just phobulous

interview result = PINK !!!!

First, I must say that I want to thank everyone here at VJ for all of the very helpful insight that you all have shared with us. I think it played a very important roll in our confidence at her interview. I think confidence is key ! I think that the CO's can smell fear from a mile away. To dispel some rumors or doubts, you CAN go into the HCMC consulate WITH your fiancee. They have only just recently changed the policy about this. It made me very happy that I was able to accompany my fiancee. To be honest, I found the experience at the consulate to be fairly pleasant. I wouldn't say it was as fun as going to the theater or the park, but it was no more painful than a long DMV visit. Our appointment was for 9:30, but our number was not called until about 11. I took my fiancee's bag to the window both times when she was called. I did this for two very important reasons.. #1 to show the CO that I am present. #2 to show the CO that I care very much about my fiancee and that I am there to help her 100%. When my fiancee went to the window the first time, after exchanging a few documents I saw the intake officer writing on a PINK sheet of paper. I told my fiancee " I think that they are preparing your pink paper". But, I did not want her or I to get too excited, so I did not say anything more. When they called her up for questions, the man was very polite to her and nodded with confidence when she answered each question correctly. There were a couple of questions that they purposely asked her to repeat her answer several times. Im sure this was to see if they could rattle her and get her to change her answer. They asked her many many questions about my ex-wife. They asked about our wedding plans in the US, and many many more, about 50 in total. I will make another post to tell you all in detail about all of the questions that they asked and the answers that she gave. All in all today was a very lucky and wonderful day for us !!

Are you willing to think outside the box? I am going to give you some advice that will solve all your problems with income. I know you are a woman. I hope you don't think that is a barrier to what I am going to tell you. You mentioned this economy is in the dumper; true in most non skilled occupations. You sound desperate. I understand this. One industry that has always remained strong throughout all economic times is the trucking industry. Men and woman of all walks of life happen to drive big trucks. The pay is good and the work is steady. If you have any better ideas in order to support your loved one and most importantly, passing your AOS interview, I am all ears. Some larger companies will pay for your training and you will pay them back over two years. This might not be for you, but do you want to take the risk of being denied due to lack of income? You are inside a box now. Think outside that box! Food for thought; there are 10 jobs for every driver in the US now. Starting pay is about $35,000 and goes up and up and up with experience.

+1 I have had a CDL since 1991. I also have several forklift and equipment certifications. I can tell you from experience that there are literally tons of jobs in the driving/material moving industry. If you are a little sketchy about driving a large truck, I can understand. But, driving a forklift is very easy to learn and with a certification in hand, you could probably score a full-time job in less than a week. On Craigslist in our area there are over 90 openings just for forklift drivers alone. Most of these jobs are not extremely physically demanding. You won't get rich on the wages of forklift driver... But, any of these jobs would pay enough to meet poverty guidelines.

Some of these boats are definitely scary !! Witch reminds me.. There were two ferry's that my wife and I had to take between her parents house in the country and HCM city. I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I saw one for the first time. I think the diesel motor that they were using must have been at least twice my age. I wasn't too impressed with the captains "skills" either. However... what I found to be the real danger was the boarding and disembarking of these vessels. When the captain finally landed the craft and the ramp came down it instantly turned into pandemonium. Everyone just starts up their bikes and blasts up the ramp before anyone has come off of the ferry. There was absolutely no order to it at all. I was blown away at the absence of patience and total disregard for each others safety. If you value the hide on your legs and ankles.. I would definitely stay back for a few minutes and let all of the pushy people on and off first !!

Hello to all.. Does the I-134 affidavit of support have to be notorized ? My lovely wife keeps telling me that it must be notorized. But, I think that she is confused.

When I sent in our petition, I sent our Yahoo "chat logs" and a sample of about a half dozen of the actual conversations. I didn't edit anything from them. In our chats, my honey and I both call each other wife and husband and other pet names even thought we are not "married" yet. At first I was going to edit all the lines where we had used wife and husband. But, after thinking about it for a while I thought to myself ... " If these people are expecting a person to have a real relationship, then of course we are going to call each other husband and wife". After all, if you are engaged then the next step is to be married right? I know that most people get a bit scared thinking that the CO might get suspicious about their actual marital status. But seriously... if you have a good relationship together, of course you are going to call each other husband and wife and other pet names. And as far as the content of the chats, I didn't take anything out of them or cherry pick which chats I sent. I left all of our dirty talking and everything in them. I figured that the people that process the petition and the CO is going to be knee deep in our business any way, might as well give them something interesting to read !! However, it took me a little while to get my wife to go along with that way of thinking.

