Hiring a professional?

[CBP-SRT 9]

I don't know how good this is, but supposedly there are all kinds of services near the HCMC Consulate that help beneficiaries put the packages together before the interview. From what I heard a lot of them are using this because the Consulate there is so demanding that certain information has to be EXACT! Have anyone here ever heard of these service or even used it?

[Al422 221]

Not knowing anything about HCMC except for their tendency to send almost everyone into AAP, I can speak generally on this:

A good professional who has experience with HCMC and knows what buttons to push can be a priceless resource. But I can imagine a scenario where charlatans spring up claiming to have this expertise but really know nothing.

So look for a good professional, yes, but buyer beware.

[YuAndDan 153]

Similar happens in China at the Guangzhou consulate.

Yes buyer beware.

We stayed with an apartment owner at the consulate in china, had read many positive things about this person on the web, so consulted with him as to preparing for interview.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I don't know how good this is, but supposedly there are all kinds of services near the HCMC Consulate that help beneficiaries put the packages together before the interview. From what I heard a lot of them are using this because the Consulate there is so demanding that certain information has to be EXACT! Have anyone here ever heard of these service or even used it?

When most people are denied at the consulate in HCMC it is NOT because their paperwork wasn't in perfect order. It's because the consulate didn't believe their relationship was legitimate. If you don't have a compelling case to begin with then no document preparation service is going to overcome that for you.

That said, I've heard a few horror stories about doc prep services completely screwing up the paperwork. I've also heard that some of them are very good. I don't know which are the good ones and which ones suck. We used Mr. Nam for interview prep sessions, and the doc prep was part of his service. As far as I can tell, he and his staff prepared the forms and assembled the documents correctly. The only thing I would suggest is to carefully review everything they put together and look for mistakes, and make sure they correct them.

[CBP-SRT 9]

When most people are denied at the consulate in HCMC it is NOT because their paperwork wasn't in perfect order. It's because the consulate didn't believe their relationship was legitimate. If you don't have a compelling case to begin with then no document preparation service is going to overcome that for you.

That said, I've heard a few horror stories about doc prep services completely screwing up the paperwork. I've also heard that some of them are very good. I don't know which are the good ones and which ones suck. We used Mr. Nam for interview prep sessions, and the doc prep was part of his service. As far as I can tell, he and his staff prepared the forms and assembled the documents correctly. The only thing I would suggest is to carefully review everything they put together and look for mistakes, and make sure they correct them.

Great advice, Jim. I am not worrying much about the documents. The only part I worry much about is the Vietnamese part of the paperwork, which they want them a certain way. But since I am not there when my fiance goes for her interview I must help prepare it well. I am not worry with the US CO as much as the Vietnamese staff working with them (no offense, but a lot of them are very corrupted and only money will get things going smoothly). Believe me when I say that.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Great advice, Jim. I am not worrying much about the documents. The only part I worry much about is the Vietnamese part of the paperwork, which they want them a certain way. But since I am not there when my fiance goes for her interview I must help prepare it well. I am not worry with the US CO as much as the Vietnamese staff working with them (no offense, but a lot of them are very corrupted and only money will get things going smoothly). Believe me when I say that.

I realize that a little coffee money is standard procedure when dealing with the VN government, but it doesn't work that way at the US consulate. A VN employee would be canned in a heartbeat if they were caught putting the squeeze on any visa applicants for a little cash under the table. The VN staff at the consulate can be extraordinarily rude, and they do often give applicants a hard time about their documents, but that's usually about as far as it goes. If she's got the documents she needs (birth certificate, divorce decrees, passport, etc.), and she's got English translations of the relevant VN documents, then she shouldn't have any problems, other than perhaps a snarky comment from a VN staffer. A doc prep service isn't going to help her get those documents. They just help fill out the forms and organize the documents and evidence.

[BinhJerome 14]

I realize that a little coffee money is standard procedure when dealing with the VN government, but it doesn't work that way at the US consulate. A VN employee would be canned in a heartbeat if they were caught putting the squeeze on any visa applicants for a little cash under the table. The VN staff at the consulate can be extraordinarily rude, and they do often give applicants a hard time about their documents, but that's usually about as far as it goes. If she's got the documents she needs (birth certificate, divorce decrees, passport, etc.), and she's got English translations of the relevant VN documents, then she shouldn't have any problems, other than perhaps a snarky comment from a VN staffer. A doc prep service isn't going to help her get those documents. They just help fill out the forms and organize the documents and evidence.

:thumbs: :thumbs: Jim is correct, they will not help gather things, and if something is needed and you do not have it they will more than likely NOT say anything not to be mean but because they do not know any better, also these services rarely have any updated forms if they have any at all, so if they do help with some of the forms, check and make sure they are the most recent. As for Mr. Nam and his doc prep, I have heard he uses photo copies of photos, and has written wrong dates on the backs as well as who was in them, so no matter if you use Mr. Nam or any service make sure what they do is correct as far as all the info goes. Mr. Nam and the services are not full proof and over worked so mistakes can and do happen from time to time. Good luck Jerome and Binh

[CBP-SRT 9]

That's is true guys. I was planning to help her do the paper work, but she freaked out a little bit after hearing those services from people. I am pretty sure that the package they'll sent her will have all the directions. We pretty much haven't received the package yet, but most of the documents are already done. I asked her to contact the consulate and ask if they have received the petition yet and the VN staff kept telling her they can't do it on the phone, she has to do it in person, go to this website, and then hung up. Each of those answers is in separate calls. Overall, very rude and unprofessional. If the VN staffs are going to give her problems at the interview I'm going to write some letters. Anyways, thanks for the replies, guys!

