US Immigration from Vietnam

Usually some reasons for K-1 Visa Denials at the HCMC Consulate are:

1. Not spending enough time with one another (only one trip made)
2. Becoming engaged before meeting in-person
3. No evidence of an engagement/Dinh Hon or having a small, inconsequential engagement ceremony
4. No evidence of an ongoing relationship (Petitioner has not returned to visit the Fiance/Fiancee for one year)

I've been stressing out about the (future) interview and would like some insight.

I met Nhi through a family-friend (whom I've known since I was 12-14 years old) in March 2023 and Nhi and I started out meeting online/video calls. I visited her in April for a whole month after being laid off from my company. Proposed to her in June. Then returned again to Vietnam in July to prepare for our Engagement/Dinh Hon Party. Dinh Hon/Engagement Party was August 5th & 6th, and had 570+ guests (along with my Vietnamese-American parents, 2 Vietnamese-American paternal grandparents, and 1 Aunt). So a total of only 5 U.S. guests. As for the Vietnamese guests, my side included 70-80 people, and hers was almost 500 people (family, friends, everyone she knew in town). After the engagement, the 2 of us, and both of our parents and my aunt spent time in Phu Quoc Island and we also had a small trip to Thailand as well.

Would I fail my interview at Vietnam consulate for having a short (quick) engagement period, and should I try to visit her again by the end of this year (2024), if I am expecting my prospective interview date to be in 2025? I also know that the Ho Chi Minh City consulate already has a decision made (colored slip) ready prior to the interview as well.

Thank you so much!

Hi,

I have barely just submitted my I-129F petition recently and was wondering if additional evidence may be submitted at later stages such as NVC stage/Package 3, or DS-160 stage. I've made 2 trips to Vietnam to visit my Fiancee and submitted that evidence with my I-129F and plan to make 2 more additional trips this year. I've read that the Vietnam Consulate is very strict and usually makes a pre-determined decision beforehand, way before the interview (and they'll usually have a pre-determined color slip ready to hand over after the interview) and sometimes will not look at any additional evidence that is brought in on the day of the interview. This could affect their decision on whether or not to reject or approve the K-1 visa. Will they accept additional proof at the consulate interview and possibly change their minds even if they've already made a pre-determined decision?

Nhi and I had a Dinh Hon/Engagement Party but did not submit photos with our I-129F petition out of fear that it'll cause rejection/confusion from USCIS as it is a formal ceremony. I did mentioned that Nhi and I got engaged in our I-129F packet though. Since I am currently only waiting on NOA2, will there be a chance to submit more evidence of additional visits, Dinh Hon/Engagement evidence, photos of sent gifts/upcoming T t l x red envelope money order receipts, chats of us discussing U.S. wedding plans, etc. etc. before our consulate interview in the near future? Or will an RFE be the only way to submit additional more proof.

Thank you!

My friend went through a service and they told him that. I told him I can help by co-sponsoring.

Thanks in advance.

This seems obvious but I wanted to check. My wife has submitted I-751 and just recently submitted N-400. If we are granted a combo interview does her 17 year old daughter that immigrated with her need to attend the I-751 interview as well?

Our appointment was January 8, 2023 at 7:30 am. I am the petitioner and attended the interview. We booked a room at the Muong Thanh Saigon Centre Hotel, right across the street from the Consulate. The room was $80. We scouted out the area the night prior to get an idea of where to go in the morning. We walked 2 blocks in the morning to the area directly opposite the entrance. There was no issue with the Red Chair people as I had read in previous reviews. We paid 70k VND for us both to sit and have coffee and wait.

At about 7 on the dot a guard came outside, and the "rush" to the line outside the entrance began. We were maybe 2/3 of the way toward the end of the block, with probably 30 people in front of us. 3 people came outside and began verifying ID, passport, Appointment Confirmation, DS160 Confirmation, and 2 Visa Photos. They also checked my passport. ** Have your documents arranged in order per part 4 of the Instruction Package.** Many people did not and got very flustered trying to find what was required, as the people checking were all business and no nonsense and were understandably impatient.

