toddandhien

You have to get Ly Lich Tu Phap in the province where you are listed in Ho Khau. And yes, bring ID and original Ho Khau book.

Ronnie, you may be a touch early to get police certificates. Looks like you are just starting the process.

Thank you all very much I tracked my passport today - should be here tomorrow! If everything falls into place, I'll be on my way in a few weeks. I'll see how it goes there, but I may just stay for a while.

good luck and enjoy VN

How have you been communicating with her for the past 4 years? Do you have any of those records? Good luck getting the VN government to help you with 3-4 year old records of your entries and exits.

They claim in the instruction package that they are looking for the tax transcripts for the most recent tax year. However, I have heard that they would like to see the last 3 years. You could go in with one but be prepared for a possible blue slip if you are close to the threshold. Ho Chi Minh consulate is very stringent.

Hi to all, I was wondering how long it has taken people to get police report in Vietnam. My wife submitted request Feb. 23. They told her last week to come back this week. She went back today and they told her to come back next week. I asked her if they are waiting for bribe and she said not for this. Anybody that deals with Vn. system knows what I mean. I am just wondering what others have experienced as far as time to get it. I read a response on another post about Vn. mail system. My wife sent me Christmas cards the first week of December and I recieved them the first week of Feb. Her Ba sent his 5 days after her and I got them Christmas week. I sent her a Valentines present Feb. 3 using 7-10 day express mail. HCMC recieved it on the 13th, it got to Bien Hoa (45 minutes away) on the 16th, and they told her on the 23rd she could pick it up. I told her to go and complain but she didn't want to because she was afraid post office would mess with mail delivery to her family. Unbelievable!!! I can't wait to get her out of that place, if only we could get the police report!! Everyone take care and good luck on your journey!!!

Which province is she requesting Ly Lich Tu Phap from? Hien lives in Vinh Long province. When she applied, they told her to come back in 10 days to get it. 10 calendar days later, she went and it was waiting. no stress, no VND payment, nothing. I told her to be prepared because of what I had read here but she was treated well...even had the Cong An help her with something on the form that she did not understand.

BUT, we all know that this can be the exception. I am not a fan of the VN mail system in the least. The guy who runs the "post office" in Hien's little village is a nice guy...it's the folks upstream that cause all the delays/problems.

Complaining in VN is pointless. I have given up saying it because it never does any good (can do harm) and Hien simply won't do it. They have culturally been trained not to complain.

Hello.

I've been following this thread before we received our NOA 2 and just reading the day/weeks/month the case get stuck at NVC, it makes me anxious with the question "what if our case get stuck too at nvc?".

Now my worry turn to reality because we have been at nvc for more than 2 weeks now and I don't know when it gets out there

Did you guys call and find out if you are in AP? Im sorry youre hung up there, hopefully you will be out soon

My fiance was told they make additional processing in our case. I just hope we get out soon of this nvc black hole.

Sorry to hear you are stuck in AP. I know that it it not a good feeling but come here often for support from others who are also stuck at NVC (or were stuck before). I found that if you plan to be stuck for 7 weeks and you get out sooner, it will be a welcome surprise But if you worry and wonder every day, it will make the time go very slooooowwwwly

Good luck on a speedy release

no, she's never been married before, she has her CENOMAR statement. We didn't fill in those boxes because there was nothing to put in them. Is it okay to write in on the form after it has been printed out?

If they require the DS-156 be done on-line and printed out (many embassies do, some don't) you cannot add information in any of the boxes after printing it out. Go back on-line and do a new one. The form is not submitted to the embassy on-line so don't worry about that. But, absolutely get the form right before she goes for the interview.

About what to put in the boxes. If none, put NONE.

ok, i have just chyecked his divorce decree..and it's her married name that apppears on that doc. and on the forms (i-129..) they ask the maiden name..

If they ask for the maiden name, then it's the maiden name. Which means the name she had, say, when she was born. Her family name. Or whatever you want to call it.

G-325A asks for maiden name. so, clearly, use the maiden name there. The I-129F just says prior spouse. For the sake of consistency, I used the same on mine. Maiden name for both.

Thanks Toddandhien!

