BurningFinger

It's not visa fraud if she's actually going to school here while on her student visa. Her intent to use the visa to go to school, which she will be doing, not to come here for marriage only.

Also, CR-1 is just as good of an option as K-1, it's for the OP to decide which one they want to go with. Both have pros and cons.

No. It is not fraud if she uses her student visa to go to school in the US. It IS fraud is she comes to the US on the student visa with the INTENT to immigrate.....which is what the OP was suggesting came up to him as an idea. Read what the OP said in his "second" post. If the fiance intends to immigrate into the US with a student visa, it is visa fraud. She can come to the US and study all she wants. They can even get married if they want to. However in order to do the CR1 or even the K1, the fiance will have to return to Taiwan.

I just thought of one more option if anyone has experience with this, she wants to go to grad school and could come on a student visa, if she were here on a student visa could we get married in the US and change her immigration status this way. My head is spinning, I have been reading on websites all day and still don't know what to do.

Thank you,

CJ

You are very fortunate you found this website before making a big mistake. If you wish to marry your girlfriend, then you should apply for the CR1 visa. The entire process can take anywhere from 9-12 months to complete. Please study the CR1 guides carefully to get a better understanding on the process. Getting married AND adjusting status while she is in the US on a student visa is ill advised. In fact, it is visa fraud. Absolutely do NOT do this. You are free to marry her if she is in the US with a student visa, but adjusting her status because of the marriage is a big no no. You can get married in the US, but she would have to return to Taiwan. Then you can file the I-130 petition. Once that petition is approved she will be eligible to apply for the CR1 visa at the US Embassy/Consulate in Taiwan.

The immigration process takes time. There is no quick way to do this. If you do the K1 or CR1, it will take many months to complete the process. That is just the way it is and you must prepare yourself for this if you decide to go down this path. Please begin to study to CR1 guides carefully by going to the following link: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1.

Come back to ask more questions after you have done so. Best of luck~

If there is a quota system, Vietnam probably gets more than their fair share because of the guilt America has for its role in the war.

As for frontloading, it is based on the theory that more information is better for the case. It doesn't explore that some of the information can be bad, not relevant, or not presented correctly (bad timeline) and can harm the case. This could create warnings out of thin air for the consulate to analyze. Including the timeline initially is a gambit because timelines typically are requested after the interview if the consulate believes that the relationship might not be true.

Front-loading is based on addressing red flags at the petition stage. The redder the red flags, the more you should think about front-loading. If you don't have red flags, maybe forget about it. I don't think it has much to do with more information being better. I think this is where a lot of the confusion about what front-loading really is comes from. In theory, front-loading is done to either overcome the CO's suspicion or to take away ammo from the CO to deny the case. Those who front-load do so because of the belief that visa cases are judged by the documentation provided with the petition before the interview ever takes place. If this is indeed true, front-loading gives the petitioner a "chance" to prove whatever it is he/she is trying to prove, since there is no guarantee that evidence will be accepted at the interview. That's all it is: An opportunity to present your case and defend yourself before ever being judged by those evil CO's

The dark side of front-loading is exactly as you stated: including documents that are presented incorrectly. The time-line would be a good example. Putting a notarized time-line in your petition, in my opinion, would cause suspicion with a CO. How did you know about a time-line? Why did you include it if it is not part of the requirements? Instead, use the requirements as your biggest weapon. For the I-129F, Question 18 is a perfect opportunity to explain the beginning and evolution of the relationship in a time line format if one wishes to do so. Submitting documents that your fiance's uncle introduced you two is fine. But submitting documents that he paid for all the airplane tickets, hotels, and other expenses to arrange your first ever meeting would NOT be a good idea.....

I actually forgot to add one thing. It would not surprise me to know that they did indeed have a quota system. Based on the fraud cases they see on a daily basis, perhaps they get together and say they will deny x-number of visas today. I don't feel this way, but all I am saying is that this would NOT surprise me one bit

Previous experiences from those that have gone before us shows that the HCMC Consulate is capable of just about anything. We make assumptions of what procedures the Consulate follows based upon the treatment some of those have been through at the interview. Without actually working or having worked inside the Consulate as an employee or personally knowing an employee inside the Consulate, nobody will ever really know if such a quota system exists or not. Perhaps due to the behavioral patterns the HCMC Consulate shows, some believe there is a quota in place. Maybe there is. Maybe there isn't. Fact is, none of us work inside the Consulate so we don't have the slightest idea what really goes on at the heart of their visa adjudication process or procedure.

