NotAFish

File AR-11 when you move.
Then file N-400 with new address.

You should be pretty much good.
 
Here's what I did (8+ years outside the USA) which encountered no resistance:
 
Wrote a cover sheet:
 
NVC Case Number: XXX
NAME
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: XXX
Form I-864
Part 4, Question 5: Country of Domicile

I, XXX, am currently residing in XXX with my spouse, XXX. Below you will find a list of attached documents to show that my principal residence is in the US and the steps that I have taken to return to the US with my family.

Steps I have taken to maintain US Domicile:
• Maintained my Mastercard credit card registered in the US
• Maintained my bank account at XXX
• Renewed my STATE driver’s license
• Maintained my US home ownership
• Maintained my PROFESSIONAL license

Supporting Documents for the above steps I have taken:
• CREDIT CARD credit card statement showing US billing address
• BANK statement showing permanent US address
• STATE driver’s license showing permanent US address
• 1098 Form showing ownership of our house in STATE
• Web retrieval of proof of current STATE PROFESSIONAL license

I declare that I intend in good faith to re-establish my domicile in the United States no later than the date of spouse's admission into the US.
I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the statements in this letter and all accompanying evidence are true and correct.
Signature:
Date: XX
 
I then uploaded all supporting documents.
 
Good luck!

You should be pretty much good.
 
Here's what I did (8+ years outside the USA) which encountered no resistance:
 
Wrote a cover sheet:
 
NVC Case Number: XXX
NAME
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: XXX
Form I-864
Part 4, Question 5: Country of Domicile

I, XXX, am currently residing in XXX with my spouse, XXX. Below you will find a list of attached documents to show that my principal residence is in the US and the steps that I have taken to return to the US with my family.

Steps I have taken to maintain US Domicile:
• Maintained my Mastercard credit card registered in the US
• Maintained my bank account at XXX
• Renewed my STATE driver’s license
• Maintained my US home ownership
• Maintained my PROFESSIONAL license

Supporting Documents for the above steps I have taken:
• CREDIT CARD credit card statement showing US billing address
• BANK statement showing permanent US address
• STATE driver’s license showing permanent US address
• 1098 Form showing ownership of our house in STATE
• Web retrieval of proof of current STATE PROFESSIONAL license

I declare that I intend in good faith to re-establish my domicile in the United States no later than the date of spouse's admission into the US.
I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the statements in this letter and all accompanying evidence are true and correct.
Signature:
Date: XX
 
I then uploaded all supporting documents.
 
Good luck!

You should be pretty much good.
 
Here's what I did (8+ years outside the USA) which encountered no resistance:
 
Wrote a cover sheet:
 
NVC Case Number: XXX
NAME
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: XXX
Form I-864
Part 4, Question 5: Country of Domicile

I, XXX, am currently residing in XXX with my spouse, XXX. Below you will find a list of attached documents to show that my principal residence is in the US and the steps that I have taken to return to the US with my family.

Steps I have taken to maintain US Domicile:
• Maintained my Mastercard credit card registered in the US
• Maintained my bank account at XXX
• Renewed my STATE driver’s license
• Maintained my US home ownership
• Maintained my PROFESSIONAL license

Supporting Documents for the above steps I have taken:
• CREDIT CARD credit card statement showing US billing address
• BANK statement showing permanent US address
• STATE driver’s license showing permanent US address
• 1098 Form showing ownership of our house in STATE
• Web retrieval of proof of current STATE PROFESSIONAL license

I declare that I intend in good faith to re-establish my domicile in the United States no later than the date of spouse's admission into the US.
I certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the statements in this letter and all accompanying evidence are true and correct.
Signature:
Date: XX
 
I then uploaded all supporting documents.
 
Good luck!

Went to the interview today and passed.  The majority of people we saw did not pass, though the one person my wife saw there who she had met at the health check did get her visa.  I was the only obvious foreigner.
 
