K1 process for HCMC still difficult ?

[daniel_and_lily 45]

I've been getting the impression that getting a K1 approved for Vietnam is one of the hardest things to do.

 

1. Is this still true with HCMC ?
2. Is Hanoi easier ?
3. Is it easier to do CR1 than K1 ? (having to do engagement party as well as wedding would be a hard travel requirement for my family)
4. Does the engagement party really need to be huge with my family/friends there as well ? not an easy thing since it's so far.

 

I've been to see her 3 times now with a 4th trip planned in October. I've stayed a minimum of 2 weeks every time.

 

Thank you everyone.

[Hoa Nguyen 26]

I have completed the process up to receiving "green card" for my wife so far.  None of the steps including the K-1 interview at HCMC was "hard"

 

The real hard part is getting ALL needed documents and having backups for any documents that you send.  if you are doing it yourself make sure you included everything each application is asking for and double check all your entries. 

 

A summary sheet in the beginning of any packet/application you send with a checklist of everything is a good way for you to double check your list; make sure you include this summary sheet when sending things to DHS

 

If you relationship is legit, the interviews will be a a joke.  Both the K1 and the adjustment of status interview for me and my spouse they asked us a couple questions individually and make sure the answers aligns.  From what I have seen, this line of questioning is similar across most cases.  Probably the most important part is how the two of you communicate...looks like you are not a native speaker...can your spouse speak english or do the two of you meet in the middle somehow.

 

SO in short...none of the process so far was hard. Just have to be very detailed about everything you send in with your application.  During the interview, if you or your spouse dont know something, say I do not know.  Never try and lie.  

 

That's all the advice i can give at this time.

 

Good luck : )

Edited May 22, 2019 by Hoa Nguyen

[daniel_and_lily 45]

Hi Hoa, thank you so much for your response.

 

I guess I'm not worried about the interview etc. We've taken a ton of pictures together and we've done a lot of things. I've had a wonderful time with her and we call every day.

I'm mostly concerned about the Dinh Hon.  Did you do this?  A youtube video told me I should invite 100 people and not have it small, and I should have my friends and family from the US attend. But our plan is to get married in the US and then go back to VN for the ceremony. I can't ask friends and family to travel to VN twice, and I would much rather have them go for the wedding ceremony in VN.

[JasonGG 280]

I agree with @Hoa Nguyen.  The visa interview was the easiest part of the process!  The hardest part is the waiting, anxiety, worrying, and preparation of paperwork.  The worry and anxiety helped us prepare much more than was necessary.  Even though we front loaded our I-129F with travel documents, texts/emails, photos, etc, we spent hours (probably more than 100 hours over 10 months) preparing and photocopying documents, arranging and labeling files, and printing e-mails and texts.  We arrived at the embassy with 1000s of pages of paper, photos, travel receipts and tickets, and other "proof of relationship" documents.  We practiced answering hundreds of questions about each other.  After submitting the required documents on the day of the interview (household book, passport, photos, most recent tax transcript, etc), the officer didn't ask for a single photo or other proof of our relationship.  Just a few routine questions . . . How did we meet?  When did we meet?  How many times have I visited?  That evening we celebrated by shredding all that paper at the hotel so I wouldn't have to carry it home on the airplane! 

 

Hanoi is not an option for the interview. You can get the medical exam done at one of the IOM sites in Hanoi, but visa interviews are only conducted at the consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

We did have an engagement ceremony prior to submitting the I-129F.  We included a couple photos and mentioned it in the "relationship timeline" we included with the 129F.  It was a traditional ceremony . . . outfits (see my profile pic), red offering trays presented to the women in my fiance's family, etc.  None of my family attended because, like you said, it is just too far and costly.  If asked, simply tell the CO your plan to marry in the U.S. and return to Vietnam for a second ceremony.  If you don't have a dam hoi/din hon, just bring some photos of you with her parents, siblings and other friends to show that you are "part of the family."  Prepare to name the people in the photos.  It wasn't necessary for the visa interview, but I was asked to name people in our photos during my wife's green card interview.

 

There are advantages to the K1 and CR1.  We chose the K1 simply because we wanted to be together sooner.  My wife was lucky because she got her green card VERY fast . . . about 3 1/2 months after applying.  It would have been much more difficult if she had to wait 6 months for her EAD/AP and a year or more for her green card.  Some states won't issue a driver's license without the EAD or green card.   Approval for a K1 over a CR1 won't make much difference if you have a legitimate relationship and are prepared to prove it.