Look, I understand the HCMC Consulate is one of the most difficult one's on the planet. Although I don't always like their ways of handling visa's, I do understand where it is coming from. Those visa fraud scamming morons are the ones that made things this way. And because it is so difficult for us to understand why the Consulate behaves the way they do, the natural thing to do is to try to find answers. Honestly guys, I don't think we will ever know what really goes on in there. I think the best thing anybody can do is to take ALOT of time learning the visa process and also learn from other people's mistakes and apply those lessons to your own case.

I think the above posts pretty much sum it all up. Each case is unique and what worked for someone may or may not work for you. Just take a real honest look at your own case from the CO's point of view. What do you think would be considered red flags and would those red flags be enough to cause a potential visa denial? It is never going to be an easy decision to make since we have several members in this forum that have gotten their visas approved with heavily front-loaded petitions and several members have gotten their visas approved with just the bare minimums in the petition. If you feel that you have too many red flags, then you may need to consider front-loading the petition. If you feel that you do not have many red flags, then you may not have to consider front-loading your petition. Good luck!

You can just get your pictures printed 4 x 6 at Walgreens or whatever. Then just use a color photo copy machine and copy like 5-6 pictures per page on Letter size paper. The I-129F instructions say that you can submit copies of evidence. They do not require originals. If you want to submit the originals anyways, I don't think it would hurt, but I would keep all originals if possible.

It seems that to heavily front load as I have seen so often here is pretty much to ensure a blue slip and being sent back but forcing them to resend it back to be processed again as the front loading had the red flag info. I guess that is a plan after all. Lets all acknowledge our red flags that WE deem we have. Then heavily front load the petition to answer the red flags that WE seem to have so we can make sure that the consulate sends it back and then we can have USCIS resend the package and we drag it on. This way maybe then we can win by outlasting the consulate and they just get tired of messing with the same case.

From the blues I have been seeing and the asking for additional info wanted is the same I had and I sent mine and got the pink right away. Now with all this heavy front loading I see the same blues requesting the same things but now they are in AP. Twice someone received a blue asking for the same two things I had to send in but they get into AP when they return and give the additional info. Is there a connection?

You visa was approved without front-loading the petition. Jim's visa was approved with a heavily front-loaded petition. What does this teach us? No 2 case are alike. Like I said before in a previous post, there is a member in this VN sub-forum that got his visa approved with just the bare minimum. It is also worth nothing that he had NO red flags. He and his fiance had never been married before, did not have any kids, were not introduced by family members, held high income jobs and the fiance had no family living in the US. The only thing that resembled a red flag in his case was that he got engaged to his fiance 1 month after meeting on a dating website. This meeting on short notice almost completely defies the conventional wisdom of having a lengthy pre-nuptial relationship.....but it was approved anyways. This is an example of where I would agree with you 100%: The lower the amount of red flags, the less necessary it becomes to front-load.

luckytxn, maybe you just got lucky at the interview. Maybe you didn't and it was meant to be. We will never know the answer to this. I do however see your point that front-loading can cause problems at the interview stage. The thing about front-loading is that IF you are going to do it, you better be sure you do it 100% correct. Because you know what's going to happen next. You front-load, go to the interview and it gets denied and this creates the perception that it was front-loading that caused it to happen.

To front-load or not to front-load is the question. Unfortunately there is no right or wrong answer. Both ways have proven to be successful. Both ways have proven to be unsuccessful. The interesting thing is that if you do NOT front-load, you basically leave it up to the Consulate and the CO to try to find things to deny you with. Its a gamble: Will they find something or will they find nothing? 50/50 chance. If you DO front-load, you basically show all your red-flags to the CO and now you better pray to whatever invisible man you pray to at night, that the documents you front-loaded are enough to overcome these admitted red-flags.