For people who are wondering about the process, here's a bit of a breakdown:
1. Initially wait outside across the street with the other applicants.
2. At 7:20 AM everyone crosses the street like a herd of ducks - likely best not to quack at this point, but you might be tempted.
3. Stand in  line until 7:30, be prepared to give a guard who checks the line while you wait your passport(s) and the invitation letter.
4. At 7:30 applicants and petitioners are let in about 7 at a time to go through the security (give up your electronics then).
5. Stop at a little desk where they check a couple of documents again (don't remember which, I think it is the passport and invitation letter).
6. You do NOT go to the regular area if you've been to the Consulate before, instead you'll be directed to a different area with about 20 windows like bank teller windows, though more separated.
7. Go to a front window and get a number (quick document check).
8. Wait.
9. Get called up to one of the other windows (both audible and an LED sign telling what number and what window), at this point give the clerk the original documents for the applicant - passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, police check, divorce docs (if applicable) and answer a couple of questions (such as if the applicant has lived outside of Vietnam for over 6 months).
10. Wait.
11. Number gets called again, go to a different window they indicate and perform the interview.
12. You will find out clearly at the end of the interview whether the visa has been granted.
 
The process took us about 4 hours in total.  Perhaps 10 - 15 minutes or so for the actual interview.
 
I was asked the majority of the questions, such as when/how we met, whether we lived together, whether we had any children in common or separately, and other small details easily answered - nothing you would have to memorize.  It was generally conversational.
 
The only document that was requested was our lease when I stated I was on it.  They didn't ask to see photos or anything,  My wife is convinced that they had essentially made the determination before we even arrived based on the documentation we sent in because she saw a pink form already filled out when we arrived at the window instead of a blue one.
 
They asked a few questions of my wife such as:
1. Did any of my family come to our wedding (who).
2. Had we gone on any trips (answer was yes and my wife listed them out, but no documentation was asked for).
3. Where did we go on our honeymoon.
4. Did we get married in Vietnam.
5. If I had any brothers or sisters - had she met any of them.
 
For these questions I was specifically told that my wife had to answer (perhaps because I had been doing all the talking up to then), but it was stated in a nice way.  The gentleman doing the interview checked her answer against a sheet each time she answered.
 
All questions asked of my wife were in Vietnamese, at the beginning I was asked if my wife spoke English and I said she spoke a bit but that it was best to use Vietnamese.  I got the impression that English was in no way a determining factor in their decision, but I cannot say for certain.  The ability to communicate with the spouse would be heavily weighted, of course, but since we speak Vietnamese in the home it appeared that her English ability was not an issue.  My wife did not use English at all in the process.
 
All in all, if you are preparing for your interview the best advice I can give is to not worry.  As long as you know your spouse and your spouse knows you in a natural way considering your situation you'll be fine.  Have your documents in order and make sure you do your due diligence throughout the entire application process.
 
Good luck!

Congrats buddy!  Glad everyone so far has passed.

Went to the interview today and passed.  The majority of people we saw did not pass, though the one person my wife saw there who she had met at the health check did get her visa.  I was the only obvious foreigner.
 
For people who are wondering about the process, here's a bit of a breakdown:
1. Initially wait outside across the street with the other applicants.
2. At 7:20 AM everyone crosses the street like a herd of ducks - likely best not to quack at this point, but you might be tempted.
3. Stand in  line until 7:30, be prepared to give a guard who checks the line while you wait your passport(s) and the invitation letter.
4. At 7:30 applicants and petitioners are let in about 7 at a time to go through the security (give up your electronics then).
5. Stop at a little desk where they check a couple of documents again (don't remember which, I think it is the passport and invitation letter).
6. You do NOT go to the regular area if you've been to the Consulate before, instead you'll be directed to a different area with about 20 windows like bank teller windows, though more separated.
7. Go to a front window and get a number (quick document check).
8. Wait.
9. Get called up to one of the other windows (both audible and an LED sign telling what number and what window), at this point give the clerk the original documents for the applicant - passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, police check, divorce docs (if applicable) and answer a couple of questions (such as if the applicant has lived outside of Vietnam for over 6 months).
10. Wait.
11. Number gets called again, go to a different window they indicate and perform the interview.
12. You will find out clearly at the end of the interview whether the visa has been granted.
 
