Pohtaytoh

Yea, it's definitely through Vietnamese Government, and they can be fairly fickle about you jumping through the proper hoops to get approved for renewal.

Congrats!

Your dates don't add up, and they don't match your VJ timeline. According to your VJ timeline it's been about a year since your I-130 was approved. Your VJ timeline also says you were married in August, 2009, rather than 2010. If you meant 2009 in the paragraph above then you got married three months after you returned rather than six months.

Anyway, living with your wife for nearly two years is a good thing. Have you maintained a domicile in the US for the affidavit of support?

Yes, I meant 2009 in my post. I believe the I-130 is the NOA1, and I forget the exact date we received the NOA2 so I just counted when we received the IV bill. Yes, I've still got a domicile in the US.

Will you immediately have a job to fulfill your financial obligation once your family gets to the States?

I disagree with lots of people saying just because you two were living for a period of time meaning the relationship is genuine. The C/O knows people often "arrange" for this type of marriage (especially if you're a Vietkieu, NOT white). The reason why they want you to make a lot of trips (meaning costing you time and $$$) before submitting your petition is because scammers tend not to have enough patience to do this, plus the total cost will eat up the profit they want to make from the marriage fraud.

But why you ask us for opinion? You've already made up your mind (or someone did that for you). Shouldn't you ask this type of question BEFORE deciding submitting your petition? There's NOTHING you can do to correct any mistake at this point and time. Cross your fingers and hope for the best.

I do have plans to work when I get back. I already understand the second paragraph which is why I mention the 3+ visits, but I don't understand why you would even say what you did in the third paragraph. I'm simply letting people know about our status and asking for opinions on how it would look according to people who are well versed in the visa process. Whether or not it would affect our petition wouldn't have changed anything because I wanted to live with my wife. I didn't want to stay apart for nearly a year. So, NO, it wasn't a question we needed to ask before. Presuming that someone made up my mind for me seems like you're suggesting that our marriage is fraud, is that what you're getting at? Anyway, I'll still cross my fingers and continue to put together everything for the big day.

Thanks for your support everyone else!

Sitting in my email this morning was a letter from NVC stating the case was completed and forwarded to HCM Embassy. They also listed our interview date April 28! It's been 6 months since we received our NOA2 and paid both the fees. We have copies of all the paperwork we've submitted so far, and I'm going to start putting together our relationship timeline + both our 10 year residencies. The only thing I'm unsure about is my visit history.

We met in February 2010 and decided fairly early that we would get married. We had a Dam Hoi in March, then I had to return to the states to file taxes. I came back in May and have stayed here since (two years now). We got married about six months later, and have been living together under my Grandmother's house since it's a fairly large building with plenty of vacant rooms. Does this count for or against me since they usually require a USC to visit around 3+ times a year? We've been living together as a happy married couple for over a year and a half now.

My visa is only a tourist visa, but I've been allowed to renew about 8 times so far. We have a notarized photocopy of it with the back full of the renewal stamps.

Unfortunately, I have to go renew my visa tomorrow, but I'm picking up flowers and possibly chocolate on the way home. On the 15th, however, we're heading to Hoi An and staying the night. It happens to be the only time of the month where they only use lanterns for lighting at night. I hear it's a beautiful sight

congrats dude!

Yes, the cost of living is way different, but many people over here do realize that. Unfortunately, there's a preconception that everyone is rich in the U.S. Hearing stories that even poor people receive money even without needing to work doesn't help. I try to explain about welfare, but people will want to believe what they want to believe it seems.

LIVING IN VIETNAM

Mr. Saigon (HCMC)

Ralph&Hanh (HCMC)

Jeromebinh (HCMC)

CURRENTLY IN VIETNAM

Pohtaytoh (Long&Linh)(Da Nang)

GOING TO VIETNAM

Nodink................. Jan XX, 2011

joenlemy .............. Dec 23,2010 - Jan02,2011

Mine is considering nailtech or hairstylist

Hey! We're in the same boat as you. We got our IV bill on Sept 2 and it went to PAID on Sept 3. We haven't heard anything since. We did encounter one issue when I called in after a month and the machine said they were still waiting for our IV payment because of some cover letter sent in august. But, when I was finally able to reach an operator, they said our case was completed. Though, I'm currently in VN so we've been waiting together. Like was mentioned, we just review details about our paperwork and my details (family, work, etc) while we wait for the interview date. It's likely we won't hear anything until at least January. Hopefully we get good news for the start of the New Year :]

Potaytoh, You need to call your embassy there and ask them what the residency requirements are for you there. While most embassies require that you officially have residency in the country in which you are filing DCF from, there are some that will still allow you to file if you are on renewable tourist visas if you can prove that you are actually living in the country. You do this by copying the pages in your passport that have the exit & entry visa stamps from when you make visa runs, apartment contract, letter from your landlord stating you live there, bank statement from local bank, bills with your name and address on them, etc. But you need to call your embassy because whether or not you can apply for DCF without officially having residency varies from country to country. But first and foremost verify whether or not you have residency or a renewable tourist visa.

