I am expecting that my fiancee will be receiving Packet 3 in the next couple of weeks. Her family is looking into hiring an company that will handle Packet 3. They basically handle everything from preparing the doc's to making sure everything is in organized and in order for the interview. It cost's about $400 USD.

Has anyone ever heard of this? I want everything to be in order for the interveiw, but I also don't want my fiancee's family to be ripped off.

I have read a number of opinions. In my opinion the packet 3 itself is very simple to do yourself- easier than the I-129 F. You can find what it will be here. The packet 4 takes a lot more work. You can assure yourself that the documents are done correctly with all of us at VJ. And, you may learn of the do's and don'ts ( or cautions, think twice ) because of the collective experience.

I think if your case is very simple a service can do it without throwing out or excluding important documents for your case. But then if its simple why do you need them ? I know in my case with divorce documents, amendments to birth certificates, etc leaving it to someone else was asking for trouble. Remeber these services make their money on the simple cases.

Best Wishes ! Andrew

I think my case if fairly simple but don't we all?!?!

I am the USC and met my fiancee last TET. My mom actually went back for TET to find me a suitable wife, so you can say that it was arranged. She gave a picture of me to my fiancee and gave me a picture of her. We emailed back and forth and I went to Vietnam in Sept. of 2006 to finally meet her.

Everything was very traditional, I went over to her family's house i Gia Kiem with my parents, spoke with her parents first. When they decided that I was suitable, they bought her out and we saw each other for the very first time. We spent 3 hours talking in person and then I left with my family to return home. When I got home, my grandmother asked if I would consider marrying my now fiancee. I agreed and then my uncle went over to my fiancee's family to ask what their intentions where. My fiancee also agreed and the engagement ceremony was 2 days later.

It was strange at first, but after talking to her for more than 20 hours a week after I left, I have no reservations with going forward.

There are no complications that I foresee. I have a good and steady career, own a home, assets etc. No prior marriages, convictions, debt, nothing....
My fiancee is the same.

The only thing that concerns me is how quickly we became engaged. Do you think Vietnam still believes in the traditional values of marriage, even if it is between a USC and a VN?

It would be an absolute waste of money. I did it with VJ help and my case was much more complicated than yours and I did not use any of such service. Everything you need is right here on VJ.

If you already know what to do, it'll be a rip off. However, if you don't know what you're doing it may be worth that $400. You're fiancee is more important than money.

Shhhhhh.... TONY.... keep it down, I want that $400....

s2convt,

I'll take $300, to fill out the P3 for your fiance. Do we have a deal? Just PM me and i'll take care of it...

Ok... all jokes aside, the P3 is the shortest and easiest of all the forms you've been fililng out. Ask her to scan the form, all the pages and email to you. You can guide her through via Skype or telephone. Someone who offers the service for $400, that's a good price for people who don't have the VJ power packing them up You've got your VJ VN brother and sister here who have been through this P3 phase already. I'm pretty sure we can fill out the P3 for you without charging $400...

Just ask her to scan the P3 form and come back on VJ with questions, if you need... I doubt it! Good luck

Thanks guys...I know I can do it with your help, but it's the convincing my fiancee's parents that they don't need to fork up the $400 bucks that will be hard.

They think that is a difficult process and for some reason believe that the service will gaurantee success!! (Which I highly doubt). Anyway, I alot of members have been giving me some pointers which I will definitely use.

I would walk away, in fact, run as fast as I can if ANYONE who is not the C.O. interviews my wife, guarantee her visa approval. Those are liars and con-man who wants to take you for a fool. Sorry for the harsh word but, if your parents in law want their daughter to come to america, it's best that they listen to you, the american! This process is 100% up to the american petitioner (i.e. you) and the Consulate (again, american). There isn't much that anyone in VN can help or influent the consulate to give your wife her visa approval. Tell them what if the "Professional Service" "fork-up", then it will become so "PHỨC TẠP" ( meaning: complicated! this does sound like what it sounds in English). Again, nobody in vietnam outside or inside the consulate can give you 100% approval result BUT the consulate officer who interviews your wife at her interview. Even that won't guarantee the Visa. Nothing is certain until your wife has her Visa in her passport, on the plane flight back to your hometown in the US That's the 100% guarantee approval. There are cases where the wife got the pink slip, returned the next day to pick up her visa, got a Green slip instead. There are cases where the wife arrives at POE, got turned away and send her back home. I am not trying to scare you, but giving the worse case scenarios, and mentally prepare you for the process. More information is good and bad at the sametimes, how you use it is the key!

Good luck and again, P3 is pretty simple to fill out and return to HCMC asap!

Chuck and Kim

I want to use some kind of service also . My fiancee is Vietnam is not good with paper work. If you know some service like that please let me know via PM or rmail me at luclonely@yahoo.com

I do agree with you on this issue. People in Vietnam don't know about the process, and keep listen to other people said that you will need the damn services from those Con-Man, to beable to pass the interview. I did get a hard times to convince my fiancee that she won't need the services from those guy. I told her if you don't believe me on the way i filed the paperwork then may as well I will cancel the damn proccess. That time she did listen. Anyway, last week when i went to the consulate to get my status on the interview appointment, those damn guy at the front of the office tried to lure me into get help from them. ehhehe I just walk away from them and told them go to hell hhehhe.