At 7:20 we were in the entrance, where a guard swept everyone with a metal detector. We spent maybe 10 minutes in line, turned our cell phones in (they give you a placard you use to get them back when leaving), and arrived at the main area, where we were separated by a male staffer. I waited in a seat while she was in line. They verified the Pkt3 letter, that she had the medical envelope, and her birth certificate. Then gave her a slip with our number on it, 2041, and told her to go sit and wait.

We waited together for our number to be called, probably 15 minutes or so. We got called to Window 5, where she was asked to supply copies of her passport, original and copy of my birth certificate and divorce decree, her justice record, etc from the required documents list. The originals of everything were returned once they verified the copies were correct. ***We were required to supply the DS-160 receipt, which is not listed on the instruction packet. Luckily we had it or would have been sent away ***

We were told to go have a seat and wait for our number to be called. They have an automated system that calls out numbers and windows, as well as a display that scrolls the numbers as they are called. They do not go in numerical order. there are 20 something windows total. **Sidenote, bay/window 11 has a door into a booth. We saw 3 people get called there, and each was there a good bit. I have no idea what it was for.** They were calling 1000 and 2000 series numbers at a pretty good clip. A few people did not hear or see their number called and staff located them, so do not worry if it's too loud to hear well, although how anyone could miss their number on the display is beyond me.

After maybe an hour our number was called and we went to bay 14. There was a young man with a tattoo on his arm and a female Vietnamese interpreter. He asked Hoa if she spoke english. She said a little. They swore her in in Vietnamese. The interpreter was telling her to place her fingers on a scanner outside the window, which she did, but her hands were too sweaty. They passed her a tissue and had a good laugh about it, which broke the tension a little bit. The interviewer then told her in Vietnamese to scan her thumbs as well. That dude speaks Vietnamese like a native.

Here are the questions they asked, as best as I can recall:

To her: Where was she going to live when she went to the US?

What is my job?

What is my address?

Do I have kids? How many?

Does she have any family in the US?

*** The interviewer was asking her the questions in english and was typing as the interpreter and Hoa talked in Vietnamese.

Then he turned to me:

How did we meet? (Vietnam Cupid. He did not ask for the IMBRA)

When did we meet?

When did I divorce?

What was Hoa's job in Vietnam (she's currently laid off so I explained)

Has Hoa talked to my children?

Has Hoa talked to my mother?

Have I ever sent her money? (I said yes. He did not ask for any supporting info).

They then switched back to Hoa and he asked her if she had any kids? Something went amiss with the interpreter, and Hoa told her 3, thinking she was asking about mine. He then jumped in and spoke to her in Vietnamese and clarified and they all 3 laughed.

Does she have any family in the US?

I was telling him she had distant family in California and a niece in Iowa and he asked if I had ever met her? I said no. He then asked Hoa the same thing in Vietnamese. She answered and he said "Congratulations, your Visa is approved. Have a nice day and enjoy your time in the US" and stamped the appointment confirmation with a blue stamp.

It took maybe 5 minutes tops at the window. They did not ask to see any evidence of our relationship at all, or the I-134. He typed the entire time as we answered each question. If there was anything they asked that was not straight off of the I-129 I cannot remember what it was.

In summary, I do believe they decide in advance whether or not they are going to approve the Visa. The questions were preloaded on the computer and he was reading the questions and typing our answers in as we went. They were very nice and relaxed, which helped, as Hoa was very nervous. I was eyeballing the entire time looking for a slip in our packet and didn't see anything.

If your relationship is genuine and you submit a good 129 package there is nothing to worry about. I read horror stories all over the place how terrible the consulate in Ho Chi Minh is, how the petitioner should not attend the interview, sending money is looked at as human trafficking, show up 2 hours early because of how bad the line is, people getting yelled at, etc etc. None of that was true.

We were the 3 hours total.

Jan 8 2024 interview/verbal approval

Jan 9 CEAC status APPROVED

Jan 10 CEAC status ISSUED

God Speed to everyone. Feel free to PM me if needed.

Seth