors, bombers, robbers.... 100% sure you can come in with your spouse for the interview either with the green card or passport of us.

[Tero 105]

What you've heard is correct. It depends on the consulate and/or the situation.

[Jason_Do 7]

What you've heard is correct. It depends on the consulate and/or the situation.

Consulate in Saigon, Vietnam is allowing that. But i think people over there are jealous as seeing people getting interview and go to the US. So those citizen that work for the consulate is hate seeing u becoming "viet kieu". The person who handles the first stage of interview are known with altitude, they will make it hard for you. But if u have all the right docs u dont have to be afraid of anyone. The problem is i think, if they weren't allowing US citizen accompany with the spouse its mainly come from the consulate paper preparers that work in there, not from the people getting interview or the interviewees. I am vietnamese myself, and i know it too well, that almost every vietnamese hate seeing people from their own race getting interview and running off a corrupted country. Specially those dont have opportunity. They will call us "chãnh chọe"

[utst10 0]

What are you trying to accomplish here? The basic rule of thumb is they do not allow people to go in the waiting area.

Can you, yes if you really want to. Does it helps with her interview, more than likely not because you will be sitting in the waiting area

while she goes into the interview area. You may create a scene and get yourself in trouble. Why play with fire when you can avoid it?

You get what I am saying? When I went up to the window with my wife, they told me to go across the street and wait...I comply because I didn't want any trouble.

Have I been a "hard ####", I would have told the gaurd I want in and hit him with the rules.

I know a guy who went with his wife and waited across the street and was called in during the interview to confirm the wife stories. Had he not been there, they would have

given her the blue slip. But this is like one in a thousand or even million chance.

Just follow the natural "flow". Go against it only creates only brings you misery!

[ScottThuy 140]

Consulate in Saigon, Vietnam is allowing that. But i think people over there are jealous as seeing people getting interview and go to the US. So those citizen that work for the consulate is hate seeing u becoming "viet kieu". The person who handles the first stage of interview are known with altitude, they will make it hard for you. But if u have all the right docs u dont have to be afraid of anyone. The problem is i think, if they weren't allowing US citizen accompany with the spouse its mainly come from the consulate paper preparers that work in there, not from the people getting interview or the interviewees. I am vietnamese myself, and i know it too well, that almost every vietnamese hate seeing people from their own race getting interview and running off a corrupted country. Specially those dont have opportunity. They will call us "chãnh chọe"

I was denied entry and the argument got really loud in fron t of the consulate.. As Jerome said you have to be going to the right place in the consulate to get in... I wanted to get to the immigration window to talk with the CO.. One can rarely talk with the CO and the only time the USC can get in the immigration side legitimately is on those afternoons for USC's

[Tero 105]

I am not from Vietnam but I have lived with them for about 2 years, so I know the stories about these. That was why I said "..and/or the situation."

[just phobulous 2]

Yes you can, but there are ways that it has to be done. Some say you have to sneak in, and basically you do, but not really. First you need to make sure you do not show up at the same time, you are allowed to go in for US citizen services, and instead of going there you would just go in and wait in the interview area. People will probably get mad and say you cannot do this, but you can, are you supposed to, yes/no they do not want you to, but if you were not allowed and it was forbidden then I am sure there would be someone checking everyone that came in to the interview waiting area. If you do go in there, just sit with her and dont make a big deal out of it, or disturb people, or they will make it harder to get in. I personally know 8 people that have done this and everything worked out fine, but if you cause a scene they will make changes. Jerome

Thanks Jerome.. That is the answer I was looking for !! We definitely dont want to cause any trouble or make any kind of scene while we are in there. We are both very respectful to others and don't intend to play grab a.. or smoochie smoo while we are in there either. I would want to kick my own a.. if I ruined it for other people in the future. I only want to be there to support her because she said that she would like it very very much if I could find a way to be in the waiting room when she interviews. I have to admit that if it were me that was being questioned like a convict, it would be of great comfort to have the one I love with me right up to the minute of my number being called.

[Jason_Do 7]

A confirmation from my wife that her cousin went back to Vietnam with his wife to have the interview. The husband was able to enter at the interview. This was right before Viet's Tet. The main thing is didn't know if he could do anything with his wife during the interview or sit still like a stone.

[decker 1]

Linh's notice said no buddies allowed.

It's much more fun to hang out across the street. People watching at its finest.

[BinhJerome 14]

All notices say no one allowed in the interview, but there is no actual law that forbids a USC to sit in the waiting room while an interview is taking place, but the guards and other people try to stop it from happening, so as i said in the initial post, go in like you are going for U.S. citizen services, then either go the other way, or stop in the citizen services, take a look then go to the interview waiting area. A USC is allowed to make inquiries to the case which actually does allow a foreigner to go into the actual interview area and then also talk with a CO, or someone in the interview area. The main key to getting in there is to make sure that you do NOT show up together in front of the embassy because the guards will not allow you entry if they know you are there with someone, this is BS, but they are the ones holding the guns. This does not mean you can even go with her up to the window and if you tried they might have you removed from the embassy, or they might just tell you to sit back down and wait. The OP was not acting like he wanted to talk with a CO, just be in the waiting room for moral support, and I would say this is a very good thing, nothing worse than waiting in a crouded room for over an hour with no one to talk to and no one to tell you it will be ok. Good luck, and hopefully your being there will help calm her. Jerome and Binh

[Anh map 2,098]

The last thing that needs to happen in the hours prior to the interview is to raise the beneiciary's stress level. If you are preparing your fiancee for being "questioned like a convict" that has already raised the anxierty level.

Confidence and clarity is needed at the interview. Why chance anything? Give her a kiss for good luck as she walks in and then go wait in a cafe or across the street.