Anyway, people you can get most of your information from this forum. Unless your case is really complicated then you will need an attorney to assist you.


Goodluck to all............

Thai,


If you are worry then you can do most of the paperwork preparation from the state. You print it out and send it to her. That how i did it for my girl.....


Good luck.. save your money and dont' waste it on those Con-Artist.

I did pay 300 USD for some service over there. All they did was filling out my I129F with alot of errors . I must use WHITE-OUT to fix something in my fiancee G325 and mine . People here in Phialdelphia even recommand me to hire a laywer to do it . but after I study VJ for a week or so I think I just waste 300 $ . All the information is here .

I absolutely agree with what Chuck & Kim said. At the beginning of this process, my fiance wanted me to hire an outfit that actually has an office in San Jose, California, which is based in Saigon. They wanted $1400 to prepare the paperwork. I talked to them and did not quite feel comfortable with them. I began my investigation on USCIS website and found VJ. That was it and now I am so glad I never paid anyone one a dime, including the lawyers. It is so obvious to me that it would have been an absolute waste of money.

Thanks VisaJourney for all of your experience and it shows in the number of successes here.

I definitely agree with what everyone has said. I am certain that you'd all be there to answer my questions as they come along. Thanks for all your responses.

-Don

My problem with the lawyer was that he worked at his own pace. I hired him in May, he finally sent the forms in July. If I did it myself, Ngan would have been here much earlier....assuming the marriage broker thing never started.

For the record, Thai Pham never contacted me and was given wrong information!!! HAHAHAHA
Just kidding Thai Pham... where are you in Philly? I'm in Philly!
What people in Philly recommended you to hire a lawyer? Not me for sure!!!

Dear Mr. Chuck,
I'm from the Northeast philly .

I was recommended a service for about $70 bux.

What exactly do you do for packet 3? I see the NOA2 guides here, is that the same?

We paid 125.00 for A service in Vietnam for Van and her Daughter. We are happy that we did. I did most of the Paperwork here in The U.S. and Took it to Vietnam. In turn We took it to the Service. They help us put it together and filled in the Blanks that I couldn't.

I would try to fill out the form as much as I could, if i'm stuck, VJ is always there for me to ask my question. For the most part, look at the Example Forms, that should give you some idea how and what to fill in the blanks.

Thanks,

chuck and kim

So the verdict is that my fiancee will be using a service from Vietnam to help her with Packe 3 & 4. After I found out alittle more information I think that it is best since it significantly decrease my SO's anxiety.

Here's the deal, the total cost is $400 but they demand $200 dollars at first which they will use to pay for your medical exam, visa fee and some other fees associated with the K1 visa. They review all the paper work submitted to make sure nothing is missing and in the proper order prior for the interveiw. They gather the police records, singles certificate etc. They then will prep my SO, explaining to her what to expect during the interview, (Ex. she will go to the front, drop of her documents, wait along time and them be interviewed).

They don't collect the remaining $200 (there service fee) until you obtain your visa, so they will help you gather any additional documents etc. that you will need.

Sounds ligit since they don't get paid until my fiancee gets a visa. I'll let you all know how it all works out....packet 3 was dropped off at HCMC 2 weeks ago.

Just don’t let them coach her too much on what to say during the interview. Few things will sink an interview faster than memorized, obviously-rehearsed answers to questions about your relationship. It's nice to know what to expect. But no scripts.

That's a $200 USD you'll never see again!
Coaching? Have these coaches been through the interview themselves? If they did, obviously they failed that's why the are still here in Vietnam. Listen to your brothers and sisters here on VJ who actually went through the interview and pass! Seem to me your fiance tries to run the show here, where you are the petitioner for her Visa. You would rather coaching her yourself, given the vast and up to date information you may find on VJ than having some "service" in VN telling your wife what to say and what to do. Note, what I say here come with a huge assumption toward you and your wife here. I don't know your background.

Another scenario where I see the service would be great: your wife is NOT living in Saigon, your wife can't read/write/understand English too well, you do not have time to work on the case with her, she doesn't have the time to fill and apply forms in VN also.

Which one is it?

Either way, good luck. If you need evidence where the Service would screw up your file by leaving vital and important document off your Package in preparation of the interview. Ask someone named mike72e on this board, he'll tell you a real story that happened to him. He did use the service!

Chuck and Kim

That scenario fits me well. I wanted to clarify, they don't coach her on what to say or do, they only provide her information on how to get everything together and they make sure all the little details, such as translations, etc. are taking care of.

Of course I will see the first $200, because that is the fee for the medical, Visa etc. The $200 that I won't see again will by the final payment when my fiancee gets her visa.

I wasn't recommending that everyone use a service, but in my case, it will definitely help.

My fiancee and her family are from the countryside (Dong Nai), so they are not familiar with the paperwork and dealing with the Consulate is very intimidating for them.

Sometimes you have hard decisions to make. If I said NO to the service and that I can do it for them, if something goes wrong then the burden falls on me. If the service screws up, well, I guess I can say I told you so.

P.S. I am sending the I-134 and the proof of bonafide relationship so I have some control of what is going on.

ok. so my wife used a service that helped her fill out the forms. after she got packet 3 they will help her filling out too. the total price is 300 USD . the service center is in fron of Saigon SQUARE .

Cool!