I decided to front-load because I wanted to be on offense not defense. I will find out if it worked or not in due time. I just felt that my red flags were TOO red to ignore in my petition. If they were more like yellow flags, I would not have front-loaded. The best advise anyone can give others who are thinking about going down this lengthy and annoying immigration process through the HCMC Consulate is to get real. Would my case really look fraudulent in the eyes of a complete stranger? If so, how do I convince them that I am not fraudulent? Then you must choose to front-load or not to front-load

Applicants with few to no red flags do not have to front-load. Why? Because front-loading is done to address red flags. That is the primary purpose behind front-loading. For example, there is a member in the Vietnam sub-forum who met his fiance on the internet and got engaged 30 days later in Vietnam. He and his fiance applied for the K1 visa and it was approved. Why? Because they did not have any of the red flags consistent with visa fraud: Neither of them had ever been married before, neither had any children, both were college educated and earned a healthy income, the beneficiary had no relatives living in the US, and they were not introduced to each other by any family members. Point is, they had NO red flags. Therefore, they submitted the bare minimums and got their visa approved. We have seen so many times where visa applicants tried to submit evidence at the interview but the CO refused to look at it which is solid proof that the decision to approve or deny could made before the interview. I cannot say that this happens 100% of the time, but it does happen.That is, the CO made the decision from what was submitted in the petition, thats all. Your case may have been approved with the bare minimums, but you have to understand that each case is different. Red flags that apply to somebody else may not have applied to you. Do you honestly believe that when the beneficiary tries to submit evidence of a divorce for example at the interview to the CO, that the CO is going to welcome it with open arms? Recent denials or AP from members on this same forum suggests otherwise. To me it is about the risk. Why risk having the CO deny you for evidence that you already HAVE with you at the interview? We know for a fact that CO's are doing this so why take the chance? It makes absolutely no sense.

Front-loading, when done, should be done properly. You cannot just throw documents into your petition and expect the CO to approve the visa. It needs to be carefully organized and it needs to prove a point. Jim (JimVaVuong) is an excellent example of how to accurately front-load a petition. He properly and convincingly addressed his red flags with statements/documentation and his fiance got the pink slip. Know this: The petition stage is your BEST opportunity to show the CO who you are and what your relationship is all about. Don't expect them to sit in their chairs and let you explain and try to prove yourself at the interview. If they feel like it, they will reject evidence you bring to the interview. Why? Because they can. When you front-load, don't try to prove you are innocent of guilt. Instead try to prove that your relationship is real. Find me anybody on VJ or elsewhere that was divorced, had kids and the fiance had family members living in the US and got approved with just the bare minimums.

List the address she has lived at her entire life as I did for my wife.

I think the minimal needed should be sent as possible. Let them work to find reasons to deny. Listing red flags and/or acknowledging you have red flags shows them that you know you are in trouble. So why front load more than needed?

Personally, I do not think it would serve the OP to submit just the minimums. The HCMC Consulate holds applicants to much higher standards then the average Consulate/Embassy does because of the patterns of fraud that they see coming through their offices on a daily basis. This is even more true for applicants that have red flags that fall into specific pattern categories that the Consulate sees going on. Filing with the bare minimums puts the ball in the CO's court, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid in the first place. Letting them work to try to find reasons to deny the visa is dangerous. You absolutely do NOT want to get in a situation where you are playing games with the Consulate. Remember, the CO's are trained professionals who adjudicate visa applications for a living. They do this every single day and they know how to detect fraud. It is not a good idea to mess around with a very difficult Consulate in this way. Granted there are members on this forum that have gotten approved with just the bare minimums, but what percentage of those had red flags consistent with the fraud patterns that the HCMC Consulate sees? How many divorced applicants were granted visas with submitting the bare minimums? How many beneficiaries that have Vietnamese family members living in the US were granted visas with submitting the bare minimums? These are serious questions that need to be answered seriously.

