jmhull

I believe you can view those reviews posted at this link

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/index.php?cnty=Vietnam&cty=&dfilter=5

Your wife might be fine. The "home province" here should be understood as where she is registered as a permanent resident (term in Vietnamese is "dang ky ho khau thuong tru"). Even though she was born and lived until she was 18, as you said, somewhere else, she could have registerd permament residency in HCMC when she moved there. Then she should go to Justice Department (So Tu phap) in HCMC to apply for the paper. In your case, seems like your wife did just that. If she hadn't been eligible to apply for it at HCMC department of justice, they wouldn't have accepted her paperwork. So no worries there.

Also, she will only need ONE police record, plus no second Justice department will give her another. What happens is that Justice department in HCMC performs background checks with police department at other places where she resided before, then compiles into only one record. Take my case as an example - born in one place and lived there until 18, then lived in 2 other places (none of them HCMC), but i had my record applied at and issued by HCMC Justice department, just because my residency is registered with parents, who live in HCMC.

Hope that helps.

we just paid $230 for IV application...We just want to know how much the medical exam fee cost? for though who already gone through this process please advice thankz a bunch

New fee is USD130 for adult.

Thats if you are in country, it can often be done from another country via the VN consulate/embassy there... when in VN the only places that one can get an acceptable PC is at a So Tu Phap.

Hi, as far as I know, Vietnamese embassies and consulates abroad do not issue police certificates. The task of issuing police records is delegated to the Ministry of Justice only, i.e. (i) if you are Vietnamese or foreign nationals currently living in Vietnam, you can apply for a certificate to be issued at the Department of Justice (So Tu phap, which is a provincial/city branch of Ministry of Justice) of the city or province that you are a resident of; and, (ii) if you are a foreign national who used to reside in Vietnam but NO LONGER is (so you're not in Vietnam at the moment of application), then you'll have to apply at the National Center for Police Record, which is based in Ha Noi (inside the office of the Ministry of Justice); you can do that by either authorizing someone you know in Vietnam to apply for the paper on behalf of you, or by traveling to Ha Noi yourself. They make it very clear that, if you are a foreign national, who currently does not reside in VN anymore, then you cannot apply at the Department of Justice - must go to the National Center for Police Record in Ha Noi. I went through that experience when helping out a friend, who is a German citizen, apply for his Vietnam police certificate.

To OP, if your wife is not a Vietnamese citizen, she can go to Vung Tau Department of Justice to double check with them whether she can apply there, or has to go to Ha Noi. If she is Vietnamese, then it is simple, she can surely apply in Vung Tau. In my friend's case, he authorized me (by a authorization contract) to carry out the whole application process; the office asked for a certification from the residential police of the place where he stayed before, in order to process the paper. In your case, you said your wife moved out to another place after not being able to register residency at the first place, is that correct? If so, then you can ask for certification from the police of the second place (in case she had registered with them during her stay there).

Here is the news on the website of US Consulate in HCMC. Look at the right side of the page. They require form #2 instead of form #1. Affect on 11/1/2012.

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/immigrant-visas.html

Thanks for the info!

Oh #######, I just got a new police certificate #1 to replace the soon-expired one which is already at NVC. Wonder if i'll have to get and present the #2 at the interview even though my #1 was accepted by NVC.

Visa Exemption for Viet Kieu is not really a visa exemption. It's more like a 5 year multiple entries visa for $40.

It is in fact a visa exemption, for both VK and non-Vietnamese nationals, it says so clearly on the page/stamp. VN GoV doesn't issue 5 yr visa. The difference is that with this visa exemption, you (VK or not) have a 90-day limit stay for each entry; if it is a 5yr multiple entries visa, then you can stay up to five years at a time, which is not the case.

However, you fled the country or become a citizen of another country but you didn't officially renounced your Vietnamese citizenship, the govt still considers you a Vietnamese Citizen and you have dual citizenship.

That's true.

The US won't issue visa for its citizens residing abroad but Vietnam does. It all comes down to the money. You can have a valid Vietnamese passport and still can apply for a Vietnam visa.

