Joe&Diane

You should call NVC to make sure that they have your paperwork on file. If they said they've received your paperwork, while you have them on the phone ask them politely if they could tell you what is delaying the approval of the documents and subsequent forwarding of it to Vietnam.

If they say they haven't received the paperwork, you may want to give your lawyer friend a call...

thanks Linda, i will definitely do that!

AJ

If anyone is coming to Vietnam, let me know. I need a few small things from the US if possible. I need a large bottle of vanilla extract, along with a few other extracts (cherry,mint,grape.) If you are headed to HCMC let me know and I will pay you once you arrive, or I can even order and have them shipped to your US address prior to you leaving.

Jerome

Jerome, i'm planning on going there for my wife's 1st interview, but still waiting for NVC and not sure if her interview will be in Nov or Dec. I will definitely let you know once I hear anything.

AJ

thanks all. but it's been little over 2 months and haven't heard anything from NVC. getting worried.

I'm just back from traveling to Vietnam for Hang's successful K-1 interview on 9/27. She received the actual visa today, so we are excited to be moving ahead now with the next phase and to be starting our life together soon. We're very grateful to all the folks here who have posted useful information and responded to our questions - I'm doubtful that we would have achieved this result without that help. Thanks!!!

I'll plan to post a more detailed summary later in the reviews section, but she spent a little over two hours inside the consulate on the interview day while I waited anxiously across the street. She was the third person interviewed by her CO after blue slips for the first two (she also noticed one person interviewed by a different CO who also received pink). She was asked roughly 40 questions in all, and except for one that she asked to be repeated in Vietnamese, the interview was conducted entirely in English. Out of the variety of evidence we had compiled, the officer looked at some of the photos and envelopes/postcards but did not ask to see the emails, phone records, and other items (I'm glad that we had prepared them though!). Hang was also insistent about turning in our two-page, notarized relationship timeline along with the main documents, and it appears that they did look at that as well. She was finished by about 10:20, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the day in HCMC before flying to Da Nang to visit her family for the rest of the week.

Eric

Very great news. and congratulations!

it should be soon...

Thanks Scott

my lawyer said he sent my I-864 affidavit of support packet out around middle of August 2010. I paid him almost $674 for the application fee, IV bill. I haven't heard anything from him or the NVC yet. It's beginning of October, I'm growing very impatient and thinking that I might hear something by now. Am I just being paranoid or does it usually take a few months for the NVC to process and send the paperwork to the Vietnam Consulate. I would like to know anyone who petitioned CR1 their spouse have their take on this. Thanks in advance.

I'm happy for you and congrats to you and your wife.

Hello guys,

I want to know anybody know the Vietnamese wedding vow that they say in Church.

if you do can you wrote it here in Vietnamese.

thank you.

From our experience, I had to meet with 3 priest close to my wife's house who would accept that I didn't have my baptism certificate or any papers to prove that i'm catholic. We finally found one and I asked if i can have a vow read during the ceremony. The Father then told me that he will perform the ceremony with another couple and that he will not allow it because of the time constraint. He flew through our ceremony within 30 mins! I guess he wanted his afternoon nap and coffee.

Just curious what medicine you brought to Vietnam?

This is what i brought:

-Peptol Bismol

-Tylenol

-Cold Medicine

-Doxycycline (Malaria pills)

-Visine eye drops

-Neosporin

-Antibiotics

Also got some Ultrathon insect repellent and suntan lotion

Just curious what everyone else brought?

For me I brought the following:

-advil (pain and better for the liver than Tylenol) buy generic ibuprofen or motrin it's much cheaper

-neosporin (generic -triple antibiotic much cheaper)

-zinc topical for burns

-bandages,tapes,gauze (i'm glad i did because i got burn from exhaust pipe from motorbike)

- 100% deet from REI

-Meclizine (prescription med for nausea and vomiting)

-xanax (great for sleeping on plane or first few nights in Vietnam because of time diiference)

From working in a pharmacy, I don't use anti-diarrhea meds not until about 3-4 days. you need to "flush" out what you have after a few days. it can be lethal if you sustain it. there's an eye drop med in HCMC that i bought, sorry I forgot the name but it works much better than visine. have a great time!

My fiancee and I plan to get married later this year in Vietnam. My fiancee got a recommendation from a friend for this place, and they said $700 just to help for the marriage certificate and that it would be 35 days. She asked if the time could be shortened, the guy said it can be 21 days, but that the cost would be $1200. Both of us think that the price is too high, and also, she said the guy didn't seem very knowledgeable. Based on what i read in some other threads, the price seemed pretty high too.

