Zerovoltz

Hello fellow Vietnam VJers--

For those that do not know, I (Dalegg) have been keeping the list of Vietnam Visa Seekers for a couple years now. I've begun tapering down the list to include only people who actually ask to be added to the list, and it has been dwindling.

Well, my wife (Nicolegg) just received her 10 year green card, so with the exception of applying for citizenshiip, our journey is pretty much over, and with the exception of an occasional pop in now and then, I'm not going to be spending a lot of time here. So.... I need to give up the user "Vietnam" to someone else who may want to keep it going. If you are interested in retaking the list, let me know and I will transfer the E-Mail address you choose to the account. By the way, since you will have the ability to edit a single post over and over, you need to be a little proficient in HTML and be a responsible enough member to not abuse your priveledges. I'll be checking with the Captain to see if anyone interested is worthy!

Until someone actually takes it over, I'll keep it up. Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for the good work over the past couple years Dale. You went through your journey pretty much the same time my wife and I did...and it was really great to have this group here to talk with during those uncertain times....such as when you have ONE LETTER wrong in a name on a document. ....hope a good person comes forward...this place helps alot of people and that list is fun to look at when you get 3 or 4 or more going thorugh the process at the same time.

....in 2005 on my way home from Vietnam, I had about a 6 hour layover at Narita. I was able to get a permit to leave the airport without any trouble. I understand that the US and Japan have a nice passport arrangement that allows for US citiszens to do that.

My question is, can my WIFE do that also? We will have a 10 hour stop at Narita on our way home in February and really don't want to sit in the airport with 10 month old baby that whole time. My wife has a Vietnamese Passport and a US greencard. Anyone know if she can leave the Airport or not? THANKS.

.............

Sometimes I wish my wife was Nihon instead of Vietnamese.......(I like Japanese Food better..and Japanese is EASIER TO SPEAK than vietnamese)

My ex wife was 1/4 Japanese....her grandma could COOK!!!

Strange.

I did not have any problem at all with my fiance staying with me in the same hotel.... Maybe they were more relaxed.

Ok...SORRY I made a typo in the original post....My WIFES SISTERS FIANCE is traveling with us. He would like to be able to get a room in Saigon when we arrive at the airport but he won't have proof of marriage (because they are not married yet).

Let me give some background....I have been to VN twice and MOST places my wife (fiance back then) were able to stay in hotels together with no trouble. ONLY at the NICE hotels in Saigon they wanted proof of marriage.

We figure that me and my wifes SISTER's fiance can get a room and then my wife and her sister can get a room and then my wife and I can just go to one room and him and my wifes sister and just go to the other room. Just wondering of there was anything else besides this we could try...OR if anyone knew of a nice hotel in Saigon where they were lax on these rules. Me and the other guy are WHITE..and my wife and here sister are vietnamese.

Hi All - It's been a while since I have been on here. Hope everyone is doing well.

My wife and I are going to Vietnam agian in 2008. This will be our first trip back to veitnam since she came here. WHAT do I need to do to be able to get a hotel room with her without having to be suspected of bringing a ####### to my room? ....Also...my wifes fiance will be going over as well and we are trying to come up with a creative way so that he and his fiance can share a room in a decent hotel. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

I would like to announce that my wifes sister Pham Thi Tuyet Mai, is going to marry a good friend and co worker of mine named Dan. Dan started asking about Mai not too long after we started working in the same department. He'd seen pictures of me and Yen and had heard me speak of her several times. Eventually he asked about how to contact Mai and so I gave him yahoo name, email, phone number etc...and they hit it off really well. He just arrived in China today. Hopefully everything will go smoothly. I really really hope INS doesn't give Dan and Mai any trouble because we are friends and he's marrying my wifes sister. No unlawful activities here....just two people who are glad fate brought them together.

Oh no.....Kevin and Loan..they accepted a 1722 with you guys? I wasn't so lucky.

Here is a copy of email correspondence I had with the Consulate.

From: Gary Hamilton [mailto:zerovoltz1976@yahoo.com]

Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 6:02 PM

To: HCMC, Info

Subject: RE: CASE # :HCM #########

To whom it may concern -

My fiance brought additional evidences that were requested by the consulate on Thursday. She had her interview on January 4th 2004 and amoung the items you requested were my (petitioner) tax statements from 2003. I have sent in my 1040 and my fiance had form 1722 with her at the interview. When my fiance brought the evidence to you Thursday, the office there told her that my W-2 was missing. The following is word for word the request you made regarding tax forms.