[ScottThuy 140]

Not knowing anything about HCMC except for their tendency to send almost everyone into AAP, I can speak generally on this:

-1

Incorrect satement that can tend to cause unneeded fear in filers, only a small % of cases get AP in HCMC. Far more get AP in MENA countries. I posted stats a while back in the Interview roll call thread and last year based on results posted by VJ members, only 14% of the cases went to AP in 2010 and Of those getting out of AP in 2010 only 1 in 6 was denied.. the rest were approved.. 83% approval rate for those completing AP in 2010.

[VinhBao MyTam 3]

-1

Incorrect satement that can tend to cause unneeded fear in filers, only a small % of cases get AP in HCMC. Far more get AP in MENA countries. I posted stats a while back in the Interview roll call thread and last year based on results posted by VJ members, only 14% of the cases went to AP in 2010 and Of those getting out of AP in 2010 only 1 in 6 was denied.. the rest were approved.. 83% approval rate for those completing AP in 2010.

Starting to seem more like just a slooooow country than anything else. Hey, as she told me today, we'll still have plenty of Valentines Days together :-)

[ScottThuy 140]

Starting to seem more like just a slooooow country than anything else. Hey, as she told me today, we'll still have plenty of Valentines Days together :-)

They still have some unique expectations that if not addressed early on can be an issue... The best thing for anyone to do is to do alot of reading and be prepared for what the CO may do. As Jim said, Mr Nam is familiar with the system, but he is not the only one or the only way to do things... an individual can do the same thing that Mr Nam does and in some cases an outsider may be a fresh perspective on the case and a good way to prepare for the interview. The beneficiary is comfortable answering questions asked by the petitioner when preparing, but having someone else ask those questions can be a help to some folks...

There are actually much slower consulates out there... Canadian/ Montreal filers wait far longer than VN filers when it comes to the interview stage.. In VN the main hurdle comes to cases that have a short relationship, engagement/wedding first trip, recent divorce, no engagement ceremony, only 1 or two visits to VN, limited documentation of the relationship or a bad interview (not familiar enough with the P).

[VinhBao MyTam 3]

I'm sure I'd feel differently if my fiancee were in Canada, but I read about them driving down 3 times a month to see each other etc.... and I think, what's the rush? Nah, I KNOW I'd feel differently if she were there :-)

[b_weeks 6]

When most people are denied at the consulate in HCMC it is NOT because their paperwork wasn't in perfect order. It's because the consulate didn't believe their relationship was legitimate. If you don't have a compelling case to begin with then no document preparation service is going to overcome that for you.

That said, I've heard a few horror stories about doc prep services completely screwing up the paperwork. I've also heard that some of them are very good. I don't know which are the good ones and which ones suck. We used Mr. Nam for interview prep sessions, and the doc prep was part of his service. As far as I can tell, he and his staff prepared the forms and assembled the documents correctly. The only thing I would suggest is to carefully review everything they put together and look for mistakes, and make sure they correct them.

JimVaPhuong is CORRECT.

We also used MR. Ellis and Mr. Nam services as well. We were very pleased with it. Some people may not like it or appreciate it, but Mr. Ellis is BRUTALLY honest when it comes to identifying "RED FLAGS" in a case.

We actually hired them for the whole process and met with them before I filed. They prepared the paperwork (front-loaded) with all the necessary information to help with the red flags of our case. Mr NAM had all of the paperwork ready (packet 3) when I notified him of our USCIS approval(NOA2). He sent the packet to my fiance with instructions on what she needed to do. She then dropped them off to Mr. NAM. Mr Nam dropped them off at the Consulate. MR. Nam also accompnied my fiance to her medical and did prerp interviews with Mr. Ellis.

Now, whether you use a professional is entirely up to you. If your case has "RED FLAGS" and your not sure how to handle them, then maybe you should consider using a service. I would however try to avoid the ones hanging outside the consulate (gorror stories). BUT you can do it yourself. Many people have.

If you do hire some, DOUBLE-CHECK EVERYTHING FOR ACCURACY.

[luckytxn 2,264]

I hired someone that is actually a cousin to my wife. He works for the government (Yes commie) and does it on the side a few times. He was excellent and helped my wife with the paperwork and even drove her into the city for her appts and back and prepped her for the interview and not sure how but even emailed document to the consulate. He has since done a friend of mines fiancee visa successfully and her other family visa stuff. He is not in HCMC though but out in Trang Bom.

[CBP-SRT 9]

JimVaPhuong is CORRECT.

We also used MR. Ellis and Mr. Nam services as well. We were very pleased with it. Some people may not like it or appreciate it, but Mr. Ellis is BRUTALLY honest when it comes to identifying "RED FLAGS" in a case.

We actually hired them for the whole process and met with them before I filed. They prepared the paperwork (front-loaded) with all the necessary information to help with the red flags of our case. Mr NAM had all of the paperwork ready (packet 3) when I notified him of our USCIS approval(NOA2). He sent the packet to my fiance with instructions on what she needed to do. She then dropped them off to Mr. NAM. Mr Nam dropped them off at the Consulate. MR. Nam also accompnied my fiance to her medical and did prerp interviews with Mr. Ellis.

Now, whether you use a professional is entirely up to you. If your case has "RED FLAGS" and your not sure how to handle them, then maybe you should consider using a service. I would however try to avoid the ones hanging outside the consulate (gorror stories). BUT you can do it yourself. Many people have.

If you do hire some, DOUBLE-CHECK EVERYTHING FOR ACCURACY.

I really don't have any red flags. The reason for all this is I want to get things moving faster in any way possible. Therefore, I want to prepare everything as best as I can so it doesn't contribute to the problem. Thanks for the recommendation anyway. I haven't got package 3 yet, but I do have an idea what they need. However, how can you "front-load" package 3? Package 3 is just basically all the forms they need, and some of the petitioner's personal papers. So how else can you front load it?