WeatherEmperor

As happy as I was last week, I am equally sad this week. Thu was feeling feverish this week so I told her to take a few days to rest up. She told me she got sick from a mosquito bite. Getting sick from mosquito bites in a steamy tropical country is usually bad. I was born in a South American tropical country kinda like Vietnam so I know these things are never good. I just found out that Thu has been diagnosed with sốt xuất huyết...aka dengue

I can't talk to any of her family members to find out what is going on with my fiancee because none of them speak any English and I cannot speak VN. I don't know how severe it is. I don't know her condition. I don't know anything! What I do know is that dengue "can" be reaaaaaal bad news if the symptoms are severe enough. I get a random text message from her from her hospital bed but nobody answers my phone calls... I feel so helpless right now. I cannot do anything to help my fiancee and that really hurts my ego right now. It feels like Life is throwing us one final curve ball to make our lives more difficult. From my family going apesh&t about me going to Vietnam out of fear I will get killed by terrorists, to having our relationship nearly destroyed by Thu's ex, to being stuck at USCIS for nearly 6 months and finally dealing with AP for 8 months...I knew it was too good to be true when Thu got the Pink last week. In my mind I was like 'this can't be true. There has to be something else that will f&ck our plans up'. Truth be told...it came in the form of dengue. I swear, John Grisham could not have written a better script than this. It is totally beyond belief how wrong everything is going.

I don't want lots of money. I don't want any fancy cars. I just want to live with my Thu. Maybe I am expecting too much out of life...

Your wife is good. No problems at all. Congrats on the visa. Best of luck in your lives together!

Congratz..perseverance paid off..welcome to the Club (I saw you just added your name to the list just below me

Yes thanks! I am hoping to become a more active participant on this forum. Hopefully somebody new will be able to learn from our past experiences and help them in their own visa journey. Thu submitted her passport and paid the EMS fee. She should get the passport with visa in about a week or so.

Now that my journey through AP is complete, I want to add a few final words of wisdom. I spent 8 months in this AP nightmare. AP is perhaps the most difficult part of the immigration process mainly because you cannot be with each other and also because of the complete unknown. You have no idea what the Consulate is doing with your case for months and it can be enough to make a person go mad. There is no magic solution on how to deal with AP. The only thing I can advise others is to dig very deep into your heart of hearts and find the strength to be strong. It truly takes mental toughness. There were times when I wanted to give up. I didn't want to do this anymore. Thu and I got into silly arguments about such trivial things. But we found a way to rely on each other's love for each other to get past those silly arguments. Eventually you learn that no matter what happens, you go through it TOGETHER. The last thing you want is to not be on the same page...and if you don't like the results you start blaming each other. No matter what the outcome of your journey is, go through it TOGETHER. Fail together or succeed together. Remember what you are fighting for. Remember what you are sacrificing so much for. Remember the prize that is waiting for you when you succeed...your loved one. In the end, all the battles you fought and all the obstacles you overcame will only make the victory taste so much sweeter!

Now I will do my best to help others just as I was helped the past 3 years. I look forward to helping all of you in any way possible. The people on Visa Journey are the best and if we work together, I hope that more people will experience the joy and jubilation of being united with their loved ones. Thanks again. God bless

congrats? pretty awesome we both got pink!

my question now is how long till they mail her the visa?

Make sure that you do not book any flight tickets until your girl gets the visa in the palm of her hand. I will make sure I get Thu to understand this as well.

congrats? pretty awesome we both got pink!

my question now is how long till they mail her the visa?

It could take a week or so. I am planning for the worst case scenario....2 weeks

Once again thanks to everybody who gave us their support. This was one of the most difficult things in my life to deal with but we finally conquered this obstacle. We will celebrate for a while and in a few days we will start making travel plans once she gets the visa. Once again...THANKS!

i cant believe im saying this but pink is my new favorite color!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shes got pink after a 3 hour wait they took her passport and made her pay and gave her a pink

Hey congrats to you to! We both got Pink on the same day. It feels like I am celebrating a birthday with somebody. Congrats to you and your wife

Thu confirmed! It's pink!

Are you freaking kidding me!!! Yeah!!!!!

