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| Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |  Review on December 3, 2009: |
Andrew D
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Family and Marriage Based Immigration to the USA
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> VisaJourney.com > General Discussion Area > Regional Discussion > Asia: East and Pacific (Except China)
> WE GOT PINK, My fiancee interviewed on Dec. 3 and was approved. Hurray!!
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Andrew D
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post Today, 12:50 PM
Post #1
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Group: Members
Joined: 21-April 09
From: Minnesota
Filed for: K-1
California Service Center
Local Office: CA
Country: Vietnam
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My fiancee was interviewed today (Dec. 3) and she was approved with a PINK slip.
Words can't describe my feeling right now. I would like to THANKS each and every members whom are taking an active role in giving out advice in this forum. I don't post much but I've been following the forum closely and took every single advice to heart. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Chi (my fiancée, K1 application) was interviewed today, and this is what she had described to me:
She showed up at 6:00 to stand in line for her number. When it was her turn to hand in the paper works, she did try to have them take the detailed time line (6 pgs long) but the guy refused. She waited nervously for her turn to interview. She witnessed many girls whom have been interviewed for 30 - 50 minutes and walked out with a blue slip (which is a bad sign). She got to know one of the girl who has been married for 1 1/2 year (K3 application) - carrying a large box of evidence - went up to the interview and was pounded with questions after questions - walked out crying with a blue slip after 45 minutes of questions. Chi started to feel extremely nervous and having major anxiety for what about to come.
When it was her turn to interview: She calmly walked up the station and the Caucasian interviewer (40 something years old man, good looking) gave her a very friendly pleasant smile and said "chao em" (hello) in broken Vietnamese. Standing next to him is a Vietnamese male interpreter. Both seems very nice and professional.
The Caucasian interviewer than asked Chi:
"How did you 2 met?"
"We met at a party"
“What your fiancé does for a living?”
“Engineer.”
“Where are you planning to have your wedding?”
“Texas.”
“Do you have any relatives in the US?”
“Yes, an uncle & half brother.”
(Chi speaks very little English so the questions and answers was interpreted in Vietnamese)
He asked to see the engagement photos. Chi handed him the stack of photos, he took a quick glance at just a few photos and handed it right back. He than pulled out a pink slip (already been signed) handed to Chi and said "Chuc mung em" (congratulations). Chi was so shocked, did not know what to say so she kept repeating, "thank you.....thank you....thank you"
Chi could not believe the interview was already over and she has been approved. The whole interview took about 3-5 minutes with only 4-5 questions. He didn't even asked for the detailed timeline nor the relatives listing which we had prepared and notarized. He didn't ask to see any of the proofs that Chi brought with her (and she brought a lot, we had prepared all of the emails, chats, phone bills, all possible evidence that we've collected). Her whole experience with this interview was very pleasant. All the staffs and interviewer were very polite, friendly and professional.
During the taxi ride home after the interview, the Taxi driver (who is regularly picking up passengers at the Consulate) told her that it is extremely rare to see any of his passengers walk out of the building with a happy result. The majority of his passengers got blue slip or rejected, even the one who have been interviewed 3-4 times.
My conclusion is that we were very lucky and that Chi was probably already been approved even before she was interviewed. I think the main reason for that is because we've FRONT LOADED the application from the get go. FRONT LOAD the initial application (I129-F) was the most valuable piece of advice I got from this forum. My I129-F package weighted 8 pounds with all required documents, a cover sheet, 1 page simplified timeline, and every possible evidence COLOR photo copied (travel documents, visa, plane tickets, flight itinerary, passenger boards, 5 phone bills, 10 emails, 5 chat logs, letters, cards with stamped envelopes, e-cards, money wired receipts, hotel receipts in VN, restaurant receipts in VN, car rental receipts in VN, shopping receipt in VN, credit card statements shows that I’ve purchased airfares and gifts for Chi and her family, my blog page described our engagement in details and the messages our family and friends left on the blog message board, 50 pictures in an album format in chronicle order (I used only the plastic photo insert sheets from any typical photo album to insert the photos in, punched 2 holes on top for mounting, I also printed out caption labels and stick them in the back and on the side of every photo)). We punched the top of each submitted form/document and submit it complete with an ACCO fasteners. Everything was bounded together in a 3 sectionals-top mounted ACCO fasteners-blue folder/binder (from Office Max). The end result; the folder/binder was about 2.5 inches thick with documents & photos, and weighed 8 pounds. We must have killed a couple of trees with all the printed documents that we've prepared for the package and the interview.
Chi said that she saw the exact same blue folder/binder on the interviewer desk (everything was in tack). She recognized the blue folder because I’ve made 3 exact duplicates (1 to send initially for I129-F, 1 to send back to Chi, and 1 for me to keep just in case).
A quick overview of our relationship: My fiancée and I were both single never been married nor have any kids. Chi is 29 and I’m 39. We met in April 2007 at a friends gathering party (I stayed in VN for 3 weeks), went back to visit her again in Dec 2007 (stayed another 3 weeks), proposed in Sept 2008 via phone, went back for engagement in March 2009 (also stayed for 3 weeks). Send in my I-129F application in June, 1 2009. Interviewed on the Dec. 3. Total took 6 months.
The other valuable piece of advice I got from this forum is to contact the The US Customs and Border Protection (FOIA Division) to request proof of my traveling since I did not keep any traveling evidence in my first 2 initial trips I’ve made to VN in 2007. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), any US citizen and request to see their traveling information in and out of the US. Their address is: US Customs and Border Protection FOIA Division, 799 9th Street NW, Mint Annex - Washington, DC 20229-1177. The process took me about 2 weeks to received the requested documents that proofed my travels to Vietnam in 2007.
I hope this post will help somebody out there who is fighting to be united with there loved one. What I’ve learned from this experience is that. Take your time to collect the evidence, think about your red flags and address them with evidence or explanation in your “how we met” description (our red flags is that I did not have any proofs of traveling to VN in the first 2 trips in 2007, but the US Border Protection documents had helped proof it), don’t rush sending in the I-129F unless you have enough evidence proofing a bona fide relationship. Last but not least, FRONT LOAD the I-129F package. Through out this process, we did not used any lawyers or services. I believe that if you have a straight forward case and you did your homework and have sufficient evidence, you can totally do this on your own.
Again, I want to send my deepest gratitude to all members in this forum. Your devotion and generosity had made this entire journey so much smoother, easier and less stressful. Because of you, the love of my life and I can be now be united and starting our own family. We are eternally grateful to all of you. A heartfelt THANK YOU.
"At last, my love has come along, my lonely days are over, and life is like a song".
Million & million thanks.
Andrew & Chi
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- Andrew D WE GOT PINK Today, 12:50 PM
- - Kang Lang first in! CONGRATS!!!! Today, 12:52 PM
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