Filling out form RSI as we speak... Sadly my fiance is no where near HCMC and is currently working on a tv program till Wednesday.... so I'll see if she can fax in the form and do the waiting game again.... hopefully the mail man will get his head out of his #######.....

Sorry this happened to you. VN mail is not reliable in the least. I hope they do not make you wait 3 months for another date...

What happens when you call? Can you get any info from them at all doing that?

Just turned in our packet 3 forms yesterday (personally at the consulate). I will start e-mailing them in about 2 weeks to see if they have mailed packet 4 yet. Mail to Hien's village can be lighting quick or a con ot's pace. luck of the draw.

Good luck to both of you!!

Thank you very much for you all support!

I should have came here early... I have been panic and my lawyer didnt helpful much...

Yes, my fiance will call to NVC monday, he always press "2" for K-1 visa but I learned "5" also can talk to real person, so which is better to connect??

Ohmy! That Nvc letter is is kind of fake??? I cant believe! I was reading some Japanese blogs about k-1visa before i found VJ. They got visa quickly after NOA2 so i was sure im also similar but it didnt for me... its not fair,,, NVC should stop randam to checking,,, because we were checked background etc at uscis.

I really hope i will not wait too long. But i am okay to wait more because it must come my turn oneday,, like everybady says just be patience.

For K1 visa, always choose option 5 and speak to an operator. automated status updates are not available for K1. Good luck and yes try to be patient...your turn will come soon

My K-1 interview is getting closer and I've been looking into the forms I need to fill in.

In Croatia, the Embassy sends you your Packet 3 and Packet 4 together and it includes the forms that need to be brought to the interview. I received a DS-156, DS-156K and a DS-230 Part I. I've read online (both on the USEM website and here) that one needs to make sure they're filling and then turning in a valid form. The forms, also, must be in English (at least in some countries, there are 'help' forms, translated to various languages that help the applicants do the right thing). All of the forms have 'Previous editions obsolete' printed at the bottom of every page. However, the DS-156 I received is in Croatian and it expired on August 31st 2004 (information found in the upper right corner). DS-156K is full of stains, but othervise - usable and non expired (exp date: 09/30/2010). DS-230 Part I is also valid and a little bit stained (both have the weird 'mark' at the top of the sheet, that could be from either the printer or some sort of a paperclip). I only have one page of the latter, but the form itself says 'Page 1 of 4'. Is this enough, just the first page (I would assume that Part I means exactly this, just one page, but I guess one can never be sure).

I called the Embassy to ask about the expired/Croatian form and the lady said it didn't really matter much - according to her, I could either bring whatever they sent me, or print my own copies. I'd still like to do it the best possible way. So far I have learned that what I see on their website, or even hear from them, can never be 100% accurate. She said that the K-1 visas are not processed electronically and that I can't fill them in online the way I would do them prior to a B2 interview (I've applied for four visitor visas to the US in the past and I've always done my DS-156 online. After that, one is supposed to print it out and a bring a copy to the interview.)

The questions I have are the following:

1. Should I print out the forms that can be acquired online, at least the expired DS-156? That way I'd have a copy that's both in English and not expired. The size of the paper will differ from what they sent me (they use the American standards at the Embassy and I only have European printing paper).

I would get the new forms. Paper size should not make a difference.

2. Should I fill in the forms by hand, or on the computer? Does it even matter?

It does not matter. Computer would be better.

I also have a number of questions regarding the information I need to provide.

DS-156:

* Question #22: When do you intend to arrive in the U.S.?

On the day of my interview, I won't be able to provide an answer to this question. We plan to have me there sometime in the summer, but it could really be any date, during the validity of my K-1 visa.

After my Visa is approved and received, I will fly to the US.

* Question #26: How long do you intend to stay in the U.S.?

What does one say here? 'Forever'?

For the rest of my life.

* Question #27: What is the purpose of your trip?

Here, as well?

To get married to my fiancee.

* Question #32: Do you intend to work in the U.S.?

This one is unclear as well - yes, I do, but of course after I've been issued a permit. During my non-immigrant days (prior to the marriage and AP/AOS, of course I do not).

