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patricks

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    DFC confusion in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    Yes, it does work, at least 4 years ago it did....

    I filed downtown on 9th floor of Dutchbank building (Maximart on second floor) Tall Grey building on Le Loi

    Submitted paperwork Sept. 4th, 2004

    4 forms sent back n forth, over two months time

    December 30, 2004 Interview @ Consulate, Jan 2, 2005 (Visa Pickup)

    4 months total

    Note: Back then, required one year local employment and one year proof of local residence (from VNs Police)

    Good Luck :-)

    I've been living in Vietnam for little over a year.

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    Konton

    This info is 5 years old:

    Yes, you can get a quick USA marriage visa while living & working in VN

    I got a marriage paper in VN (through VNs Gov't), held a small ceremony at my wife's house, and submitted for the CR1 marriage visa and my wife got her interview & visa within 4 months. You need to prove residency & your work (for the past year) when you apply for her visa.

    HCMC, USA Consult has a office on the 9th floor of the DutchBank Building (same place that has Maximart on the second floor) a tall grey building on Le Loi Street downtown. Go up there and ask.......

    FYI

    I've been living in Vietnam for little over a year.

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    Top Three Complaints:

    1.) Noise

    2.) Nosey People getting into your business

    3.) One way of thinking, everything is either black or white (good or bad), no grey areas

    Top Three pluses:

    1.) Never know what to expect & less stress in general

    2.) Usually cheap good food & drink (both VNs & Western)

    3.) As a male, more attention from females (not in a sexist way) people like attention.....

    Homesick from USA:

    1.) Yes, missed multi-cable channels

    2.) Selection of quality western food

    3.) More quiet life, car and privacy.....

    Mapping Website For Viet Nam.

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    sorry, interesting perspective

    I only briefly looked at my wife's house and my old place.

    Find the Zoo at the end of Le Duan Street, look directly across the river, there should be two or three high rise new tower blocks there now, they just started constructing those buildings when I left Vietnam in early 2005, so I guess these maps were made in 2003 or 2004.

    I look more closely this weekend for more observations.....makes me sort of homesick for Vietnam.

    4 Years and 3 Weeks.....

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    My VNs wife was sworn in today to become a USA citizen. Yes, the system does eventually work :-)

    9/4/04 Submitted first form (CR1 petitioned directly from VN)

    12/30/04 Interview

    1/02/05 Visa issued

    2/27/05 Relocated to America

    SS number shortly afterward

    2 year green card soon after

    2007, 10 year green card

    1/25/08 submitted paperwork for naturalization

    Waited 8 months for citizenship interview

    It's finally over, see ya............Chuc Mai Man :-)

    The Economy: Living here vs there

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    The current economic downturn has no correlation with the upcoming American election.

    1.) Vietnam Banks have stop lending money for real estate

    2.) The HCMC stock market has lost 50% this year

    3.) 25% price inflation in May

    4.) VNs Petrol is roughly the same price as USA, 15,000vnd/liter

    Further reading: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/

    The VNs economic correction is coming, stay tuned.......... but, long-term VN will be OK........

    I plan to retire in VN in 20 years :-)

    Delivery in Vietnam

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    1.) My VNs wife preferred to have the baby in USA because of better, cleaner & safer "piece of mind" hospital treatment, plus the same OBGYN who monitored her progress for 9 nine months also delivered the baby. My wife's sisters, who live in VN and recently gave birth, were all envious of my wife's better delivery conditions in the USA. less painful in usa :-)

    2.) After the baby arrived, we applied for a Visa for her mom to visit the USA and that process happened quickly (more difficult getting the flight than the actual visa), and her mom stayed with us in the USA for almost six months to help with the baby.

    3.) If the baby's father is American then the baby will be granted a USA citizenship regardless. Yes, the ASC (American Citizen Services) section of the HCMC consulate should issue a USA passport for your baby. I don't know about the birth certificate, issued by local gov't agency. (it should state that the father is a USA citizen)

    4.) Of course, this is a personal decision and yes my wife would have loved to have her immediate family near her during the whole birthing process and fortunately we had FULL medical insurance because it's much more expensive in the USA vs VN. (another consideration)

    Good luck and have a healthy delivery.....

    Biggest adjustment for Thais coming to U.S.

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    If you're near the DC area, there's a few Thai places but a lot more Vietnamese which is slightly similar. You can get Thai products regardless. You'll be surprised how fast she'll adapt to her new homeland.

    My only one piece of advice to prepare her for life in America........Check online and see if you can find a Thai language DMV Driver's testing manual? I found a VNs language Driver's book in Orange County, California and I sent it to my wife in VN and then she had studied it in VN prior to arriving in the states and it helped her a lot, even though she took the test in Virginia (4 months after arrival)...... too bad they drive on the left side in Thailland :-)

    Mai Pen Rai Khop........

    Has Anyone On Here Taught English In Viet Nam?

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    One of the largest schools that hires teachers on an ongoing basis:

    http://www.vus-etsc.edu.vn/ or Hoi Viet My

    HCMC used to a "Back Packer" teacher industry in 90's. Now, it's much more sophisticated if you want to work for an established school.

    Must have a 4 year degree minimum

    If you haven't taught before, you'd better brush up on the grammar :-) Students are awesome and fun to teach but they know English grammar & spelling better than most Americans, but they can be very shy to practice speaking English. Then, you need ESL techniques or skills to create an environment for the the student to open up in a foreign language. Easier said than done.......see 2 x 2 y 2 z recommendation

    good luck....

    ps: you can always get private tutoring gigs....

    Does HCMC Accept Direct Consular Filings?

    in Asia: East and Pacific

    Posted

    Yes, you can.....I filed a CR1 locally in HCMC and it only took 4 months to process....

    However, there's some prerequisites! You need to have have lived & worked in VN for at least one year and they will request

    1.) police records showing your local VNs residency,

    2.) copy of your passport pages,

    3.) letter from your employer OR business records

    That's the situation 3 years ago so the process may have changed? Go to the ACS (american citizen services) @ the Consulate and ask them?

    Good luck,

    P

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