Well true and not true. This is only true in the case that you hold a dual citizenship (Vietnamese + XXX citizenship), and that you have a Vietnamese passport. There is NO way that you can apply for a Vietnam visa, using your Vietnamese passport. But you CAN though, in case you use your foreign passport and not mention anything about your VN passport. My family members have made so many US-VN trips and that's the case. But think about it, why would you want to use your US passport and apply and pay for a visa when you could just use your VN passport, if you still have one, to travel to VN?

I think it's better to just get a passport because when you enter Vietnam using a Vietnamese passport: you can stay as long as you want, the passport is valid for 10 years, it's cheap to renew in Vietnam, you can buy airplane ticket and book hotels at the rates for locals.

That's true, even though not everyone wants to go through all the hassles of keeping their Vietnamese passports. Plus nowadays airplane tickets and hotel are priced the same for Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese nationals.

Visa Exemption for Viet Kieu is not really a visa exemption. It's more like a 5 year multiple entries visa for $40.

It is in fact a visa exemption, for both VK and non-Vietnamese nationals, it says so clearly on the page/stamp. VN GoV doesn't issue 5 yr visa. The difference is that with this visa exemption, you (VK or not) have a 90-day limit stay for each entry; if it is a 5yr multiple entries visa, then you can stay up to five years at a time, which is not the case.

However, you fled the country or become a citizen of another country but you didn't officially renounced your Vietnamese citizenship, the govt still considers you a Vietnamese Citizen and you have dual citizenship.

That's true.

The US won't issue visa for its citizens residing abroad but Vietnam does. It all comes down to the money. You can have a valid Vietnamese passport and still can apply for a Vietnam visa.

I think it's better to just get a passport because when you enter Vietnam using a Vietnamese passport: you can stay as long as you want, the passport is valid for 10 years, it's cheap to renew in Vietnam, you can buy airplane ticket and book hotels at the rates for locals.

Doesn't one of us have to be a Vietnamese national (citizen?) to qualify for the visa exemption?

Neither of us are Vietnamese nationals. I am a former South Vietnamese citizen who left in 1975, so I don't know if Vietnam still recognize me as a Vietnamese national.

You don't need to be recognized by the Vietnamese Gov. as a Vietnamese national to get a visa exemption - in fact, if you're recognized as a Vietnamese national, then you won't need a visa exemption (well just a Vietnamese passport is needed for traveling to VN).

To get a visa exemption, you'll just need to make an application and present a document that shows your past VN nationality. Check out the link here http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/thu-tuc-lanh-su/mien-thi-thuc-5-nam/; they accept birth certificate and id card etc. issued by the South VN Government prior to 1975.

You can reclaim your Vietnamese citizenship as long as you have any documents to prove that you were born or lived in Vietnam before. You must do this before 1/7/2014.

http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/hoi-dap/724459_viet_kieu_my_xin_tro_lai_quoc_tich_viet_nam.aspx

When we took the trip to Malaysia earlier this year. I used my Vietnamese passport to enter Vietnam without showing them my US passport (I didn't have to). When my gf showed them her passport which has the US visa, they gave her a hard time before letting her go.

I was able to renew my passport in Danang for 200.000 VND. Pretty cheap for a 10 years passport.

The link you gave is for Viet Kieu, those who lost their Vietnamese citizenship, wanting to reclaim it. What is being discussed in this thread is who can and how to get a visa exemption to Viet Nam.

If you are (i) a Viet Kieu who doesn't have Vietnamese citizenship anymore or (ii) spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen or a Viet Kieu (who is) currently living in Vietnam or abroad, then you can apply for a visa exemption at the VN Embassy or Consulate abroad (or at immigration offices in Vietnam)

As a Viet Kieu (with no Vietnamese citizenship), you can present any of those documents listed in item d., part 2 from the link here - http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/thu-tuc-lanh-su/mien-thi-thuc-5-nam/. The instruction on this link is unfortunately only in Vietnamese.

Is NVC still giving out interview dates for November guys?