Your petitioner must submit tax records and W-2's for the year (s) 2003 or form 1722

The letter says that I could send W-2's OR form 1722. I have sent 1722. It is in your file now. My fiance had it at her interview. We do not understand why you say I am missing W-2's when you have 1722. Below is the entire letter.

IMMIGRANT VISA SECTION

U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Dear :Pham Thi Bach Yen CASE # :HCM #######3

The Consulate General is unable to issue a visa to you because you have been found ineligible under the following section(s) of the U.S .Immigration and Nationality Act :/

Section 221 (g) which prohibits the issuance of a visa to anyone who is not eligible for a visa , or who has failed to present the document required in connection which the visa application , or who has failed to sufficient credible evidence to support the claimed petitionable relationship. The following remarks apply in your in case:/

* Your petitioner must submit tax records and W-2's for the year (s) 2003 or form 1722.

* Petitioner - Please provide a DETAILED letter of explanation regarding EVERYTHING listed below :

n How , when and where you first met (please give details : location , setting , people present , how long until accepted (right away , a day ,a week , a month ?....)

n How , when and where you were engaged ( who came , location , setting ,time )

n How ,you developed your relationship

n What you have in common

* Petitioner - Understanding you used phone card to communicate, please submit all phone bills during the period form October 2003 to November 2004.

* Please have Petitioner send a 5 minute video tape speaking unscripted Vietnamese (or as much as possible ).

WARNING : IF YOU FALL THE ACTION REQESTED OR FALL TO PRESENT ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME YOUR VISA DENIAL UNDER SECTION 221(g) OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALTY ACT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE DATE OF YOUR INTERVIEW, SECTION 203(g) OF THE ACT REQUIRES THAT YOUR APPLICATION BE CANCELLED.

PS...If any of you would care to discuss communism and the history of communism or have questions about it....I consider myself somewhat a scholar on the subject and would be very happy to discuss anything you would want to discuss.

I did notice! It's the reverse of each other in the order of color!

Oh boy....LONG LONG LONG before I ever met my wife...in fact while I was still in high school...back in the mid 90's...I did ALOT OF STUDYING about communism. I know this forum isn't political but I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when this kind of thing comes along....so sorry in advance for those you who didn't come here to read my political views.

Communism is the black plauge of the modern era. This system has directly resulted in MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of people dying due to starvation, state executions, deaths trying to flee communist states(boat people for example) And the survivors tend to lead difficult lives. Creativity and freedom in general are quashed. ...we condemn FASCISM because hitler's government killed 6 million jews in the holocaust. And that is absolutly horrible. Communism has killed many millions more than that and it doesn't discriminate. Russians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Cubans, Laotions...etc etc etc. As a world group we take all kinds of measures to keep fascism from ever returning...but yet we tolerate communism even though it is every bit as horrible as fascism and in many cases alot worse.

I am not vietnamese. I can only understand what I read and what I hear from people who know vietnam and are vietnamese people. I understand that in 1975 the war ended and the country was united under the communists. The flag is meant to represent the whole of the people. I mean absolutely no disrespect at all to the people of vietnam. They have proven to be vibrant, resilient people even when so terribly limited by the scourge of a communist system. So, if one person looks at that flag and has pride because they see it as a symbol of the poeple I can understand that...it's not the flag I dislike. It's the communist form of government that is so awful. Ironically, the Cuban flag never changed when Castro took over. It's not the flag...it's the terrible communist system.

I voted no in the poll but If I had the power to keep the flag and change the system, that is what I would do.

Congratulations!! Your daughter is beautiful

Thanks everyone for your kind words. We are blessed.

Delivered by C section. Baby was breech. 8lbs 12 oz. (big girl) She looks quite a bit like mom. Very good baby..hardly cried about anything..very calm and serious all the time ...and she was born with ALOT of hair.

Vietnam, Kevin and Loan....and others here who know who I am....Hello...and hello to those who are new. Good luck to you.

Friends -

About a month ago, a friend and fellow co worker of mine began to inquire about my wifes older sister back in vietnam. He had already heard some about her from previous conversations he and I had about my wife, vietnam, etc etc. He decided he wanted to see if she would be interested in getting to know him better etc via email and so I gave him the nescesary address and phone numbers to call and email and they have been talking pretty much daily for a month now. A few days ago he bought tickets to travel to Vietnam in June to meet her. So far so good. It looks like there might be something going on here and I think there could be a "dinh hon" for them at some time in the future. When my wife and I went through the process, they hadn't passed IMBRA yet....and my wife didn't have a sister who knew who I was beforehand as well.

Do any of you think that this situation will be handled as normal or will there be extra scrutiny because I (and my wife) introduced My coworker to her sister?

