Hiep & Thao

Just get a clean divorce to keep yourself away from potential problems, like a ruined credit or accusation of abuse etc...

Then think back to see if she fabricated any evidence to USCIS or the Consulate in order to get the green card.

In the end, everybody gets what they ask for... you may not have to do anything. Just go on with your life, get back with your family & friends.

Good luck

You should go see the CO and present extra evidence (whatever you can think of). It is worth it. If your case got sent back to the US it's going to take years

It all comes down to bona-fide relationship!

The "ridiculous" questions that they ask seem to be excuses for them to reject your case. If you get asked these questions, it's already 99% hopeless. Anyway, make sure your fiancee knows *everything* about you, your personal, professional, family life. Make sure she has a pretty good picture of how life is going to be once she comes over. There are things that cannot be studied but have to be talked about in normal conversations. My fiancee saw quite a few women bringing in a "cheat sheet" and review it while waiting to be interviewed, like they think the cheat sheets contain the entire person that they're supposed to be in loved with and willing to take that leap of faith to come to a totally strange place with.

All that said, make sure your beneficiary answer loud and clear, only when she really understands the questions. Make sure you can describe perfectly clear to the smallest detail how you know eachother, who introduce you two, or if you met online, how did you initiate a conversation (where to click on your nickname etc). Do not try to evade the question, always give direct answers.

Photos are important, make sure they all look different, different hair styles, clothings, if many look the same, only present one. Studio shots are not as good as natural photos. Each photo should be labeled clearly time and place right on the front . Organized by the year.

I don't disagree with any comments here, I was sweating with my case as well after reading and hearing too many horror story. However, my fiancee talked to many people on her interview date, and thought that many fiancees/wifes/husbands in the interview room did not know the paperwork and the petitioners' lives that well. Quite a few women in the room had no idea how much the guys really make, how much saving do they have, what kind of paperwork they're holding in their hand (ie. no idea which one is income statements). I think if a couple plan for the future they must have talked about these things w/o anybody asking. You can argue that Love is all we need, but I'm sure the Consulate has seen too many divorces.

So... wish you all lots of luck, and DON'T LET YOUR LOVED ONES HAVE TO STUDY ABOUT YOU ON A SHEET OF PAPER WHILE WAITING FOR THEIR INTERVIEWS

I did a 6 page timeline, but they didn't even ask for it. I guess my statement of intent to marry was good enough.

make sure you describe to the smallest detail about how you two met. My case was straight forward but they wanted to get to the bottom of how we knew eachother. They are OBSESSED with it!!!! Anybody related to how you met will be asked about in great details.

Update your timeline! Click on Immegration Timelines

Only documents submitted to USCIS needs to be translated to English. For example, I translated the emails between us, had a sworn statement that I was competent to translate from Vietnamese to English blah blah ... and signed and dated in the bottom.

Documents submitted or brought to Consulate does not have to be translated if it's in Vietnamese

Hi everyone, got a question, I have no birth certificate. Left VN when I was 3, I notice you need to bring birth certificate to the interview. How will I obtain it if there is a record in VN. Say there is no record, what will I do?

How did you enter the US in the first place without a birth certificate? Use that in place of the birth certificate! I sent certified copies of my BC (done back in 1984 when my relatives filed petition for my family) and it was ok

If you didn't have photos proving that you went back to meet with your fiancee/spouse that year, then travel records is pretty much useless... I think the consulate already knows when you traveled, they just didn't know if you actually met anybody.

Try to dig up credit cards statement that shows you paid to the airline...

I did travel with a greencard but fortunately I had pictures, and I paid for food and drinks with a credit card (got my name, date, time, and place)

Sorry, I am a little confused. I have a copy of my 2008 tax return, plus w-2's, bank statements and employer letter... should that be suficient? I don't think tax transcripts are available for 2008 yet, am I wrong? I have a full copy of 2008 tax return as submitted to the IRS (plus can prove payment of taxes if you think that is a good idea...???) Thanks guys!

p.s. since I have paid taxes already, could I get the transcript for 2008 yet????

Bug

You can always try calling the IRS, they have automated request on the phone. I didn't have to talk to anybody, just punch in some numbers and they sent me 4 years worth of taxes. When dealing with HCM Consulate, my advice is don't assume that 'minimum' means 'sufficient', think 'maximum' is still not good enough. Show your whole life to them. They know anyway!

Btw, my fiancee brought very little evidence, just like a thick folder. DO NOT show many photos for each event, they look the same and will probably cause the CO to think you guys are faking it too much. They don't have time to look at each photo, what they do is looking at the first few photo carefully, and then start flipping fast, so make sure each flip shows a clearly different photo, with clear date+location in the bottom (use tape + post-it to write location/date)

How did you get the 1040? i only got the 2008 w2s in the mail. You also didn't mention your paystubs, you didn't include this along with your I-134?