Yes you can, but there are ways that it has to be done. Some say you have to sneak in, and basically you do, but not really. First you need to make sure you do not show up at the same time, you are allowed to go in for US citizen services, and instead of going there you would just go in and wait in the interview area. People will probably get mad and say you cannot do this, but you can, are you supposed to, yes/no they do not want you to, but if you were not allowed and it was forbidden then I am sure there would be someone checking everyone that came in to the interview waiting area. If you do go in there, just sit with her and dont make a big deal out of it, or disturb people, or they will make it harder to get in. I personally know 8 people that have done this and everything worked out fine, but if you cause a scene they will make changes. Jerome

Thanks Jerome.. That is the answer I was looking for !! We definitely dont want to cause any trouble or make any kind of scene while we are in there. We are both very respectful to others and don't intend to play grab a.. or smoochie smoo while we are in there either. I would want to kick my own a.. if I ruined it for other people in the future. I only want to be there to support her because she said that she would like it very very much if I could find a way to be in the waiting room when she interviews. I have to admit that if it were me that was being questioned like a convict, it would be of great comfort to have the one I love with me right up to the minute of my number being called.

Ok, so I'm a little confused .... I have read and heard conflicting information on whether or not I am allowed to accompany my fiance into the consulate on her interview day. I have both heard and read many many stories on how USC's are forced to wait across the street. Now I have both read and heard that people have gone inside with SO's and waited while they interview. So.... can we enter.... or not ??

you shouldn't be using Phone Card anyway because it doesn't give you a print out of the number you called. This is a good evidence for all cases. I would suggest you to get either v247 or Rong Vang. These are 2 great providers that I'm using. They both give you printout online so you can print it off or your wife can print it off there in VN. Sign up and pay with credit card if you want to.

Here are their website:

v247 www.savingcall.com (2.9 cent/min)

Rong Vang www.rongvangvttc.com (2.8 cent/min I think)

Good luck and have fun calling.

I agree with using saving call (v247). I was first turned on to it at a Asian market where I send money to my honey from. At the market I am allowed to choose to add any amount i like to my account. I have added as little as $5. However if you add money to your account online you are stuck with $25 dollar increments. I also like this service because it is very easy to use their website to print out your calling history. It clearly shows your number and the destination number as well. Their service even allows you to set up a speed dial so you only have to press one number to ring your honey. Their customer service is pretty good too. I have been very pleased with them and have continued to use them for almost 1 year now.

The interview should be 3-4 months from pkt 3... Call DoS each week and ask them if the interview has been scheduled.. PKT 4 is often lost in the mail or sent late in the game..

You can look at the timelines of those with recent interviews for K1 @ HCMC and see how long it took them..

Scott is right. It takes right around 3-4 months. Spend as much of that time preparing practice interview questions. Good luck

Thanks guy's I really do appreciate the info. Now for another question.... I have conflicting information on whether or not I am allowed to accompany my fiance into the consulate on her interview day. I have heard many many stories on how USC's are forced to wait across the street. So.... can we enter.... or not ??

The interview should be 3-4 months from pkt 3... Call DoS each week and ask them if the interview has been scheduled.. PKT 4 is often lost in the mail or sent late in the game..

Wow !! Maybe my wife was right after all.. She had been talking to a close friend of hers that had just got her K-1 visa, and she had said the same as you. I told my wife that maybe she was a little confused on exactly what her friend had said. For some reason I was thinking that she would get her appointment date and appointment package within a few weeks of her turning in P3. Once again I opened my mouth and inserted foot !!

Hey guy's... and gals..

My wife turned in the paperwork for Packet 3 a little over a week ago. She took the papers to the HCM consulate in person. How long does it usually take before a person gets an interview date ?

It is a good idea to send chocolate to Vietnam using USPS?

I have sent chocolate and different candies twice to my honey by way of USPS. However, on both occasions I paid the extra bucks to get it to her in 5 days or less. She is addicted to Hershey Kisses now !!! Ha Ha Ha Ha !! I sent the chocolates along with papers and other little gifts to fill the box. I would recommend putting the chocolates in a zip-lock baggie if you plan to send anything else in the box. This will ensure that the other items in the box will not fall victim to the chocolate should the packaging break open and or be subjected to a long wait in the warm VN weather. I though it was worth the extra money for the express mail because this gave me the option of insuring the package and tracking it both here and after it got over there. If you decide to use the EMS (express mail service), you can use this site to track your package once it arrives in VN. www.ems.com.vn/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=177&lanid=EN . The USPS site will take forever to update once the package has left the country.