*UPDATE* for me and Yen. - I announced on this board way back in early November that we had been approved her her greencard. And that was a true statement. We however didn't know that we were once again the victom of erroneous data entry work at INS. (the first time they had my street number as 91st instead of 41st..took almost a year to get them to fix that one) ....Somewhow, we ended up with TWO separate A numbers. It took from November 4 untill March 16 to get this cleared up. We just got our Welcome Notice in the mail a couple days ago FINALLY. Also, Yen is now 38 weeks pregnant. Doctor appointment today reveals that the baby is in a breach condition. Hopefully the baby will turn on her own...if not...on Monday the Dr will try to or discuss C section I guess...hopefully everything will turn out well. Hope everyone has been well. Yen still doesn't like mexican food ...but that is about all I can complain about I guess . good luck to everyone.

I also dont like Mexican at first - the only thing i'd eat was Fijita (sp?) and Guagamole (I dont remember how to say it.. I always mixed up words) I dont really like mexican rice.. I always feel that mexican food is quite boring well.. now I have one more dish I like at Mexican (still dont rememebr how to say it.. lol )

But what I find interesting is that at China Buffet there would be at least 2 mexican families there.. so may be numbers of Asian people dont like Mexican food but Mexican like Asian food?

For those of you who dont like fish sauce... I know how you feel but belive me... It smell bad but it taste good (my NH Host family put it that way) Bram would eat fish sauce with lime and some hot pepper in it just like Thai people.. and even asked for it before i would too.. But if you dont like it.. Just never touch it so the smell wont stick on yur hand (and they do stick for a long time )

I'm so lucky my hubby love my food and love (and even help) me cook Thai food too

Strangely enough the chinese buffets located in the hispanic areas of KC are JAM PACKED with mexican people. They seem to love chinese food. Interesting.

zerovoltz

What Vietnamese food does your wife cook at home?

Yes, my wife likes Popeye's also, occasionally.

Pho, Bun, Thap Cam, RICE, fish, other soups, eggrolls, hot pot, other stuff I don't recognize.

I have banned cooking fish for Vietnamese meals in my house.

I have unsuccessfully tried to ban Pork with fishsauce from being cooked in my house. Also, if she cooks ANYTHING with lemongrass in it, I refuse to eat it.

I have succeeded in getting fish from being cooked FOR NOW because I convinced her that mercury in fish is bad for pregnancies.

zerovoltz

What Vietnamese food does your wife cook at home?

Yes, my wife likes Popeye's also, occasionally.

Pho, Bun, Thap Cam, RICE, fish, other soups, eggrolls, hot pot, other stuff I don't recognize.

....wow...looks like it's more common than I thought. Theres a local place here called Sol Azteca. They have a "Fajita Quesadilla" and it is from heaven. Shrimp, steak, chicken, red and green peppers, onion, and tomato cooked fajita style, put into a quesadilla with melted white cheese sauce inside and out....I was sure my darling Yen would like it..but even this food from god was rejected...and even more sad is that this thing is BIG and CHEAP...5.50 and I can't finish it...and I can finish a large pizza if I want to.

Oh well.

When Yen first got here I thought wow...this is going to be tough..she didn't like ANYTHING. Now she likes pizza, popeyes chicken and mashed potatos. Wendys french fries, and McGriddles for breakfast. She also likes my homemade Chili and she makes DAMN GOOD spaghetti wich she and I both really like. Theres also a japanese grill place here that we go to occasionally that she enjoys.

....I'm still saddend that I must sit and eat my chips and salsa alone after work when she's not home I almost feel like I'm cheating on her when I eat mexican behind her back

Yen has been here over a year and half. I have tried taking her to different mexican restaurants and all to no avail. I don't understand it. She eats alot of vietnamese food wich has hot peppers, beef and rice in it. It seems like mexican food is alot closer to vietnamese food than pizza or a bowl of cereal...but she likes ceral and pizza and can't stand mexican food.

What is it about mexican food that the vietnamese pallet just can't handle? I am at a loss. I love mexican food and it kind of sucks that I can't enjoy it with my Vo' because she hates it...and apparently so does her family...is this just them or is this a deal with all (or most) vietnamese poeple?

North vs. South, the constant struggle in every country, even here in the US. It will continue no matter what people say... there will be folks who just can't understand the fact the South had lost the Civil War for the longest time, still drag around the Confederate flag on the back of their pick-up trucks... Oh wait, this is about North and South Vietnamese...