Listing and addressing your red flags with the petition realistically has 2 effects. It can make the CO more suspicious, or it can remove the CO's suspicions. I believe the dangers of front-loading to address your red flags are that if you do not front-load hard enough evidence to overcome the CO's suspicions, this same front loaded material could be used against you by the CO. On the other hand, if the front-loaded material was enough to overcome the CO's suspicions, then they have nothing left to deny you with. They must issue the visa. Based upon what I have seen from other members that were recently approved within the last 2-3 months, I believe the reasons to front-load your petition outweigh the reasons not to front-load. Not front-loading at all leaves you completely wide open to any attack the CO wishes to unleash on you. We have seen time and time again from members posting on VJ how their fiances/spouses were denied visas because their divorces or meeting between family members were not addressed correctly. We have seen time and time again that the CO's decision is made BEFORE the interview takes place. This leaves the CO with only the documentation from the petition to make a decision. If this is truly the case, then it would be in everybody's best interest to make sure the USCIS knows EVERYTHING that the CO will know.

Hey guys,

I just got a new job (that pays more money ) and I don't know how to notify the USCIS of this job change. I don't see any forms on the USCIS website for change of employment. Should I just write up a brand new G-325A and give it to my wife when she does her interview? I know the HCMC Consulate is a tough one. They won't give my wife a hard time for this at the interview right?

A quick review of the I-129F Instructions should give you an answer. Let me quote some information for you in regards to the International Marriage Broker:

"If you met your fiancé(e) or spouse through the services of an international marriage broker, you must notify USCIS of that fact by answering Question 19 on this form. The term “international marriage broker” means a corporation, partnership, business, individual, or other legal entity, whether or not organized under any law of the United States, that charges fees for providing dating, matrimonial, matchmaking services, or social referrals between United States citizens or nationals or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States as lawful permanent residents and foreign national clients by providing personal contact information or otherwise facilitating communication between individuals.

The term international marriage broker does not include: Traditional matchmaking organizations of a cultural or religious nature that operate on a non-profit basis and in compliance with the laws of the countries in which it operates, including the laws of the United States; or Entities that provide dating services if their principal business is not to provide international dating services between United States citizens or United States residents and foreign nationals and charge comparable rates and offers comparable services to all individuals it serves regardless of the individual's gender or country of citizenship."

I do not believe that ukrainedate.com falls under the IMBRA category. The are part of a collection of international dating websites managed by Cupid Media. There is a member at the Vietnam sub-forum that got his petition and ultimately the K-1 visa approved without listing vietnamcupid.com as an international marriage broker on the I-129F. However, it would still be a great idea to inquire with the website tech support staff to find out how their international operations could affect your petition application. I am not 100% sure about this, but I believe the website has a visa assistance section once you create an account with them since the purpose of the website is to connect people internationally. I could be wrong about ukrainedate.com, but I know am sure that their sister websites such as vietnamcupid.com and singaporelovelinks.com do provide this. Best of luck!

2010 Interviews at HCMC Consulate:

MEMBER NAME................INTERVIEW DATE......RESULT............

JasonandHien (CR1)..................01-20-2010.........Blue.....Timeline....Resubmit 00-00-2010

VN10 (CR1)..............................01-21-2010.........APPROVED

Josh_A(CR1).............................01-21-2010.........Blue.....Police Cert, Parental info, Timeline....Resubmit 03-05-2010

Scottthuy (K1)...........................01-26-2010.........Blue.....Police Cert, ex's info, Timeline.....Resubmit 02-23-2010--- another police cert required will submit 2-25

VanNick (K1) .............................02-02-2010.........APPROVED

Asian206 (CR1)..........................02-02-2010.........Blue.....Timeline....Resubmit 03-03-2010

Hantinh (K1)..............................02-02-2010.........Blue.....Timeline....Resubmit 03-03-2010

Kevin and Tuyen(CR1 reaffirm)....02-05-2010........Green.....I-864, Passport Photos....Resubmit 03-05-2010

Shy1akaanh (CR1).....................03-01-2010....APPROVED!!!!!!

Robert & Mai (K1 reaffirm)...........03-04-2010

Steve & Chi (K1).........................03-15-2010

Shy1akaanh,

Congratulations on your visa approval! Could you post the interview experience for us? I know it is still early for you, but it would be much appreciated

Bear in mind that you are petitioning the USCIS for permission to have your fiance apply for a visa. You need only proof that you have met at least once in the last two years. The consulate has nothing to do with this petition, which will be acted upon by USCIS. USCIS doesn't need too many photos, nor do they need to be originals or on glossy paper. USCIS has no interest in your fiance's employment record. It asks where she has lived in the last 5 years, and that's all.

