JasonGG

I have hear that HCMC can be challenging, and with petitioning another woman from the same country, they’ll be looking at potential fraud.
 
I agree OP, I’d lawyer up.

My fiance got approved today and this what I gave them.
Bank statements from the last 6 motnhs
Tax returns from 2022 with all the other related documents W2, etc
 
We also had a co sponsor
Our co sponsor 2021 tax return and related documents. She hadn't filed her 2022 tax return yet so she included her 2022 W2.
A copy of her passport and a copy of her marriage certificate because she still had her old name in her passport.
 
Both forms were signed in wet blue ink.

Yes, you can go into the consulate and wait with her in line outside (have your passport ready), go through security, and sit in the waiting area together.  After security, she will go through a line while you wait off to the side on one of the benches.  She will get her interview number from that line/window after which the two of you can wait together on benches in a different part of the waiting room.  Pay attention to the signs and announcements.  The announcements can be difficult to hear.  When her number is called, you both go to the window.  The CO will decide if you will stay together at the window or will ask you to sit nearby.  In 2018, the interview took less than 10 minutes - longer than others on that day simply because our petition included 2 children and their associated documents.  The CO had clearly gone through our documents, made notes, and already had the approval paperwork when we went to the window.
 
Best of luck to you - Jason
 
 

For some countries, it does not matter.  In Vietnam, I think it makes a difference, especially if the CO has any doubts.
 
At the very least, your fiancé will be much less anxious if you are with her.  In Vietnam, you can be at her side (or feet away) through the entire interview process.
 
Check my timeline for our experience at the consulate in 2018.  I’m glad I went.

I should add that the passport stamp required "special processing" at JFK last month.  The officer did require her green card and expired extension letter.  After going through the immigration line, we were all led to a side room by a guard and sat in a waiting room.  They have to look up each passport 551 stamp in a computer system and verify with the expired documents.  It took about 10-15 minutes for them to approve my wife and daughter's entry.  Kind of stressful because they were not very pleasant and didn't explain what was going on.

My wife was approved in early January.  The USCIS officer was great and understood that we were traveling overseas 2 weeks after the interview.  She noted on my wife's record that she should be scheduled after 2/13, but advised us to keep an eye on her online account to make sure those instructions were followed.  Two days before we left, we saw online that she was scheduled for a 1/31 oath ceremony.  USCIS lists pre-planned travel as one of the reasons for rescheduling, so we followed the instructions on the ceremony letter.  We sent back the ceremony letter, included airline e-ticket copies, and a letter explaining why we wanted to reschedule to the local USCIS office.  We asked to be rescheduled any day after 2/13.  Within days of sending the letter, her online account showed her 1/31 ceremony was canceled and reverted to "will be scheduled."  On 2/13 (the day we said she'd be available again), the local office rescheduled for a March ceremony.
 
Hope that helps - Jason

I don't know if K1 is different than CR-1 but I definitely went with my wife for CR-1 and they not only let me inside but I ended up answering 80% of the questions from the immigration official.  She literally answered 2-3 questions.  I was unique in the sense that our interview was almost a year after Vietnam closed the border due to COVID so there were no other CR-1 petitioners there.  I was the only one as I was living there from the time we married until she immigrated.

Mine got stamped today, in the Fairfax, VA field office.  I also got to keep my expired Green Card.  
 
That's been the case for me for the last 2 years, ever since my 2-year Green Card expired.  Going through secondary every single time I arrived at IAD.  I've gotten used to it. 

I should add that the passport stamp required "special processing" at JFK last month.  The officer did require her green card and expired extension letter.  After going through the immigration line, we were all led to a side room by a guard and sat in a waiting room.  They have to look up each passport 551 stamp in a computer system and verify with the expired documents.  It took about 10-15 minutes for them to approve my wife and daughter's entry.  Kind of stressful because they were not very pleasant and didn't explain what was going on.

My wife is also taking English classes at the local community college.  They have a full ESL course, five semesters.  She had to do a three hour placement test and started in Level 3 of the 5.  Best part is our classes are completely free.  Three hour classes, twice a week.
 
Beyond this set of courses they have English for college prep and one other class for business English.  Those we need to pay for.

For some countries, it does not matter.  In Vietnam, I think it makes a difference, especially if the CO has any doubts.
 
