Chris & Trinh

In Saigon in most cases it takes 2-4 weeks.

Interviews are most times schedules at the END of each month. So you should get a letter or email with your interview date at the end or very beginning of the next month MOST times.

Every Embassy is different as far as interview schedules depending on country. However, NVC usually schedules at the end of every month. My case was complete on Dec 14 and Dec 31 my interview was scheduled. So took 17 days.
You have you wait to receive your Interview letter before you can schdule a medical examination. You will have to take this letter to your medical exam.

As been said. Vietnam does not have DCF. Going through the spousal visa with my wife now, I live in Vietnam with her. We are at the 8 month mark and counting in the process. However, we are a ways ahead of others who filed at the same time and the petitioner lived in the US. So it is faster living abroad but still takes a LONG time in my opinion.

I am a from the US and my wife is a Vietnamese citizen. We live in Vietnam. I have a 5 year visa exempt also by using the same process T&T&T described in his first post. The 5 year visa exempt lets you travel to and from Vietnam as much as you want in that 5 year period without having to get a visa. However, you are limited to a 3 month stay. After 3 months you have to exit. However, with everything else visa related nothing follows the rules exactly and by being married they over look leaving the country every 3 months. You DO have to get a new stamp though just as T&T&T pointed out every 3 months at a cost of $10. That can be done without leaving and takes about a week to process.

Thanks!!!
Just a little update as I thought I wasn't going to be able come back to update my thread..
The 8th of this month we flew home to the states. I probably won't be flying Asiana Airlines anymore since they have long waits between flights. 9 hours wait at Incheon and 6 hours at LAX on the way back home. My wife was really tired! I felt bad, but at least we both supported each other..
Anyway, before the arrival at LAX. I nicely asked the wife that we should hurry to the lines where they check our passports. After a 11+ hour flight from Incheon to LAX, I think she was super tired but still made it to the lines at a timely matter. I was happy we got in quick! They looked at our passports, asked me a few questions of where and why I went to vietnam. Took my wife's finger prints and photo, then they ended up asking us to go to the desk next to station 1. We were at station 15. The kind man asked for the documents that we aren't supposed to open. Wife signed a couple of documents and took actual fingerprints. Then asked her to sit down and wait, and also told me to go ahead and get my luggages then come back. But me and my wife both ended up picking up the luggages together. Came back and sat down for maybe 3 minutes and the nice guy gave us a welcome to the US document stating that my wife has a temporary green card stamp on her passport and other mumble jumbo. After that we were off looking for our next flight home.
And another update for those who are getting close to this in the near future. This is from my wife... My wife's skin has a bad reaction to the chemicals in our city water. Her face has been breaking out like crazy. So stock up on facial meds so you don't have to go hunting them down if you're super busy! My wife had terrible car sick; motion sickness. Thanks to the harsh roads in the country side of Ba Ria, Vung Tau. She got used to it after a while, after meeting me. Since she had to do go back and forth to Saigon a few times for different things to do. Now living here in the states, She doesn't get motion sick at all. Our roads here aren't bouncy like vietnam. So if anyone's wife/husband is concerned about motion sickness, I think they will be fine when they get here. The airplane ride wasn't that bad for her. The up and down gravity motion made her stomach feel funny, but once in the air she was fine. She said it was smoother than a car ride. From time to time asked me why the plane is shaking. "turbulence" She love's motorcycle riding here. I own a 2007 GSXR-600 sportbike and she said both cars and motorcycle rides were great because of how much space we have here. She loves the carpet, but thinks it's dusty and dirty. She hates the washing machine and perfers to wash by hand. She's still afraid of the sun.. *sigh* She met the other part of my family who she hasn't met. Both my sister's are already taking her to the nail shop for observing. She thinks Walmart takes forever to walk around and it's too big of a shopping center. She says her legs get tired. I told her wait till I take you to the Mall. Other than that, she's having a great time here and starting to get used to the states.

i dont understand really one thing, why do u people keep email them, once u r put into AP, there is nothing but to just wait, what i think is that when u email then, they get u more late, they have their own process n procedures, so let them do their own work, on the other side i can understand the situation how one can feel to being put into AP, so just be strong n have faith in Almighty Allah.

You will need to apply for the CR-1 visa for your wife. A couple things to concider about which address to use are:
If you use your US address all mail will be sent there. Do you have family/friends staying at your US address?
If you use your foreign address in Vietnam, is it in a large enough city that the mail system is decent?
If you use your foreign address you will later have prove domicile in the US, which shouldn't be a problem if you have a house there still.
If you use your foreign address instead of the US address the USCIS stage of the process is most times faster. If you file from Vietnam your file will go to NBC to be processed. If you put your US address your file will most likely be sent to NBC then to your local office. This takes more time.
Those are just my opinions on what to use as your address. I live in Vietnam with my wife of over 2 years and we are going through the IR-1 visa process now.
As far as the space issue on the I-130, you can either leave it blank, print the form, then write it in with black ink, or you can add a continuation sheet to list any items that wont fit into the I-130 form, just make sure to lable them and also lable the sheet on the cover letter so they know what it is.
Good luck and this site is a great help with the process so post often for help, it makes everything easier!

It greatly depends on your circumstance. Each case is different. If you have a problem with your case, or some serious reason you need to be expedited then maybe they can help. Other than that there is not much they can do for you other than inquire about your current petition with USCIS.
This was just recently discussed here in this thread http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/417974-march-2013-i-130-filers/page-29 near the bottom and continues for a couple pages. Also I am sure if you do a search here there are more places you can find topics on this.

yea chris & trinh are right, i too went the representative route and many have, all that happens it the rep sends a letter to the uscis and the uscis says...uhhhhhh we are working on it and it will take a while. Specifically from my response i received "NBC continues to receive I-130s and ship them to the field for adjudication. Based on staffing, our current processing time for I-130s is 12 months."

