Do We Need To Have An Engagement Ceremony?

[GoCong 0]

Hello All,

First of all, I'd like to thank VisaJourney.com for the excellent services that helping many people, including me from not knowing what to do, where to start on the journey of filing visas.

I met my love 2 years and 2 months ago in Vietnam and I made another trip back to Vietnam last year to see her because of how much I missed her and how much she missed me. To make a story short, for the last 2.2 years, everyday we talked on the phone, never missed 1 day without talking for at least just a few minutes when she calls me up for work early in the morning or for me to call her each day before bed time .

1 month ago, I started to think about getting the paperwork together to bring her to the U.S. because we are just so so in loved. Not knowing anything about K1 Visa, I search on google and went to a Vietnamese agency in the U.S. to ask questions but the only place that gave me all the steps that I needed is this website. This website is very useful, providing examples such as how to write a letter etc...

On 03/12/12, I prepared all the paper, documents, proof from me and from my love in Vietnam and sent to USCIS in Texas. I included about 50 pictures of how we met in Vietnam, airline tickets that we flew together in Vietnam to different cities while i was there visiting her.

Last night I received a text message and email from USCIS saying my I-129F has been received and has routed to California Service Center for processing. I am not so so so happy even though I know this notification doesn't mean that my case is accepted but I am so so happy right now.

My question is:

Do we need to have an engagement ceremony in Vietnam in order to pass the interview and receive the K-1 Visa? My love and I have not had a engagement ceremony?

Thanks

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

*** Moving from AOS from Student visa to Vietnam forum as OP's partner is not in the USA yet and the question is region specific ***

[Mozzer1972 7]

Hello All,

First of all, I'd like to thank VisaJourney.com for the excellent services that helping many people, including me from not knowing what to do, where to start on the journey of filing visas.

I met my love 2 years and 2 months ago in Vietnam and I made another trip back to Vietnam last year to see her because of how much I missed her and how much she missed me. To make a story short, for the last 2.2 years, everyday we talked on the phone, never missed 1 day without talking for at least just a few minutes when she calls me up for work early in the morning or for me to call her each day before bed time .

1 month ago, I started to think about getting the paperwork together to bring her to the U.S. because we are just so so in loved. Not knowing anything about K1 Visa, I search on google and went to a Vietnamese agency in the U.S. to ask questions but the only place that gave me all the steps that I needed is this website. This website is very useful, providing examples such as how to write a letter etc...

On 03/12/12, I prepared all the paper, documents, proof from me and from my love in Vietnam and sent to USCIS in Texas. I included about 50 pictures of how we met in Vietnam, airline tickets that we flew together in Vietnam to different cities while i was there visiting her.

Last night I received a text message and email from USCIS saying my I-129F has been received and has routed to California Service Center for processing. I am not so so so happy even though I know this notification doesn't mean that my case is accepted but I am so so happy right now.

My question is:

Do we need to have an engagement ceremony in Vietnam in order to pass the interview and receive the K-1 Visa? My love and I have not had a engagement ceremony?

Thanks

If you can, go back and have the Dam Hoi with lots and lots of photos. It will make your case more solid as the Consulate may question why you are not following the cultural norm. This has been a red flag in some cases.

I also submitted my K1 without having a Dam Hoi. We simply had a small party with her family to celebrate our engagement but it was by no means a typical Dam Hoi. After reading this forum and with the help of more seasoned members, I realized how important the Dam Hoi was and my then-fiancee and I were stressed about this one point. We prepared a response if it came up at the interview but we got lucky and the Consulate never questioned this.

Best of luck to you!

[GoCong 0]

If you can, go back and have the Dam Hoi with lots and lots of photos. It will make your case more solid as the Consulate may question why you are not following the cultural norm. This has been a red flag in some cases.

I also submitted my K1 without having a Dam Hoi. We simply had a small party with her family to celebrate our engagement but it was by no means a typical Dam Hoi. After reading this forum and with the help of more seasoned members, I realized how important the Dam Hoi was and my then-fiancee and I were stressed about this one point. We prepared a response if it came up at the interview but we got lucky and the Consulate never questioned this.

Best of luck to you!

Thank you! I will wait to NOA2, once NOA2 is good, I will go to Vietnam and bring with me all the paperwork and we'll have Đám Hỏi . Both of us and her family really like to have Đám Hỏi too but because i am busy with work over here and I want to wait til I received NOA2 to make the trip for Dam Hoi and I can help her filling out some paperwork.

Do you think by December of this year she'll be able to come to the U.S. with me? That's my wish.

[tcTTct 37]

Dam Hoi is not a requirement but, like others have said, the consulate may question why you are not following cultural norms. You may be given the opportunity to explain why you didn't have Dam Hoi, but if the CO does not give you that opportunity to explain at the interview, you are out of luck.

If I were you I would have Dam Hoi just to make your case stronger, then submit the evidence at on the interview date. My girl and I are both in our early 40s and were questioned about who were at the engagement ceremony, and to name some of my friends and her friends. Originally we did not intend to have Dam Hoi because at our age, who's permission did we really need to get to get married? But we ended up having one before I filed the I129 based upon the collective experience of VJ VN members.

Your Dam Hoi does not need to be traditional. We booked a poolside wedding package at one of the nice hotels in Saigon, and just had them change all the invitations, signage and cake etc from Wedding to Dinh Hon and Engagement.

You should be united long before December if there are no problems. Ours was 6 months from I129 to interview.