At the very least, your fiancé will be much less anxious if you are with her.  In Vietnam, you can be at her side (or feet away) through the entire interview process.
 
Check my timeline for our experience at the consulate in 2018.  I’m glad I went.

Whether required or not, being present is always a positive.    

Yes, you can go into the consulate and wait with her in line outside (have your passport ready), go through security, and sit in the waiting area together.  After security, she will go through a line while you wait off to the side on one of the benches.  She will get her interview number from that line/window after which the two of you can wait together on benches in a different part of the waiting room.  Pay attention to the signs and announcements.  The announcements can be difficult to hear.  When her number is called, you both go to the window.  The CO will decide if you will stay together at the window or will ask you to sit nearby.  In 2018, the interview took less than 10 minutes - longer than others on that day simply because our petition included 2 children and their associated documents.  The CO had clearly gone through our documents, made notes, and already had the approval paperwork when we went to the window.
 
Best of luck to you - Jason
 
 

Yes, you can go into the consulate and wait with her in line outside (have your passport ready), go through security, and sit in the waiting area together.  After security, she will go through a line while you wait off to the side on one of the benches.  She will get her interview number from that line/window after which the two of you can wait together on benches in a different part of the waiting room.  Pay attention to the signs and announcements.  The announcements can be difficult to hear.  When her number is called, you both go to the window.  The CO will decide if you will stay together at the window or will ask you to sit nearby.  In 2018, the interview took less than 10 minutes - longer than others on that day simply because our petition included 2 children and their associated documents.  The CO had clearly gone through our documents, made notes, and already had the approval paperwork when we went to the window.
 
Best of luck to you - Jason
 
 

Yes, you can go into the consulate and wait with her in line outside (have your passport ready), go through security, and sit in the waiting area together.  After security, she will go through a line while you wait off to the side on one of the benches.  She will get her interview number from that line/window after which the two of you can wait together on benches in a different part of the waiting room.  Pay attention to the signs and announcements.  The announcements can be difficult to hear.  When her number is called, you both go to the window.  The CO will decide if you will stay together at the window or will ask you to sit nearby.  In 2018, the interview took less than 10 minutes - longer than others on that day simply because our petition included 2 children and their associated documents.  The CO had clearly gone through our documents, made notes, and already had the approval paperwork when we went to the window.
 
Best of luck to you - Jason
 
 

I can't speak to the green paper or about Vietnam specifically, but yes the officers do review the cases beforehand and likely already have an idea on whether or not they are going to approve it. It makes sense since everything was submitted beforehand. It was clear our officer knew all about our case. The interview itself wasn't that long--just a few minutes,

We had a combo interview in Dec  at the Dallas Field Office:
 
We received an email a few days prior notifying me to be there for the combo interview. Appointment was at 1:00 pm Wednesday, December 14th.  We were called in at 1:30 pm.  Officer said, "You have already submitted a lot of evidence".  The officer asked both of us a few questions for the I-751 interview.  "How did you meet"   How many children?  When were you married? Did you pay anyone to fill in the I-751? He wanted to see evidence of marriage dated from I-751 filing date (March 2019) to present.  I gave him bank accounts, credit card accounts, apartment leases, driver's licenses, Car insurance card. He did NOT ask for tax transcripts (I had already uploaded them) or original documents.  He said "You satisfy the I-751 requirements".  He then gave me the option of remaining in the room for the N-400 portion, but wife was comfortable alone.  He escorted me back to the waiting room.  Wife says he asked her a few questions we had answered in the I-751 interview portion, then asked her the 6 easiest questions in the 100 question list.
 
Who is President?
What did MLK do?
Why did colonists come to America?
Name one branch of Government?
Name 2 cabinet positions?
Who makes laws?
About 30 minutes later, he escorted her out to meet me.  She had the form which says "You passed the English and Civics test". 
An hour later, her N-400 status had changed to "Oath will be scheduled".  The next day (I think), her I-751 status changed to "Case was approved".
What amazed me was the rate the officers were calling interviewees in that afternoon.  They had 10 or 12 officers continually calling people out of the waiting room.  We were called 30 minutes after our appointment time. 
 
The officer told us "We are here to help her become a citizen.  We are not trying to fail her.   Overall, it was a good experience, but I am very happy it is over.  Now, we wait for the oath.  Officer said 2 to 6 weeks. 
 