1 year to process the Ir1-cr1??? that's crazy!!!! might as well forget about this visa thing for the mean time..if it happens, it happens....i just noticed that the waiting period is making everyone frustrated, including me. But as far as I noticed it seems like we really can't do much, because when you try to give USCIS a call they will still tell you the same thing which is completely absurd!!! When you try to ask help from your senators or congressman or whoever in the government you can ask help with, you still end up getting frustrated some more because they will still tell you it takes up to a year.
I think the only thing I can do is prepare the documents needed for the next step, save money and try to divert my attention as much as possible to other things that needed some importance because this Visa process is becoming a stressor in my every day life and I don't wanna end up in a rehab institution just because I became depressed or somethin'.
I guess will be spending my birthday, our first christmas and new year as a couple and our 1st year anniversary without hubby around. That's just sad!!!!

I think the big reason for feeling this way is because this site has so much information and it is overwhelming at first. Once you spend some time here, look around and also know the process a little better, things will become clearer and organized for you. If you have any questions about anything just post a topic and ask. Someone will most likely always be able to help or point you to the right direction.

I have read many cases on here where people include reciepts of money transfers, wires, etc.... You're not buying love, you are helping to support your partner. Wouldn't look worse NOT sending money to help support the person you love?

I sympathize with you and all people who live apart. Of course it isn't easy. I am lucky enough to be able to live with my wife during this process. However, this has been the process and remains the process. We all know going into it that this is the process. Sometimes it takes longer for many reasons. We know this is the process when us USC choose to marry outside of the US. This shouldn't be a surprise. Everyone here is going through the process. Fair or not fair this is the system. Complaining that it is unfair is not going to solve anything. I think we all learn at an early age life isn't fair.
What gets me is how people get all mad that it is taking so long when there are people 2 months or more ahead of them not even approved. They say the process takes 6-8 months. But at 3 months people start calling their political representatives. Does this help?? Most times NO.
In the end, all we can do is wait. It sucks but it is what it is. I hope everyone has a speedy approval.

Also just to note...don't do something stupid like I did and got an RFE for it, Remember in Vietnam your ceremony date and wedding date are DIFFERENT. Use the legal marriage date on the marriage certificate and not the actual date of your ceremony when writing the date on the i-130 and g325a for you and your wife.

I am eagerly awaiting my wife's approval also but have not gone to the extent of calling senators and info passes. I think at this point it is pretty silly and won’t accomplish much. As you said, at this time everything is within a normal time frame.

However, with that said, I think the USCIS does not help matters in that regard. For one, their website does not work all the time for status updates. It tells you to call their office. When you call most times you are treated rudely and given incorrect and useless information. These inconsistencies and unwillingness to help push people to try other channels (being info passes and senators) of getting some relevant information. When there is not a strict order or processing and people see other petitions approved that were filed weeks or months after theirs it gets frustrating. I think this is the main reason people start calling senators and get info passes.

My own personal case: I filled an i130 for my wife. I am the USC. My wife is Vietnamese. We both currently live together in Vietnam. We filed March 18th and are still waiting. I have been able to check my status online up until about 2 weeks ago. It suddenly changed and said it could not find my case. Thus, I have been calling weekly since then for my status update. Also I monitor the current stats page of this website http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/monthly_filers.php?form=2&visa=3&scenter=4&option=3&sortby=2 to see where USCIS is in the process. As I can see not many have been approved near mine so I am not too concerned nor feel like a need to call a senator. Our time will come we just need to be patient and not lose our minds with the process.

I am eagerly awaiting my wife's approval also but have not gone to the extent of calling senators and info passes. I think at this point it is pretty silly and won’t accomplish much. As you said, at this time everything is within a normal time frame.

However, with that said, I think the USCIS does not help matters in that regard. For one, their website does not work all the time for status updates. It tells you to call their office. When you call most times you are treated rudely and given incorrect and useless information. These inconsistencies and unwillingness to help push people to try other channels (being info passes and senators) of getting some relevant information. When there is not a strict order or processing and people see other petitions approved that were filed weeks or months after theirs it gets frustrating. I think this is the main reason people start calling senators and get info passes.

My own personal case: I filled an i130 for my wife. I am the USC. My wife is Vietnamese. We both currently live together in Vietnam. We filed March 18th and are still waiting. I have been able to check my status online up until about 2 weeks ago. It suddenly changed and said it could not find my case. Thus, I have been calling weekly since then for my status update. Also I monitor the current stats page of this website http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/monthly_filers.php?form=2&visa=3&scenter=4&option=3&sortby=2 to see where USCIS is in the process. As I can see not many have been approved near mine so I am not too concerned nor feel like a need to call a senator. Our time will come we just need to be patient and not lose our minds with the process.

In Vietnam there are 2 different forms. Police report #1 form is not accepted anymore by the US Consulate. That is the old form. There is now a new form, Police report #2 (ly lich tu phap ban so 2) as you mentioned. This is the new accepted form that you must use for the police report to be accepted by the US Consulate.
You do not do both forms, just do Form #2. Requesting the police report takes anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks and maybe even a little "coffee money" is needed from what I hear.
Good Luck
Chris

In Vietnam there are 2 different forms. Police report #1 form is not accepted anymore by the US Consulate. That is the old form. There is now a new form, Police report #2 (ly lich tu phap ban so 2) as you mentioned. This is the new accepted form that you must use for the police report to be accepted by the US Consulate.
You do not do both forms, just do Form #2. Requesting the police report takes anywhere from 2 - 4 weeks and maybe even a little "coffee money" is needed from what I hear.
Good Luck
Chris