Passport not returned-approved?

[SpencerK 0]

My friend in Vietnam went to the visa interview and at the end was told that she would receive the passport back via mail in roughly 3 days. There may have been a language issue, but she doesn't seem to know if the visa was approved or denied. Seems to me that the fact that they kept it means she was approved, can anybody confirm? I'll know in 3 days, sure, but I want to know NOW!!!

Thank you.

[Anonymous885 44]

The fact that they kept the passport and she did pay the fee for shipping, then she got approved.

It could be faster depending on the type of visa . I dont think you can have the passport in 3 days in Vietnam. It usually takes 7-14 days to get it back as I know.

[SpencerK 0]

I like that answer! They did tell her 3 days, she seemed sure of that, but who knows.

[SpencerK 0]

I should note, she's waiting in Hanoi for her visa, but then will go back to her home near Sapa. So I hope its closer to three days, if it was 14 days that would be a long time for her to have to be in Hanoi by herself.

Oh, and thank you so much for the reply! This whole experience has had me pretty freaked out for the past two months.

Edited February 11, 2014 by SpencerK

[Anonymous885 44]

As far as I know, you can put any address that you want to be delivered. It would cost money to stay 14 days in Hanoi. Delivering time is the only thing that is different between Hanoi and other provinces. I hope she will receive her visa soon.

There is something else that you can confirm whether she passed interview. If she did not pass, then they would give her " Blue Paper " to request for addtional documents. If she passed, then they told her to cone to other window to pay for the shipping fee. Some people got " Pink Paper" after passing interview.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Anonymous885

[SpencerK 0]

According to her she received absolutely nothing from them. Again, the language barrier worries me sometimes that I'm not getting the full story (I should say, I KNOW I'm not getting the full story). Communication in person is much easier. I was gearing up to get on a plane next week, but it sounds to me like she's definitely getting a visa. Any thoughts on rejection at the POE? <---- (see, I've been quietly reading in the background and learning the lingo!).

She's already in Hanoi, I think sending it to Hanoi sounds pretty easy, I'm worried that sending it to Sapa or god forbid Lau Chai would be next to impossible and would take, oh, a billion years.

I'll just have her stay in Hanoi, at least a hotel there isn't too expensive (compared to US prices).

Edited February 11, 2014 by SpencerK

[Anonymous885 44]

Dont buy airplane ticket until she gets her visa in hand.

If she got white or blue paper, then they need additional documents. I believe they will not take the passport if she did not pass.

If they told her to come to other windows to pay the fee shipping, then she did pass and of course they took her passport this time.

Just ask her whether she paid the post office to delivery her passport and how much. If it is in Hanoi, then the fee is around 77,000-100,000 VND.

Of course, shipping inside Hanoi would delivery in the same day because we paid for Express Mail. It is not really matter how long it will take to be deliveried because Express Mail is fast. However, I always think the chance to lose mail is higher if she lives far away from big city.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Anonymous885

[SpencerK 0]

Indeed status now shows as approved online. Very exciting!

[Anonymous885 44]

Does it say approved or Administrative Processing or Issued "

[SpencerK 0]

She did in fact receive the passport back, with the visa, in 3 days! Ticket purchased for next Friday coming to America, so me and my parents we're all very excited to get to see her soon!

Thanks again.

I am curious, if I decide I can't live without this person at the end of 3 months, what do I do? Do I send her home and apply for a fiance visa? Is that the best bet, or is it worth trying to simply keep her here with a change of status of some sort? I've read the forums a bit, and I don't see that there is consensus as to the best way to proceed. Mind you I have no idea if that's where this will head. I enjoyed meeting her in Vietnam with my parents and spending a week with her, but 3 months is an entirely different ballgame, I've been married twice, so I'm not at all sure I'd want to go down that road again.

Thanks,

Spencer

Does it say approved or Administrative Processing or Issued "

She did in fact receive the passport back, with the visa, in 3 days! Ticket purchased for next Friday coming to America, so me and my parents we're all very excited to get to see her soon!

Thanks again.

I am curious, if I decide I can't live without this person at the end of 3 months, what do I do? Do I send her home and apply for a fiance visa? Is that the best bet, or is it worth trying to simply keep her here with a change of status of some sort? I've read the forums a bit, and I don't see that there is consensus as to the best way to proceed. Mind you I have no idea if that's where this will head. I enjoyed meeting her in Vietnam with my parents and spending a week with her, but 3 months is an entirely different ballgame, I've been married twice, so I'm not at all sure I'd want to go down that road again.

Thanks,

Spencer

[Anonymous885 44]

I think I missed understood her visa at the first place. I thought she got approved for K-1 visa which will take longer than 3 days to get visa. I have read again and her visa is tourist which takes less time compared to immigration visa.

If she was not intented to stay in US by marrying you at the beginning , then that is ok to adjust status for her.

I would not do the fiance visa ( I-129 F form) because it will take more than a year to get visa for her. Also, Vietname is red flag country so it is difficult to get visa and I dont know how long have you known her? I rather apply I-130,I-485, I-765, and I-131 to adjust her status so she does not have to go back to Vietnam. It is really tough to live far apart from each others.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Anonymous885

[SpencerK 0]

Ouch, a year. That's painful, I agree. I've barely been able to stay here for the past two months after spending a week with this girl in VN. If she hadn't been approved for a visa I'd be on a plane for VN about now.