You guys are the best! I won't be able to sleep tonight. I'm calling my parents at the crack of dawn. Thanks EVERYBODY...especially to Scott, Curtis and even you Jim. You guys never let me quit. I love it

VJ Members who made it out of AP & results:

· Lindal24 ________________7/8/2009 - 10/7/2009 - 91 days in AP - APPROVED

CR1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & List of Relatives

· FrednDaoHoney__________1/17/2009 - 10/15/2009 - 271 days in AP - APPROVED

· JohnCali9 _______________8/6/2009 - 10/21/2009 - 76 days in AP - APPROVED

K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Ex-wife's situation & Timeline

· MichaelAndKha___________8/15/2009 - 10/21/2009 - 67 days in AP - Denied

K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Timeline

Reasons for Denial: 1.Inconsistent photos, 2.No engagement ceremony, 3.Lack of marriage ceremony details

· Andy (not a VJ member)____8/17/2009 - 10/23/2009 - 67 days in AP - Denied

K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & Timeline

· Minh&Nhan (not a VJ member)__09/07/2009 - 10/23/2009 - 46 days in AP - APPROVED

· Huong and Phung_________9/8/2009 - 10/27/2009 - 49 days in AP - Denied

CR1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & Timeline Rebuttal APPROVED over 1 year later.

· JeromeBinh______________8/20/2009 - 10/28/2009 - 69 days in AP - Denied

K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Ex-wife's situation, Timeline & List of Relatives

Reasons for Denial: 1.Inconsistent Photos, 2.Communiciation not credible, 3.One visit, 4.Small engagement, 5.Engagement shortly after meeting, 6.B has 3 relatives in US, but only listed 2; P lived close to B's relatives, 7.Lack of marriage ceremony details

· Ly Trinh _________________8/21/2009 - 10/28/2009 - 68 days in AP - Denied

CR1 Visa - First blue RFE: Timeline

· Ituan__________________8/10/2009 - 09/15/2009 - 36 days in AP - Denied Additional interview granted for 11/11 2nd denial

K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & Timeline

· ToanTien________________8/20/2009 - 12/18/2009 120 days in AP APPROVED

CR1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & Timeline-- co-sponsor...

· Vi&Art____________________8/5/2009 K1 Visa - First blue RFE: Proof of Bona fide Relationship & Timeline No results reported.

· Robert & Mai_______________03/04/10 - 3/30/2010 no docs required--26 days in AP APPROVED

· ScottThuy__________________03/01/2010 - 9/23/2010 207 days in AP K1- timeline, ex-spouse address,police cert.......... 7/20/10 Phone calls from Consulate to P, P's Ex, B, B's family-- 8/8/10 Investigators visit Thuys Residence. APPROVED

· AnhBob___________________12/07/2009 - 10/08/2010 306 days in AP CR1- proof of bonafide, timeline, info about ex, info about child... Denied

· ViQuoc___________________ 05/26/2010 - 10/22/2010 150 days in AP CR-1- Cosponsor...... APPROVED

· 2X2Y2Z__________________07/12/2010 - 11/12/2010 APPROVED CR1- timeline, medical results......... 123 Days 9/15/10 Investigators visit B's Residence

· Ronnie&Hang______________12/29/2009 - APPROVED

K1- timeline, medical results from Cho Ray (sputum test required)....308 Days

. WeatherEmperor______________06/20/2011 - 03/06/2012. 259 days in AP. Results: APPROVED

K1 Visa. Blue Slip documents: 1)time-line, 2)10 year residency(petitioner), 3)10 year residency(beneficiary), 4)letter of explanation detailing matchmaking agency where we met.

If there is anybody I forgot to add, please copy this...and add yourself to the list.

Thu just sent me a text...that she got the pink!!! I am trying to confirm it by calling her...but she is refusing to answer my calls. #######? Vietnamese women sometimes.....

Anyways, I am just trying to make sure that she did not make a mistake in her text. Here is a copy of her text:

"Hallo baby I get pink paper. But iam tired so much I wish you can hold me. g9"

Yeah her English sucks.I just tried calling her 3 times but she does not answer me. I know how to read her text messages...but I need confirmation from her just to be sure. My goodness if this is true, this is unbelievable. Unfreaking believable we did this! Finally, this ridiculous wait is over!!! :dance: :dance:

How difficult is the interview? Did any one hire any Dịch vụ in Vietnam to get a better chance at the interview? I heard people say if you have kid they would let you pass the interview without any question beside the questioning of your kid of course.

