Give me your opinions or Facts.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

Exact;y. In a difficult consulate, MAKE it known you are there.

As to plan B, why not go to the interview and if it is successful, great. If not you wll be there to get married then fly home and file the I-130.

You need to decide if your job is more important than your fiancee, I can't do that. My job is NOT more important than my (now) wife.I guess I just do not do anything without doing what is the BEST I can do. Then again, maybe your fiancee says "hey no big deal, I will gladly do it myself" Each couple is different. I think Alla would have keeled over dead waiting in line outside if I wasn't there. On the other hand SHE went to the interview for our son (k-2 to follow) like an old pro at it, AFTER she had done it once before.

But unless I was physically unable to go...like medically impossible due to being in emergency surgery and missing my flight, I would go.

My job is not more important than my fiancée and her children. Vietnam does not do cosponsors with K1, maybe the Ukraine different so I need to keep my job so I can support my children and the new family I petition for. Like I said I will exhaust all measures in bringing her to the States.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

First, you need to get out of the habit of referring to her as your 'wife', and you need to stress to her not to refer to you as her 'husband'. I understand the culture of Southeast Asia enough to understand that you are considered husband and wife for all purposes short of shacking up together, but those words can be dangerous at the interview.

Your attorney can't do anything for her. His role before the interview is mostly advisory. He gets involved mostly after the interview if she is denied. If you paid for interview prep then she'll be sent to see your attorney's Vietnamese associate in HCMC. Mr. Nam is thorough, and treats every case as if it will end up in a Stokes interview. My personal opinion is that this is going overboard, and serves more to scare the ####### out of the beneficiary than to prepare them for the interview. Some of the questions Mr. Nam asks would only be asked by a CO if the interview has already descended to a level so low that there is no chance the beneficiary is going to get a visa, and the CO is only fishing for coffin nails. If you are there then you can keep him focused on the questions that might be asked while there's still a chance of passing the interview.

The fact that your fiancee isn't a native VN speaker is only going to make her more nervous. She really does need as much moral support as you can provide, and you can't do much of anything if you aren't there. Above all, you need to stress to her to make absolutely sure she understands a question before answering it, and asks for clarification if she doesn't. One of the CO's favorite reasons for denial is that the beneficiary doesn't appear to know much about the petitioner. They don't take into account that the beneficiary may not have understood the questions when they deny for this reason. I've seen a few cases here on VJ where the beneficiary got flustered, didn't understand a question, and answered it incorrectly. This was enough for the CO to send them packing.

Maybe you could sit down with your boss and explain to them how important this is. You could also explain that if you go, and you are successful, then this may be the last trip you need to make for a while. If you don't go, and you aren't successful, then you may need to make several more trips before your fiancee can join you in the US. In the long run, letting you go now might help ensure that you won't need to make more trips in the future.

If you can't work things out with your boss, and you seriously believe you'll lose your job if you go, then I suggest you don't go. In this regard, I disagree with some other posters here. Being at the interview can be important, but that doesn't mean that it WILL be a deciding factor. This would be the worst possible time for you to lose your job. The CO's in HCMC rarely accept joint sponsors for K visas.

I'm aware of the wife and husband terms, I didn't use them in this Topic, it was part of another VJ response. We do use those terms but she knows when she goes to interview we are doing a fiancée Visa and not to refer to each other in matrimony.

I work for a World wide Corporation, I would have to file for a personal leave along with Vacation I accrued. A week or ten days wouldn't be a problem if I were to go in the next 45 days. The problem would be if she was denied and I had to take another trip to marry her which would take at least a month. Several people at my Job make this decision so it doesn't fall on any one person.

Are there any loop holes in the System as far as work on extended leaves. I live in Iowa. Monday I will talk to my Union Steward and put a bug in his ear. Thanks for your advice, I take everyones responses to the heart.

[joenlemy 2]

I would have to say go. My wife and I have talked about it several times. Having only visitd her 2 times this year (Damn I miss my wife)the last time being in june. I'm ready to go back now. But we feel me being there with her the day of the interview far out weighs me going for just a visit.

I work for a military contractor, and they hate for you to take time off. but like Gary said bosses get over it. . . and if they dont oh well. good experienced help is hard to find.

As soon as we find out her interview date. i plan to be there a week before the interview happens.

case completed NVC Sept 03, 2010

[Ursa Tripudio 2]

You missed these words in Jim's sentence. "...unless your fiancee makes a point to let them know."