I would like to say two things... First of all congratulations !!! Second, thank you for posting the questions that were asked at the interview. I believe it is a great help to all of us that are getting close to our interviews. Even though a person thinks that they have thought of every question that might be asked, there always seems to be one simple question that a person forgets to cover with their fiance.

Not to burst your bubble, but as others have said, the easy part is over, and if you were sweating bullets then, get ready to curl up into a ball and cry for help. This process is something that you can't rush, since there is nothing we can do. Once you lick the stamp and put it in the mail box, there is nothing left we can do until you get packet 3, and then once you call the consulate and say everything is ready and they set up an interview, once again you guessed it, there is nothing we can do. We are the puppets, and they pull all the strings, so be ready to be danced around on stage for a while.

Good luck Jerome

Your not "bursting my bubble" because I have seen people go through hell with the last part of this process. I am aware of the trials and tribulations that lie ahead. However.. I choose to stay "cautiously optimistic" that things will go half way decently. Everybody's case is different, and with that said, nobody travels exactly the same road on this journey. So its anybodies guess on how things will pan out. My wife and I have already discussed alternate means of being together should this process become too much of a pain in the A**. In the end, home is where you hang your hat. The house, the cars, and everything else is material and replaceable. I would never be able to find a woman to replace her.

Hello to all..

I was blown away today when I opened my mail box !! There inside, sat the most wonderful piece of mail. Our NOA2 !!!! January 3rd would have made 5 months. I was starting to think that I was going to have to start the nasty letter writing and the ugly phone calls. Thank goodness that I wont have to waste my time and their time with that. This will definitely make my wife squeal with joy !! I am very tempted to wake her up with the great news. Oh.. and by the way.. the petition was approved on the 23rd of December. So, the USCIS web site is obviously useless as far as checking your case status. No e-mail or text notification either. I had also called on the 27th of December and the rep said that there was no update. So, if someone at the USCIS tells you that your petition is still in initial review... don't be shocked if you get a little surprise in the mail.

Happy and safe New Year to everyone !!

Phuong was a single parent for years, so she's a master of haggling. My sister and her husband came with me on my third trip to VN. We went shopping at one of those big indoor flea markets - the ones where half the vendors are selling the same cheap souvenirs. Besides Hue, I also saw them in Da Nang and Da Lat, so I presume they also have them in the north.

My sister was amazed at the low prices each vendor was quoting her, until Phuong stepped in and started using her bargaining skills. She'd patiently discuss the price with the vendor, and when the vendor stopped going down on the price she'd take my sister's arm and start walking her away from the vendor's booth. Without fail, the vendor always dropped the price by another few thousand VND before Phuong and my sister were out of earshot.

My sister thought $10 was a great price for one of those cheap souvenir cone hats with the embroidered image and text. Phuong got her that hat for about $1.50.

That sounds soo familiar !!! When I found something I liked at the market, my wife would actually tell me to go and stand around the corner. Just as soon as I was around the corner, the fur would fly (only kidding). It was kind of funny because the person running the booth would tell her that they saw her walking with her American boyfriend or husband, and that should could surely afford the asking price. That is when she would start the chewing and doing the walking away thing that you mentioned. I think one time I saw a vendor talk my wife back to her booth about five times. On another occasion I saw a T-shirt that I wanted badly and my wife argued the starting price of $7.50 down to a little over $2.00. She always acts very proud that she saved us a little money. When I think about it, it makes me feel very happy that she would go through so much trouble to save us a few dollars.

WOW !!! She is going to have a liter of kittens when she finds out that she cant go to work immediately. She has been soo excited about going to work at her first job in the US. Well, I guess I will try to talk her into some classes at the comm. college here in Vancouver. I think between that and visiting her relatives here in town, she should be ok. They also just built a new 24 hour fitness only blocks away from our house, I know that she would really enjoy swimming and working out there.

Is it very common anymore for the newly arrived immigrant to receive an EAD at the POE. The company that I am working for has offered my wife a position there. Her cousin works there too and my wife has come to know some of the other Vietnamese people that work there also. The work is very easy and the atmosphere there is very good. I have told her not to worry about working immediately after arriving here. But, she loves to work and does not want to be stuck at the house all day waiting for me or my daughter to come home. I do not blame her for not wanting to be alone at home for most of the day. I too would be bored to tears after a couple of days. Is there a way that she can work with out an EAD ?