When it comes time for her to apply for her visa, the consulate's questions about her need to be answered. For the interview, evidence of your additional meetings will be helpful. Still, her work record is not relevant except to show that she is a responsible person. The consulate's main concern will be that a bona fide relationship exists, and it is not all about getting her a visa to enter the US.

Technically speaking you are correct when you say that evidence of a bonafide relationship are for the interview stage, not the petition stage. However, the OP will be dealing with the HCMC Consulate is one of the highest fraud consulates in the world. Consequently, visa applicants at the HCMC Consulate are held to much higher standards compared to the average Consulate/Embassy. There have been quite a few visa applications in the Vietnam forum that were approved with front-loaded petitions. While nobody can say with 100% certainty that the CO will always use the documentation included in the petition as a basis for deciding whether or not to issue the visa at the interview, the front-loaded material does carry a lot of weight that may be enough to influence his decision before hand. This is especially true when the front-loaded material addresses the applicant's red flags clearly and convincingly. There is a little bump of sorts in the Immigration and Nationality Act. In short, the CO is not allowed to deny a visa application based on what was already know to the USCIS at the petition stage. In other words, if a divorce by the petitioner and/or beneficiary was properly and convincingly documented with the petition and the USCIS approved that petition, then the CO cannot deny the visa for this reason since it was already know by the USCIS. This is not an exact science as the CO can still issue a Blue Slip for anything they want, but you get the point.

Having said that I do believe the reasons to front-load the petition outweigh the reasons not to front-load, especially if the petitioner/beneficiary have red flags that need to be addressed. I understand that the OP intends to file for the K1 visa while I filed for the CR1. Nonetheless, I did front-load my I-130 petition with evidence of every trip I had taken to see my fiance and then wife, including the "required" Dinh Hon engagement ceremony and then obviously my wedding evidence as well. It is worth noting that there is a member here at VJ that had the visa approved without front-loading anything. I believe he met his fiance about 1 month before having the engagement ceremony. I also believe that neither him or his fiance had ever been married before, the fiance did not have any family living in the US, and they were not introduced by family members and both had solid incomes. The aforementioned red flags are the ones that the Consulates sees the most of which is why it is advised to front-load the petition to address those correctly. We just don't know the OP's red flags to make a judgment on how much front-loading needs to be done.

Going to Singapore is no problem at all. In fact, it is one of the safest countries in the world. The Marriott Singapore is a fantastic hotel but it is pricey. Taxi's are good and get you to your destination on time. The MRT train system can bit a little bit pricey but they get the job done. The locals for the most part all speak English so asking for directions should be easy. Immigration and Customs at Changi Airport will take no more then 20-30 seconds to look over your passport and welcome you into the country. The streets are clean and the locals are kind. If Singapore is where you want to start, you are making a great choice. I understand your concern. Believe me I do. Just try to relax do a little bit of reading. If you have any other questions about Singapore or even Vietnam, do not hesitate to ask. Best wishes

journey4life,

I want to share some of my travel experiences with you. I began international traveling all by myself when I was in my early 20's. But since I had never traveled internationally all alone, I decided to go to countries like Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Holland. Holland is not close to the US, but it is not all that far away either. Once I had this experience under my belt, I began to venture to countries like Japan, Singapore and eventually Vietnam. I don't know what your travel experiences are BUT if this would be your first time traveling internationally all by yourself, I suggest that you start with countries a bit closer to home first, and then work your way to Vietnam. Just go to a Caribbean island for a week or so and see how it feels. If you like it, then venture off to further distances. In my opinion, it has more to do with you needing to "wise-up" then it does for you to "man-up". That is, get some more travel experience before flying half-way around the world all alone.

Yes Singapore is very safe. I have been there many times and English is one of the official languages of the country so from my experiences, language will not be a problem. Vietnam is also safe. The first time I went, I kept a very low profile and tried my best to respect the social and cultural norms of the people there. For my subsequent trips, I was more outgoing and relaxed.

