IR-5 interview

[HanhChi 25]

15 hours ago, Jiinna said:

Thank you so much, HanhChi! I’ll check the thread and thanks for the wishes. I am myself very nervous because they refused her a tourist visa back in 2019. 
My mom lives in Moldova, not Vietnam, and currently COVID situation is getting better there, but you never know. Anyway, her interview is still scheduled for June 8.

For TB, they got her X-rayed though so I guess they get the results instantly . Why they don’t use X-ray in Vietnam?

Oh, I thought she is in Vietnam! My parents did have the x-rays done first and that’s when the doctor raised their concern over TB. So my parents went on to have the sputum tests, which, fortunately, came back negative for both of them. They sent in their complete medical and passports, so now we are waiting for the visa to be issued. I understand your worry. But I think as long as she has all of the documents valid and ready, as well as and her medical is cleared, she will receive the visa.

[HanhChi 25]

My parents’ visas have been issued today!! It has been such a long wait with some hiccups along the way but I am so glad that we made it.

This is the timeline of my parents’ cases after getting 221g due to concern over TB. I hope it helps if someone is or will be in a similar situation because I know TB sputum testing is not uncommon for Vietnamese applicants

 

04/09/2021: interview, got 221(g) due to results of medical exam still pending (suspected TB for both parents)

05/28/2021: TB tests came back negative for both parents, complete medical reports sent to the consulate

06/17/2021: case status changed from “Refused” to “Administrative Processing”

06/30/2021: case status changed to “Issued”!!!!!

Edited June 30, 2021 by HanhChi

[Jiinna 0]

Hey HanhChi.

 

congratulations to your both parents and safe travels! My mom received her visa a week ago. I have a question now, how can we check the status of green card, whether it was mailed or not, do you know?  

[HanhChi 25]

On 7/11/2021 at 8:14 AM, Jiinna said:

Hey HanhChi.

 

congratulations to your both parents and safe travels! My mom received her visa a week ago. I have a question now, how can we check the status of green card, whether it was mailed or not, do you know?  

Hi Jiinna! 
 

Thank you and congratulations to your Mom as well! Are you planning to pay the $220 immigration fee for her soon? If you do, you will receive a receipt number for your payment starting with IOE. And you can use that receipt number to track the status of her green card. Do you have an USCIS account? I am using the one I registered when I applied for citizenship. I added my parents’ receipt numbers to the “My cases” section and check the status of green card delivery from there.

 

[Jiinna 0]

Thank you HanhChi! 
 

I already paid the fee and was able to find the number to see the status. Now the lady thing left is to bring our parents over here. Thank you so much for the help and advice. I wish your parents safe trip over here.

[HanhChi 25]

On 7/19/2021 at 8:18 AM, Jiinna said:

Thank you HanhChi! 
 

I already paid the fee and was able to find the number to see the status. Now the lady thing left is to bring our parents over here. Thank you so much for the help and advice. I wish your parents safe trip over here.

Hi Jiinna,

You’re welcome! I wish your Mom safe travel to the US as well! My parents are on the plane right now coming here. As the the Covid situation in Vietnam showed sign of worsening, I thought we did the right thing booking a flight that was pretty close to the date my parents received their Visa. We also knew that the Vietnamese government would be very aggressive in their attempt to control the virus. But I am still in shock (and relief) that a lockdown order has now gone into effect in Hanoi for 15 days, which happened in less than 12 hours since my parents left for the airport. We are incredibly lucky!

[Jiinna 0]

On 7/23/2021 at 11:17 PM, HanhChi said:

Hi Jiinna,

You’re welcome! I wish your Mom safe travel to the US as well! My parents are on the plane right now coming here. As the the Covid situation in Vietnam showed sign of worsening, I thought we did the right thing booking a flight that was pretty close to the date my parents received their Visa. We also knew that the Vietnamese government would be very aggressive in their attempt to control the virus. But I am still in shock (and relief) that a lockdown order has now gone into effect in Hanoi for 15 days, which happened in less than 12 hours since my parents left for the airport. We are incredibly lucky!

Wow! You all are indeed lucky! I hope your parents like the USA very much! 
I have a question that maybe you or other menders here may know the answer. What is the best way to get health insurance for the parents? I looked up individual plans on Blue Cross Blue Shield website and it’s about 750 dollars a month. I know each state is different, but maybe somebody has an advice.