The most common way to make this point known is to hand over the US Citizen's passport to the Consular officer when handing the applicant's own. Another way is, when asked about the petitioner's visits, simply indicate that in addition to previous visits, the petitioner is waiting nearby. It's called "interview preparation". I highly recommend it to all.

I don't want to get into a debate, because I agree with your premise (and I have a great deal of respect for you and the help/advice you have freely provided for a long time). But, I missed nothing; I excluded it from my agreement for the following reason:

Many people are not in a position to go to the interview. I believe that while letting a VO know you're there (which we did), as long as the visitation requirements have been met, it would not have a significant effect on the outcome. If the position of VJ is that not being there will diminish the chances of success, the result could be people quitting jobs and putting themselves (and by extension their fiancees) through unnecessary hardship.

About passports:

I could have mailed my passport to her (and would have if I could not have been there and thought it would help). That just doesn't seen sufficient as proof.

What I did give her as evidence was my international air tickets for that period of time, a copy of my Chinese visa showing the date of entry stamp, and the Chinese domestic air tickets for traveling to Guangzhou. <edit> : Copies of the air tickets - never hand over your originals.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Ursa Tripudio

[Aztec&Taino 144]

Hello,

The decision to be present at the interview is such a personal one. As it has been said by other members, in some embassies it really does not make a difference because visas are approved routinely for beneficiaries who live in 1st world, low fraud countries. However, I also understand quite well that it may not be as easy to get the time off from work to be able to attend the interview... Ultimately, it is a decision in which you will have to weigh the pros and cons. If you decide not to go and your fiancee is denied, then you will wonder if your presence would have made the difference. Then, you should be ready to file for another fiancee visa petition or go ahead and get married and do the CR 1 process. If your fiancee is approved without you being there, great! Then you can use your money and time off for your wedding and a nice honeymoon afterwards.

Best wishes as you make your decision.

[Casprd 167]

I agree with Jim, the VO will never know if you're there or not.

That's absolutely not true. As someone else said, she can take your passport in with her as well as a picture of the two of you together. The VO will know that you are there. I don't know about HCMC, but in Guangzhou you can also go to the citizens hour and have a letter notarized. This will also show that you are there and that information will make it back to the VO. Bottom line, it helps if you are there, but it doesn't necessarliy hurt if you aren't there.

[pushbrk 13,639]

I don't want to get into a debate, because I agree with your premise (and I have a great deal of respect for you and the help/advice you have freely provided for a long time). But, I missed nothing; I excluded it from my agreement for the following reason:

Many people are not in a position to go to the interview. I believe that while letting a VO know you're there (which we did), as long as the visitation requirements have been met, it would not have a significant effect on the outcome. If the position of VJ is that not being there will diminish the chances of success, the result could be people quitting jobs and putting themselves (and by extension their fiancees) through unnecessary hardship.

About passports:

I could have mailed my passport to her (and would have if I could not have been there and thought it would help). That just doesn't seen sufficient as proof.

What I did give her as evidence was my international air tickets for that period of time, a copy of my Chinese visa showing the date of entry stamp, and the Chinese domestic air tickets for traveling to Guangzhou. <edit> : Copies of the air tickets - never hand over your originals.

Something is getting lost in translation here. You wrote... "I agree with Jim, the VO will never know if you're there or not." Jim didn't say that. It's only part of a sentence. The VO WILL know you're there if you make a point of letting them know. You aren't agreeing with Jim. You're making your own valid statement while using a portion of Jim's statement out of context.

By "air tickets" do you mean "boarding passes"? Buying a ticket is not evidence of travel but boarding passes and passport stamps are.

[Yellowhead 12]

Exact;y. In a difficult consulate, MAKE it known you are there.

As to plan B, why not go to the interview and if it is successful, great. If not you wll be there to get married then fly home and file the I-130.

You need to decide if your job is more important than your fiancee, I can't do that. My job is NOT more important than my (now) wife.I guess I just do not do anything without doing what is the BEST I can do. Then again, maybe your fiancee says "hey no big deal, I will gladly do it myself" Each couple is different. I think Alla would have keeled over dead waiting in line outside if I wasn't there. On the other hand SHE went to the interview for our son (k-2 to follow) like an old pro at it, AFTER she had done it once before.

But unless I was physically unable to go...like medically impossible due to being in emergency surgery and missing my flight, I would go.

