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Jim and Lan's US Immigration Timeline

  Petitioner's Name: james
Beneficiary's Name: lan
VJ Member: Jim and Lan
Country: Vietnam
Last Updated: 2023-11-30
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Immigration Checklist for james & lan:

USCIS DCF I-130 Petition:      
Dept of State IR-1/CR-1 Visa:    
USCIS I-751 Petition:  
USCIS N-400 Petition:  


IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Event Date
Service Center : Nebraska Service Center
Transferred? No
Consulate : Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Marriage (if applicable): 2022-06-17
I-130 Sent : 2022-07-18
I-130 NOA1 : 2022-08-01
I-130 RFE :
I-130 RFE Sent :
I-130 Approved : 2023-07-18
NVC Received :
Received DS-261 / AOS Bill :
Pay AOS Bill :
Receive I-864 Package :
Send AOS Package :
Submit DS-261 :
Receive IV Bill :
Pay IV Bill :
Send IV Package :
Receive Instruction and Interview appointment letter :
Case Completed at NVC :
NVC Left :
Consulate Received :
Packet 3 Received :
Packet 3 Sent :
Packet 4 Received :
Interview Date : 2023-11-16
Interview Result : Approved
Second Interview
(If Required):
Second Interview Result:
Visa Received : 2023-11-20
US Entry :
Comments : We intially filed a K-1, then switched over to an immigrant visa, because we decided to get married abroad. The IV interview lasted less than 30 seconds, with the VO stating, "Your visa is being issued."
Processing
Estimates/Stats :		 Your I-130 was approved in 351 days from your NOA1 date.

Your interview took 472 days from your I-130 NOA1 date.


Member Reviews:

Consulate Review: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Review Topic: IR-1/CR-1 Visa
Event Description
Review Date : November 29, 2023
Embassy Review : We arrived at the designated time. They lined up all immigrants into one staging area. We were soon asked to enter the building. We went to several windows first, where we presented our marriage certificate, divorce decree, passport photos, etc.

We then waited about 20 minutes. Our number was called. The consular officer asked me (petitioner) 2 questions, and my wife 3. The interview lasted less than 30 seconds.

The visa officer was typing furiously. He looked up and said "The visa is being issued."

That was it. The process was actually pleasant and quick. In the Consulate about 2 hours. I can say I was impressed by how organized the consular staff was in processing everybody.

Note: Alot of K-1 visa applicants were "blue sheeted." Many unhappy and long faces that day. I don't recommend going the K-1 route, especially at HCMC, since it's a "high fraud post."

Good luck to all!
Rating : Very Good


Timeline Comments: 7

Jim And Lan on 2021-04-12 said:
No interview yet. It appears that the Consulate is backlogged with cases waiting to be scheduled for interviews.
Jim And Lan on 2021-04-20 said:
Interview scheduled for 6-18-2021
Jim And Lan on 2021-04-20 said:
Did not get the so-called Packet 4 that this site talks about. I scheduled this interview myself, and the Consulate did not reach out to us. So, it seems as if the info on this site needs an update. We have been trying to get an interview date since March 2021, and finally got one. Check the appointment calendar every day, and with a little luck, you will get an appointment. It seems like the Consulate is making very few appointments available, so it's important that you check every day or they will be gone. Looks like first come, first served.
Jim And Lan on 2021-05-19 said:
Got medical at Cho Ray on 5/29/2021. Cost of the medical was 6,366,000 VND paid in cash. The exam took about 1.5 hours. The letter my fiancee received states that Cho Ray takes credit/debit card payments for the medical. This was not the case. Be prepared to "pinch hit." I think the information on the letters the Consulate sends out is a little dated. Vaccinations soon. I will post the cost of those here.
Jim And Lan on 2021-06-11 said:
Received notice that interview date has been cancelled, and must reschedule. So, even after you get a confirmed appointment, it can be cancelled. I just checked the appointment portal--no appointments available. Looks like it's going to be a long, hot summer.
Jim And Lan on 2021-06-21 said:
Our attorney just approved a Writ of Mandamus, a court order issued by a federal judge, that the HCMC Consulate will be receiving soon. It orders the DOS, the Consulate, to make a decision, i.e., orders the Consulate to schedule an interview and make a decision. The cost is $5,500. Yes very expensive, but the people at the HCMC Consulate simply don't care. And, after your case expires, you go through all of it again, paying all the fees again. Any immigration attorney can get you a Writ. If you wait on the Consulate, your case will simply expire--they are not doing their jobs. They use the excuse of COVID. That's nonsense. We are not waiting any longer. Details to follow. I hope this helps others.
Jim And Lan on 2023-11-30 said:
All is well at the end of the day. We were issued the visa. In retrospect, the US Consulate at HCMC did an outstanding job of processing all the intending immigrants on our visa interview date. HCMC is incredibly busy. Despite this, they do amazing things. The K-1 process was disappointing, but after we married and filed the I-130 package, we were more positive about the outcome. I'd strongly recommend all petitioners attend the visa interview (immigrant visa or K-1). Good luck to all. Despite being a little nervous, your visa interview date will be fun. Look forward to it with anticipation. All's well that ends well. Happy Holidays!
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*Notice about estimates: The estimates are based off averages of other members recent experiences
(documented in their timelines) for the same benefit/petition/application at the same filing location.
Individual results may vary as every case is not always 'average'. Past performance does not necessarily
predict future results. The 'as early as date' may change over time based on current reported processing
times from members. There have historically been cases where a benefit/petition/application processing
briefly slows down or stops and this can not be predicted. Use these dates as reference only and do not
rely on them for planning. As always you should check the USCIS processing times to see if your application
is past due.

** Not all cases are transfered

vjTimeline ver 5.0




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