My wife's oath ceremony was in Plano on Jan 26, 2023.

My wife attended the ESL certificate program at the local community college.  Just needed to show proof of current address to get the cheaper in-county tuition.  Immigration status was not a factor.  
 
I think it was about 8 classes over 2 years, $300-400 per class.  They offered free classes, too, but no certificate that allows you to begin other programs at a state university.

My wife and many others from Vietnam experience this issue.  At the beginning of the process, the Vietnamese and U.S. name order conventions don't match.  Social Security is required to record the name exactly as it appears on the passport, visa, and I-94.  These will all show the Vietnamese name order.  As a result, my wife's first social security card had her name as MIDDLE, FIRST, LAST.  When we got her driver's license, they also had to issue it in the same order.  Agency staff understood what we were saying when we explained the name order differences between the two countries.  However, they have to follow strict guidelines related to verifying names based on the documents provided.
 
Luckily, this can eventually be corrected.  When my wife received her green card, it had the  "American" order for naming based on the I-485.  With the green card, we visited the Social Security Office to request a new card.  You'll do this anyway to get a card that does not say "not valid for employment."  She received the new "correct" card in about 10 days.   Next, we took the new social security card and green card to the Motor Vehicle Administration.  Two months after arriving in the U.S., my wife received a short-term, 8-month driver's license based on her K-1 immigration status.  With the new IDs, she was able to get the standard 8-year license with the corrected name order.
 
With the exception of her Vietnamese passport, all my wife's identification has now been "Americanized."  Just remember that if your wife is using her Vietnamese passport to travel, she needs to make sure to use the Vietnamese name order when purchasing airline tickets.  The name on the ticket and passport must be identical.  When my wife flew to Vietnam in December, a family ahead of us was not allowed to check in Korean Airlines because the names on their tickets were ordered differently than their passport.  Korean air staff understand the problem, but they must follow guidelines.
 
Good luck - Jason

Here's an update, for anyone who is curious. We did not hear from USCIS for quite a while. By December 15th, we decided that this wait has gone on long enough, and we sent a letter to the local USCIS field office. We let them know that we intend to move in the next few months, and that this will inevitably cause issues if she does not have her ceremony before the move.
 
While they did not directly respond to us, we actually received a ceremony scheduling notice about 8 days later. I am pretty sure that helped. My wife was naturalized just a few days ago. Maybe someone out there will find this helpful. Good luck.

I don't want to diminish how severely immigration fraud impacts everyone who follows the proper, legal steps to immigrate . . . BUT . . . you say that you have access to their social media and have a wedding invitation suggesting your are more than a casual acquaintance to this couple.  If you are comfortable with your motivations to report your friends, are you confident of the facts surrounding their case and their intentions.  If you are wrong, your report could have a long-lasting impact on your friends' education and lives together.  If they are making statements on social media that show an intent to commit immigration fraud, the CBP may also access these statements at the port of entry.
 
Before reporting them, perhaps direct them to Visa Journey or other immigration resources so they can make a more informed decision about their immigration intentions.  As noted previously, the student visa has been used legally so far and the couple can marry while she is a student. It is what they intend to do after the marriage that could be problematic.  Their intent to commit fraud in the future may be out of ignorance of the law rather than willful manipulation of the system.  If you have not done so already, help them first and report them (if necessary) second. 😃
 
Best of luck with your decision.
 
 

In 2018, my wife was in the U.S. and also waiting for her green card when her 12 year old son had his interview in Ho Chi Minh City.  He attended with a family friend.  The friend carried identification and stayed with him through the entire process.  No issues at all.  - Jason

In 2018, my wife was in the U.S. and also waiting for her green card when her 12 year old son had his interview in Ho Chi Minh City.  He attended with a family friend.  The friend carried identification and stayed with him through the entire process.  No issues at all.  - Jason

Yes.  It is evidence of her legal residence.  However, if she takes the oath, it won't be valid.

I filed in August 2020 and I got notified this morning that they are producing my new card.
 
Literally 2 days ago I finally got an infopass appointment for a I-551 extension stamp in my passport lol.... typical. Oh well maybe other people who filed around August 2020 will finally be seeing updates on their cases now.