We just called today and NVC said November is already filled up for HCM Consulate.

Hi -- In this question (residency last 5 years) you'll have to list places where you have physically stayed during the last 5 years, whether it includes your permanent domicile (San Francisco right?) or not. It's normal for one to have a domicile (permanent address) and a different residency (temporary address) elsewhere. My husband (USC) has been spending about a year in VN with me, and in his G-325A he listed the VN address as his residency since the time he moved over. We also wrote up an explanatory note in which we explained that he was having two addresses - permanent one in the U.S. and temporary one in VN, which was attached with the I-130.

On another note, I believe defining "residency" does not have much to do with your visa status in VN, as long as you are here legally on a visa and a stay permit.

P.S. Try not to leave gaps between the dates when listing residencies.

How do you obtain a police certificate in Vietnam? My wife and I are a bit confused. I thought it is issued by the So Tu Phap (Department of Justince) at her place, which is Saigon right? Also she lived in the US for about 6 years for school. Do I contact the local police for the report in US?

There is no need for a police record for the time spent in the U.S. (as specified on DOS website) - The U.S. government does not issue police records.

For the Vietnamese police certificate, she has to apply for it at the Department of Justice of the city/province where she is registered as a permanent resident ("hộ khẩu thường trú", which is different from "tạm trú" - temporary resident). When she applies for it, she can ask for as many original copies as she wants.

Hi,

I am planning a trip to Viet Nam for Tet 2013. Found a great deal for flights on Expedia. I need to get a tourist visa for Viet Nam. My trip will last about 6 weeks. What is the best way to go about this? I am in San Diego.

Thanks your your help,

Aaron

Hi - If your spouse is Vietnamese, you can apply for visa exemption. Every visit is maximum 90 days with no visa required. Application is super simple and easy (and quick) at VN Embassy in DC. We did it in 2010 and paid $40 I think.

I wouldn't be able to do DCF because, though I've been living here for about two years, it's been on tourist visas. I don't have any kind of formal work contract that gives me residence status.

Hi there -

DCF is not available in VN anymore since USCIS Office in HCMC ceased operation last year. Re: following Vietnamese traditions in wedding ceremonies, etc. we were kind of in the same situation with you. Given that we're still waiting for NOA2, i'd better not give any advice yet. However, I think the best policy, as always, is to be honest, and stay true to who you both are. It's always easy when it comes to having to explain why you have done something that you did, things that were true to what you wished to do the most. Honestly, at the moment we decided to get married, we didn't really know what kind of requirements there were with immigration, and so we just did what we wanted to. My husband and I, we both dislike ceremonial activities and formalities, thus try to avoid them as best as we can - there wasn't a specific moment when my husband proposed to me, nor do I have an engagement ring. Our wedding (15-minute ceremony + dinner reception) was super small and simple with about 30 members of both families (no friends). We also didn't have a second "wedding party" for my families and friends in VN when we came back. Rather we only had some small family drinks/dinners (of which we took pictures and documented them into our file).

The bottom line is, I think, it is NOT a huge minus (again, my personal judgement) if you don't do your wedding in the Vietnamese ways (I'm sure people working in the US Consulate in HCMC are aware of the change in lifestyles and choices of young Vietnamese nowadays) just for the sake of evidence for immigration. If your relationship is legit and true, there are tons of other ways for you both to prove it, easily. There are certain small, but could be important, things you might want to consider, though, such as you both spending time with each other's families. You said you haven't met her family at all even when you decided to get married (and you all live in the same city)? I'm not saying that you'll need to see her family before you decide to get married to her, but I think it is a natural desire for parents to want to meet, and get to know, the man/woman that their daughter/son is going to share their whole life with. Well, it again is a matter of personal preference, but I tend to think COs might want to question that, more than the way you organize your wedding ceremony.

its wrong.. You can get vaccinations at IOM or Cho Ray.. Just take the records of past vaccinations when you go in for the medical and that way they will have all the info they need to complete the vaccination record properly. get an extra copy when they complete it to have with you when you come to the US..