You don't have to have submitted the tax form already, just fill it out either using tax software or go to tax services. Employment verification (with salary info) was good enough for me

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

Hope the info below help fellow Vietnam filers:

7AM in VN, my fiancee was already waiting with hundreds of people standing on the sidewalk

The consulate opened before 8AM, my fiancee and others turned in paperwork, wait for hours and talk among themselves, while other people get interviewed right in front of her, I'll list a few bad stories below...

9:30AM (7:30PM here in CA) I decided to skip dinner, stop by my church and prayed until I hear anything from her.

11:30AM (9:30PM in CA) she called, my prayers were answered!

The Consulate Officer didn't give her any trouble, and the Vietnamese workers there didn't treat her that bad. I guess u just have to appear like u deserve some respect. Also, she probably had her paperwork together well.

Interview took 5 minutes, nothing about me:

- What's jor job? Answer: Marketing, event execution

- What exactly do you do? Answer: blah blah lbah

- Any things else do you do in your job? Answer: blah blah blah

- Can u speak english? Answer: A little but she prefers Vietnamese

- How did you meet? Answer: Website chatroom

- How did you find a friend? She answered that you can pick any nickname in the forum, but that did not satisfy the Officer, after a few tries, she finnally understood the question was that how did she get to chat in that website. She said just go to the website, login, join a chatroom and start chatting.

- How many times your fiancee met? Answer: 7 times

- What situation when you met your fiancee parents? Was it during your wedding (careful here)? Engagement party? Answer: No wedding, no engagement party (no problem), she met my parents when they came back to VN back then.

- Congrats, wish you happiness and success! Visa will be available Mar 27

- Officer did carefully looked at my 1040 tax return and W-2 to find my income (I got pretty decent income for the last few years)

- Officer glanced thru the photos that she brought, didn't touch the timeline, phone records, emails, letters, receipts of sending money, diamond ring, credit card statements proving purchase of airline tickets etc...

- It seemed like the decision has already been made before the interview.

- My package submit to USCIS includes (all color copies):

* First emails showing dates

* A dozen photos from 2000 to 2007 (I went back Oct 2008 after submitting I-129F)

* Some personal letters, greeting cards

* Some remittance receipts, package mailing receipts

* Some airplane tickets

* Copies of passport pages

* Hotel receipts in Singapore trip

* Food and drink receipts in Vietnam for every visit (paid by credit cards w/ my signatures & date)

* Yahoo PC-to-phone calls for 6 months before sending in I-129F

* Rent checks for the room I rent

- My I-134 includes:

* 2008 completed tax form + w-2, prev 4 years tax transcripts (Officer looked at this very carefully)

* Employment verification letter from my work

* 12 month statements from my 2 saving accounts

- My fiancee hired a service to help her with organizing paperwork, they did help alot, however I really made sure she can identify which is which, since things should be chaotic in there, there's no time to read anything. A lot of people in there didn't understand what paper work they're bringing in.

Some things she witnessed in front of her that morning:

- Quite a few people got pinks, but not that many

- Some Husband/wife of 4 5 years w/ children get rejected also ===> marriage & babies are no guarantee

- Consulate officer asked one woman w/ kids: How do you prove this baby is his son/daughter?

- Cases w/ big age difference, low income, or 2 meetings or less, get rejected almost certainly

- Huge amounts of evidence (suit cases full of docs) appear to be of little value, people reeling in tons of papers all got white slip

- Long interrogations all got whites and blues, quick interviews meant pink

- If the officers didn't like the case, they seemed to try to fail the interviews by asking questions like what time does he go to sleep, what location does he call you from, birthday of his parents etc...

Hope the info below help fellow Vietnam filers:

7AM in VN, my fiancee was already waiting with hundreds of people standing on the sidewalk

The consulate opened before 8AM, my fiancee and others turned in paperwork, wait for hours and talk among themselves, while other people get interviewed right in front of her, I'll list a few bad stories below...

9:30AM (7:30PM here in CA) I decided to skip dinner, stop by my church and prayed until I hear anything from her.

11:30AM (9:30PM in CA) she called, my prayers were answered!

The Consulate Officer didn't give her any trouble, and the Vietnamese workers there didn't treat her that bad. I guess u just have to appear like u deserve some respect. Also, she probably had her paperwork together well.