The process took us about 4 hours in total.  Perhaps 10 - 15 minutes or so for the actual interview.
 
I was asked the majority of the questions, such as when/how we met, whether we lived together, whether we had any children in common or separately, and other small details easily answered - nothing you would have to memorize.  It was generally conversational.
 
The only document that was requested was our lease when I stated I was on it.  They didn't ask to see photos or anything,  My wife is convinced that they had essentially made the determination before we even arrived based on the documentation we sent in because she saw a pink form already filled out when we arrived at the window instead of a blue one.
 
They asked a few questions of my wife such as:
1. Did any of my family come to our wedding (who).
2. Had we gone on any trips (answer was yes and my wife listed them out, but no documentation was asked for).
3. Where did we go on our honeymoon.
4. Did we get married in Vietnam.
5. If I had any brothers or sisters - had she met any of them.
 
For these questions I was specifically told that my wife had to answer (perhaps because I had been doing all the talking up to then), but it was stated in a nice way.  The gentleman doing the interview checked her answer against a sheet each time she answered.
 
All questions asked of my wife were in Vietnamese, at the beginning I was asked if my wife spoke English and I said she spoke a bit but that it was best to use Vietnamese.  I got the impression that English was in no way a determining factor in their decision, but I cannot say for certain.  The ability to communicate with the spouse would be heavily weighted, of course, but since we speak Vietnamese in the home it appeared that her English ability was not an issue.  My wife did not use English at all in the process.
 
All in all, if you are preparing for your interview the best advice I can give is to not worry.  As long as you know your spouse and your spouse knows you in a natural way considering your situation you'll be fine.  Have your documents in order and make sure you do your due diligence throughout the entire application process.
 
Good luck!

Outstanding!  Glad it went exactly as planned.

My wife had her interview yesterday and she passed! 
 
From what I've read, everything seemed pretty standard. Appointment was scheduled for 7:30. She was in line at 6:45 and out by 9. 
 
Questions:
Does your husband speak Vietnamese?
First time we met?
Where do we talk?
How many times have we met?
Did my family come to our wedding?
 
She said they didn't really look through what she brought and prepared, just at photos of my last visit. My wife said that I was right and she was worried for no reason. She didn't do medical before hand because she was worried that she wouldn't pass and didn't want to do medical twice, so she will do that this week and fly over probably between Dec 11-14. 
 
Next question would be, are there any hurdles for booking flights, are we limited to certain airlines at this time? I see many flights on united, delta, etc, but just want to make sure they go through. If its operating, I'll probably book the Eva air Sgn-taiwan-chicago and drive the 4 hours to pick her up. 

Good luck next week Justin and Seth! I know it will be a non-event for both of you.

Congrats! My spouse had her interview on Monday 11/9/2020.  She passed as well.
 
Her appointment time was at 7:30 AM.  She arrived at 7:00 AM and no one was queuing.  It seemed everyone was chilling by nearby cafe that had stool seats outside.  At 7:20 AM, people were allowed to queue at the consulate.  She ended up behind 50 people since she went to another cafe for quick breakfast.  But it didn't seem to matter since people were being called up to windows seemingly randomly. 
 
First she had to get a "pre-interview" with one of the Vietnamese speaking staff, who checked if she had some of her original documents that she was required to bring like household registration, passport, police certificate, birth certificates, etc.
 
She said that there were several people who looked sad after leaving the windows, and she saw some folks get blue slips.
 
My wife brought a bunch of documents including copies of chat logs, photos of us together and at our wedding, emails, credit card and bank statements and receipts showing transactions of me paying for flights and hotels, affidavits, my W-2s, pay stubs, employer letter, tax transcripts, etc.  The interviewer didn't look at most of these documents.
 