Yes, after I receive my work authorization.

* Question #33: Do you intend to study in the U.S.?

Again, no, that is not the purpose of my trip and I would not, before I have adjusted my status, etc. But whether or not I ever will - I do not know. Simply - I might.

I may one day in the future.

* Question #34: Names and relationships of persons traveling with you

Nobody is intending to immigrate, but I might have someone traveling with me. We plan to have my mother come to the US with me, but on the interview day, I won't know for sure. If she'll be there, it'll be a B2 trip. However, I won't know much about this a few months prior to the actual trip. If it's not my mother, it could be, basically, anyone (my fiance, perhaps, my sister..) who will decide or be able to travel with me, whenever I do.

No. I think they are talking about your child or children for a K-2 visa.

* Question #36: Has anyone ever filed an immigrant visa petition on your behalf?

No one ever has. I've only applied for B2 visas and this is my one and only K-1, ever. Considering the fact that K-1 is a nonimmigrant visa, I would assume I answer 'No' to this one.

No.

DS-156K:

* Question #4: Marital status; d) if presently married, how will you marry your U.S. citizen fiance(e)? Explain* (*NOTE - If presently married to anyone, you are not eligible for a fiance(e) visa.

What is the purpose of this option? It does not apply to me, but.. I am curious.

I don't know about this one. I would probably answer "Not Married."

One of the documents that must be attached in order to apply for a fiance(e) nonimmigrant visa is 'Evidence of Engagement to your fiance(e). What, exactly, is that? Another signed 'Intent to marry' letter? I can't think of any other evidence I could provide, that would be acceptable in form of a document. I do have a Croatian official document stating that I am single and planning to marry my fiance (both our names are listed on it) and that our marriage will be recognized by the Croatian law whenever I come here, but I assume this is not what the form wants me to provide.

Check the Guides above. http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...mp;page=k1guide

There are many things you need to get together and your fiancee needs to send you a lot of documents before the interview: pictures, e-mails, letters, original documents.

I might be overcomplicating here, but I can't help it. When I see a form I need to fill in, I go - nuts.

Thank you for your patience, as well as any and all help!

I think John has offered good advice here. I would also add that DS-230 was just updated in February and changed a fair bit. Now rev 02-2009, previous editions obsolete.

Which document is evidence of engagement to your fiance(e)? does it have a document number?

One more question I am unsure about:

DS-230 Part I

* Question #23: List below all educational institutions attended. (School and location; From/To; Course of Study; Degree or Diploma)

What all does this include? Elementary, high school, college? Private additional schools? Courses that are completed outside 'regular' school, that also give me a degree of some sort? For instance, for 17 years I attended English lessons at a private language school. I have a diploma, as well as a diploma/degree issued by the Cambridge University in the UK. Does this go on the list, too? Considering the fact there are only four lines on the actual form, and if all my education is to be listed, I won't have enough room to list them all. Do I add an additional sheet, the way we did for our I-129f and the other forms that were sent to the USCIS?

You are well-schooled; moreso than most applicants, I suspect. But yes, I would include high school, college, anything that has an actual degree or diploma associated with it at completion. Should be formal schooling. If not enough room, instructions say to attach additional sheets, but maybe you can rationalize the best 4?

Good luck

Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome! I've done a lot more airfare shopping this morning, and Todd - Thanks!! I was trying to plan my trip so I could be there for Thao's birthday in June. June is definitely not the time to go as far as airfare is concerned. I am going to try to go sometime within the next two months. I don't have to worry much about a place to stay when I get there, so spending money and travel costs are the main focus. If I travel in April or May, I came up with...

Wichita, KS to San Fransisco (NWA) - $188

SFO to SGN (China Air) - $605

I have two family members from here that will travel with me (they don't want me to go alone). When she asked how long I planned to stay I wasn't sure what would be appropriate so I said a week or two. The look I got was PRICELESS!! She said, "Well when I go I stay 2 months". I could easily stay for a month, with my current situation. Am I on track to think the longer the stay, the better it would "look"? Hell who knows, maybe I'll just open a Baja style surf shop - Boards, Beers & Burritos - and hang out a while..LOL

$605...WOW the rates continue to drop. R/T Wichita/SGN for $800. That is amazing. I am just waiting for them to give us an interview date so I can buy my next ticket. Praying that the rates do not go up in the next 3 weeks or so...