Interview took 5 minutes, nothing about me:

- What's jor job? Answer: Marketing, event execution

- What exactly do you do? Answer: blah blah lbah

- Any things else do you do in your job? Answer: blah blah blah

- Can u speak english? Answer: A little but she prefers Vietnamese

- How did you meet? Answer: Website chatroom

- How did you find a friend? She answered that you can pick any nickname in the forum, but that did not satisfy the Officer, after a few tries, she finnally understood the question was that how did she get to chat in that website. She said just go to the website, login, join a chatroom and start chatting.

- How many times your fiancee met? Answer: 7 times

- What situation when you met your fiancee parents? Was it during your wedding (careful here)? Engagement party? Answer: No wedding, no engagement party (no problem), she met my parents when they came back to VN back then.

- Congrats, wish you happiness and success! Visa will be available Mar 27

- Officer did carefully looked at my 1040 tax return and W-2 to find my income (I got pretty decent income for the last few years)

- Officer glanced thru the photos that she brought, didn't touch the timeline, phone records, emails, letters, receipts of sending money, diamond ring, credit card statements proving purchase of airline tickets etc...

- It seemed like the decision has already been made before the interview.

- My package submit to USCIS includes (all color copies):

* First emails showing dates

* A dozen photos from 2000 to 2007 (I went back Oct 2008 after submitting I-129F)

* Some personal letters, greeting cards

* Some remittance receipts, package mailing receipts

* Some airplane tickets

* Copies of passport pages

* Hotel receipts in Singapore trip

* Food and drink receipts in Vietnam for every visit (paid by credit cards w/ my signatures & date)

* Yahoo PC-to-phone calls for 6 months before sending in I-129F

* Rent checks for the room I rent

- My I-134 includes:

* 2008 completed tax form + w-2, prev 4 years tax transcripts (Officer looked at this very carefully)

* Employment verification letter from my work

* 12 month statements from my 2 saving accounts

- My fiancee hired a service to help her with organizing paperwork, they did help alot, however I really made sure she can identify which is which, since things should be chaotic in there, there's no time to read anything. A lot of people in there didn't understand what paper work they're bringing in.

Some things she witnessed in front of her that morning:

- Quite a few people got pinks, but not that many

- Some Husband/wife of 4 5 years w/ children get rejected also ===> marriage & babies are no guarantee

- Consulate officer asked one woman w/ kids: How do you prove this baby is his son/daughter?

- Cases w/ big age difference, low income, or 2 meetings or less, get rejected almost certainly

- Huge amounts of evidence (suit cases full of docs) appear to be of little value, people reeling in tons of papers all got white slip

- Long interrogations all got whites and blues, quick interviews meant pink

- If the officers didn't like the case, they seemed to try to fail the interviews by asking questions like what time does he go to sleep, what location does he call you from, birthday of his parents etc...

Dress up nicely, go to the consulate and spend the whole day(s) waiting to meet the interviewer to present any evidence that he/she did not look at. If they tell you to go home and wait for an appointment, explain your situation, stay put and beg to see the interviewer for just 5 minutes. Stay there until they close! You can only have reason to meet a consular officer if you bring something *new*. Just simply ask to keep the paperwork there won't do any good. My friend tried that. Look at the reasons for denial, see if you can dig up more evidence to response to that. Be prepared to answer the exact same question that they asked your fiancee. The paperwork is only there for a short time before being sent back to the US.

Bring all your fiancee paperwork in case they approve on the spot!

Sorry to hear that, I already replied another one of your topic when you got the blue slip, saying you should get a VISA to Vietnam *now*. If you can find time to go there and submit extra evidence to your case by yourself, I suggest you should do it now. Nobody can guarantee its result, but the email you got is a notice of intent to return the paperwork. This looks exactly the same as my friend's case. He should have been more proactive, but he was counting on John McCain to help him (lol).

It doesn't matter if you decide to get married a file for IR/CR1, if your I-129F got denied by USCIS, it may look really bad on your fiancee's record, so do not let it be denied. Once the paperwork got sent back, you are looking at more than 1 year, doesn't matter what you do.

Can some one please explain what the IR/CR1 petition is? My K-1 case was rejected and is in the process of being sent back. I need help.

Brian

Your case sounds like a friend of mine, and his case got sent back to the US .

Make sure your fiancee can answer very detailed question about your life in the US, and make sure your photos show you spent 4 or 5 days *together*, photos that look similar won't be enough to prove that.

Your case is very weak, so you need to find every possible way to convince the officer that you are not fake. Just give them what they asked for won't be enough. You may need to reveal a lot more about your life in the US.

I don't know for sure if it will work or not, but be prepared to go back to Vietnam for a week or 2 and present your case by yourself to the officer. I heard it helped for some people. So.. get a VISA to Vietnam *now*

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