Here is how I understand a bit of history: 1954, French lost the battle of "DIEN BIEN PHU" to Ho-Chi-Minh's "Viet-Minh" army. Signed a truce to stop the fight, and divided Vietnam into two countries at longitude 17. The french withdrew from Hanoi, massive evacuation of north vietnamese catholics, protestants and the likes were loaded up on the french ships, trains and planes heading SOUTH. Well, long story short, the northerners are now become part of The Republic of South Vietnam country, known as "BAC 54". These "Bac 54" is considered and accepted among southerners as "our people" as opposed to the Northerners who went South after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. These northerners are called "Bac-ky-75" by the southerners to differenciate with the "Bac-54". Most southerners who left Vietnam when the North took over Saigon carry with them the anger and hatrates I can not explain in a few words here on the forums, just need sometimes to talk to some southerners in South Cali or Houston Texas, You'll get the sense of hate still in their heart. "Bac-ky-75" are considered the invaders of the South Vietnam for years, although most southerners in Vietnam nowadays rarely or openly amitted that feeling, but it's there and they just accepted the fact:I just let it go, but we still know you're who you are and we are who we are!

That's how I understand this struggles between the north and south. I myself am the son of a northerner mother and southerner father, as many of vietnamese, I careless for the old school angers. It's time for healing and reconcile the differences. After all, it's one country, one people and one bottle of Fishsause!!!

You concern about how your Vo will be accepted here in America. NO TO WORRY! We are all refugees, immigrants here on this great land of America. Yes, I'm speaking to the Naturalized US Citizens as well! So what rights can they say to your Vo when she comes here or judge her for she is from the NORTH Vietnam. speak to Mike E. on this board, his Vo is a wonderful North Vietnamese woman, from the heart of Hanoi.... Nobody is more NORTH than she is. I'm sure there are many Northerners who feel the unfriendly looks from the southerners around the Vietnamese community, don't be... Considered it's rude to many when one disrepects one's VO because of her origin. AMEN???? The so-called friends you mentioned, they need to get over themselves, they aren't any better than anyone. Once you are here on this land, your rights are equal to mine. If anything, those are the guys who went back to Vietnam every years and fearfully walking through the Custom Boarder Checkpoint at TAN SON NHAT everytime, scare sheeitless at the Vietnamese police and security... but when they are back in the States, they'll be talking ####### how they would have kicked some arrsses in Saigon and stuff.

Just relax and as I kept saying: stay focus, get your visa and remember: payback is a $@%@#

So you're ok now? Back on VJ brother...

My own personal feelings on this are, that

A) your doing this legally...so that's cool.

B) you are going to have a better life and your wife is going to have a better life.

C theres a good chance your wifes family in Vietnam are going to have a better life too.

...I'm all for making things better, and doing it legally. We're here to help, we've all had set backs in this process, my wife failed an interview, etc etc. Keep your head up always, if it's real, it will be a happy ending for you.

....DaleGG and others here....

Thought I would let you all know Yen and I had the AOS interview Thursday Nov 2, and we passed. I hadn't mentioned much about it here. To me the big thing has always been to GET HER HERE, wich she has been now for over a year and a half.

Another reason it hasn't been that big a deal for us is that my wife has been working at her cousins nail shop (albeit illegally) since she got here so we weren't relying on the green card for her to go to work or anything.

The reason it took so long (over 1 year just to get the interview) was that INS made a clerical error and entered in my address as being 91st street instead of 41st street. Pray to god they don't do this to you. Getting them get ALL their computers etc correected is a LONG and frustrating process involving SEVERAL phone calls to several people trying in vain to explain the situation untill you finally get someone competant enough to help you.

Needless to say the interveiw for us was extremely simple and easy. They only asked me how I met her and how I had learned vietnamese. They only asked her if she had done any ilegal drugs or been arrested. He looked at the life insurance policy I brought, the medical bills I brought from our pregancy and he also wanted a couple of my recent pay stubs and my tax return from 2005 and W-2 from 2005, wich I brought with me in case they wanted them....my 2003 and 2004 returns were in the file already, but since it was over a year old I thought they might want the current stuff too (wich they did and I am glad I had it with me.) Our interviewer was very courteous and easy to speak with. Also, we were his last case that day so that might of helped as I think he wasn't interested in spending very much time on us. We were in and out in under 20 minutes....

The thing I was most happy about was actually passing this thing on the first try. We failed the first interview in Vietnam at the consulate, and just getting this interview was a 1 year nightmare, so I went into this fully expecting to fail just because that seems to be how it goes. I am so glad that this thing is done with.