Kevin, have you ever been to SE asia or a developing country before? it is an experience, especially if you are living with a local family. And if it is your first time, I would say plan on 2 weeks max. Of course they stay 2 months because it is their culture, food, language, etc. If you love it there (I absolutely do) you can always stay longer on your next trip.

Here is 1 problem with staying there for a long time: When you are together, you will not call her, e-mail her, chat with her or send her mail. In other words, building the relationship evidence is harder because you will be communicating face to face. And if you stay with family, you will have no hotel receipts and very few restaurant receipts. Since you have not even started the journey yet, think big picture, make wise choices and plan for things that will happen in a year. You will be glad you did when you are on the eve of the interview.

Oh, and if you open a surf shop on the beach, you will staff it alone. If Thao is like most other Vietnamese women, she does not like being in the sun!

Hi all,

The consulate in Vietnam gave us the interview date today for March 26... that is in 2 days, with no notice (she never got the damn Package 4)... Is there a way to postpone the interview date to a new one?

Calling them has proved useless...

Thanks again,

Sorin....

The consulate website says this:

"How can I re-schedule an interview appointment?

If you have missed your interview appointment or you would like to re-schedule an upcoming appointment, you should send a written request to our office for a new appointment. The re-scheduled interview date will be approximately three months after we receive the written request. Your case may be terminated if you fail to pursue the application within one year of the original interview date."

And e-mailing usually is not fast enough because they do not respond for 4-5 days.

Because you only have 2 days (it will soon be 24 March there), I recommend that your fiancee go to the information window at the consulate tomorrow morning if she lives anywhere near HCMC. tell them what happened and ask for their help.

Good luck!

Yeh, I understand about the connection. JD is the one who introduced us, but It's her Aunt Thuy who will be coming here soon and everyone else I know here is related to her. I wish I lived on the coast! I'm stuck in the middle of the country though - Wichita, KS. I've been shopping airfare for a while now. This time of year is the highest I'm guessing? The cheapest flights I can find have 3 stops with lengthy lay-overs and are running around $1600. She understands we have to be patient as do I. If that is what I need to do then so be it I don't think this is the proper section to post questions, but what is your opinion about hiring an attorney to handle the paperwork in Vietnam? Is there any better result by doing so? Thanks again for the help. I'll be here a lot!!

No problem on flights. I have been there many, many times and I have gotten pretty good at finding flights. And I am flying from Boston so I am worse off than you! Right now flights are at historic lows because of the economy. Get a cheap flight from Wichita to San Francisco. should be no more than $250 R/T. Then SFO to SGN on China Airlines is $631 if you go and come on mid-week days (like Wednesday). Easily less than $1K for a ticket. I have paid up to $2500 for some of mine.

PM me if you want to talk in more detail.

About lawyers...very personal choice. Can't make it go any faster and many are incompetent. But they do have value in certain circumstances. Yours might qualify. Again PM me on this.

Kevin, welcome to VJ. You will want to be a regular visitor here over the next several months, for certain.

I can assure you that you are not the first man to petition for a much younger fiancee, myself included. I am 45 and Hien is 23. It is only one of many things that the consulate will look at. If there are many red flags in your case, this could compound the situation. But if you have a lot of credible evidence to support a genuine relationship, age will probably not be a deciding factor.

If I were you, I would be more concerned with the fact that you were introduced by a family member. That is certainly a red flag in VN. You will need to document this carefully and fully, especially since Lynn is a family member of another recently approved intending immigrant. You may also want to reconsider proposing to her on your first trip. This is not viewed favorably by the consulate in light of Vietnamese societal norms. You will want to be planning at least 3 trips to VN. Many meet on the first, propose on the second and have dinh hon/dam hoi on the third. Of course, more are better (and more fun ).

I wish you luck on your journey. Folks are here for you with all kinds of experiences. Just know that you are in for a fair amount of work with the HCM consulate.