So, I am looking for recommendations for dich vu to get the marriage certificate in Vietnam and also to help with the CR-1 paperwork. My fiancee is in Nha Trang, so someone familiar with the process there would be nice. I'd like to get it done in 21 days, or at least as close to that as possible.

Any other suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

$1200 seems pretty high. from my experience I was in vietnam and decided to do the CR-1 route. I contacted Marc Ellis and his partner Anh Nam adviced us we had to register for the marriage certificate first. They charged us $500 and told us it will be about 3 weeks to get the certificate. Since the time constraint that I had, we asked if it can be sooner and they said if we want it sooner they would charge us another $150. So we paid $650 in total. He called another guy (Anh Tien) who is his leg work. The extra money helped us with a very speedy medical exam and process.I'm sure they have connections and paid the people who are involved under the table. We just had to wait for the interview. After the interview is done, we then have to wait to sign the certificate. They gave us 2 original certificates and we paid extra for the certified copies (make sure you do this).

after obtaining the marriage certificate pretty smoothly we thought we will stick with marc ellis to prepare our CR-1 petition. But it was a horrible mistake. therefore I'm not recommending him for the for the CR-1 help but for the marriage certificate Anh Tien was really helpful and nice.

The last thing is before signing the certificate MAKE SURE everything on there is correct. I didn't know this until looking at it carefully. They had my address wrong by 1 number and they mispelled my place of birth.

Hope this helps if you have any other questions you can msg me. Good luck!

today my lawyer asked for my original marriage certificate, wife's original birth certificate and other items. but my concern is the marriage cert and the bc. I asked why certified copies or not sufficient. I was told that 1 of their other client's I864 package was sent back from NVC because they requested originals. So that's why my lawyer wants me to prepare the originals to send to them so I can avoid the same problem. My lawyer also reassured me that the vietnam consulate will return the original documents to my wife's after her interview(hope this is true). so i asked my wife in vietnam to send me the original mc and her bc. hope it will not get lost in the mail nor with NVC. has anyone heard of this or has happened to them? thanks in advance.

Here you go. His number is 0903705346 (Chu Loc or Luc), mention our name Loi & Suong back in 2008. I don't know exactly address, but close to Quan 1, NHA THO DUC BA.

Our case only cost $250, including 1 million dong for Cho Ray (Physical checkup), from Start to End. My wife only give him $150 to Start with, after you passed the interview, and you will give him the last $100. YOU SHOULD COST LESS!!!

Tell your wife go there and checkout, and also you should call Chu Loc for more information. I personel called him myself to get to know him, and chic chat over our paperwork.

Good luck.

Thanks a bunch!

Hello VJ friends,

7/22/2010: USCIS CSC received my I-130 package (2" thick)

7/30/2010: $355 check cashed

8/14/2010: still no NOA1 & I start getting nervous

Have anyone waited such a long time before getting NOA1?

Thanks.

Peter

i got my NOA2 approval notice little over 4 months. i asked 2 lawyers and they told me it takes about 4-5 months. but others might be faster. sometimes you can't really tell exactly. Hang in there it will come!

Have you guys visit Danang? If you have, what do you recommend doing for fun there? Basically, I am probably going to visit the beach everyday and spent time with my wife.

I passed by Danang on my way to Hoi An from Hanoi and Hue. so I can't comment on that. However, if you have extra time I do recommend Hoi An which is about 45 mins from Danang. Beautiful beaches, cheaper food, and people there are really nice. I've been to many places in Vietnam, and in my opinion Hoi An is my favorite. It's a smaller town so my wife and I just spent most of our time at the beaches and befriended with the locals. We hired a motorbike and drove around time. It was great!

you need to trip in to Houston soon, to Viet Hoa superstore (and the SUN wholesale place right next to it ), bring yer lass, and buy some more seeds - they have 'vietnamese' vegetables seed recently - I noticed it this weekend.

It's on the Beltway - so if yer coming in on I-10, take Beltway 8 south - you'll see it within 7 miles.

Good Luck !

i'm going to check this place out as well.