Happy Holidays to everyone !!!!!!!!

Wow !! I guess I must be pretty lucky then. When my wife and I first started talking to each other, we both agreed that we would always discuss every important decision that has to be made. Both of our families have had some marital problems because of the lack of equality in the "pants" department. So, we made each other promise to work through every little bump together, agree together, and to always have an open mind to each others opinion. SO FAR SOO GOOD !! Now.... that being said.... There are some things that I don't even care to try to put my 2 cents worth into. For instance, when you go to a place, lets say Banh Tanh market. My wife will argue over a damn penny with some of the vendors there. I have tried to interject in these proceedings and have learned my lesson !! Like many Vietnamese women, she is very very frugal. I on the other hand, am very bad at saving money. So, in this area I am glad to let her have her way. Time will only tell if things will change though, and to be honest I love her enough that I would probably let her have her way every time.

You'll keep referring to the wrong number, it doesn't matter that he may have made $32,000, after all of his deductions what is the actual number on line 22 of the 1040 or 1040Az. THAT IS THE MAGIC NUMBER. STOP LOOKING AT THE W2 NUMBER.

Hmmmmmmm..... I am a little confused with this statement. Aren't the guidelines set up for "gross" income ?

Hello to all..

In the hopes of preparing for a interview in the near future Ha Ha Ha !!! I am sending a box of papers/documents to my honey. However I am a little worried about sending any of our originals by USPS. I know that at the interview they will probably not even look at anything that she brings with her but.... I want her to be "packin" when she goes in there, so there is not even a notion of lack of evidence. We front loaded our petition pretty good with emails, chat logs, Din Hon invitations, Din Hon photo's, photo's of us seeing all the different sites and all other proof that we had of us being together in VN. She has a fairly good size pile of photo's, our Din Hon Photo album, receipts for flowers that I have sent her, post cards that we have sent to each other etc etc etc. So... my question is, should I send the originals or should I make photo copies of everything and send that ? Thanks in advance for your advice

My honey asked me tonight how she should answere the question that asks about her plans for employment when she arrives in the US. I immediately thought she was talking about her interview. But, she said that once again she had been reading online about many peoples advice on how to skirt around this question, and that it was going to be asked in some of the paperwork that she will fill out and take to the consulate. She said that on this site, everyone had advised to say that they had not made big plans for their future employment in the US. Both her and I were a bit baffled by this . You would think that the government would be pleased to know that both the future visa holder and the petitioner had a game plan for financial security. I thought that they liked to see that a couple is planning for their future together. Isn't this a fairly decent piece of proof that you have a bona-fide relationship and that you are thinking of your future together? Does anyone know of these questions she is talking about ?

Thank you to all of you for the info. After I talked to my honey more about this subject, we both came to the conclusion that the people that she had read about were "special cases". I would give anything to be in there with her to give her support... but I don't think I want to take the chance of causing a problem, especially on the one day that you don't want ANY problems. It just blows my mind that a government office " our government " will not even allow you to sit inside the building with your soon to be spouse. Just think about it for a minute or two.. You can tell quite a bit about a couple just by their body language when they are together. If the petitioner was allowed to sit inside with their SO, I think it would be another good way for a C.O. to observe the comfort level between the couple. Just a thought

Ok, so I am talking to my honey online last night, and she tells me that she has been reading of cases where the USC have been able to enter the HCM consulate with their fiance. She says that in these cases, both the USC and the foreign fiance have a separate CO that asks them questions about each other. I tried to explain to her that there might be some special cases where the consulate allows this if the couple has had previous interviews. But, she told me that this is something new and that it had nothing to do with any previous circumstances. Has anybody heard of anything like this ?? As far as I knew, everyone that accompanies there fiance to the consulate gets the same VIP seating as usual (across the street). Ha Ha Ha !!

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I agree that it's sad. The local food is healthy. There's are reasons I lost 50 lbs in Vietnam, with the food being the main one.

Yep, I would have to definitely agree with you on that. Between the sweating and the lack of saturated fat laden foods, I managed to drop almost 10 pounds in 14 days. I will admit that I was also getting much more exercise, both during the day and at night... Har Har Har I think the thing that made a huge difference for me, was that my wife was constantly feeding me many different kinds of fruit. When it came time for dinner or lunch, I found myself full with much smaller portions than I would normally eat. Twards the end of my stay there, she started to worry quite alot. She feared that I was not eating because I could not stomach the food that she was cooking for me. I am still to this day trying to make her believe that I loved everything that she cooked for me !!