In this case the job is just as important as the fiance, as there can be no future wife if the job doesn't exist, unless he moves to her home country. Another note though, it might be important for him to attend, simply to help her through the stress of the process, and the stress of packing up her entire life and moving west. You should most definitely accompany your fiance across the POE with her personal things and to make the transition less scary for her. I am from a close country to the USA and I STILL want my fiance here with me when I cross. I know I am fully capable and willing to do it on my own, but the beneficiary is often the one giving up their previous life (all of it in some cases!) for the petitioner, so in my opinion it is the least he can do (my fiance). I would figure out whether you plan to accompany her, because that would require additional time off, depending on how quickly applicants are issued the K-1 in her country. Perhaps you can kill two birds with one stone and accompany her to the consulate and across the POE. Otherwise, you might want to choose one or the other, but definitely try for one if at all possible. She will be forever thankful.

[Sayha or bust. 71]

In this case the job is just as important as the fiance, as there can be no future wife if the job doesn't exist, unless he moves to her home country. Another note though, it might be important for him to attend, simply to help her through the stress of the process, and the stress of packing up her entire life and moving west. You should most definitely accompany your fiance across the POE with her personal things and to make the transition less scary for her. I am from a close country to the USA and I STILL want my fiance here with me when I cross. I know I am fully capable and willing to do it on my own, but the beneficiary is often the one giving up their previous life (all of it in some cases!) for the petitioner, so in my opinion it is the least he can do (my fiance). I would figure out whether you plan to accompany her, because that would require additional time off, depending on how quickly applicants are issued the K-1 in her country. Perhaps you can kill two birds with one stone and accompany her to the consulate and across the POE. Otherwise, you might want to choose one or the other, but definitely try for one if at all possible. She will be forever thankful.

Heather, thanks for the advice. The job is important, there not plentiful around Iowa that pays good. I'd have to move to the East Coast to find the line of work I'm in and the cost of Living is so much more there than here in the Midwest. My fiancée understands fully how important it is and said she would wait for me forever. I will do what the consulates want and pray everyday she will be here with me soon after the first interview. Until then I work 7 days a week,I've been doing it for 10 months, I find work keeps my sanity and numbs the pain of love.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Sayha or bust.

[edsperfect 25]

I was at the interview because my (then) fiancee wanted me there. I do no tthink it made ANY difference in the decision to grant us a visa without asking a single question. THAT is an opinion. I know it helped the most important person in the world feel better and more comfortable and less nervous and know that the man she was going to move across the world for and live with would do ANYTHING he could for her. THAT is a fact.

My boss didn't like it either. He got over it.

Do what you think is right.

I didn't go to my wife's in Russia. Since you can't go into the interview the only good you are is moral support asnd hold her hand in the waiting room. My wifes daughter went with her.

[faytaan 0]

Hi, my fiance is comming to interview with me. We are so happy and excited. I feel more confident to know he is around.

[easyukraine 1]

well since I have to plan my time off in November it is more of a guessing game for me. I know the time lines but wont have an exact date until it is assigned. I chose some dates that should be close to her interview but there is no guarantee when it will be. I get 5 weeks off so I scheduled a 2 week time frame close to when her interview should be. I also want to spend some time with her helping her to adjust to things here. .

[JimVaPhuong 4,864]

I'm aware of the wife and husband terms, I didn't use them in this Topic, it was part of another VJ response. We do use those terms but she knows when she goes to interview we are doing a fiancée Visa and not to refer to each other in matrimony.

I work for a World wide Corporation, I would have to file for a personal leave along with Vacation I accrued. A week or ten days wouldn't be a problem if I were to go in the next 45 days. The problem would be if she was denied and I had to take another trip to marry her which would take at least a month. Several people at my Job make this decision so it doesn't fall on any one person.

Are there any loop holes in the System as far as work on extended leaves. I live in Iowa. Monday I will talk to my Union Steward and put a bug in his ear. Thanks for your advice, I take everyones responses to the heart.

I'm not sure what "system" you're looking for loopholes in.

If I had to rate the importance of you being with your fiancee in Saigon for the interview, on a scale between 1 and 10, I'd give it a 6 or 7. It can definitely make a difference for your fiancee. I've even heard of a couple of cases where the consular officer asked the USC to come inside the consulate for an interview. Don't expect this to happen, though. It's very unusual.

If I had to rate the importance of you keeping your job right now, on a scale between 1 and 10, I'd give it an 8 or 9. While there's a chance that it will make a difference to the consular officer if they know you're waiting by the big yellow wall across the street, there's an equal chance they'll find out you're not working, even if you don't specifically tell them. The benefit to your case if they know you're waiting outside is relatively small. The detriment to your case if they know you've lost your job is huge. It's a show stopper. They won't issue the visa. If you know that going there means losing your job then you might as well plan on spending a couple of months there and getting married.

By all means, talk with your shop steward. If it means risking your job then don't go.