So I've picked up a new hobby (gardening) and this weekend I constructed two (2) - 4 foot by 8 foot raised beds in my back yard. My question now is what would you recommend I plant? I've got the following covered, but let me know if I'm missing something:

in 1' x 1'plot square in raised beds:

cucumbers x4

cabbage x4

American squash x4

bell peppers x3 (red, green, yellow)

hot peppers (ot) x1

chives

green onions

shallots

oinions

cilantro x2

parsley x2

culantro

corriander

scallions

dill

lemon grass x2

mint

basil

tomatoes x4

okra x4

brocolli x4

califlower

watercress

bak choy

beansprouts

VN corriander (rau ram) x4

rau muong x4

salad mixes x4

lettuce x4

in separate containers:

daikon x2

carrots x2

bitter melon

hairy gourd

eggplant

pennywort

sugar cane

I get the feeling I'm missing something "BIG"!

how about Rau Day? I don't know the english name. perhaps Okra Leaves? but don't quote me on that one. it makes a killer canh (soup) and goes great with white eggplants.

Yeap, that how I started my paperwork with Dich Vu, Only $250 USD. From A-Z.

- Fill out all my wife paperwork. I-130, GS-325, DS-230, and more.....

- Pickup and drop her off to Checkup, Interview, and etc.

- Help my wife organized paperwork for interview, and questions about interview.

- Read and translate all USCIS, NVC, or VN consulate document.

- Help my wife paid all the vnese fees. (including coffee-money).

who did you use? may i have the name,number,address? after my I864 is done i'm not going to use any more lawyers. waste of time and money. However, my wife in vietnam is very nervous and anxious, she may need the dich vu help. thanks in advance

Hi everyone, I need some help filling out the I-130 and g325a application. I just got back from Vietnam, I was over there to do the wedding with my wife and also to dang ky ket hon. Now I am ready to file CR-1 for my wife. For the address section on both form, do I put the address exactly how the post office in Vietnam look at it. Like Province I should just but Tinh. I read on a topic that says just put the address in Vietnamese instead of English because the Consulate will send forms to the that specific address and that it is easier for the postman to read it in Vietnamese. If it is in English than it might confuse the postman and might delay the mail. I also read on a topic that says print your name not type your name on the application which ask me to print my name and signature. If I type my name than my application will be rejected. Is that true, can anyone verify this???? Thanks for you help Visa Journey.

my lawyer filled out mine looks like english meaning without the "dau"

Do you think using an attorney adds to the total amount of time the process takes? Especially if documents have to be sent back and forth for checking etc between VN/USA.

Like others posted that it depends on the case. with my situation, i wish i never hired any lawyer. i could've done the work myself with less stress. I hired 1 in Vietnam and that didn't work out. Lost 2 months of time and money. An aquaintance referred me to this lawyer whom represented him before and was successful. So I hired him. Just last week his assistant emailed me that they received an approval notice NOA2 of my I-130 packet. Couple week later she emailed and asked me to bring 3 yrs tax papers nothing else. I knew better so I had more evidence prepared, letter from my employer, check stubs, etc. It's been almost 1 week and he hasn't started on my I-864 packet yet! It made me realize that i could've have started the packet myself and it would have been much faster. Now i'm waiting,calling,emailing. It's been nothing but HELL. Not to mention I paid this people to not care about my case and time away from my wife.

Jim, thanks for laying it all out to make it easier for me . I just thought maybe once she get to the States and enroll in school it might be easier. My wife wants to change her last name to mine but it's no biggy if she doesn't. However, my wife's name is Dung (pronounce like Zume) Thuy Ngoc Pham. I know there will be people that will call it like cow DUNG and i know that i will be sensitive about that! So that's why I thought it might be easier for my wife to add a "z" to make it DZUNG and drop 1 of her middle name Thuy. So it will be Dzung Ngoc ..(my last name). But after reading what you and Linda advice, it will be too complicated. Currently I have so much stress concerning how my lawyer is handling my case that the name thing can be subsided for now i guess.

*is there a place where we can just rant?*

Thanks a bunch!

Everyone has an opinion, and yours is as valid as anyone elses.

And while we're on the topic of opinions, I'll give my opinion on your opinion.

Mr. Nam can be a !@#$%. I think he fancies himself a proxy for a hard nosed CO involved in a Stokes interrogation. I sat next to my wife (she was my fiancee at the time) while he was throwing questions at her. When he got out of hand, I stopped him. I ended up arguing with him several times about his line of questioning. Of course, he could back up what he was saying with actual recent cases where the same questions were asked. My point was that if the interview degrades to the point where your fiancee or wife is being asked humiliating or degrading questions then the case is already lost - she is not going to be leaving that consulate with a visa any time soon.

I told my wife that SHE has control during the interview. They cannot keep her there against her will. If, at any time, she feels like the CO is out of line with their questions then she can refuse to answer. If the CO persists, she can walk away. There are plenty of other avenues that can be pursued. I told Mr. Nam, in no uncertain terms, that he would not ask embarrassing or humiliating questions.