Wow, thanks a lot for the informative reply. I'll go ahead and contact them. Hopefully I'll be able to use my current visa, it has all the stamps and my uncle has been keeping a log for the local officials to show I've been living with him.

I was hoping for a bit more help than this :<

Check the information for Vietnam here.

Most countries allow DCF do so for foreigners with cwertain types of visas, spousals, work, students. NOT tourist.

I've already read the info there, as well as the guides. How would I know that I'm supposedly a tourist? I've asked my uncle to help me get set up to be a permanent resident, and he told me that this is how they would allow me to stay. Maybe there's a communication error, and I need to get some kind of card. But, there's not really an indicator that I'm here temporarily.

Hey there! Like many, I'm a long time lurker. I only just registered because it's almost time to start filing and the real questions are popping up now

I'm a USC of Vietnamese descent married a little over a month to a Vietnam Citizen. We're currently still waiting for our marriage registration/certificate to finish processing. Sept 22nd is when they let us know if it was approved. I've been living in Vietnam for 4 months so far.

So, we're planning on filing for DCF once I've been here 6 months. The thing is I currently have to renew my visa every 3 months in order to keep staying in Vietnam. As far as I can tell, it's just a normal visa. Not tourist nor student. My uncle keeps a log for them letting them know I live with him it has dates and the address where I stat and his signature. This, according to him, lets me keep renewing and staying here as long as I want.

I have doubts on whether this is enough for me to file DCF once I hit 6 months. Would I need to get a card that says I'm a permanent resident?

Here's a rundown/timeline:

Feb 6: Meeting for the first time. Saw her while visiting my uncle (they are neighbors).

- We really hit it off and see each other everyday. Going on dates and hanging out.

March 12: Engagement ceremony after approval from her parents and family.

April 5: I fly back to the states to file taxes and prepare money for the wedding/staying in vietnam.

- We keep in contact with yahoo msgr and webcams

- Preparations are made for me to live with my Uncle for the duration

- Also start paperwork for the marriage registration/certificate

May 19: I return to Vietnam and live with my uncle while continuing to see her almost daily

- Arrangements and scheduling/booking start flying

- We choose the dress to rent, and take pre-wedding photos to display at the wedding

- During this time-frame she is also being converted from Buddhist to Catholic.

- We finish almost all paperwork for the marriage registration/certificate

- I have to wait for my mom to fly over so we can go to Saigon to pick her up as well as visit the US embassy for my statement of single status (It's expensive to fly so we do this all in one go). Mom also brings over papers from the priest that baptized me in the US and documents from the District Clerk stating I didn't have a Marriage Certificate on file in the US.

July 12: She is baptized and confirmed at the same time

- The place for the wedding reception is booked, sent out invites, the rest of my family flies over for the wedding

August: We attempt to file the marriage registration/certificate and are informed that my statement of single status is missing the Vietnamese notary stamp&sticker from Saigon. He refuses to accept our documents.

- We make plans to get the stamp&sticker once we my family leaves in a few weeks. They wanted to take the two of us around Saigon to celebrate our getting married anyway

August 7: Wedding Ceremony at the same church

August 9: Wedding Reception

- We now live together on the 3th floor of my uncles house

August 24: We get return with my statement of single status for the stamp&sticker. They inform us to return in 2 days. Our plane is scheduled to leave the next day.

- We re-book the flight for 3 days later incase it takes too long or something goes wrong.

August 26: Early in the morning we pick up the statement of single status with the literal stamp&sticker on the back.

- It was possible for us to re-book the flight for that day so we could just leave, but they wanted to charge us again so we sat around a whole day.

August 27: We return home (which, btw is Da Nang) and immediately submit the forms. He sees the stamp&sticker (the only thing missing in the first place) and files it.

Sept 8: We are called in to be interviewed. (I guess the purpose is similar to filing for a Visa) They separated us and interviewed us individually. Simply asked us questions about the other. Dates, family, work etc.

- They tell us to return on Sept 22nd to find out if we're approved.

Present

Thanks!