The K-1 and HCMC

[STL_HCMC 0]

This is not aimed at any member. Just my two cents.

(1) We don't know ALL the specifics of cases that have been put on hold for further review. We only know what we are told by the members posts on the board and stories we hear outside. There is always TWO SIDES to every story.

(2) For those of us that haven't interviewed yet, we've merely just experienced the US Consulate in HCMC from outside contact (i.e. email, phone or the information booth). We can't pass judgement on consular officers and staff inside that we haven't encountered yet. I hope people don't completely judge me by what they hear from others. There is a lot more story to a book than its cover.

(3) I believe immigration should still be looked at as a privilege instead of a foreign nationals right.

(4) I think it would help us ALL to frame our thought process and pre-conceived/pre-interview thinking to that of the US Consulate in HCMC as a government institution trying to do its job as best it can (given the circumstances of high fraud), and NOT as our enemy. Such negative thinking before the interview, and before any "put on hold review" has even happened to any of our cases, only results in an anger driven and quite defensive attitude going into the interview. This doesn't help the USC's frame of thinking and communication/interaction with the US Consulate, and it sure can be a negative factor being subconsciously leaked into the frame of mind of the beneficiary/fiance(e). We should all know how important confidence and comfortability will be to the fiance(e) interviewing. There is no use raising the stress level before anything negative has happened.

What I'm not trying to do is defend the US Consulate in HCMC, but nobody/institution is perfect. Is it possible my case will not pass the first time? SURE! It is possible for all of us. Is it possible we could all pass on the first try? SURE! Will we accept that fact? We have to.

It is still best to prepare diligently and make sure all your ducks are in order, but lets not lead ourselves - and the others that might read our posts in the future - into such dark ideas that we don't know of yet.

Everyone keep your chin up, think positive, be here to answer questions to help others prepare the best and realize that we cannot control everything.

I'll step down now!

STL_HCMC

[wait4ever 0]

This is not aimed at any member. Just my two cents.

We should all know how important confidence and comfortability will be to the fiance(e) interviewing. There is no use raising the stress level before anything negative has happened.

It is still best to prepare diligently and make sure all your ducks are in order, but lets not lead ourselves - and the others that might read our posts in the future - into such dark ideas that we don't know of yet.

Everyone keep your chin up, think positive, be here to answer questions to help others prepare the best and realize that we cannot control everything.

I'll step down now!

STL_HCMC

I agree it is important for the fiance(e) to be confident and comfortable for the interview. Also important is the dilligent preparation.

I started this post to inform the Vietnam family of some of the realities that were presented to me. I have been on the inside and I can tell you from experience that all is not sweetness and light with this Consulate and the people who work there. There is a very real dark side. I hope those of you with cases coming up don't get to see that dark side. My desire would be for everyone to have a great experience all around. However, ignorance is not bliss. I don't believe in watering down information. People need to take into account the information they are getting and make their own assumptions/decisions. That's what a message board is for. Here we also express our joys, our fears, our opinions and our knowledge to pass on to others so they might benefit.

As a feifdom of the State Dept., the Consulate is a government institution. In a democracy we have certain ideals about the role and responsibily of the government to its people. When we feel the government does not serve the needs of the people in a manner we expect, there is the idea that we can express our feelings through freedom of speach. We may gather to discuss our feelings and ideas about what needs to be changed to make life better for all Americans. Inherent in our society is the belief that we can actually make changes for the better. In this forum we may also express that desire for change, for what could be.

The visa process can sometimes be a very stressful thing. We all have our bad days, like Bruce Han. You have so many things swirling around in your head you feel like your head is going to explode, only it comes out of your mouth. I can totally relate. I think the most important thing is to keep that stress out of your relationship. At the core, your relationship is not about the visa. It's about the love you feel for each other and the growth of your relationship.

[STL_HCMC 0]

wait4ever,

I agree with your post completely. Putting ALL information on the table (positive/negative/informative) is a good source for us all to pull from.

I'm not advocating only talking about the sugar coated information. I advocate taking all the information and using it to the best of your advantage/petition/situation. See the positive/negative/informative information as an evolving tips guide for this consulate. Put it all together and your leaps and bounds ahead of K-1 petitioners that posted that information in the past.

For those that have experienced and exposed the negatives of this government institution, the factual nature of your "inside" experience lends credibility to your statements. However, for those of us that have yet to interview, let's be careful in how we portray/judge/approach/communicate with this consulate/consular officers/staff before our "inside" turn has come. It is unfair for us to create posts of negativity when we haven't yet experienced that. For all we know the consulate could have new staff/consular officers these days.

To take a page from your reply, "The visa process can sometimes be a very stressful thing. We all have our bad days, like Bruce Han. You have so many things swirling around in your head you feel like your head is going to explode, only it comes out of your mouth. I can totally relate." This process rings true for all of us, consulate staff and officers included. Granted it is the profession they chose, but imagine the negativity they encounter on a daily basis? I'm sure there are a few joys scattered in between with approvals.

I'm all about freedom of speech, posting on the message board, giving others useful tips and warning others of potential pitfalls. I'm likewise all for posting questions to gather insight, etc. But take all of that information and put it to constructive use for yourself. Don't take that information and automatically plug it into your case/petition as something that is a given and definitely going to happen in your case. For those of us pre-interview, we can redirect our fear and negative thoughts into more energy for diligent preparation to give our fiancee the confidence and comfortability they will need to thrive in during their interview. Like I said, every case has two sides to its story, has many details, and no two cases are exactly identical.

Take the detailed information from the board and polish and prepare your case, I-134, evidence, etc, as best you can. In the reality of it, that is all you can do. You cannot control anything beyond that. I'm very appreciative for this board and the things it has taught me, the people I've met and the tips/ideas/lessons it will house for K-1 petitioners to come.