Mr. Nam also made mistakes with our documents. A LOT of them. Given the amount of time you spend with him and his associates, the same thing would happen if F. Lee Bailey were your attorney. They don't know all of the details of your life, and they aren't going to learn them in a few short hours. You have to read each and every document they prepare, and make them correct any mistakes. This doesn't just apply to Mr. Nam and Marc Ellis, but to ANY attorney you hire for ANY reason.

That said, the documents were complete and well organized once I had them correct the mistakes. He knew how to organize them for presentation at the interview. He also had a good eye for selecting photos for evidence, and pointed out some things he thought were good or bad that I wouldn't have noticed. Overall, the interview prep sessions went well, aside from me occasionally interrupting as I mentioned above. My wife felt less nervous and better prepared, and that was the main objective.

I've had a fair amount of experience with lawyers for a variety of reasons (none of them criminal ). In my mind, what you hire an attorney for is primarily their experience. That's the one thing you can't acquire on your own without having been an attorney for an equal amount of time. You already have the knowledge of the facts about your case, and you can learn the applicable laws and the process. You and your attorney are like two halves of the same brain. When you work together you can be successful. If you leave it up to the attorney to do all of the work then you're probably going to fail.

well said Jim, and congrats on you and your wife! I saw 5 couple in that office and Marc Ellis pissed off the men and Mr Nam made 3 of the ladies cried. I felt for all of them and wish everything will work out. it's all about personal experience. speaking about Mr Nam I have a concern. He and his associate did all the leg work on getting our marriage certificate. All we had to was to show up for the interview and sign the certificate. Even that in itself was a nightmare! But when i carefully looked at the certificate I noticed an error on my birthplace. It's an entire different city! what should I do now. I'm scared it will cause a problem during my wife's interview and it was not our fault!! I brought it up to Mr Nam right away and he assured me it was ok, and no need to worry about it. yeah right easy for him to say since he's not the petitioner and it's his wife he's trying to sponsor. any advice is appreciated.

i really appreciate your advices and input!

I filed for CR1/IR1 and was approved on July 23rd. I have many questions that i'm concerned about and need vj members help!

1.I submitted a timeline with the I-130 packet, but do i need to update another one for my wife before her interview? If so, do i just add that we chat,talk on the phone, etc. on the time line? because I haven't made any trip back since our wedding in February 2010.

2.On our wedding certificate she didn't change her maiden name to my last name. It was hell just getting the certificate so we forgot to ask while we were there. So when is she able to change that? she also wants to take out 1 of her middle name since it will be confusing with 2 middle names

3. anything else i need to prepare while assembling the I864 affidavit of support? I got 3 yrs tax, letter from my employer, filling out DS-230. I heard I have to pay $400? anything else?

4. I've read members got blue slip because they need more proof of relative list. Since my wife doesn't have any immediate family in the States, should i write up an affidavit letter stating she doesn't and send to her parents to sign? or am I over reacting. It's hard to believe she doesn't have any immediate family here but it's true.

5. I asked my wife to get a police clearance report because I found out it usually takes about 2-3 weeks. So she already did that. she took and got 6 passport photos. I'm going to fill out form DS-230 for her and scan it to her so she doesn't have to worry about it when packet 3 comes. is that ok? does she need to do anything else right now?

it's been very stressful process. thanks in advance!

I've already posted my experience with Marc Ellis somewhere in VJ but since I see another post about him I have to chime in. I had a horrible experience with Marc Ellis and the only thing I have to say is that he might have alot of knowledge about the process but he didn't show that in my case. Actually he, his co partner Mr Nam nor and his secretary assembled my packet right. They had many errors on the applications and wrong dates on labeling the photos. My wife and I had to spend 2 hrs of our time helping the secretary put together the packet. Before I head back to the States, Mr Nam handed me my I-130 packet. He told me that packet is not complete to be mail off. I have to wait until Marc Ellis finish 1 more affidavit letter. So when I was back in the States I waited, waited, and waited until i got pissed off I emailed him. He never replied, until I became more aggressive to drop him as my lawyer he finally replied and I played the email game with him and Mr Nam for months. It was horrific and stressful. I demanded a refund and luckily he gave back $500. But I lost $500+$100 (consulation fee) = $600. My incomplete packet cost $600. Wow! so my advice is to try to do most of the stuff yourself. However, if your case is complicated and you need and want a lawyer then meet with him and see if he can help you. Hopefully you will have a better, smoother experience than mine. Good luck!

Currently i'm preparing and about to mail out the I-864 affidavit of support. Hopefully my wife will get her packet 3 soon!