Thanks Todd (I hope?)

I wasn't introduced by a family member, but I see where the relation may be a problem. I'm by no means a wealthy guy. I don't know if I can swing several trips there or not. I'll just see what the future brings. We will have been talking for 6 months prior to my trip there and I've saved every bit of communication between us. I'll try to be patient!!

Yes, it's Todd. I think a reasonable person would conclude that you had to have been introduced by either Lynn or Thuy. Either way, it is a family member that lives (or will shortly) in the US. Not a show-stopper but just need to understand the issue and deal with it appropriately. Look at everything from the CO's perspective.

Regarding the trips. Understand the $. But it is about certain that with 1 trip and a family member involved, you will be denied. Not my rules, just sharing observations. 2 trips would still have fair risk, I think. 3 or more would really help you, I think. If you are from CA you can fly to HCM right now for $631 on China Airlines. Many cheap hotels in Vung Tau. Up to you but just want you to know that HCM is tough because of high fraud rate. And getting denied after 8 months of waiting would really suck.

Also, fill in some details on where you are from, etc in your profile. More info=more help.

Kevin, welcome to VJ. You will want to be a regular visitor here over the next several months, for certain.

I can assure you that you are not the first man to petition for a much younger fiancee, myself included. I am 45 and Hien is 23. It is only one of many things that the consulate will look at. If there are many red flags in your case, this could compound the situation. But if you have a lot of credible evidence to support a genuine relationship, age will probably not be a deciding factor.

If I were you, I would be more concerned with the fact that you were introduced by a family member. That is certainly a red flag in VN. You will need to document this carefully and fully, especially since Lynn is a family member of another recently approved intending immigrant. You may also want to reconsider proposing to her on your first trip. This is not viewed favorably by the consulate in light of Vietnamese societal norms. You will want to be planning at least 3 trips to VN. Many meet on the first, propose on the second and have dinh hon/dam hoi on the third. Of course, more are better (and more fun ).

I wish you luck on your journey. Folks are here for you with all kinds of experiences. Just know that you are in for a fair amount of work with the HCM consulate.

Congrats!!!

So my cousin had her interview acouple of days ago and here is what happened.

Her interview was an + 1 hour long.

After the interview the co gave her the white slip that stated "we will contact u in a week with our decision"

Should she be worried? Her husband is in vn now and he is freaking out. He wants to hire ME now but she wants to just wait and see what happens.

What do you guys think?

Have you searched this sub-forum for similar situations? Common, do we really need each individual asking the same question over and over?

"She got the blue/white slip, asking her to come back with this and that document or go home, and wait. We'll contact you later"

By the way, does anyone know how to file for a K-1 case, I mean step by step. I've searched this site thoroughly and I can't find anything (I'm too lazy to search thoroughly so someone please do that for me)

DPNH,

This is not helpful in the least. If you don't have anything positive to add, please don't press the reply button. Thanks.

Personally, I have never read another post that said they got a white slip saying they would contact them in 1 week with a decision.

Hello everyone. I'm trying to file the correct paperwork in order for my fiance to attain the I-129F. I just recvieved a response letter from the CRIS stating that I wasn't able to submit sufficient evidence stating my divorce with my previous wife. The thing is, i submitted to them an FL-820 form showing the final decree of my divorce. I presumed this was enough evidence proving my divorce with my previous wife. Is there any other forms I need to submit in order to prove I had a divorce with my previous wife? Please help me as soon as possible. I've waited over 5 months for this response from the CRIS, and I can't afford to wait another 5 months for a 2nd response. Thank you for your time.

Most people submit a copy of a certified divorce decree from the court. I did. Worked fine for me.

please note that you need a "certified copy of the divorce decree", not a "copy of a certified divorce decree". What is critical is that it has the original stamp from the clerk of the court. You cannot submit a copy of the original, only the original.

Ah, we cancelled the fiancee visa and got married and refiled under I-130.

was your K-1 visa application rejected or you just canceled before the interview?

Hello folks,

I'm Vietnamese and now live in HCMC.

My fiancee, who is American, helped me to apply for K1 visa in December 9, 2008.

