Lace

You could put in a description on the back of the photo itself. The how you meet in person is also fine. I would suggest to keep the how you meet in person short and to the point. Put the description on the back of the engagement photos. Make sure you note ENGAGEMENT on the back of the photo so there is no misunderstanding.

Also, reguarding if it's an engagement or wedding. What really counts is if it's an "offical" wedding. A ceromony wedding should be fine from what I've heard as long as you tell them it's a ceromonial traditional wedding instead of an official wedding. We can't just take them away without doing something for her parents in order to save face. The consulate understands these things.

I opt for just putting enough info to meet USCIS's requirement. I try not to add anymore as it may prolong the approval. Save most of the proof for the interview.

Just my advice but others may disagree with me. Leave them out. USCIS only needs to verify you are a US Citizen and have meet in the past 2 years. Adding something like a traditional ceromony in which they do not understand may get you a RFE or other questions. Instead, save them for the interview as the Consulate will be familar with it.

I had to face the same situation as well. If you look at my timeline my ceromonial engagement was roughly 2 weeks after filling my petition. I was debating if I should of waited untill after the ceromony but decided to save them during the interview process. That way the CO would ask more question as they will most like ask about your engagement when your fiance present it to them.

Others may say from advise from my friends. Put a note that it's a traditional Vietnameese engagement and that the Consulate will understand. That way, the CO will already know you had your engagement. So I can see the plus on both sides but personally I decided not to include them and save them for the interview. Good luck and I wish you a speedy process.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong here. I believe you only need the 2006 tax transcript. Some of us go with the "better to be over prepared than under prepare" approach. For example, myself. This is what I'll be sending. Will they need all of this? Nope. Why do I do it? To be over prepared and just in case and so on. This will also show them I have a steady income.

What I'm sending:

IRS Tax Transcript For The Past 3 Years

Tax Returns For The Past 7 Years

W2 For The Past 7 Years

That's just for taxes alone. My pay stub is from August 2005 to present.

Ops... didn't realize this was in the AOS forum.

Thanks. Email send.

Also, I checked the Embassy review and it says packet 3 also contained the following...

5-DS-2053

6-DS-3024

7-DS-3025

8-DS-3026

I'm not able to find those forms. Can I assume the medical fills them out and hands them to your fiance to take to the interview with her in a seal envolope? And how did you send it to the Embassy? I was thinking of emailing my fiance and have her send it to them via a trackable mail. Once the embassy receives it to give them a call and schudle an appointment. On April 8th I was not able to get ahold of anyone at the embassy so I sent them an email. April 8th our time, Monday April 9th in Cambodia. Haven't received a reply back from them yet so this is a timesavor. Thanks again.

Congrats!!!!

Congrats

I don't think you can notarize a tax return. It's proberly a typo and they meant "certified", meaning from the IRS. If you did your tax online (I'm not one of them) you can print it out. That's a certified copy. Or you can get it from the IRS themselves which I did.

http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq1-6.html

Best way is go give them a call at (800) 829-1040. It's free and I was off the phone in less than 10 minutes.

It's not the ultimate factor but should make a good impression on the CO. This is considered making that extra trip AFTER the filling of the petition and should hold some weight. Anything that could be intreperated as having a bonafied relationship. Really depends on the embassy itself. This, of course, is just my opinion.

Awesome. I'm planning on attending wheather it makes a difference or not. Getting closer to our interview date and I want my fiance to realize she's not alone anymore. If she needs me for any reason I'll be right there. What other way to show this by attending the interview with her? This is going to be our most important interview in our lives so of course I'll be there by her side.

Just make it easier on yourself and give them more than enough information. I'm turning the following info:

-Past 3 Years IRS Tax Transcrips

-Past 7 Years W2

-Past 7 Years Tax Returns Form 1040

-Paystub from 08/18/2005 To Present

-Almost letter from employer (check out worknumber.com)

-Bank Statement including deposit and withdrawal from January 2006 to present.

They can check my kitchen sink including the dish washer if they want.

Congrats

I know there's more petitioner attending the interview than this. Right?