 

I don't think Vietnam is a difficult consulate if you prepare to over-prepare.  Take this process VERY seriously.  Study each others' lives and test each other.  Bring lots of paper because even the appearance of bags full of documentation will be noticed by the CO.  Vietnam does have an issue with visa fraud, so your documents will be scrutinized more closely.  Again, this won't be a problem for legitimate couples.

 

My wife worried herself sick for months.  When it was over, we couldn't believe it was so easy and that we had worried as much as we did.  You will breathe your own sigh of relief soon.  Remember, you have another (slightly more difficult) interview for AOS coming, so the visa interview is great practice!   😁

 

Good luck to both of you - Jason

 

[JasonGG 280]

10 minutes ago, JasonGG said:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by JasonGG

[daniel_and_lily 45]

8 minutes ago, JasonGG said:

 

We did have an engagement ceremony prior to submitting the I-129F.  We included a couple photos and mentioned it in the "relationship timeline" we included with the 129F.  It was a traditional ceremony . . . outfits (see my profile pic), red offering trays presented to the women in my fiance's family, etc.  None of my family attended because, like you said, it is just too far and costly.  If asked, simply tell the CO your plan to marry in the U.S. and return to Vietnam for a second ceremony.  If you don't have a dam hoi/din hon, just bring some photos of you with her parents, siblings and other friends to show that you are "part of the family."  Prepare to name the people in the photos.  It wasn't necessary for the visa interview, but I was asked to name people in our photos during my wife's green card interview.

 

that's really great! Thank you so much for your insight!  That makes me feel more relaxed. 

[daniel_and_lily 45]

13 minutes ago, JasonGG said:

We practiced answering hundreds of questions about each other. 

Was this something you did because that's what people are saying to do ? I mean, it would feel weird for me to go "study" about each other since that's not natural

[JasonGG 280]

14 minutes ago, daniel_and_lily said:

Was this something you did because that's what people are saying to do ? I mean, it would feel weird for me to go "study" about each other since that's not natural

We collected interview questions from Visa Journey posts and the consulate reviews.  It wasn't new information to either of us, but we wanted to make sure we could respond confidently if asked.  My wife also wanted to practice having the same question asked different ways in English just so she would not misunderstand during the interview.  We prepared questions about family, our children, birth dates, favorite food, hometowns, education etc.  We could answer them all very easily, but we tested each other to make sure we could still respond under pressure and when nervous at the consulate.  It would have been terrible if she panicked and couldn't answer when my birthday is or what my kids names are during the interview because she was so nervous!  The night before the interview, I watched as my fiance and her daughter (age 7) quizzed each other about me!  It was REALLY strange to watch!

 

Like I said, we over-prepared for the visa interview.  All that preparation was more useful for the AOS interview, as we were asked more detailed questions about family, friends, and personal history. - Jason

Edited May 22, 2019 by JasonGG

[daniel_and_lily 45]

Sweet would you happen to have some questions still handy that we can look at together ?

[JasonGG 280]

32 minutes ago, daniel_and_lily said:

Sweet would you happen to have some questions still handy that we can look at together ?

I think I still have them on my work computer.  I can post them tomorrow. 

[daniel_and_lily 45]

15 minutes ago, JasonGG said:

I think I still have them on my work computer.  I can post them tomorrow. 

thank you so much!  

[JasonGG 280]

I think this is most of the questions.  We had several lists collected from questions posted in these forums and the Vietnam consulate reviews.   My fiance planned to interview in English, so we asked variations of each question so she would be prepared for different wording.   Most couples can answer these questions without needing a list; however, most couples don't need to go through a very stressful visa interview that decides if they can marry the person they love!  I can answer these easily, but I wanted us both to be ready to answer them under pressure in a very hectic consulate interview area.  As it so happens, my wife didn't understand the first question in English and panicked.  The interpreter continued the interview in Vietnamese and she said she was really glad she studied the questions the night before.  Even though they only asked basic questions, we were both asked some of the more detailed questions at the green card interview. I hope these help. - Jason

 

What is your fiance’s name?
What are your fiance’s hobbies & interests?
What are your hobbies and interests?
What make/model/color is your fiance’s car?
What does your fiance do for a living?
What is your fiance's job?
Where does your fiance work?
In what city does your fiance work?
What is your fiance’s salary?
How much does your fiance make each year?
Was your fiance married previously?
When was your fiance married?
When was your fiance divorced?
Does your fiance have children?
What are the names of you fiance's children?
How old are your fiance's children?
Where do your fiance's children live?
What are your fiance's parents' names?
What is your fiance's mother's name?
What is your fiance's father's name?
Where do your fiance's parent / father / mother live?
How old are your fiance's parents?
Where was your fiance born?
In what year was your fiance born?
How long has your fiance lived at his/her current address?
What is your fiance's address?
Where do you plan to live in the United States?
When did you meet your fiance?
How did you meet your fiance?
Where were you when you first met your fiance?
How long have you be with your fiance?
Did you have an engagement ceremony?
When was your engagement ceremony?
Did you exchange rings at your engagement ceremony? (NO!)
How many people attended the engagement ceremony?
Who attended your engagement party?
Do you have wedding plans?
What are your wedding plans?
Where will you get married?
Who will attend your wedding?
What is your fiance's religious background?
Does your fiance speak your language?
When did you last visit your fiance?
Where did you go on your last vacation with your fiance?
How much did you spend on your last vacation together?
Where did you stay in EACH CITY WE VISITED?