Great! Thanks for your response. It'd be good not to have a double dose of vaccinations in my body (plus all the time + expenses).

Hi everyone -- My husband and I (beneficiary) are still waiting for our NOA2, and I guess we're not yet anywhere very near to the Consulate/interview phase. I have been, nevertheless, doing some research to get myself prepared for the next steps, and found some conflicting information re: immunization paperwork with HCMC Consulate. When checking the list of required vaccinations for immigrant visa applicants, I realized I've already had almost all of immunizations on the list (before, not for immigration purpose). I've assumed that when the time comes for me to get my medical examination, all I'll need to do is to bring the valid records of past vaccinations with me and show them to the Panel Physician. They then should be able to verify those records and then fill out the vaccination sheet in my medication exam. report.

However, I just learnt the website of HCMC Consulate says vaccinations should be taken at (not mentioning anywhere "ONLY at" though) the Quarantine Service of HCMC. In different threads in this forum, other people mentioned things like "vaccinations are taken ONLY at Quarantine Service", or that visa applicant needs to get an immunization assessment report by Quarantine Center. Someone, in 2008, even said their past immunization records hadn't been even looked at and the person had to retake all the vaccines again. Is it true that it was the case? and is it still is? I'd appreciate hearing your experience with this, especially recent ones. Thanks!

Hi - We have the same case here. I completed my J1 in 2010 and left the U.S. around the same time your husband did. My husband also moved to my home country to stay with me. After doing some research and speaking to a lawyer, we went ahead and filed the petition March 2012(so about 10 months before my HRR ends). I've heard that some people went for interview and got their visas issued even with some months still left from the 2-yr hhr, but that really depends the CO that works on your case, and i wouldn't put high hope on that. Most probably the U.S. Embassy/Consulate would delay your husband's interview until he meets the 2-yr requirement. We're also thinking that we can work out the NVC process (in case we get approved soon) by spreading out the submissions of the paperwork so that the interview can be scheduled around or soon after my hrr is met.

Hi Jmhull,

I made a little drawing about the steps I should do. ( see the below attachment)

That's I try to understand from your last reply. Am I right?

1.I searched from Vietnamese embassy in Philippines, that provided a instruction and a form for applying for a Vietnamese police check. I think I may use it then I don't need Vietnamese translation? The form is written in Vietnamese and English.

http://www.vietnamembassy-philippines.org/en/nr070521170031/nr100418081512

2. So,I need to prepare two certified copies of my documents? As you said, I should get a local police certification before the Judiciary Office,right?

Thank you very much for your help and information.

Ok, I stop from now. sigh....a big headache

Sorry for the delayed response. So basically the instructions that you found on the Vietnamese Embassy to the Philippines are quite clear and correct, except that they are not updated enough. So let’s go through a couple of main issues as per the questions you raised …

1) Where to apply?

USCIS website only provides general information on police record application, a process that is usually very much country specific; Vienamese Embassies abroad are known for providing outdated and (sometimes) unclear information (at least from what I experienced).

So according to the latest Vietnamese gov. regulations, a foreign national who is currently living in Vietnam can apply for a police record at the Department of Justice of the city/province where (s)he CURRENTLY resides; A foreign national who is currently NOT residing in Vietnam (and who used to live and work in the country) HAS to apply at the National Police Record Center (Trung tam Ly lich Tu phap Quoc gia), which is under the Ministry of Justice, and based in Ha Noi. This Center wasn't established until 2010. Before 2010, seems like one could apply at the Department of Justice of the city/province of past residence.

2) Who can apply?

As it was specified in the instruction you mentioned, there are two options:

Option 1: You have to apply IN PERSON at the office (after filling out and signing the application form);

Option 2: You can authorize another person (could be anyone you can trust, or a legal service) to apply (who will fill out and sign the application form on your behalf);

3) Which passport to use (in case of dual nationality)?

You have to submit the passport that you used during your time in Vietnam (and you said you used your home country's passport to work in Vietnam) for this application (because that is what they have on file in their system for you), if that passport is still valid. In case if your stay in the country was from a long time ago, and that passport has expired, then you’ll have to submit both your old passport, and your current valid passport.