One last thing. Nobody can judge you on your possible concerns about traveling there. You are human and these feelings are natural. The fact that you posted your concerns on VJ is your first step in addressing those concerns. Do some more reading on Google or even Wikipedia to learn more about the culture, history and people of Vietnam to get a better perspective. You can also ask a family member or friend to accompany you on your journey. There are quite a few VJ members that are currently in Vietnam or are planning on going. Perhaps you can get in touch with them to coordinate meeting up with them there so you don't feel so alone when you arrive. If you decide to go, have a great time

Scott,

I see that you will have your documents prepared for the second interview. Just give them what they want. Make sure that you include documents like utility bills, mortgage bills, etc for both you AND your ex to prove without a doubt that you do not live together and that you do not share your married name anymore. Also, make sure that both you and your ex's addresses are properly updated in the US mail system with the US Postal Service. I am sure you know what to do here so I won't go into much detail. As for the proof of bonafide, I would bring it but dont give it to them unless they ask for it. I would rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

No worries.. all of the documents are going to be ready for them next week... exactly what they are asking for in the blue slip and very detailed in addressing each of the 4 items...A government certified copy of a Ho Khau should be sufficient proof of someones address right? and for my ex we have the quit claim of our old house from the clerk, along with a recent credit card bill, her property tax bill and an affidavit from me and two other people saying we dont live together and how long.

Timeline is a done deal and the police cert is no worries.. it was missing some info and just needs to be fixed and stamped..

There is no mention of lack of proof of bonafide...

Scott,

I am sorry to hear about what happened with Thuy at the interview. I like your approach. Just give them what they want in February and see where this goes. I am surprised that the CO asked such intimate questions but what surprised me even more is the fact that they asked for documentation that you had already front-loaded with your I-129F petition. I researched the archives on VJ and could not find a case where documentation that was already included in a petition by means of front-loading, was requested again during the interview. It appears that the CO's can still issue a blue slip for front-loaded documentation. In any case, I will be anxious to see what they will do next after you submit your documents in February.

I just got the blue slip and wentthrough each item.. pretty straightforward. the issues are our ex's ... we can document that they are no longer with us with government documents... her police cert was incomplete.. it had no criminal history or lack of one mentioned so it has to be redone.. simple.. and the timeline is spot on and already there.. I guess they want to keep it all very beurocratic... not my job and I can't help you kind of thing... but I know that when I go in for the USC hour, they must not everything we say in our file... found a ticket for 1200 so I will be there for the next appointment even if it is just to drop off papers....

I have been away for a while and did some reading on some old threads and found this one. I just had to come and offer my point of view on this. I had a co-worker many years ago for a company I worked with. This is not a guy I particularly liked, but nonetheless communicated with. I do not remember all the details of his case, but he had this big thing going on in the office about how he met a Chinese girl and married her in the Philippines. I remember every single time this guy went on vacation, he went to meet her in the Philippines knowing that his girl was a Chinese national living in Beijing! He always bragged about how he would marry her and have a family with her and blah blah blah. Most of us in the office did not believe a word this guy was saying. Such an arrogant person he was. Anyways, he got married to her in Manila I think it was and applied for visa papers. I dont remember if he applied for the CR1 or K3 but most likely it would have been the K3 since his wife interviewed in the embassy in the Philippines. Anyways, some of the guys from the office and I went out to lunch with our girlfriends at the time and he shows up there with this good looking Asian girl. Turns out it is indeed the Chinese girl he bragged about every day. The dude even had the audacity to sit down at our table and say that his wife is "the hottest girl at the table" right next to my at the time girlfriend and my friends girlfriends! The nerve of this guy really!

Long story short, if what this guy did worked, then I think that the cedwards001 guy should be able to as well. He may need to front-load his petition up the wazoo, but it should be doable. Instead of submitting 20 pics, 20 emails, 20 letters, just submit everything. Hell go all out and front-load until your petition papers are like 2-3 inches thick. Hundreds of emails, hundreds of pictures, hundreds of letters, boarding passes, passport stamps, hundreds of chat logs, every single phone bill, dozens of sworn affidavits from friends/family, a highly detailed relationship time-line, list of beneficiary family living in the US, evidence of previous marriages (if any), proof of income, etc.