What was the name of the hotel you stayed at in . . . ?

What airline did your fiance fly on to come to Vietnam in {MONTH]?
Has your fiance ever been convicted of a crime?
How do you communicate with your fiance?
Why do you want to come to the United States?
Why do you want to marry your fiance?
How did your fiance ask you to marry him?
Where did you fiance ask you to marry him?
Did your fiance give you an engagement ring?
Are you a terrorist?
Have you ever served in the military?
What other names have you used?
What is your nickname?
Do you have plans for a honeymoon?
Where will you go for your honeymoon?
How many hours/days per week does your fiance work?
What time does your fiance leave for work?
What time does your fiance come home from work?
What does your fiance do on his days off from work?
What is your fiance's ex-spouse's name?
When do you plan to enter the United States?
Does your fiance have any siblings? (brothers and sisters)
What are the names/ages of your fiance's siblings? (brothers and sisters)

Has your fiance met your siblings (brothers and sisters)?
What can you tell me about the state you fiance lives in / you are moving to?
Do you plan to have children after you are married / come to the United States?
Have you met your fiance's parents?
Have you ever visited another country?
Have you ever been denied a visa to another country?
What is your fiance's phone number?
What is your fiance's email address?
What was your last telephone conversation with your fiance about?
What was your last email to your fiance about?
How often do you communicate with your fiance?
How old is your fiance?
How many times have your been married?
What do you and your fiance enjoy doing together?
Where do you and your fiance plan to travel in the future?
What are your plans for Tet after you are married?
How did you celebrate Tet this year?
Where did you celebrate Tet this year?
What was the last gift your fiance gave you?
How does your family feel about your engagement / upcoming marriage?
What do you like most about your fiance?
Why did you choose to apply for a K1 instead of marrying in Vietnam and applying for a CR1?
What is your fiance's favorite movie? music? food?
Do you know how to cook your fiance's favorite food?
How many times have you met in person?
How many days/weeks/months have you spent together?
How long have you been together / dating / engaged?
How do you picture your life in 5-10 years?
Does your fiance have any pets?
Do you have any relatives in the United States?
Did your fiance go to college?  Where?  When?  What did they study?
What color are your fiance's eyes?
What is your fiance's favorite color?
Do you know anything special about your fiance's body?
Does your fiance have any tattoos?
What is your fiance's favorite Vietnamese food?
Does your fiance send you money?  Has your fiance sent you money?  How much?  When? Why?
Do you meet your fiance at the airport when he comes to Vietnam?
Do you stay in the same hotel room when you travel in Vietnam?
Did you fiance propose in Vietnamese?  What did he say?
What are the names of your fiance's closest friends?
Who drives when you are together in Vietnam?
Will you sell your house before moving to the United States?
Do you have favorite photo of the two of you?
Does your fiance spend time with your children?
Do your children like your fiance?
What does you fiance like to do with your children?
Do you children travel with you when your fiance visits?
What do your children call your fiance?
What name do your children call your fiance?
What is your favorite place to visit together in Vietnam?
What is your favorite restaurant in Vietnam?
Does you fiance send you gifts when you are not together?

 

[daniel_and_lily 45]

that's great   Some questions are odd, but this is nice to have   thank you so much

[AndrewF 69]

We did not have an engagement party.  1 of the 3 questions that the CO asked my fiance was if we had an engagement party.  My fiance said we did not have a party because we wanted to save money to buy a house the following month.  CO said ok and approved her visa.  I don't think not having an engagement party is that big of an issue and definitely would not spend a lot of $$ on one unless you wanted to.

[Luon7951 8]

47 minutes ago, AndrewF said:

We did not have an engagement party.  1 of the 3 questions that the CO asked my fiance was if we had an engagement party.  My fiance said we did not have a party because we wanted to save money to buy a house the following month.  CO said ok and approved her visa.  I don't think not having an engagement party is that big of an issue and definitely would not spend a lot of $$ on one unless you wanted to.

Out of curiosity how many times did you and your significant other meet in person?