jouneymyn's US Immigration Timeline
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Petitioner's Name: E
Beneficiary's Name: N
VJ Member: jouneymyn
Country: Vietnam
Last Updated: 2021-11-16
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Immigration Checklist for E & N:
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USCIS DCF I-130 Petition:
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Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:
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USCIS I-751 Petition:
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USCIS N-400 Petition:
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IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Nebraska Service Center |
| Transferred? |
No |
| Consulate : |
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Marriage (if applicable): |
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| I-130 Sent : |
2016-07-16 |
| I-130 NOA1 : |
2016-07-23 |
| I-130 RFE : |
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| I-130 RFE Sent : |
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| I-130 Approved : |
2017-01-19 |
| NVC Received : |
2017-02-18 |
| Received DS-261 / AOS Bill : |
2017-02-17 |
| Pay AOS Bill : |
2017-02-27 |
| Receive I-864 Package : |
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| Send AOS Package : |
2017-03-29 |
| Submit DS-261 : |
2017-02-20 |
| Receive IV Bill : |
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| Pay IV Bill : |
2017-02-28 |
| Send IV Package : |
2017-03-29 |
| Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter : |
2017-06-13 |
| Case Completed at NVC : |
2017-06-09 |
| NVC Left : |
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| Consulate Received : |
2017-06-30 |
| Packet 3 Received : |
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| Packet 3 Sent : |
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| Packet 4 Received : |
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| Interview Date : |
2017-07-20 |
| Interview Result : |
Approved
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Second Interview
(If Required): |
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| Second Interview Result: |
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| Visa Received : |
2017-07-28 |
| US Entry : |
2017-11-08 |
| Comments : |
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Processing
Estimates/Stats : |
Your I-130 was approved in 180 days from your NOA1 date.
Your interview took 362 days from your I-130 NOA1 date. |
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Citizenship
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| Event |
Date |
| Service Center : |
Online |
| CIS Office : |
Portland OR |
| Date Filed : |
2020-08-09 |
| NOA Date : |
2020-08-15 |
| Bio. Appt. : |
2021-07-21 |
| Interview Date : |
2021-10-15 |
| Approved : |
Yes |
| Oath Ceremony : |
2021-11-03 |
| Comments : |
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Member Reviews:
Consulate Review: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
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| Event |
Description |
| Review Date : |
July 20, 2017 |
| Embassy Review : |
I had read many reviews of the IV interview process at the US Consulate on this website and others, so we kind of had an idea of what to expect going in. Basically, it isn't that bad if you are well-prepared. Also, the US Consulate in Saigon is overwhelmed with US visa applications of all kinds, so they are really bad at communicating.
I received a notice of our interview and the scheduled date on June 13 from the NVC. The consulate never made any attempt to contact me. I reached out to them (they limit inquiries to 500 characters which is frustrating), and then they finally replied with a formal letter and interview notice. I made another attempt to contact the consulate to confirm that they received all of our documents from the NVC, but they refused to confirm or deny whether or not they had received anything. (See: bad communication).
The IV interview was scheduled for 9 a.m., but from what I'd read, it can be really crowded at the consulate in the morning. Traffic wasn't bad and we arrived there at 7:30 a.m. We weren't sure if they would let us in that early, but they did. (See: bad communication).
Security checked our passports and did a quick security check outside the door. Then we waited in line for a more thorough security check. They took our phones and smartwatches and gave us a tag to retrieve them later. Nothing unexpected so far.
Then my spouse had to stand in a long time to wait for her number. This probably took at least 30 minutes. After getting a number in the order that you line up, she had to have her fingerprints taken. Apparently the woman taking fingerprints was trying to speak Vietnamese, but she spoke the language so badly that no one could really understand her. (See: bad communication).
After my spouse had her number and her fingerprints taken, we waited for about another hour to hand over our civil documents, evidence, etc. This only takes place from windows 3-10. The woman at window 7 was a surly bitch who was very impolite and condescending. Instead of asking for specific documents and originals, she simply told my wife curtly: "Give me all your documents!" She flipped through stuff like it was painful for her and I was afraid that she'd rip something. Without knowing what to look for on my I-864 she asked me why I didn't have any income last year. I replied that I did and told her the amount. Furthermore, she acted like it was going to be a big deal that my spouse did not present her original birth certificate, but rather a duplicate issued by the same office. She sighed and rolled her eyes on this one. Basically, she was doing what so many Vietnamese bureaucrats do in similar positions: she was on a power trip and just wanted to demean everyone she interacted with. Bitch. Hopefully the people taking documents at other windows were more polite.
Once she had all of the documents that she wanted, we had to wait longer. We were both a bit nervous after the surly bitch being a bitch about documents. The worst thing now was waiting. Everyone just had to sit on uncomfortable metal seats in an un-air-conditioned space that slowly kept getting hotter and hotter as the morning went on. We saw many people, young and old, getting issued blue slips of paper which was disconcerting as well. There is nothing to read in the waiting area, and phones are not allowed, so my advice is to bring something to read while you wait.
Finally, around 11:30 our number was called. There was one microphone for the consular officer to speak into, but it was pointed at the translator, so we couldn't hear him at all. He asked if I was the husband, and after I replied in the affirmative, I was asked to sit down. The consular officer asked my wife two questions, but she couldn't hear him due to the microphone pointing the wrong way. So the translator leaned in and translated the questions so that they were a bit unclear. (See: bad communication). But after two questions that was it. They didn't even look at the piles of documents and photos that we had brought for evidence of a bona fide marriage. We were handed our documents and told to register for delivery of the passport with a visa.
The woman taking delivery addresses and information was not a consular employee, but worked for the EMS delivery company. She was another surly bitch too with no people or customer service skills. When we'd filled out a delivery address and contact numbers, we collected our phones and watches and walked out. A little over four hours for the whole process, most of which was waiting.
Overall, it seems to be an okay process if you are well-prepared. We saw blue slips being issued for glaringly obvious reasons, like not having a medical check up certificate or a police background check. We also heard a lot of vague answers that did not go over well with consular officials. If you are interviewing here, be well-prepared with your documentation and be honest.
I'm rating the experience 3. The US Consulate in Saigon really can't communicate effectively at all. There was no reason for the document-taker to be such a bitch for no reason, they could have scheduled better so that the process doesn't take over four hours to ask two questions, and they could contract someone from EMS who is at least polite. Oh yeah, and why no air-conditioning? But at least the security guards were nice and the interview was fast.
If anyone has questions about our experience, just let me know.
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| Rating : |
Moderate |
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Timeline Comments: None yet, be the first!
*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the
USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.
** Not all cases are transfered
ver 5.0