When she was called up, the interviewer asked my spouse if she was comfortable speaking in English, and my wife confirmed that she was.  There was a Vietnamese translator but she just sat off to the side since my wife didn't need translating. She was asked the following questions:
 
1) Did she have kids
2) Was she married previously
3) What was her job
4) Where did I propose
5) How did we meet
6) Asked to see wedding photos
7) Asked if she ever applied for US visa before
 
My wife also read that some people who originally submitted I-864EZ during the NVC stage were asked to fill out and submit an I-864 instead.  So we did that on Friday, three days before her interview, submitted the form on NVC CEAC website and printed a hard copy.  My wife informed the interviewer that we uploaded it to NVC, but the interviewer and another staff member could not locate the file.  Nonetheless the interviewer was satisfied that we brought a hard copy of the I-864, and said they would scan and upload it at the consulate. 
 
He took my wife's passport, police record, I-864, and my birth certificate and said that they were granting her a visa.  She didn't get any document in return but has been tracking her visa online.  It was officially issued on Tuesday, and estimated delivery is Sunday night, so we assume she will get it on Monday.
 
Overall, my wife's experience was pleasant except for the queuing part.  She said the interviewer was professional and nice.

Interview was Monday, passports shipped to us Wednesday.  We weren't home Thursday so we got them today (Friday).  Pretty quick turnaround.

Just got home from our interview.  We passed.
 
There were about 80 applicants in the morning group today. I was the only US citizen attending the interview with their spouse, which wasn't surprising since the border has been closed to foriegners since March 22 due to COVID.
 
The interviewer swore me in along with my wife and her daughter since I was there.  Actually I answered most of the questions.  The guy interviewing me grew up about 30 miles away from where I live in the US so that didn't hurt I'm sure.
 
Questions were:
 
How and when did we meet?
Does daughter have contact with biological father?
Do I live in Vietnam with my wife?
What was your last argument about?
 
That was pretty much it.  No questions for 14 year old daughter.  He flipped through photos and said we were approved.  Didn't look at tax transcripts or even a copy of 2019 taxes since I can't get a transcript for last year.  Apparently someone tried to file for a refund on my SSN so when I filed my taxes online they said they couldn't accept an e-file due to the fraudulent filing and I had to file a paper copy.
 
My only concern at all going into the interview is that we didn't have a letter from the bio dad saying it's OK to take the daughter out of the country.  He's not on the birth certificate and they have had no contact or support since less than one year old.  He didn't even comment on that so I'm assuming it's a non-issue.
 
It was as anti-climactic as I figured it would be since I live here with them.  We are moving to US mid-March.  Kind of sucks since our 2 year anniversary is April 28 and our medical expires April 19 so we will have to adjust status after two years but whatever.  Just glad it's done.

I wrote / means you need to bring either i-134 or i-864 based on your application. You have a spousal visa interview, so you will need to bring i-864.

Hcm consulate will not proceed your interview without original i-134/i-864 and supported docs.

We got our DQ on the 28th of July.  We have been notified that we are scheduled for the 19th of November.

Just wanted to give an update on my wife’s interview. It went smoother than what I predicted. She saw pink sheet with her name on it before interview but officer asked us to upload I-864, 2019 tax, and W-2. They dont accept I-864EZ but NVC wasnt concerned at the time. Anyway we did what officer asked and got appoved.
 
Good Luck everyone.
 

It may or may not help to know, but my wife and I got DQed with just uploading the 1040/etc.  No tax transcripts.  I can't get the tax transcripts since I live in Vietnam and don't have a US cell phone number.  We haven't been scheduled for an interview yet, though.

Do you qualify to file as Head of Household? This is your only other option if you don't want to file married filing separately or jointly. 

Do not file as single if you are married.
 
Kinda a red flag if they weren't even aware of this. It's right in the 1040 instructions for filing status, not hidden anywhere.

Intentionally filing a false tax return can be seen as perjury......File as married...
 

File Married - Filing Separately.   You are not single. Do not commit perjury on your tax form.   Surprised that you accountant would even entertain this.

If you were married in 2019 you file married. 

Self employed income is shown on the tax return not through w2 generally. You can count the income and explain how it will continue (self employed online only business.)
Sponsors income also must continue. 

According to instructions and logic, Sponsor's income does not have to "continue" to count. However for Applicant it specifically says it does have to.
 
That sounds good. Just provide explanation and some evidence of what you do. Adding invoices plus bank statement showing account being credited with international payments from foreign clients should do the trick for ya.