Wow...back when I was going through this...we got rejected on the first interview for 2 reasons...1 was that I sent them a TAX TRANSCRIPT instead of a W-2. It even says CLEARLY on their own instructions that a W-2 OR a Tax Transcript would be fine. I called IRS and they said both were equally valid...I had even emailed HCMC consulate 2 MONTHS IN ADVANCE and asked them if a Tanscript was acceptable in place of a W-2 and they EMAILED ME BACK SAYING YES IN THEIR VERY OWN EMAIL and then when the interview came they cited the "Missing W-2" as reason number 1 for the rejection....so let this be yet another example of who you are dealing with here.

Reason number 2 was that they wanted me to send them a 5 minute video tape of me speaking vietnamese. ....I was quite honest about it, I sent them a tape of me speaking BAD vietnamese for 5 minutes and let them know that my wife could understand what it was even if the official watching the tape couldn't.

We ended up getting the visa about 3 months later....but it just makes you think that someone there WANTS YOU TO worry, be afraid, despair and suffer.

I think they are using a computer program to randomly determine who gets a visa called

S crew

H er

I nterview

T oday

Version 3.6

THANKS SO MUCH! CAM ON NHIEU LAM

I heard this song again the other day and instantly remembered the tear filled goodbye from Tan Son Nhut on Valentines day 2004 (what a day to have to leave your em oi.)

If someone could translate these lyrics, I'd like to try and learn them so I can sing this song to my Vo. I can play the tune on the piano, just need the lyrics in proper vietnamese form. THANKS to anyone who can help.

All my bags are packed

Im ready to go

Im standin¡¯ here outside your door

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breaking¯

It's early morn(ing)

The taxis waitin¡g¯

He's blowing his horn

Already Im so lonesome

I could die

So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you'll wait for me

Hold me like you'll never let me go

(be)Cause I'm leaving¯ on a jet plane

Don¡¯t know when I'll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down

So many times I've played around

I tell you now, they don't mean a thing

Every place I go, I'll think of you

Every song I sing, I'll sing for you

When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you'll wait for me

Hold me like you'll never let me go

(be)Cause I'm leaving¯ on a jet plane

Don't know when I'll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you

One more time

Let me kiss you

Then close your eyes

I'll be on my way

Dream about the days to come

When I won't have to leave alone

About the times, I won't have to say

Oh, kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you'll wait for me

Hold me like you'll never let me go

(be)Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane

Don't know when I'll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go

But, I'm leaving on a jet plane

Don't know when I'll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go

Hi Matt,

Wow! Sorry to hear this news. Wishing for a speedy recovery for you both!

STL_HCMC

Would you believe that the day after the wedding I got VERY sick and that on Tuesday Anh got sick and come to find out she somehow got Viral Meningitis! (not bacterial, which is the deadly one) I had to take her to the emergency room two nights ago and they had to do a spinal tap.

She is so sick right now. It seems that life just wants to keep kicking us in the balls. Normally the fever would have broken by now, but with Anh it is really being a pest. She's 102 as I write this.

Just pray for us, everybody.

Hoping for everything to turn out OK...about a year ago doctors thought I had viral meningitis and gave me a spinal tap...talk about something that really sucks...spinal taps ...ouch. I can empathize there. Good luck.

The baby will have an american name. As of now if it is a girl we are probably going with "Asia" for a name, and for a boy we haven't really decided yet..maybe Owen. I'm looking for middle names and of course my wife will probalby call the baby by some vietnamese house name or something. All suggestions welcome. Baby is due early april.

Mike

I might be wrong but a blue slip is not AR is it?

Any way I hope I am correct and I hope you are through this fast.

Good Luck and God Bless

C&T

You are right. I wasn't familiar with AR at the time when I wrote that, but now I know we are not in AR. I really hope that they get this cleared up quickly. I got divorced 10 years ago. I don't understand why they would worry about it, since it was so long ago. I even gave them her new marriage certificate, when she got married 9 years ago. She is still married to the same man, and they both are willing to give me anything I need from them. What is one to do if their exwife hates them and would never help them? Well, the waiting has begun again.

Thanks everyone!!!

Mike and Huong

After Yen got the blue slip in January of 2005, they requested an additional tax document from me, wich I immedeatly sent to them. I ended up going to Vietnam for a second time in late Feb/early march 2005 and while I was there, took more pictues, flew to Phu Quoc with Yen etc etc and made a visit to the consulate in HCMC and gave them the pictures, plane ticket stubs from trip to Phu Quoc. Yen was approved 2 weeks later in mid march. I tend to think this only helped them make up their mind in our favor. I don't know if you are able to take a trip over there now or soon, but it couldn't hurt.