The interview can be an easy one or a difficult one. It depends on the amount of red flags you have. Make sure your fiance knows everything about you. You never know what questions the CO will ask.

In regards to have a kid to pass the interview, all I will say about that is spend less time listening to those "people" and spend more time reading the Visa Journey forums for advise.

will keep everyone posted hopefully both of us see pink after tomorrow and more blue! fingers crossed the timeline and 10yr was all they needed from us!

Good luck and more importantly...get pink!

Have her take her passport just in case.

That is exactly what Thu wanted to do...but I wasn't sure. If she does bring her passport, do you think I should also bring the EMS fee? How much is the EMS fee anyways and do they accept cash in VN Dong or is it Check only?

That is the same day that my fiance will be going to the Consulate to submit the Updated police and medical papers. After that, we get to wait a week or so to get the pink. I hope both of us get pink. Good luck and please keep us posted

Alaska101,

I understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, the Consulate does not give a ####### about what you or anybody else thinks about if a Dam Hoi is appropriate or not. They only thing that they care about is preventing visa fraud...which is what they are paid to do. Your did not do a Dam Hoi before filing the I-129F petition...which could put you at a disadvantage because there is a high chance that the CO will reject any evidence you submit at the interview. If you had done a proper Dam Hoi...and put proof of the Dam Hoi with your I-129F petition, the Consulate would not be able to hold that against you at the interview. In your case, I do somewhat understand you in a sense that a Dam Hoi at this stage could be pointless because there is a big chance that the Consulate will reject the evidence at the interview.

Having said that, I think it would be wise if you follow the advise that was given to you. Most of us, including myself, have gone through this experience before and are very knowledgeable about this topic. In my opinion I think you should go ahead and do a proper Dam Hoi and keep all the evidence.

After all, you were the person that posted this question on Visa Journey and therefore members on this forum will share their wisdom with you. Best of luck!

It won't be easy but the B1 tourist visa would be the way to go. She would have to show very strong ties to Vietnam but even that does not guarantee she will get the B1. I know a few people that live in my fiance's town that looked like they had very strong financial ties to Vietnam...but they were denied a tourist visa.

I see that your petition has already been approved. This means that you did not get a chance to front-load proof of an engagement ceremony into your petition package. There is nothing you can do about that now but I think it would be a good idea to try to do the ceremony before your fiance's interview. This way you can bring proof to the interview and hope the CO accepts it. If the CO will deny your case for not having an engagement ceremony will probably depend on the amount of red flags you have. Red flags can be considered previous marriages, your fiance having family in the US and having close members of the family arranging the meeting between you. If you have a chance, try to get the ceremony done before your interview and wish the best of luck. Good luck

After she submits the papers she will receive a letter from the consulate asking her to submit her passport to the consulate and to pay the EMS fee.

Oh boy, I have to worry about another letter getting lost in the mail. I guess after she submits the police and medical papers, I will have to call DOS every day to find out when they send the letter asking for the passport. So they send a letter requesting the passport and EMS fee but no pink paper? Interesting....

How long does it usually take before they send out the letter when they ask for the passport? Maybe a week or so?

Thank you everyone including Scott and Curtis. This literally was an emotional roller coaster. Thu is on a mission to get the medical updated. She actually took the initiative in January to update the police paper at that time. So technically speaking all we need to update is the medical paper. She used IOM the first time and she said that they are very smooth but just in case something happens she always has Cho Ray as an option. She also has plenty of coffee money just in case they have a hard time finding an available slot in their appointment books

Now, once she submits the police and medical paper what happens next? Will she get the pink slip in the mail or will she receive another letter asking her to pick up the pink at the Consulate?

After all the confusion and a phone call from a CO at 4am, I am happy to report that we have received a document from the Consulate that requests we update the Police and Medical papers. From past experiences, it would appear that this is the final indicator that a pink slip is coming after we submit the documents. Although Thu never received the document in the mail, the CO that I spoke with was very nice to email it to Thu and myself. I generally had a negative opinion of the HCMC Consulate but now I feel pretty good about them because there are a handful of CO's like the one I spoke with that went out of his way to make sure that we were satisfied with their service and that we had that document emailed to us right away. I give him two thumbs up for that effort :thumbs:

Anyways, the document was printed on a regular blue slip and it states the following:

"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, as amended: Section 221 (g) of the Act prohibits the issuance of a visa to anyone who has failed to present the documents required in connection with the visa application, or who has failed to submit sufficient credible evidence to support the claimed petitionable relationship. The following remarks apply in your case.