4) How about other documents?

4.1. The local (residential) police certification of your past stay VN, that I mentioned in the earlier post, is actually the “Certified copies of Temporary Registration Book or certified copy of Certificate of Temporary Residence issued by the Sub-district Police where the applicant used to reside”, as in the Instructions of the Embassy. If you don’t have the registration book, simply get a paper certified by the district police of your past residence in Vietnam, which says that you lived at that address in their district during that time (be specific). To get that paper, you’ll need to have someone go to the district police office and ask for it.

The police however, will only issue you such paper if you did register your residence with them during your stay in their district.

4.2. Your temporary residence card and that the police asked you to pay “to make it valid” – not sure I understand what you mean here. Why would you need to renew your temporary residence card unless you want to continue your stay in Vietnam?

To apply for a police record, you only need to submit your old (expired or not) residence card (if you have one, lots of people don’t and they only stayed on their work visa, etc.). No need to renew the card just for this purpose. Make sure you understand what the exact requirements are.

5) Where to certify your documents?

If you authorize someone else to do the paperwork for you, then you’ll need to send that person all certified copies of your documents (passport, visas, authorization contract, etc.). As I mentioned in my post last time, in order for those certification to be legitimate for Vietnamese authorities, you’ll have to have them certified at the Vietnamese Embassy of the country where you currently live, no matter which country that is. The Vietnamese Embassy in Australia will be willing to certify the passport of your home country (non-Australian), because that paperwork will be used in Vietnam. If you want to be really sure (because Vietnamese Embassies are really unpredictable), then call them ahead of time and double check if they do that.

As I said before, if you don’t have your paperwork certified by Vietnamese Embassies, but rather by Australian authorities, or Embassy of your home country in Australia, then when in Vietnam, they will have to be “re-certified” by the Embassy of that country in Vietnam (the country whose authorities certified your paperwork), then “legalized” for use in Vietnam by the General Consulate (Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Vietnam) in Ha Noi. In order to avoid that horrible headache (which I couldn’t), have all your paperwork certified at the Vietnamese Embassy in the country where you now live.

6) Which application form to use?

If you authorize someone else to do the application on your behalf, that person will have to fill out a different form (they have another form for cases of authorization).

Two sets of documents should be submitted (one original and one copied). If you don’t have anyone in Vietnam you can trust to work on this process for you, then I would advice seeking for services from legal companies. $700 for this is a rip off but I’m sure you can find a much more reasonable price (with my friend we didn’t research this further).

I hope the picture is a bit clearer now, and good luck with what's ahead of you!

Hi all,

I need a Vietnamese police check.

I am not Vietnamese and I am living in Australia.

I don't have any friends or relatives ,who live in Vietnam.

I have contacted Vietnamese Embassy in Australian,

they just said"your friend could apply it for you."

I also don't have a temporary residence card.

So, how can I get a Vietnamese police check from overseas?

And If I can't get it, what happen to my USA visa application?

Sorry, I have too many questions.

Thank you for your advise, I'd appreciate your any reply.

Hi hktw:

I've been helping a friend from Germany get a police certificate for the period he lived in Vietnam. The procedure is that as a foreigner, you can only get the certificate from the Judiciary Office ("Trung tâm Lý lịch Tư pháp", which belongs to the Ministry of Justice in Ha Noi). If you are not in the country, you can authorize someone you know who are (as in my friend's case). You'll need to sign an authorization contract (notary required), then send all the required paperwork (passport and visa that you used when you were in Vietnam), local (residential) police certification that you stayed at certain address in VN, etc. The person you authorized would then need to fill out an application form on your behalf, then submit the full application. Keep in mind that all your documents have to be notarized as original copies, then when in VN they'll need to be translated using certified translation service.

Another important advice to you is that when you get notary for certified copies of your original documents, make sure you have it done at the Vietnamese Embassy of the country where you currently reside. Otherwise, when the notarized documents get to VN, they will need to be re-certified by Cuc Lanh Su (General Consulate Office, Ministry for Foreign Affairs) in order to be legitimate for use in Vietnam.