Cool thanks. I am going the K1 route. That was more out of curiousity and for the viewers that may be reading this. Thought that was a good question in case others may want to try that route. Basically, they will need to follow the guides here:

http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/getting_marr...n_cambodia.html

Although you may just go to the village commune since you're born in Cambodia the US Governement will not accept that stamp since our governement does not reconize dual citizenship. It must come from the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation.

Congrats.

Generally, if you are a native you don't need to goto the governor's office to get approval. All you need to go is the village commune. However, because I'm a citizen from the US, I had to get the governor's office stamp.

Just curious. What if you're both? Meaning I was born in Cambodia and emigrated to the US. I'm now a US Citizen and my passport shows I was born in Cambodia? Would I need to get the governor's office stamp or just the village commune? Would I be considered a native or US Citizen or both? I have the multi entry permanent visa on my US Passport also.

They were concerned about my living situation because of someone I had never met, who lived there prior to me, but had come up on a background check. They even showed me her photo and asked if I'd seen her before. Nope, never. All this time we've waited and worried about why we got blue-slipped, and it was because of something completely out of my control or knowledge.

Now this concerns me. Background check as in this person had a previous criminal record or visa fraud? That could happen to anybody and to give someone a blue slip on that hunch? That's outrages. Heck, it could happen to me. Who knows who's been here previously.

Thanks for the reply Jackson81. My fiance will be doing her interview in English. She speaks it pretty well so that isn't a problem.

Reguarding the translation of documents. I was under the impression and from what I've heard you can get your documents translated at pyramid.

http://www.pyramid-e.com/about_en.htm

Our Customers

Embassies: PYRAMID was the first translation agency to be accredited by the Consulate of the French Embassy

in Cambodia. We also provide certified translations of documents for other embassies such as the Singapore,

American, Canadian, and Australian Embassies, as well as the Belgium Consulate.

My fiance once told me this is where everyone gets their documents translated for the embassy interview. I think it makes sense now. Get the translation done at pyramid as she will have her orginal documents in front of her and thus, the embassy will accept them. However, once she arrives in the US, we may not accept a service translated by a forgein company instead of an official branch. Have you heard of anyone using the services at pyramid? She's going to ask them to sign the statement:

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

Alittle late but congratuations!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can add me on the list than. Cambodian here.

Thanks for the offer Jackson81. I know I'll be hitting you on your offer as the interview date draws near.

I'll ask the first question than. Simple questions first.

1) I'm planning on attending the interview with my fiance. Do they allow the USC to sit in on the interview or do I have to wait in a waiting room and make myself available to answer any questions? My fiance is already nervous but I assured her to answer truthfully and everything will be OK. As that is all I'm asking of her, nothing but honesty and to answer directly at the consulate officer.

2) Have you heard of anything new from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh? Such as any reviews from anyone that went through the K1 or K3 Interview yet? What are their impression of the consulate and personel?

3) This is more of an advice than anything else. Her father agreeded to work on our guest list for our engagement. We had over 300 people that he will list their names, numbers, and addresses. That's not inculding vendors, waiters, muscians, and such (just which company he hired). Should these be translated also? I know for official documents such as birth certificate, police records, and such it needs to be translated but should I also have the guest list translated? Getting the translation from Khmer to English on names and Address could be quite difficult as you can imagine.

I'm sure I'll have lots more questions later on that will help others like myself in the process. Again, thank you for your time in helping with the community.

Congrats. And easy on the name calling. I know it's harder said than done. I call my fiance err... Let's leave it at that.

Good luck. We're be rooting for you.

Congrats!!!!!

Congrats

Why?

I believe this has more to do with the embassy itself. Certain embassy will ask for things such as your ex-wife's SSN, Address, and so on. There's a few report on Candleforlove forum. Whereas the embassy in France or Canada won't be asking for it. Not sure about Panama thou. Not sure about HCM either.

Check my updated signature. *hint* *hint*

I think both our petition got sent out on the same batch. I plan on attending the interview witih my fiance. Can't put all the burden on her.