[Jho369 13]

Just now, Jiinna said:

Wow! You all are indeed lucky! I hope your parents like the USA very much! 
I have a question that maybe you or other menders here may know the answer. What is the best way to get health insurance for the parents? I looked up individual plans on Blue Cross Blue Shield website and it’s about 750 dollars a month. I know each state is different, but maybe somebody has an advice.

Always go through a broker. Start at Daveramsey.com, he has links to everything financial wise. These brokers get better price from open market than if you were to buy it yourself there. Remember, they key is “estimated” income to get the best rate.

 

In other note, my FIL is still waiting for his VISA to be delivered and everything is in locked down. My MIL is already here a month before the lock down. He just had to do his medical reevaluation. 

[HanhChi 25]

On 7/25/2021 at 11:15 PM, Jiinna said:

Wow! You all are indeed lucky! I hope your parents like the USA very much! 
I have a question that maybe you or other menders here may know the answer. What is the best way to get health insurance for the parents? I looked up individual plans on Blue Cross Blue Shield website and it’s about 750 dollars a month. I know each state is different, but maybe somebody has an advice.

Hi Jiinna,

I am not so sure about how things work in other states. As we are in NYC, my parents are eligible for Medicaid without having to wait for 5 years, so we are very lucky (or maybe not as we pay ton of taxes here!!!😬😬😬). Maybe you can check this website so see if you will find more affordable plan https://www.healthcare.gov/. Good luck!

Edited July 27, 2021 by HanhChi

[Jiinna 0]

On 7/25/2021 at 11:20 PM, Jho369 said:

Always go through a broker. Start at Daveramsey.com, he has links to everything financial wise. These brokers get better price from open market than if you were to buy it yourself there. Remember, they key is “estimated” income to get the best rate.

 

In other note, my FIL is still waiting for his VISA to be delivered and everything is in locked down. My MIL is already here a month before the lock down. He just had to do his medical reevaluation. 

Hey Jho,

 

thank you for the website, I’ll check it out. I know about the “estimated income”, but I guess my question is since mother has not income, the websites say she might qualify for Medicare, which obviously she cannot because of Affidavit of support I signed, so it’s like a cycle here. 

[Jiinna 0]

On 7/27/2021 at 7:27 AM, HanhChi said:

Hi Jiinna,

I am not so sure about how things work in other states. As we are in NYC, my parents are eligible for Medicaid without having to wait for 5 years, so we are very lucky (or maybe not as we pay ton of taxes here!!!😬😬😬). Maybe you can check this website so see if you will find more affordable plan https://www.healthcare.gov/. Good luck!

I’ll check this website too. We are in Georgia and mother is 60, so we got wait five years anyway for her being eligible for Medicaid. Thank you! Another question I have is, our parents cannot apply for social security benefits, right? Because they would have had to work for 10 years here; is that what you all understand too?

[HanhChi 25]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:32 AM, Jiinna said:

I’ll check this website too. We are in Georgia and mother is 60, so we got wait five years anyway for her being eligible for Medicaid. Thank you! Another question I have is, our parents cannot apply for social security benefits, right? Because they would have had to work for 10 years here; is that what you all understand too?

I am not sure about Georgia. Here in NYC my parents are eligible for some cash assistance right away, but they must become citizens to be able to receive SSI.

[Jiinna 0]

On 7/31/2021 at 2:15 PM, HanhChi said:

I am not sure about Georgia. Here in NYC my parents are eligible for some cash assistance right away, but they must become citizens to be able to receive SSI.

Hey HanhChi, 

 

how soon after arrival did your parents received their green cards in the mail? Maybe someone else also can answer that. My mother has been here for two weeks and got her social security card in the mail, but no green card yet. I paid the fee for it on July 2.

[TNguyen501 2]

48 minutes ago, Jiinna said:

Hey HanhChi, 

 

how soon after arrival did your parents received their green cards in the mail? Maybe someone else also can answer that. My mother has been here for two weeks and got her social security card in the mail, but no green card yet. I paid the fee for it on July 2.

Like 60 days. It said you will get it around 90 days upon arrival. You should be able to track it. When you paid they should have gave you a case number. Also you can go on my.USCIS.gov and create an account in their name and verify their id and update the address if you need to. SS comes faster.

[Jiinna 0]

10 hours ago, TNguyen501 said:

Like 60 days. It said you will get it around 90 days upon arrival. You should be able to track it. When you paid they should have gave you a case number. Also you can go on my.USCIS.gov and create an account in their name and verify their id and update the address if you need to. SS comes faster.

Hey. Thank you for the response. I’ve been tracking it on the website and it just says that on July 2 the fee was received and in 90 days we should receive the green card. I was just curious how long it actually takes.