I choose the positive thinking route through this process to keep my fiancee and I both level headed. Could it easily turn south and go negative? SURE! But I rest in the confidence of diligent planning and support help from VisaJourney and a bit of the record of previous VisaJourney members below:

10/07/2005...thai0699 (passed)

01/24/2006...nodownguy (passed)

03/21/2006...ct94 (passed)

03/24/2006...JOSmith2 (passed)

03/29/2006...landy (passed)

04/13/2006...yellow123 (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

04/24/2006...bruce_han (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

05/12/2006...kvtran (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

STL_HCMC

I agree it is important for the fiance(e) to be confident and comfortable for the interview. Also important is the dilligent preparation.

I started this post to inform the Vietnam family of some of the realities that were presented to me. I have been on the inside and I can tell you from experience that all is not sweetness and light with this Consulate and the people who work there. There is a very real dark side. I hope those of you with cases coming up don't get to see that dark side. My desire would be for everyone to have a great experience all around. However, ignorance is not bliss. I don't believe in watering down information. People need to take into account the information they are getting and make their own assumptions/decisions. That's what a message board is for. Here we also express our joys, our fears, our opinions and our knowledge to pass on to others so they might benefit.

As a feifdom of the State Dept., the Consulate is a government institution. In a democracy we have certain ideals about the role and responsibily of the government to its people. When we feel the government does not serve the needs of the people in a manner we expect, there is the idea that we can express our feelings through freedom of speach. We may gather to discuss our feelings and ideas about what needs to be changed to make life better for all Americans. Inherent in our society is the belief that we can actually make changes for the better. In this forum we may also express that desire for change, for what could be.

The visa process can sometimes be a very stressful thing. We all have our bad days, like Bruce Han. You have so many things swirling around in your head you feel like your head is going to explode, only it comes out of your mouth. I can totally relate. I think the most important thing is to keep that stress out of your relationship. At the core, your relationship is not about the visa. It's about the love you feel for each other and the growth of your relationship.

[Matt_Stevens 5]

Right you are, please accept my apology, It was not my intension to turn on you. I work with Algorithms and data structures at my job everyday and on this particular day my brain was fried by the time I got to reading your post. I mis judged your opinion. Now, with that said, If there are any question you have I will be happy to help. VJ would not be the same without you here!

Thank, Bruce. I appreciate that.

We all have stressful days.

Edited April 11, 2006 by Matt_Stevens

[Icarus 0]

I choose the positive thinking route through this process to keep my fiancee and I both level headed. Could it easily turn south and go negative? SURE! But I rest in the confidence of diligent planning and support help from VisaJourney and a bit of the record of previous VisaJourney members below:

10/07/2005...thai0699 (passed)

01/24/2006...nodownguy (passed)

03/21/2006...ct94 (passed)

03/24/2006...JOSmith2 (passed)

03/29/2006...landy (passed)

04/13/2006...yellow123 (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

04/24/2006...bruce_han (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

05/12/2006...kvtran (a great source for us all to gain insight from)

STL_HCMC

Well said!!! I been reading all this since Wait4ever started this post and haven't chimed in, just to see where it was all going....

I have to agree with STL on this one. I use the site to expand my knowledge of the process and to 'cover my bases' with the right evidence needed. Any helpful information I can find (good or bad) to ease my concerns about what we are going through and can help me better prepare is very much appreciated. I know what we are all going through is probably more stressful than it needs to be, but that is the effects of a post-911 world.

I look at the list of names ahead of me and look forward to the insight they will provide and I can only hope to do the same for those after me. I found this site with that intent in mind, and of yet, I haven't been disappointed.

Thanks for letting me bend your ears (or eyes...or whatever)

G

[Bruce and Han 0]

Vietnam,

How was that group hug?

[Mike n Huong 1]

Can't we all just get along? lmao

We are all stressed and need to support one another!!!

An engineering student in his last year of study had no income and was declared as a dependent on his parent's taxes. His parents earned over $100K annually and were co-sponsors in his fiancee's application. As an engineering student he had a bright future ahead of him, or so the Consulate assumed. His fiancee's K-1 visa was approved.

A young man who was a gas station attendant was making about $14K annually. He had visited his fiancee in Vietnam six times. His parents were co-sponsors and had an annual income of over $120K. The Consulate refused to issue a K-1 visa based on his insufficient income and would not take into consideration the co-sponsorship of his parents, who clearly had more than sufficient income.

Based on the two examples given, it appears that the Consulate is discriminating between those who might make sufficient income (like a student) and a working adult who currently does not. Where co-sponsorship is concerned, the Consulate seems to be turning a blind eye to working adult petitioners. This would also answer why the Consulate has not published this policy on it's website. How they wish to view/allow the co-sponsor is still dependent on the specifics of each case.

I have a question regarding attending college. I have been working full time at an engineering firm for 11 years. I am currently attending evening classes to obtain my Civil Engineering Technology Degree. My income is a little above the 40k mark. Our petition includes my fiancee and her son. I was wondering if I should provide a letter from the school i am attending, stating my major. Will this be beneficial for the support? Or won't it matter?

Thanks

[Vietnam 0]

Vietnam,

How was that group hug?

It was lovely. I'm all tingly inside now.

I have a question regarding attending college. I have been working full time at an engineering firm for 11 years. I am currently attending evening classes to obtain my Civil Engineering Technology Degree. My income is a little above the 40k mark. Our petition includes my fiancee and her son. I was wondering if I should provide a letter from the school i am attending, stating my major. Will this be beneficial for the support? Or won't it matter?

Thanks

I don't think it will make much difference since you are already comfortably above the poverty level and have had a stable job for 11 years.