David-Hien

CONGRATULATION !!!!!!

Some things to know about the medical process for those who havent been through it yet. Show up at the vaccination place at around 6:45am if you want to get out of there by 9. We got there at 7:10am and it was PACKED, we waited until 10:10am before we finally left. Next, we went to IOM, they said, go to Cho Ray, we're full until the 6th. We went to Cho Ray, it was pretty nice there, nice chairs, not too many people. We got there at 11am, gave them our papers and things (by they way, you need to bring a 4x6 copy of a picture, like your passport, not a 5x5. They never told us about that, not even in the instruction letter.) If you forget the picture, no worry, you can bring it the next day to pick it up. The place closed around 11:30am and re-opened at 1pm. We were seen at around 2pm and got out of there at 3pm. They do take American money at Cho Ray, that's how we payed. They told us to come back the next day at 2pm to pick up the results. When you plan on getting your medical, get there early. They stopped accepting applicants at around 1:30pm, so if you're late, you have to come back the next day. Cho Ray is pretty close to the vaccination place, also. Only 15,000 for a taxi. Hope that helps someone.

I think that you mixed up between the IOM and ChoRay Hospital, the taxi from the Vaccination place to ChoRay Hospital must be more than 50,000d. I'm living in HCMC, I knew very clearly. It's near between IOM and Vaccination place than IOM and ChoRay Hospital.

Hien

I'm starting to understand what this must feel like for you guys. Best of luck for you!

Today is your Interview date.

Best wishes to you.

Hien

I have attached the front page of my transcript. It could have come from any printer, no seal and no cover letter. If your tax transcript looks different, I should get ot resent. ( If it looks the same let me know too..... just call me worried ! ) Thanks

I used to tell to my fiance about this form (IRS-1722) but he didn't believe me, he said this is the old form and it cannot show clearly his income, so he wanted to use the form IRS-1040 and W2. I tried to persuade him to get IRS-1722, finally he required it for me but he didn't send to me yet. Now. he will have to send to me urgently in this week. I will bring to the interview both forms of tax transcription. I don't know what is the most reasonable one, I just want to pass this period smoothly, just supply what documents they want.

So, sometime the unreasonable thing is required ????

Hien

Bui Vien,Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham is where most of foreigner stay there when they come to VN,but i give you a notice these area isnt good to stay,im working there and i knew exactly bout this,you can find some good restaurant there to eat and a good food and cheap this is true but careful when you around these area or lots of surprise stuff will come to meet you,some info i think i can give you guys before you decide to stay in these area

JD

There are so many places for you to stay, what JD said is correct. You can ask your wife to check where you want to stay first. On the adjacent of New World Hotel gate (Cach Mang Thang Tam St.), you can see some small hotels, it's in low price too, you can check with them. That area is near the Center (Benthanh Market), you can walk to the BenThanh market and to Pham Ngu Lao area to eat if you like.

My fiance will stay in my home (near the airport), it's the most convenient. We can cook and do anything in the normal life. You cannot do that in the hotel.

Hien

Dear Kimi,

The requirement and instruction were in Packet 4, Kevin used to upload for your reference, I don't know if you read it yet.

They said about the form W2 in the instruction.

Hien

hanh wants to get me a ring in vietnam i know the size she told me to get her was to big .if i am size 9 does any one know what size that is in vietnam ring sizes??? thanks

You may not need to wonder about the ring size. You should ask her to buy a cheap ring (a silver ring) which is fit to her finger, then send to you by post. This kind of ring is very cheap, it's around 1-2 USD. The post office will allow her to send if she said it's just for sample to make the marriage ring. When you can get this sample ring, you can bring it to the shop to ask them to do the same size as the sample ring.

I used to do like that.

Hien

I was curious about the same thing. I know the vaccination place is pretty far away from district one, and cho ray is also far away from both the vaccination place and district one...They seem to both have the same hours, but you'd think that they would hold the vaccinations in or near the hospitals used for the medical exams, taxi fares are killer.

HCMC is a large city, you cannot hope the offices and hospital are closed. You can go by bus if you want to save money, or to rent a motobike to go.

Hien

Cant i?but we dont know if they send it yet

You should come to Consulate to check for packet 4, and to say to them about the address issue to see how they say.

Hien

Many blood tests do not have a requirement of no food. Where do you find the requirement regarding eating and drinking before the testing ? Do they specify how long in hours ?

Dear Andrew,

As Tony said, the blood test for AIDS may need no food. The food can make the test result become not exactly. When I come to the Pasteur Institute for blood test in the past, they usually reminded me to have no food in that morning. No one reminded us or no word in the instruction said about this matter, but we should pay attention.

Hien

Hi Hien,

I just checked with my fiance and she did not fast before the blood test because they only tested her for AIDS and VD (Venereal Diseases). You should double check with them before going in just to make sure. However she overheard them asking the examiner if she had any food before the blood test. And in her case, she did have breakfast but no coffee before her medical exam.

I guess it is customary for one to fast before any blood test, especially no coffee. Usually I had to fast for 12 hours with no food nor water before the blood test.

Tony

Thank you so much for your reply, Tony.

I double check with them, they said the best way is no breakfast in that morning and only drink water. I used to have blood test, so I guessed it will be like that.

Thanks again.

Hien

My fiance said the IOM's personnel were very nice, good services, and professional. The only thing is that she had to pay them $60 in US dollars. The address for it is:

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

1B Pham Ngoc Thach St.

District 1, HCMC

Tel: 822-2058; 822-2057; 822-2061; 822-7511

Dear Tony,

Please help me to check with your fiance if she didn't have the breakfast to come to IOM early morning for medical check??

If I'm not wrong, they will give us the blood test, and the requirement for the blood test is no food before the test, only can drink water.

