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| Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |  Review on May 13, 2019: |
nguoivietnam2019
Rating:  | Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
The last time I was at the consulate was 2 decades ago when my family members and I got our immigration interview. One thing I remember: it was hot. Anyway, I was with my wife for her interview and...it was also hot.
Notes:
- Have your interview letter, passport, and passport photo ready: we saw people lined up with wrong interview date/people with unorganized materials
- Do not carry backpack: backpack is not allowed. But if you do, you need to check them with people on opposite side of the street. There is a fee + remember to take out of your valuables.
- There are (potential) people skip the line - just beware.
- Wear something formal but also comfortable
- Eat something before going to the interview
An interview has multiple steps
Step 1 - Security check: get there at early. Our interview at 7:30 AM, we got there 6:30 AM and we were almost last people in line. having appointment letter and passport ready for security check. There were signs saying IMMIGRATION and NON-IMMIGRATION in English and Vietnamese, ignore these signs. EMS shipping company employees were at the consulate to help people lineup and give some directions. These people were kind of rude but do not let them make you feel bad.
Step 2 - Fingerprint: my wife lined-up and got fingerprints taken at 1 of 2 first windows. I was directed to sit and wait wait in the same area. After getting fingerprints take, my wife was given a number and directed to wait with petitioner.
Step 3 - Original Document Verification: there were display panels showing the ticket number and voice calling the number. There are 20 windows (#10 is actually a special room - it probably the "war room"). The order of numbers is called appears to be random, however, it is not real random: It is just that not every case is the same so the order is called not the same as the order people receive their number. There were a few questions we got asked like who filed I-864/I-864A/ if beneficiary traveled internationally, etc.
Step 4 - Interview. Interviewer ignored my wife when she saying hello to him but I loudly said "HELLO" then he responded. The interpreter was quite nice. Interviewer allowed both of us answer his questions, however, our questions and answered were done via interpreter (the interviewer was away from the microphone so it was hard to hear his voice anyway). After a few questions, we were told that visa has been granted without being asked for any docs/evidences.
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #26165