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| Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |  Review on November 21, 2016: |
FireAnt
Rating:  | Review Topic: General Review
7:00am - Arrived consulate on 4 Le Duan St. There was already a line of about 60 people waiting along the consulate wall next to the entrain door. The entrain door doesn't look like any fancy welcome door, instead it looks like a regular metal emergency exit back door of any school in the US.
7:15am - One officer in police uniform and another officer in plain uniform went along the line to remind the everyone to take out passport, passport picture, interview appointment paper, the instruction package letter and had them ready in hands. They also reminded whoever had backpack or case must keep them on hands and not place them on the ground otherwise they would not be allowed to enter the door (I don't know why, probably to prevent a "bomb in a backpack"?). Then later another office in plain uniform went along the line to check all the papers above. I was the US citizen sponsoring my fiancee so I didn't have to show any thing (not even the passport). Backpacks and cell phones were allowed to bring into this first door.
7:30am - Door opened. Each person entered after going through two officers with metal detectors. Inside there were two big sign hanging on the ceiling that say ... Immigrant, and ... Nonimmigrant. Don't bother to look at them. They don't mean anything. The officers inside told people to line up in 3 columns. I did a quick estimation there were about 50 people each column. So the total were about 150 people with us somewhere near the middle. Each family was handed a piece of paper the size about 8.5"x5.5", title "Notice to approve IV applications". One officer explain loudly how to fill out this piece of paper. The purpose of this paper is for people to write down their name, passport number, and case number. At the end of the interview, whoever passed, their passports will be held for pasting the visa. They will need that piece of paper to fill out the address form (with passport numbers, and case numbers required) so the consulate can send the visas and passports home. Then the officer reminded everyone to take out their cell phones and turn off the power. All cell phones will be collected before the next security check. Then each family was called to go through the next door and pass a second security check similar to the machine at the airport. Here all the cell phones were collected and to be returned on the way out after the interview.
7:45am - Went through the second security check. After thru, an officer sitting in a corner scanned the bar code on the interview appointment paper. Then we went through another door. After this door, stayed in line again. The men room and lady room are right there very convenient to release biological pressure. Only my fiancee and her son were allowed to stay inline. I went to the waiting benches and waited there.
8:00am - My fiancee got her call number then she and her son got their electronic fingerprints on the first window. After that they went to the waiting area with me. From now on all the numbers were called randomly.
8:30am - We were called to the document precheck window. The Vietnamese lady behind the glass window went through the papers she already had in hand. I did a quick glance and noticed they were my F-129F document. She then asked us to hand in the doctor physical envelops. Then asked us to hand in all the documents required as instructed in the instruction package but no need to hand in the proof documents. She went thru the document real quick and kept all the originals, return us the copies. She asked me: "Did you do all these by yourself? It is so neat and well organized." I answered yes, I had try my best. She then asked we were both married before, how many kids each of us have, do we have any kid together yet. Then she told us to go back the waiting bench.
9:40am - Got the call to the interview window (inside was a tall white man and a young Vietnamese interpreter lady). I purposely carried the stack of document to the window with a big smile on my face, just wanted to acknowledge the interviewer I am here. The man said to me "Good morning". I replied "Good morning sir, how are you doing?". He responded "Good, please go back your seat and wait". So I returned to the bench and waited.
Here are the questions to my fiancee (while her son was standing next to her):
- When did you know him?
- When did he come back to you?
- Where is he living now?
- How far is the school your son is going to?
- Can he walk to school? (Answer: I don't know, my fiance told us he'll take the bus).
- Congratulation you two, mother and son. You'll have your visas to the US.
I jumped up my seat, hugged and lifted my fiancee, my tear was almost come out.
On the way out we stopped at the EMS desk to fill out the address form so they can send us the passports and visas. This time we needed the small piece of paper I mentioned earlier for filling out the address form. They required two phone numbers on this form so be prepare.
On the way out, before the last exit door, the officer who kept all the cell phones reminded us to pick up the phones. We responded we didn't hand in any phone there.
One outside, we crossed the street to the other side and waved on a taxi to get back the hotel. We ignored all the travel agents trying to sell airplane tickets there.
Thanks for being patience reading this post. Now were are preparing for the next journey: US entry.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #20911