Thank you VJ!

[PandO 21]

First and foremost I want to thank all the VJ community for sharing your insights, experiences, and helping others. It's easy to finish your own thing and move forward without batting an eye for others, but you all took the time to share your own experiences and help a community!

 

I feel it's my turn to pay it forward to the up and comers in that sense. My visa journey started on  April 11th, 2016. You can search my timeline for date specifics but to cut it short here, it took almost exactly 10 months to the day (302 days total) from filing (NOA1) to interview and subsequently CR-1 visa approval. In fact I'm writing this just hours after being approved at the US consulate in HCMC. 

 

Throughout the the course of this journey, there were points where I felt distressed, almost even abandoned. However let me share these pointers:

 

1. Be thorough in your application. If you have questions, you have an entire community willing to help and share their experiences with you. 

 

2. Be patient. These visa applications are actually on someone's desk going through a process of checks and investigating. 

 

3. If needed, once milestone timeframes are passed, by all means contact the dept your application is at (whether USCIS, NVC, or embassy) and they will expedite your application. However don't bother getting at them prior to those milestone timeframes as you will be told to wait until that time is up. Unless you qualify for one of the expedite criteria. 

 

4. As the petitioner, you are not needed at your spouses (beneficiary) interview. Truly it doesn't help nor does it hurt. For my case (CR-1), I accompanied my spouse and was told to sit aside during the interview. The best you can do is ensure that all documents are prepared as per checklist. 

 

5. An indicator an interview went well is a short interview w a big smile at the end. At my particular embassy (US Consulate HCMC Vietnam) I saw many being approved, denied and set for AP/AR. It seems as long as your paperwork is solid, then your likeliness for approval is high. 

 

I wish all the future VJers good luck in your journeys. Should you have any questions, by all means search the forums for answers as it is likely many others had the same questions as you. If you can't find your answers, then ask as someone is always going to be willing to help. 

 

 

[LorRie 37]

Congratulations to you and wishing you a wonderful "new" journey together! 
I am counting down the days until I am getting congratulated on here... as well as when I am able to contribute to this community with advice/tips. Thank you for the advice above.

[D and L 1]

First off, Congratulations!!!

 

Second, can you share the experiences that you've witness inside the consulate?  The questions that were asked so we would have a general idea to help us prepare?

 

Thank you

[PandO 21]

18 hours ago, LorRie said:

Congratulations to you and wishing you a wonderful "new" journey together! 
I am counting down the days until I am getting congratulated on here... as well as when I am able to contribute to this community with advice/tips. Thank you for the advice above.

Thank you :)))) and good luck!

[PandO 21]

51 minutes ago, D and L said:

First off, Congratulations!!!

 

Second, can you share the experiences that you've witness inside the consulate?  The questions that were asked so we would have a general idea to help us prepare?

 

Thank you

Thanks!

 

The interview was only for the beneficiary, and they asked a total of  questions.

1. When did we first meet? (July 2014)

2. Where did we first meet? (Her place of work, I was a customer)

3. How many times have I (petitioner) visited the country? (8 times total, we first met on my 2nd visit)

4. Is the petitioner the Childs father? (Yes)

5. What does your husband do(occupation)? 

6. Are you nervous? (Yes) interviewer response: well don't be. Your going to America. Congratulations. (Bewildered confused look)

 

All in all, this was the culmination of 10 months worth of waiting, filling out paperwork, chasing down different departments and it all ended in success. We were both numb and didn't really celebrate until later in the day. 

 

Good luck on your journey 

[WandY 430]

Congrats! I agree with almost all of your post, but I absolutely disagree with advice No. 4 - "...you are not needed at your spouses (beneficiary) interview. Truly it doesn't help nor does it hurt." One, how do you know if it helps or not? Maybe it helped you, maybe it didn't matter - you will never know. I can tell you my experience at the HCMC consulate interview: I was actually told by a CO that it was a good thing that I was at the interview. I was interviewed longer than my wife and was able to clarify some important questions. We saw A LOT of visa denials, but not one denial that involved both the citizen and beneficiary. The overall experience from people on this site - and others - is that it is good idea to be at the interview. Like you, I had been in VN many times and had a lot of touches with the country and wife's family. Every case is unique, with some on the edge and some go very easy. I would never advise someone that it makes no difference. It is impossible to know such a thing, especially in a high-fraud country like Vietnam. It's too important to treat so casually. If you can be there, go there. After all, it is providing emotional support to a very nervous significant other.

[PandO 21]

On February 13, 2017 at 10:07 AM, WandY said:

Congrats! I agree with almost all of your post, but I absolutely disagree with advice No. 4 - "...you are not needed at your spouses (beneficiary) interview. Truly it doesn't help nor does it hurt." One, how do you know if it helps or not? Maybe it helped you, maybe it didn't matter - you will never know. I can tell you my experience at the HCMC consulate interview: I was actually told by a CO that it was a good thing that I was at the interview. I was interviewed longer than my wife and was able to clarify some important questions. We saw A LOT of visa denials, but not one denial that involved both the citizen and beneficiary. The overall experience from people on this site - and others - is that it is good idea to be at the interview. Like you, I had been in VN many times and had a lot of touches with the country and wife's family. Every case is unique, with some on the edge and some go very easy. I would never advise someone that it makes no difference. It is impossible to know such a thing, especially in a high-fraud country like Vietnam. It's too important to treat so casually. If you can be there, go there. After all, it is providing emotional support to a very nervous significant other.

First off, Thanks!

 

By all means, I couldn't refute your argument about the benefit of the petitioner being present. In my case, I exchanged only the word "yes" with the CO when asked if I was the petitioner. However, I do realize the significance that being present with the SO during the interview provides tons of emotional support - which would likely lead to a better outcome.