* Please provide a police certificate from the Department of Justice office.

* Please submit your medical examination results.

* R-1: Please turn in the requested documents (and an English translation of each document, if applicable) with this form at Window B, Immigrant Visa Unit on any working day between 13:00 and 14:00, (entry at 12:30). Please do not submit anything until you have ALL of the items requested. If you do not submit ALL of the requested items at the same time, processing delays will result. Consular officers will not make a decision on your case until all of the items we requested are submitted. If you are unable to obtain a requested item, submit a written explanation. Please label, itemize and retain copies of all materials submitted."

The document was signed and dated Feb 28, 2012...which means that the CO that I spoke with on the phone literally created this after our conversation and emailed it to Thu and myself. He even told me that our case is now finished with the investigations and after we submit the documents, we are "good to go". This is the biggest indication that a pink slip is coming. Forgive my frustration from last night that I posted in the AP thread. All the frustration was building inside me like a pressure cooker and it just came out. Both of us feel soooo relieved right now...but we still have work to do. I suppose this document is kinda like the unofficial pink slip because we know once we submit them, we will get the pink. Thu is equipped with PLENTY of coffee money so she should get the medical and police papers within a few days. Now that the worst is behind us, we can finally prepare for the pink slip. I will update you guys as soon as that happens. Thanks for all your support!!!

Also, Thu said that the lady at the Window does not answer questions about our case. The lady said that if you have questions about our case, that you can only email the Consulate. I dont know who I should be more upset with, Thu or the Consulate because I clearly instructed Thu NOT to go there to inquire about case status. I told her to go there and REQUEST the paper they apparently sent out.

This is so unbelievable. You totally cannot script this ####### any better than this.

Another update

Thu just called me and she said the consulate does not know about sending documents. How the freaking hell could they not know if they sent documents or not??? I swear to everybody when i called DOS they told me documents were sent to my fiance on feb14. This is making me sick. Now i gotta call DOS again to see if maybeeee they made a mistake. I am telling you tthat I am sick and tired of dealing with these a$$ clowns. Just give us our s$it already!!!

Can thu just get the police and medical updated and submit them anyways??

UPDATE:

I just got off the phone with DOS. After a brief hold the lady came back on the phone and said that the Consulate sent a packet to Thu's residence on February 14th because the Consulate is requesting additional documents. I asked the lady if her system shows what type of documents the Consulate is requesting in the packet they sent and she said that her computer system does not show her what the documents are...but she suspects that the Consulate is requesting "a few expired documents". I have a hunch that these expired documents are indeed the Police and Medical papers...because those are the only documents I know that are expired.

She said the documents were sent on Feb 14th but Thu never received anything. I guess the local mail carrier is being a typical POS again. Should I have Thu go to her post office and hassle the hell out of them to get the documents??? Or maybe I can send Thu to the Consulate so that she can get the paper herself??

I have a feeling that this is the big moment we have been waiting for. What should we do??

So here we are 8 months into AP. Since the Feb 3 phone calls from the Consulate to Thu's residence there has been dead silence. Thu has been reading cases online and she is telling me that all the cases that were stuck in AP like ours are finally getting worked on like ours. She tells me that many cases reported the Consulate made phone calls in early February. Some of them have already received letters to update their medical and police papers. Also some of these cases were processed after our case and we still have not heard anything back. To make it even more strange, my family and I have yet to receive ANY phone calls from the Consulate. The Consulate only called Thu and her family one time and that was Feb 3. I think I will call DOS first thing in the morning to find out what is going on. Should I also do another Congressional inquiry to help find out what is going on because now I am getting a bit worried

the wait is killin me

My fiance submitted the documents for our blue slip over 8 months ago and we are still waiting lol! I know how you feel. I know this is easier said than done but try as hard as you can to think positive. This visa process can really make a person go crazy. Be strong and get the pink!