I heard there are services that can take care of that for you in case you don't have anyone in the country you'd like to authorize. My friend checked and was told the total cost was $700. Things can get extremely complicated when it comes to administrative processes in Vietnam, but the Judiciary Office does not seem to be taking "grease money" though.

I have going to have to take over $10,000 out of the country when I go to Vietnam next time.

The form is simple

http://www.fincen.gov/forms/files/fin105_cmir.pdf

and the directions are simple

C. Travelers—Travelers carrying currency or other monetary instruments with

them shall file FinCEN Form 105 at the time of entry into the United States or at the

time of departure from the United States with the Customs officer in charge at any

Customs port of entry or departure.

However, I don't ever remember seeing a customs officer when I have left the USA. I don't want to have the US government seize my money, fine me, or arrest me for failing to file this form.

Does anybody know where you actually submit the form? I assume it's near when you check in or go to the gate for the first flight segment that leaves the USA, but I have flown many times and I cannot remember ever seeing a customs officer anywhere from check-in to the gate.

Actually they do check sometimes - In one of my US-VN flights, at US point of exit (don't remember which airport) there were 3-4 customs/security officers with cash-sniffing dogs checking around and stopping some people for questions. They asked me if I could help interpreting for a senior Vietnamese couple who didn't speak much English. They told the couple that their dog sniffed an excessive amount of cash on the couple, and asked them how much cash they were carrying; the officer then told them to take out all the money they were claiming they had, asking them to tell the truth. He actually did count every single note to make sure that it was the amount claimed. That was quite an experience for the couple! I would say just do it the official way because this does happen.

I second what Jim said - my husband (non-VK), who is new to Vietnamese culture, has absolutely no idea about how a traditional Vietnamese engagement is done and all the reasoning behind it. I am sure the majority of non-Vietnamese are the same. Understanding a culture requires if not personal experience, then a lot of research and studying. On the other hand, VKs, with their family connection (either a lot or a little), usually have the opportunities to understand, at least, some pieces of the culture of the land where their ancestors were born (and this has little to do with their ability to speak the language fluently). That being said, there are exceptions. I know some Americans (non-VK) living and working in Vietnam who speaks, and understand the Vietnamese culture no less than any Vietnamese; and at the same time, there are some VKs who are clueless when it comes to Vietnamese culture. This is, however, just a small number compared to the majority.

Jim sad "Unless you're Viet Kieu then you PROBABLY would have no idea how to plan this" - just "probably", and so i don't think there is anything wrong with that.

I was born in Hue, lived both in Hanoi and Saigon, and have seen how engagement parties are done in all those places. Hue seems to be the only place where weddings are sometimes organized in a pagoda (optional only, however), because Buddhism plays a special and important role in the spiritual life of Hue people. Other than that, the usual proceedings at engagement parties and weddings in Hue's families are not so much different than those of other regions in VN.

Are Vietnamese Nationals allowed in the US Consulate at HCMC to have a document notarized if the USC accompanies them?

Basically I would like to have my fiancee sign a non-legal document with me and wondering if they will let her in to have both our signatures notarized?

yes - i got a paper done in Ha Noi Embassy as a non-USC so assuming it's the same in HCMC Consulate, but you could of course email and ask just to be sure (they usually reply to these inquiries very fast). Fees is $50/service.

Hi Mike:

Seems like it's been a while since the last discussion on this post, and I hope you are all good now - seeing the light and being able to sort things out already. If that's the case then no more talk is necessary, and I would be so happy for you. But in case you're still in stuck in the middle of the struggle between the heart and the mind, and can't cut the lady out of your life, think about it this way - do you want it long and painful, or short and painful? It's clear to me which is a better choice.

I know it's always easy said than done, especially where the heart is involved. But trust me, when everything is over, you will be glad and grateful of yourself for the decision that you have made. And be optimistic, (TRUE) love does exist, and is all around you. I wish you all the right mind, and wisdom, to do the right thing~