Engagement and engagement certificate

[Joel M 0]

Hello,

To start, I want to mention that I have done some searching around the forums. The things that I found have prompted me to make this post.

However, after searching around I did not see anyone mention an engagement certificate for Vietnam. Let me back up for a minute, though. I am presently in Vietnam and am completing my fourth week here for a total of about 5 weeks. My fiancee and I have been communicating together for just about a year now. This is my first visit here (Vietnam). We decided to take the K1 route.

We have been preparing the dam hoi and are about to have it. The information on the forums has been helpful. For example, I will wear a western suit as opposed to the traditional outfit. But, is it really necessary to have 100+ guests? Her mom is taking care of everything and it is to be at their house.

More importantly, I have seen little talk of an engagement certificate on the forum. How important is it? I am not entirely sure how to get it, but perhaps would not be too hard to find out.

Also, I have seen mention of multiple trips being important. For the K1, how many trips are typical for most people?

I definitely appreciate everyones time and advice.

[My&Truong 4]

Hi there!

My fiance and me met online and it took us 6 months to meet each other. When he and his parents came to visit me for the first time, we decided to engage dispite 6 months relationship. The dam hoi was taken place in my house and we just took it as a ceremony to notice everyone we were engaged. We didnt do any certificates. He came back US then started to do paper work K1-Visa.

Btw congratulations your engagement!!!

[luckytxn 2,264]

As My&troung has said already we also just had a party at her families house. I didn't even wear a suit. Her family just made a lot of food and we bought a lot of beer and invited any family that could make it. A lot came because well it was free food and beer. I took a lot of pics and that was our ceremony. I picked out a few good pics of the party and wrote on the back the date and time and said it was our engagement ceremony.

As for many trips well I made the one trip and came ack and started the process. Why wait or go through more expenses if not needed? Over the years this has been debated and some say more or some say one is fine. The main thing is to gather up as much proof as possible. Since you are there take pics on different days in different outfits at different places. Even going out in the evening for coffee I would take a few. Save all receipts and anything else to show you were there. Especaily keep the boarding passes.

Hello,

To start, I want to mention that I have done some searching around the forums. The things that I found have prompted me to make this post.

However, after searching around I did not see anyone mention an engagement certificate for Vietnam. Let me back up for a minute, though. I am presently in Vietnam and am completing my fourth week here for a total of about 5 weeks. My fiancee and I have been communicating together for just about a year now. This is my first visit here (Vietnam). We decided to take the K1 route.

We have been preparing the dam hoi and are about to have it. The information on the forums has been helpful. For example, I will wear a western suit as opposed to the traditional outfit. But, is it really necessary to have 100+ guests? Her mom is taking care of everything and it is to be at their house.

More importantly, I have seen little talk of an engagement certificate on the forum. How important is it? I am not entirely sure how to get it, but perhaps would not be too hard to find out.

Also, I have seen mention of multiple trips being important. For the K1, how many trips are typical for most people?

I definitely appreciate everyones time and advice.

Forgot to add. I have never heard of an engagement certificate before.

[skyking02 11]

Hello,

To start, I want to mention that I have done some searching around the forums. The things that I found have prompted me to make this post.

However, after searching around I did not see anyone mention an engagement certificate for Vietnam. Let me back up for a minute, though. I am presently in Vietnam and am completing my fourth week here for a total of about 5 weeks. My fiancee and I have been communicating together for just about a year now. This is my first visit here (Vietnam). We decided to take the K1 route.

We have been preparing the dam hoi and are about to have it. The information on the forums has been helpful. For example, I will wear a western suit as opposed to the traditional outfit. But, is it really necessary to have 100+ guests? Her mom is taking care of everything and it is to be at their house.

More importantly, I have seen little talk of an engagement certificate on the forum. How important is it? I am not entirely sure how to get it, but perhaps would not be too hard to find out.

Also, I have seen mention of multiple trips being important. For the K1, how many trips are typical for most people?

I definitely appreciate everyones time and advice.

no such thing as an engagement certificate, only marriage certificate. but you can create one and let vn govt put a seal on it.

Edited May 16, 2014 by skyking02

[Joel M 0]

Thanks for the information, it is helpful.

As for the engagement certificate, I have had some people mention it since I have been here. In fact, yesterday I spoke with someone and he heard about the dam hoi, he told me to invite someone from the government to observe so that we could get an engagement certificate. But, since no one here has heard of it, I just won't worry about it.

Thanks again.

[frontgear 194]

We, too, had an engagement ceremony & reception in VN but I don't believe there is such thing as an engagement certificate.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Late to reply, but I don't check in very often so sue me!

I made a total of five trips before my wife got her visa. Before I made my first trip we had been communicating regularly, but had made no commitments yet so there were no plans for an engagement ceremony. That first trip was short, but it was enough to know that we both wanted to continue with the relationship. I came back the following month, leaving the US the day after Christmas. I stayed longer this time. Before returning to the US I asked her if she wanted a Dam Hoi, which is pretty much how I proposed. She happily said yes. We planned for me to return in the spring for the engagement ceremony, which gave us plenty of time to plan everything, invite everyone, and for me to save enough to pay for everything. I paid for my sister and her husband to join me on the third trip, and for them to represent my family at the engagement ceremony. Of course, I can't prove it but I think seeing an American couple in my family group helped at the consulate interview. She was approved after only a few questions.

The fourth trip was at the end of the summer, and we took her family to some tourist destinations around Vietnam. The fifth trip was when she had her interview. I kept my return flight open. We picked up the passports at the consulate when the visas were ready, and she came back to the US with me and two of her kids. That was before the consulate began allowing petitioners to accompany beneficiaries to the interview, but she had my passport with her which the CO definitely saw, so he knew I was outside waiting across the street.

Everyone has their opinion about what helps and what doesn't. I frontloaded the petition package with lots of evidence, especially for the engagement ceremony. We had a few of the circumstances that were believed to be "red flags", such as being originally introduced by a member of her family. I addressed those red flags with evidence in the petition package. I personally believe that made the biggest difference in our case. I told my wife that the CO would probably make a decision based on the petition package and the documents she submitted, and that decision would be made before the interview began. I told her the best proof of that would be either a blue or pink paper on the stack of papers in front of the CO during the interview. My wife was too nervous to notice, but my step daughter said the pink slip was on top of the stack when they approached the window. It was all filled out except for the CO's signature.

Bear in mind that all of this took place nearly five years ago. Some things are likely to be different now, and there are certainly different CO's working there now. Also, the rule change allowing petitioners to attend the interview with the beneficiary is a double edged sword. While it may give the petitioner a chance to make their case that their relationship is genuine, it can also be an opportunity for the CO to discover things that would not otherwise be obvious. For example, it's possible for a couple to love each other deeply even though they have to resort to Google Translate for all but the most mundane of conversations. To the CO, lack of a common language can be a big sign that the relationship is probably a sham.

[Casey&Titi 14]

I've never heard anything about a engagement certificate, but my fiancee and I did have a Din Hon. We had lots of people, food and beer too! I also invited my best friend of 20 years and his wife since my mom is afraid of flying and he is more of a brother than a friend.