Then he only received NOA1 Receipt.

I've heard from an expert travel agent that normally, after receiving NOA1 Receipt, we'll receive NOA2 approval 3 weeks later. Is it right? I still wonder ... whether my fiancee should update my K1 on our engagement party with his second time of visitting VN. Just b/c now we dont have any NOA2 approval.

My fiancee supposed that It's better for me to tell more detail abt our relationship timeline as engagement... on my interview day at embassy in HCMC.

Therefore, he didnt call the NOA office's phone which number is 800 375 5283 yet.

Hey, help me pls to find out the better way to get it K1.

Thanks,

Hao

Hi Hao,

Did your fiance file at the California or Vermont Service Center in the US? You or he can look at the timeline in this forum and see how long it takes to get NOA2. You probably have at least 1 more month to wait. You will never get NOA2 in 3 weeks.

Like other people have said, do not send more documents to USCIS. Keep all those papers and pictures from your dinh hon and take them with you when you go for your interview. Also, ask your fiance to please come and see you at least 1 more time. 2 visits together is usually not enough for getting K1 visa in Vietnam.

Come to this forum to ask questions. People here are happy to help you. Good luck.

No we didn't recieve packet 4 yet. I was notified that my petition was on its way to HCMC from the NVC. She received the form DS2001 with instructions to prepare documents and to request interview (I think that is form DS 230). It mentioned the fees $130.00 for the applicaton and $100.00 for the Medical, payment at Citibank and the documents she needs to collect, but no details were given like the above post.

So will she need to get fingerprinted? The DS 2001 says that it must be done , if required in her country, at the IOM. I read the 4 page document they sent her, and frankly, I'm not sure what needs to be done first, by whom or where. Can I expect to receive instructions too? It's bee a couple of weeks since my petition was sent to HCMC?

Sorry for the juvenile questions, I am just confused and don't want to start making mistakes now and I don't want the process interrupted.

Thanks,

Erik

Erik,

What you have is Packet 3. Step 1 is what she needs to do now. That means DS-230 Part I and DS-2001. Get those turned in at the consulate ASAP.

Step 2 is FYI so you can get your act together while waiting for Packet 4. Packet 4 will have the detailed instructions on what to do for the medical exam and paying the fees, along with instructions for more forms to fill out.

Where you were reading about the fingerprinting was not part of DS-2001. You were reading the FOREIGN police certificate information sheet. If she has not resided in another country for more than 1 year since she was 16, you do not need to worry about this. If she did, you will have to follow the instructions. They are telling you that some other countries will require fingerprints to get the police certificate. In Vietnam, fingerprints are not required to get a police certificate. DS-2001 is the applicant readiness form only. It is a 1 page document.

By the way, has she got her Ly Lich Tu Phap yet? This is the justice record check she needs to get in her home province (where her name is listed in ho khau). This can take up to 3 weeks, so if she does not have it, get her going on that. If she doesn't have it, she will not be able to have her interview.

You will not receive any instructions from the consulate. She will get two packets, that's it. You will get nothing.

I just called NVC and spoke with a live operator. He said HCM Us Embassy has recieved my case electronically. He also gave me a new case number which starts with HCM20******. I read another post saying that once you have the new case number provided by NVC or the US Embassy, you can actually go pick up packet 3 in person instead of having them mail it. Someone please confirm that my fiancee can go pick the packet 3 up in person with the new case number that NVC just gave me

Also, is this the same case number which HCM US Embassy will provide us later or it's going to be different?

Please note that the policy and practice is different for every embassy or consulate. The OP is asking and I will answer only about the consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I asked if she could come and get the packet in person. they said only if 3 weeks has gone by since they mailed it out (they consider that lost in the mail). BUT, they sent the packet 3 information attached to my e-mail so she now has the Packet 3 and can fill out the forms and turn them in at the consulate.

Yes, the HCMXXXXXXXXXX number is the case number assigned by NVC and is the number you will use at the consulate.

Look at mine, and others' timeline so you'll get some idea, think in 1 month term

Your timeline says that the consulate e-mailed your interview date to you. How did you get them to do that? And did they send it to you or your fiancee? Thanks