Engage before divorce

[Dan_P 5]

Imo, your relationship is suspicious since you started the relationship before the divorce was finalized. Getting engaged before the divorce is finalized is going to make things worse. I would suggest that you find some good and qualified legal counsel that can help you prepare your case ahead of time to reduce the impact of the red flags.

[KennyJ 10]

I have asked many other services and they all said they have handled cases like this before and without any issues. The important part is my single status when I file paper. The worse case scenario is delaying for 15-18 months. I will get the single status this April if I have to wait 6 months to file + another 8 months (normal wait time) that would equate to 14 months. I will take my chance with the other one. Our engagement is this coming March. So far my fiancee and I have collected the following evidences

1) Phone calls log

2) Western Union receipts

3) Airplane tickets (been travel to VN every 3 months the last year) from me and from my relatives who will take vacation to attend our engagement

4) Emails/chats, over 2000 pages

5) Pictures (plenty of them with family from both sides)

6) Note from the monk explained why March date is the best date of the year for us

What else do I have to prepare?

Edited February 22, 2012 by KoJ

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I have asked many other services and they all said they have handled cases like this before and without any issues. The important part is my single status when I file paper. The worse case scenario is delaying for 15-18 months. I will get the single status this April if I have to wait 6 months to file + another 8 months (normal wait time) that would equate to 14 months. I will take my chance with the other one. Our engagement is this coming March. So far my fiancee and I have collected the following evidences

1) Phone calls log

2) Western Union receipts

3) Airplane tickets (been travel to VN every 3 months the last year) from me and from my relatives who will take vacation to attend our engagement

4) Emails/chats, over 2000 pages

5) Pictures (plenty of them with family from both sides)

6) Note from the monk explained why March date is the best date of the year for us

What else do I have to prepare?

The note from the monk isn't necessary. Most people consult a fortune teller (usually a monk) to set a date for the Dam Hoi. Even if you were only going to be in Vietnam for three days you can bet your backside that the monk would figure out a way for one of those three days to be a good day for a Dam Hoi.

Hire a professional photographer for the Dam Hoi and party. You'll be too busy to take any pictures, and you'll want to have a lot of them. Be sure to include some of those pictures with your petition, and be sure you write on the back of each photo who is in the picture, especially the ones that include your family members. It makes a big impression on the consulate when members of your family go to Vietnam for the Dam Hoi.

[ScottThuy 140]

The note from the monk isn't necessary. Most people consult a fortune teller (usually a monk) to set a date for the Dam Hoi. Even if you were only going to be in Vietnam for three days you can bet your backside that the monk would figure out a way for one of those three days to be a good day for a Dam Hoi.

Hire a professional photographer for the Dam Hoi and party. You'll be too busy to take any pictures, and you'll want to have a lot of them. Be sure to include some of those pictures with your petition, and be sure you write on the back of each photo who is in the picture, especially the ones that include your family members. It makes a big impression on the consulate when members of your family go to Vietnam for the Dam Hoi.

Great advice Jim!.. Good photog's can be really cheap..

[ProfessorUSA 0]

engagements mean very little

they are not legal

they are just a promise

you must be engaged

if it was a few months before the divorce (mine was too)

it means nothing

I was not able to see her based on my overseas committments

so we got engaged when we had a chance to meet

different countries may have a culture that does stress this more than others

but the US embassy should not

good luck anyway

[ScottThuy 140]

engagements mean very little

they are not legal

they are just a promise

you must be engaged

if it was a few months before the divorce (mine was too)

it means nothing

I was not able to see her based on my overseas committments

so we got engaged when we had a chance to meet

different countries may have a culture that does stress this more than others

but the US embassy should not

good luck anyway

This post was made in the Vietnam regional section and clearly you are not familiar with the Vietnam customs and the HCMC consular protocols.. It can be a HUGE thing in VN....

Edited February 18, 2013 by ScottThuy