About the fee, we have to pay $75 (the instruction said so).

I came there but I have to register for the date before the medical check. So, I must wait one week later. It's lucky as I still have enough time.

Hien.

Thank you, Tony.

This is a great experience, I can have at least a general picture about the Interview.

Hien

How about putting NA or Not Applicable? if it does not accept /'s.

The link on their website take the info we entered and generate a barcode to be printed out along with form DS-156 and does not send that data anywhere else. So as Ridejewel said, you can redo it any time. It the encoded barcode is what they want for machine-readable purpose.

Thank you, Tony, I recognize now.

RideJewel,

The Instruction in Packet 4 said clearly about "N/A", I re-checked. I can send to you the packet 4 if you give me the email address, it's rather big size, I cannot upload to forum.

Also, they sent the form DS-156, DS-156K, DS-230 to me, I can make photocopy to fulfill on it for draft first to check. Then, I have to make on computer to print out.

Hien.

We wish and pray for both of you, Kimi.

Hien

It was "first come first served" basis at the interview. I will prepare a detailed report for you all. She was in there from 8:24am till 11:40am mostly to hurry up and wait. The interview took about 5 minutes and it appears to be pre-determined. She got the pink slip and was told to come back for the visa at 4:00pm today (the same day) her time. Thanks God for his blessing on us and thanks to you all for your wonderful help and support throughout this process. We feel like we just won the lottery. Yeee.........................................................ees !!!!

May God bless you all, too...

Tony

CONGRATULATION !! Tony.

I dont know about not leaving any fields blank. I know that once I was done with filling out the I-156 and I hit COMPLETE, it told me that I couldnt use /'s and it also said not to put none or N/A in the other surnames or nickname box unless there actual name was None or N/A. As far as they issuance place, it said just state the city, not the province or country. Ngan's was issued in Da Nang, province Da Nang, country Vietnam, we just put Da Nang only.

It allowed me to put N/A in some fields, but didn't allow in others, for the others I just put NONE. I didn't see any message that says to not put N/A or None.

We still have more than 2 weeks, we cannot withdraw the form if it's sent out, therefore you should check everything before you send. I still didn't fulfill the form DS-156 yet.

Hien

So if you interview is at say 9am...and you get there at 8am. Do you still have to wait in line to get in for your interview? It sounds like a first come first serve basis. Correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, you are correct, Lurker: first come first serve. My time is 8:00AM. So, I have to come there at 6:00 to 6:30AM.

Then what is the point in Appointment times if "First come first serve"???

I guess that the Appointment time is the time we have to be present inside the Consulate. That's why I said I have to go early to queue and to come inside on time.

Hien

She is waiting at the Consulate now and I'm sure that she is very nervous.

Best wishes to you.

So if you interview is at say 9am...and you get there at 8am. Do you still have to wait in line to get in for your interview? It sounds like a first come first serve basis. Correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, you are correct, Lurker: first come first serve. My time is 8:00AM. So, I have to come there at 6:00 to 6:30AM.

You can have the link for these three forms at the Consulate website:

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/required_documents2.html

They also list what documents we should prepare for the interview.

About the forms I received, let me time to check again what I have and I will post to this forum tonight when I go home.

Your fiance, who stayed far from HCMC, should come to HCMC at least before one week, to take the vaccination and medical exam. She will need to take a rest 2 days before the medical exam.

Hien

What was the process for others who have been through it, as far as the medical and vaccinations went? I know it usually takes about 2 days to get everything done, but did you go get the vaccinations in the morning, then went to the hospital directly after to have the medical done? We've planned a trip on the 4th of feb until the 7th of feb for her medical, she's very healthy, so we're not planning any real delays. What vaccinations did your fiancee end up needing? What was the price? Thanks.

Your woman must go to that Center very soon, before 7:30AM to have the soonest vaccination, otherwise, she will have to wait too late. They stop receiving documents from 9AM when I took the vacination. I paid 175,000d.

I don't think she can have medical exam right after the vaccination. It's very tired for her. She need to take a rest at least 2 days after the vaccination.

Hien

I got the vacination today, it's crowded at that place. It took me a half day to wait for only 2 shots for vacination. I feel tired now. I think that I will go to the Medical Exam in the next 2-3 days. I got packet 4 with my appointment letter and one appointment letter of the next person who has interview time after me.

I came back to the Consulate to return it them and to inform them that they missed that one in my packet. I has seen a long row of people who queued for their interview. They came really early, it's around 1 PM but I saw more than 50 persons in line to come to the US Consulate already. It means we have to come to the Consulate at least 1 hour before the interview time.

I don't have the form DS-230 part 2 in packet 4. But I forgot to ask them. The best way is to make it ready for in case they may ask for.

Now is the time for packet 4's preparation. There is one couple with the woman who has the same interview date with me. I way see her at the Consulate in the Interview day.

Wish and pray for all of us.

Hien

Congratulation, My Le.

This is a very good news for you in the season of Lunar New Year. You can stay together happily in this Lunar New Year.

Hien

I gotta chime-in on this one:

I made the big mistake of putting our documents inside plastic sleeves then I put them into a 3 ring binder (30 pages of plastic sleeves).

My wife went to the window and the CO said politely, "Can you please take all those documents out of the plastic sleeves and we'll call you back up to the window in a little while...."

If I had to do it all over again I would use a large "alligator clip" that holds at least 20 to 30 pages together. Live and Learn....

Patricks,

Please tell me that you put many pages in one plastic sleeves or only one page??

Oh, it will be problem for me too, I arranged each page of paper in one plastic sleeve. The evidences such as phone bills, envelops, ...and the original documents cannot be made a hole to keep in the binders.

How can we keep it separately and in order to see easily?? Anyone had experiences, pls help..

Hien