221g

[Etrnaly 0]

My wife had her interview last month in HCMC, and she was given a 221g. They requested my tax return, previous addresses, my family/relative info (i.e. ssn, addresses, how they immigrated to the US, etc.). Has anyone else dealt with the 221g? How long did it take? What were the results?

[tway22 0]

My wife had her interview last month in HCMC, and she was given a 221g. They requested my tax return, previous addresses, my family/relative info (i.e. ssn, addresses, how they immigrated to the US, etc.). Has anyone else dealt with the 221g? How long did it take? What were the results?

Correct me if I'm wrong folks but anyone who gets the blue/green slip has a 221g on it. You just need to provide them with all the above and submit them to the consulate. I was ask the second part which is my family/relative info (i.e. ssn, addresses, how they immigrated to the US but for my fiance's relative instead. I provided them everything they wanted yet I still got another 221g green slip telling me nothing further is needed from me and that they will review it. My interview was on Feb 12, 2007. I resubmitted on Feb, 23 and now I'm just waiting for their response.

[chuckandkim 0]

Ditto...

Keep in mind, the sooner you re-submit the sooner your case will re-open. Don't let them sit around on someone's deskdrawer too long, your file might be pushed off into the storeage room Get on the requested items, and return with all documents. Good luck!

[Etrnaly 0]

We sent them the requested documents as soon as possible. I even went to do my tax return literally the day after I heard the news and my dad drove around to relatives' houses to get the needed information. My wife turned it in a few days after her interview (around the 12th/13th of Feb.). We too are waiting for a response. Hopefully it comes sooner than later.

[chuckandkim 0]

Just wait! They will get to you... we are waiting with you

[Etrnaly 0]

Sigh, we got another 221g. This time it says:

"Based on the information ascertained through the visa interview and through documentary materials, consular officers do not believe that there is a bona fide fiance/spousal relationship between Petitioner and Beneficiary. If you have any other evidence to present which would convince a reasonable person that the relationship exists for a reason other than immigration, please submit it. Please label and itemize all materials submitted.

Please submit the original birth certificates of the beneficiary's parents and the petitioner's parents. If any of these birth certificates is not available, please submit a letter of explanation."

So apparently they don't believe us, but they ask for the original birth certificates just for the hell of it (being sent express to VN as we speak)? This is so frustrating! From what my wife told me of the interview, they didn't even ask that many questions! It's like they decided beforehand and the interview was just a formality. Maybe it's because we are both relatively young (I'm turning 24, she's 20). We are going through one of those immigration agencies, but they don't seem to be of very much help. My wife forgot to submit our WU documents, so hopefully that will help when she resubmits the documents.

Our agency suggested that I visit VN again before the interview (it was in Feb), but that was and still is very difficult to do. I was hired at my job at the end of June, with a 90 probation period and only 2 weeks vacation per year. So before the interview, I had 3 days (used 2 of them) vacation! Did they want me to go to VN to say hi to my wife and go back home? Also, I am currently applying for a security clearance with the DoD, so it's going to be even more of a hassle for me to leave for VN. As a worst case scenario, I will ask my boss if I can leave for VN, but I really hope it doesn't get down to this.

Sorry for my rant (I HATE DEALING WITH VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS!!!!)

[ManuNSam 1]

what kind of relationship evidence did you have for proof?

[Etrnaly 0]

Letters, phone records, pictures, records of gifts I sent her through the post office, cards (like xmas). Don't remember what else she brought. She had WU records, but forgot to submit it the first time.

[s2convt 0]

What were the photos off?? Did you have an engagement ceremony?? I hear that is a big thing in HCMC. You must be quick in providing the documents they request.

You may want to provide more information about your relationship if you want others to help. If they the consulate does not believe you have a bonafide relationship, your petition will be sent back to the USCIS for further review.

[Etrnaly 0]

We had photos of our wedding, our trip to Da Lat and Vung Tao. I think a few other random pictures of us in the city my wife is from. There is also a picture of us as we were little kids when I visited VN (I think I was 12). There was another picture of her and my mom when she was back for my brother's wedding I think. What other info do you think will be helpful?

[chuckandkim 0]

Etrnaly,

Fact:

- 221g is NOT a denial notice, it is a letter in plain English to explain the reason they can not approve your fiance's visa at this point due to the following reason(s).

- Going through an agency is a NO NO on this Board , ask why.

- You two are a bit younger compare to the average age for HCMC

My opinion:

- Age is the big factor here, based on various cases we have seen on this board. My friend from college, her brother who was about your age 24, engage to a girl in Saigon whose parents a friend of the family, the girl was 18 (bit younger than yours). The case was denied flat out for FRAUD!

- HCMC tents to check you out more so than others when your family and hers are "friends" back in the days. What are they looking for "NOT TO SEE" in your relationship and link to her: you two are NOT relative. Hint: the birth certificate of your parents and hers. Same last name? (NGUYEN, TRAN, LE, PHAM, HUYNH, LY etc.) prepare for some explaination and deeper reach to find out and verify in fact you two aren't related, are you?

- HCMC knows it is a common practice among vietnamese in the US to do their friend a favor (for profit or not) to marry their daughter and bring her here to the US. Not saying this is the case for you.

