vietazn

It the same in Linh's passort. Passport says Nguyen Yen Linh. Visa says (surname) Nguyen (given name) Linh Yen.

No problems for us. We married shortly after arrival so no ID/SSN in that name. We always list her maiden name as Linh Yen Nguyen.

There's absolutely no problem in your case because her first name has only one word.

Following the format as yours, the visa should read Smith Mary Beth Louise.

But the visa actually reads Smith Beth Louis Mary

Maybe that's the format for double-word first names, to split the first name and put one-half at the end, who knows. I'm not sure if anyone knows. Hoping it won't be a problem later on.

This is a Vietnam-specific posting.

Names don't match, probably due to her having two words in the first name.

For example, if last name is Smith, first name is Mary Beth, and middle name is Louise

passport says Smith Louise Mary Beth

visa says Smith Beth Louise Mary

Will that be a problem? Coming to the US, or applying for things in the US later on like Social Security number, etc. Is the visa used for anything else beside traveling?

Anything on the hands, including sweaty palms, can cause fingerprints to be rejected.

Then what? Who knows, this is fast becoming 1984.

Not sure if you'll have to go through the doctor clearance and police clearance routes.

A much easier solution, with far fewer potential problems, is to scan the documents you want to send, compile the images into a PDF, and send the files as email attachments or using an instant messenger program. Your fiancee can put the PDF's on a USB thumb drive and print them at any internet shop. The reverse can also be done. Many internet and photocopy shops have scanners.

Fax machines are easily more simple solution, if quality is not very important.

Fax machines have several advantages that scanners and computers can't match:

You only use one machine, and it is usually left "always on" like a phone. So you don't have to turn on the computer, connect to internet, and retrieve the document.

Anyone who can use a telephone can use a fax machine. This is good for non-tech people who don't know how to use the internet.

Fax machines will work even when the computer crash or when the internet is down, which happens a lot in Vietnam.

Fax machines are also a fast and economical substitution for snail mail. And if sent correctly, less worry for

lost mail.

So can you bring a fax machine from the US and "plug and play" and it works just like the ones over here?

Using the same line as the phone?

No hard proof that frontloading is better than not frontloading. Also unknown whether some people

who frontloaded would have been approved anyway because they have their documents in order, and

they interview well. The biggest reason for frontloading is that you know you have the information in front of the CO. This helps because the CO will not know what evidence you bring unless your either frontloaded or your fiance is assertive enough to make sure the CO sees the evidence at the interview. The biggest disadvantage of frontloading is that you put your fiance at risk in the interview and responsible for knowing everything exactly, including the timeline. So there might be higher risk for inconsistency. Unknown whether providing a timeline when not requested helps or hurts a case (because timelines are sometimes requested when they doubt the relationship).

Some say that if you have red flags to address, you should frontload. But what if you have few negatives? It's possible that in that case frontloading might be more risky.

How many years of living in the USA?

Let's say I get a conditional permanent residence status on January 1, 2010, when can I apply for citizenship (marriage-based to US citizen)?

After visa is issued, what are the second set of shots for?

Is it for everyone or is it dependent on the person?

While age is not THE factor, it has to be a major factor since the government profiles.

Now you have Departments of State and Homeland Security involved with immigration.

This is one thing I forgot to check when I was in VN. Will a fax machine bought in the US work in Vietnam,

provided the electric plug is correct voltage. Are faxes to and from Vietnam done the same as in the US? Meaning, are the phone lines themselves in VN same as the US and can faxes be sent through normal phone connection like it is done here?

Thanks.

Wow awesome month... CO's are feeling Generous for the Holidays!!! Merry Christmas to all!!

My fiance said at one of the windows, it looked like most people were getting pink. But it's one of those things

where you wonder, do you want to interview at that window because it has to stop giving pinks eventually...

According to Ha, they stated that lack of engagement party (Dinh Hon), Ha didn't know my supervisor's name, and did not answered the month we met accurately. In the timeline I had stated we met in March but chronologically we started with April being a significant event (as in exchanged pictures). Ha answered April instead of March, not realizing that they would nit pick at the subtle differences.

I will most definitely post an update once Ha is up and can give me a scanned copy.

They nit picked at those 2 questions because those questions are matters of fact. There can be only one date for Dam Hoi and only one date for when you both met. Now if don't understand the question, have to ask for clarification or respond that you met in March and exchanged pictures in April. But I think asking about the supervisor's name is intended to trip people up because it is an answer that seems to be memorized instead of known because supervisors change over time. It might show that both people talk to each other about work, but it really has no other point.