This can work in my opinion. He will just have to front-load like crazy. Being concerned about traveling to Vietnam is a legitimate concern and nobody can accuse you of being a coward for being a little bit worried/afraid. Like it or not, Vietnam IS a communist country and anything can happen. Just because you fell in love with somebody from Vietnam does not mean that you have to jeopardize your personal safety just to prove that you are a man and that you love her. Discuss this with your fiance and if she really loves you, she will understand your concern. Remember Carl, YOU are the one with the US Passport, not her. Take a look at the world around you and you will see there is alot of anti-Americanism going around.

In the end, I have been to Saigon and I never ran into any trouble. I was very nervous for my first ever trip to Vietnam but now I feel comfortable enough to go any time. Discuss with your fiance in detail where you both feel comfortable meeting each other and then put that plan into action. Nobody can judge you for being concerned. Think about it and make your decision. Best of lucky buddy

Bernie,

I understand. This is completely weird. When you visit the Consulate this afternoon, try to get an explanation from them. Don't be rude, but be persistent. This has got to be some kind of mistake. Just be like "hey you guys gave me a pink FIRST and I demand an explanation". I know this is easy for me to say, but try as best as you can not to jump to conclusions in your mind. Just go and see what the Consulate has to say. Please do let us know the outcome

-Travis&Trang

Bernie,

This is very strange. You mentioned in your original post, that the pink slip said to return on December 22 to pick up the visa. You also said that you went to pick it up on December 23. Do you think this was the reason this happened? Are you sure the visa didnt give a range of dates for example to pick up the visa from December 22 to December 24 or something like that? Maybe they got angry that you did not show up on the date mentioned on the pink slip, and now they are trying to give you a hard time for it. I dont know. This is weird.

-Travis&Trang

Guys come on. Let's make sure we get the correct info to the OP.

The I-94 is NOT a visa. The I-94 is an Arrival-Departure piece of paper that needs to be filled out and shown to U.S Customs upon entry in the U.S. The form will be stamped by Customs and you should then just go ahead and keep it in your passport. You keep it until you leave the U.S. They most likely make you surrender the form when leaving the U.S to properly document your departure. They sometimes give you this form on the airplane just before landing, or they give it to you while waiting in line for U.S Customs.

Barry, I am assuming that Ami is a Japanese Citizen. In this case, she entered the U.S on the Visa Waiver Program, so she probably had to fill out the I-94W. Dont worry because this is almost identical to the I-94. In any case, if you are filing the I-129F while Ami is with you in the U.S, you need to fill in the information about the I-94 that is being asked for on the I-129F form. If Ami is in Japan when you are filing the I-129F, then you do not have to fill out the information about the I-94 on your I-129F.

I hope this helps. Please post again if you have more questions/concerns.

Hey guys,

I was just thinking. I hope this is not a big deal but during my visits in Vietnam, my SO and I made love. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. We did this before and also after we got married. I am wondering if they check for this sort of thing at the Medical Exam? We are going to do the CR-1. Would the CO make a big deal out of pre-marital sex if they found out that we did it? This is a bit embarrasing for me to ask so please bear with me.....

Hey guys,

I am just about ready to put together my petition. I have been looking at the general assembly instructions guide from VJ. I will be front loading some extra documents to address my red flags so I will be printing a lot of pages.. I wanted to know if it would be okay if I 3-hole punch my paperwork on the left side and put it all in a 3-ring binder....just like the ones we used in the school days. This way I would be able to print paperwork, double sided on each sheet. That should cut down the paper volume. Would this be a good idea, or should I stick with the conventional 2-hole punching the top of the paperwork and the ACCO fasteners? Thanks!

I think I can help you with that.

1) Open the I-129F PDF File.

2) Click Edit-->Preferences

3) Click "Forms" on the Categories list on the left panel

4) On the top you will see "General"

5) un-check "Show text field overflow indicator"

6) Click "OK"

Now when you go back to the I-129F PDF file, you will see that the "+" sign is no longer there.

This will not make the boxes bigger for you to type more. All this will do, is remove those annoying "+" signs

I hope this helps. If you need more help, just let me know. Good luck buddy!