- Photos of you two were kids have raised suspicions among the Consulate Officers. Photos is a double edges sword, C.O. might have took the photo of your parents (mom and her mom) as "they are sisters, trying to help each other out". Be very careful of what you are sending in to support your case.

- There is no ONE or a SINGLE piece of evidence of your relationship which will give you the Visa. It's the whole thing, think Big Picture here. How can you best present your love story to anyone that you may convince them afterward your relationship is genuine. The C.O. does the same thing. Despite what I said about there is no ONE piece of evidence that will lead to a Visa approval but it only takes ONE, just one piece of "not so sure" evidence to delay or deny your whole case. It's up to the C.O. to decide, no one else at that interview.

What I would do:

- Write a letter explain your case (in other words, your love story).

- Provide the requested documents ( BC and all, must be translated in English if not already)

- Chronological put together a package of EXTRA evidence which show YOU two are genuinely in love and are a couple

- Pictures taken WITH her family is a big plus. Don't send random photos of your family mingling with hers, any photo must have you in it.

- I do not know what did you include in your I-129F application for evidence. You said they seem to decide your fiance's case upfront and the interview is just a formality. TRUE. Based on the evidence you have submitted along with the I-129F, in some cases, HCMC check and decide they want more evidence. Remember, this is your once chance to rebutal your case before they send it all back to the US, that will be a huge problem. So get all the evidence you can gather, don't forget to include ALL letters and cards she SENT you with postmark. Assumed you two do spend time to hand-write your letters/cards not just emailing.

- Write an affidavit of no relations: "I, Mr. Etrnaly, here solemly swear that the following people 1. 2. 3. are not related to me bhabl blah blah and will take full responsibility and penalty permitted by laws blah blah if this statement to be found not true by anyone. Sign and get notorized. Done! (not common for one to go this route but if they have doubt you two are related, you must go the extra mile to disprove their suspicision.

- Do the same for your parents.

- Go up the chain, use the grandparents birthcertificate if you have access. Same for her grandparents.

Bottom line here is: Remove all doubt in regarding your family's non-relations with hers. Good luck and WELCOME to Visa Journey.

I hope this helps and by all mean I have doubt in your relationship. These are my opinion and should not be taken as legal advise

Love,

Chuck and Kim

[ManuNSam 1]

i think the pic of you guys when you were kids might have hurt you

it could "Appear" that you have an "Arrangement" as friends

i would agree with the previous post that writing a letter explaining everything would be good. Not only is it clarification, but it shows written words from the petitioner.

but who knows what is in the mind of the visa officers.

i lived with my husband for 7 months and we still got a 221g

we are still waiting........

sam

[s2convt 0]

- You two are a bit younger compare to the average age for HCMC

Love,

Chuck and Kim

Chuck and Kim - What is the average age for HCMC? I am the male, 29 and my fiancee is 20. I hope that doesn't raise a red flag

[Etrnaly 0]

Thanks for the reply. She was going to turn in the requested documents, but I think I will ask her to wait a bit for me to mail her a letter to the CO. The reason we have a picture together was because her father and my father are good friends who grew up together. The picture was of us at my uncle's wedding in VN when I visited VN for the first time. Our fathers wanted us to have a relationship so they...."introduce" is not really the word I'm looking for, but something like that. We ended up both liking each other and now we are married. Another thing that might sound cheesy, but before I met her, even before my parents talked to me about meeting her, I saw a picture of her at my Mom's salon. At the time, I thought it was just a picture of one of her customer, since they have a few photos of customers hanging behind the counter. For some reason, I couldn't stop staring at the picture and wanted badly to meet this girl. I didn't ask my mom about the picture (not too comfortable talking to my mom about that kinda stuff). When they approached me about meeting her, I spent some time to think about it. I decided to meet her and it worked out. I have not told even my wife about this, since it's so cheesy and stuff. I only told one good friend about this, and I was a little drunk at the time. And since this is the Internet and anonymous, it's a little easier to talk about it. I think if I include that story in my letter to the CO, it might do more hurt than help, but other opinions will be helpful.

My wife and I are not related, but my sister in law is her cousin. I think this may also have hurt the case. However, my brother and she met through my dad and my wife's dad. They have since been married for 6 or 7 years, and have a 3 year old together.

I already asked my manager regarding my security clearance. It doesn't seem to be a problem for me to leave the country; I just need to talk to our Security Officer before I go. If she gets another refusal, I will go to VN to see her. When I go there, do I get to talk to the CO to plead our case or anything like that?

Some other info I forgot to add. Our letters are all hand written, but I only had 1 year of Vietnamese, so my writing is very poor. And, she is currently learning English, so she can't understand English either. We mainly communicate using the phone and occasionally use Yahoo's video and audio chat thing. I have formatted my computer a few times, so I don't really have any records of those.

Thanks again for the replies.

[ding 1]

Great reply Chuck and Kim.

I would tend to downplay the parental friendship, myself, and stop with the info already provided. You may want to approach it as "We did NOT use an internet dating service. We found each other through our family and NOT a dating service".

I don't know, but if you want to reduce suspicion raised about parental favors being done, that's one suggestion.