Not sure what white forms are for, and also what the green forms some people received are for. Anyoe know?

Already have fasteners. Don't like the folders because if you have to remove one sheet in the middle you have to remove a lot of documents; it takes too long. Wish there were some 2-ring with the rings at the top, but that has the same document flexibility as a 3-ring binder. Contacted office depot catalog and they couldn't find it. Maybe it doesn't exist.

I've heard that older people like 70+ can visit relatively easy with age being a big factor.

So no one had fiance's relative attend the wedding in USA?

From what people have said on this board before... after the interview the beneficiary was able to talk to the CO and explain to them that they live far away from Saigon and they it would be a burden to come back a week later to get the visa. I guess depending on CO they will allow you to pick up the visa the day after.

It appears the interviewer is the only person with the power to do that. So right after the interview and the congratulations, have to ask quickly, efficiently, directly and nicely. Like most everything in life, you gotta ask or else you would get the standard pickup time. How else would they know? But of course expect nothing.

Is it very difficult to get a temporary visitor visa for this situation?

Are there any normal binders for two-hole punched documents (punched at the top)

The only binders I see look strange with a stick to open and close the rings.

Are there any that look like a shortened version of the three-ring binders but

with two rings at the top and oriented like a notepad.

Chose to go also around 8am. Didn't want to look too desperate or fanatical.

You were ill prepared. In the case of Vietnam, you must be completely prepared on every level because they want to deny you. Visa fraud is widespread there.

You are going to have to start reading up on this website and learn the ropes and be patient because you have a long battle ahead of you. Good luck.

Something wrong with the picture that someone ill prepared for interview or don't interview well has their file closed, without much real chance of comeback. But it is what it is.

I agree with Jim regarding the whirlwind type relationship. But for us, it was the opposite. We met online in March. Visit her for the first time in April and also ask her mom for marriage during my first visit. I made a 2nd visit for the interview in November. The whole process is about 9 months.

Our relationship did not have much red flags to begin with. That's the reason i brought up the time issue. Short time span was our only redflag.

1) both single

2) no relatives in the US

3) was not introduce by family members

4) both speak english and vietnamese

5) both have good paying job and held a college degree

6) no kids, no previous marriage

I think having no kids or previous marriage can only help. I'm not sure that having relatives in the US, or being introduced by family members is a red flag. I think having a college degree helps in the sense that people with college degrees tend to do better with the form-filling, document prep,

interview, and visa process.

We are both very very happy right now. Never thought I would really be glad to get a "pink slip

in last weeks of December". It seems like a long time ago when I was newbie here. But this forum helped a lot. Thanks everyone. So I'll add a few thoughts to help others in the future...

We absolutely did not frontload the I-129. I just sent in a few pictures, boarding passes,

and whatever forms required. The file was really thin. For question #18, I fit the entire answer in three sentences in the square box because that is what I thought they wanted. Usually, government forms say to use additional paper if necessary, but that question didn't state that so I didn't (although question 19 does). No timeline or narrative or anything like that. But this specific situation doesn't mean that frontloading is bad. Just want to clarify that frontloading is not a necessity, so if you did not frontload don't go crazy. Had I known about this forum earlier I probably would have frontloaded. A lot of questions were asked during the interview. Because no frontload, a lot of evidence was brought to the interview, but the interviewer only looked through them briefly. Even though they didn't really look at the evidence, I think having the evidence and knowing all about the evidence made my fiance more calm and confident.

She says some people she talked to in the big room looked dazed and confused because they were not very prepared because they outsourced their work or their fiance in the US handled everything. That is why I strongly recommend that unless you are very sloppy with forms or have unusual circumstances that warrant using a lawyer or dich vu, do the forms yourselves. That way, both you and fiance know what is what, and where everything is. Also you would control the quality of the work, and well as the speed at which it is done. Do the forms yourselves, but if you need advice of course ask (most dich vu in US give a lot of free information if you call them and it costs a few bucks to talk to dich vu in Vietnam). But some fullservice dich vu might be helpful for fiances who are not local to HCM since they literally take you to the hospital, bank, consulate, sit down and organize documents and interview prep.

Is it first come first served?

We're the last one in 2009?

from the time you walk up to the consulate...

Anyone with additional info on interview day process/envirnonment?

Are all the required documents and all the evidence collected at the window, or just the required documents? And which window, the one on the outside of the consulate?