PINKage!

[astrlsrfr 1]

Earlier today was my honey's K-1 interview. I was there with her. She received the PINK ("pass") paper. We are truly elated. We are already planning on a party to celebrate!

I wanted to provide this detailed account of our interview experience in hopes that it might help someone else later. It should certainly stand as a beacon of encouragement, as you will see.

Our case had 3 potential red flags in it. They are as follows, in descending order of "redness" (as it were, and IMHO):

1. Short pre-engagement courtship. It was barely 2 months from meeting to Dinh Hon.

2. Big age diff. She is 20, I am 39

3. B2 attempted. this was done AFTER the K-1 petition was filed, so its pretty minor, but just puttin it all on the table

This was my fourth trip to Nam, and specifically set to coincide with her interview. If she was to pass, she would be returning on a flight with me for entry to the USA.

We arrived at about 07:45 for or an 09:30 interview. We waited in a holding pen area where they meter the visa hopefuls out in chunks of 10 or so. By 08:00 we were going thru security, getting a claim ticket for our cellies & camera. At 08:05 we had our que # & sat down in the waiting area. A short while later, at the peak, there were about 100 people filling the waiting area.

Within 15 minutes they called us up to turn in the official documents. I carried our stuff up to the counter where a Viet man sat. He did not make eye contact with me, so I left the window. I made sure my passport was in the "originals" clear envelop so they knew I was there. They processed the documents in a few minutes, returning some of our originals, including my passport. My honey then sat down next to me.

For about 3 hours we sat there. The waiting area is not climate controlled. The temperature rose with the wait time. We had several cups of water & my fiance was beginning to get the hunger shakes, having not eaten breakfast. She had cooked some fabulous french toast for breakfast (which I doused something good with the maple syrup I brought over), but I don't think she was in the eating mood, understandably.

As we sat, I counted the # of pinks & blues which I could observe from our vantage. By the time our # came up, the count stood at 14:10, pink:blue. Most of the pinks seemed to be going to older couples, and some officers seemed to be giving more blues than others.. but its hard to say if anything of statistical significance rose above the noise. Some people who came in after us left before us. Were were among the longest-timers in there. It seems like they fill up the room up for 1/2 day, drain it with ongoing interviews throughout the AM , then are set to fill it up again in the PM maybe and repeat the process. Not sure. Our number came up around 11:15 and we were done by 11:20.

I walked up to the counter first, BEFORE my fiance. I observed a slightly chunky white male CO and a female Viet translator with a notable scar on her face. They struck me only as regular people - there was nothing intimidating about them. They looked like people you might find at a BBQ. I then noticed a pink piece of paper was sitting directly in front of the CO. I gave a warm smile & a friendly "hello" to both the CO and the translator; they each returned my kindness. I advised them I was her fiance, and was available if needed. They told me "thank you". I opened the MacbookPro box which stored everything we brought for the interview, I told my honey "good luck", gave her a hug & took a seat, just out of sight, since I had observed that was their preferred approach.

My fiance advised me later the following occurred after I walked away: She removed everything from the box. The CO asked the following questions in order:

1. Where did you meet your fiance?

(translator begins to translate, my honey cuts her off & answers in English. The remainder of the interview is conducted entirely in English).

"VietnamCupid"

2. When did you meet your fiance? "July 2010"

3.a. To what countries has your fiance travelled? "Ummm.. Singapore..."

3.b. Where else? "Ummm.. Australia".

(CO glances at our meticulously prepared stack of neatly organized docs & pictures)

4. Who helped you prepare these? No one.. me & my fiance prepared it ourselves.

The CO says "Would you please call your fiance back over?".

I arrived back at the window. The CO then proceeded to ask ME some questions:

1. So this is your second trip to Viet Nam? (holding up 4 fingers) "Fourth."

2. When are you getting married? "As soon as we get to the USA."

3. Where are you getting marred? "We will have a civil wedding, followed by a small wedding party then later a ceremony & party back here in Nam so our families can meet".

He then asked about about my name. I go by my middle name & there was a little confusion on that point. I filled him in on some family history of this name & he made a joke to my fiance that she should know what our son's name was going to be. The CO says " "Congratulations. I wish you both the very best." He slam-stamped the pink paper declaring "Please arrive on June 29 to pick up your visa". I took the paper - the stamp had the same date as he stated. I smiled big and bright and gave both him & the translator a hearty "THANK YOU!". I let out a big hoot as we left the building. The guards only smiled at me.

I could not believe they did not look at a single shred of evidence. Not even a picture. I did not front load the petition... I followed the instructions exactly as I understood them. There were only 2 pictures in our i129f petition... both of them taken at the Dinh Hon.. one was of me putting the ring on her finger, the other was her family all gathered around. Our Dinh Hon was small... about 20 people max. 60 at the party. Why did we sail thru the interview then? I don't know for certain. I think me being there and making sure they knew I was there early may have helped. I think we had manageable red flags. We were careful to follow the instructions EXACTLY as we understood them throughout the process. Our docs & pics were immaculate, but I don't see how they could have known that in advance. Perhaps it was just getting close to lunch & our CO was getting hungry. But I feel we did everything we could have done. Had we gotten blue, I'd have just shaken it off & gotten them what they asked for.

When I think back at the countless hours spent preparing a beautifully formatted OpenOffice spreadsheet of some 90 pictures, all the other documents as well as all the paper and ink, and more than anything, the anguish of the process... the HANDWRINGING. I have to say the US government actually does a pretty good job. Clearly this Consulate is special in the world, both in the volume it processes and in the amount of fraud they attempt to weed out. I felt they were understaffed at several points along the way. They did make some mistakes. The waiting area was too hot. I also think they should allow a B2-type visit while you are waiting. But its hard to argue with this result!

No visa in hand yet, but barring a disaster, I think we are money now. A very special thanks to all those who have helped us find our way along our visa journey. This site is really a god send in helping one make the best possible outcome in what can at times be a very daunting task

Good luck to all of you who who follow.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Most awesome of news and God bless.

Don't forget hangers.

[Kevin and 10]

Sweet! Congratulations.

I might have to go into the hanger business.

[Nga&Scott 0]

Congratulations!

Thanks for the details about your experience. It sure helps those of us waiting to hear about results from those who go before us.

Scott

[tuandanh 3]

Congratulations astrlsrfr!

Of the people you saw get pink, how many brought their significant other with them? Were there a lot of fiancées waiting there like you were?

[jac_chappin 24]

Congratulations to you and your fiancee.

I'm really happy for you.

I plan on going to VN for my fiancee's interview as well.

I really appreciate your detailed description of your experience.

This helps a lot!

[luckytxn 2,263]

Sweet! Congratulations.

I might have to go into the hanger business.

With how many my babe goes through and assuming that all VN babes love to hang clothes as much as mine then that business is gold.

[hniHnitsuJ 8]

Sweet! Congratulations.

I might have to go into the hanger business.

Congrats, and good luck in your future.

Kevin, let starts hanger business together. You order from the East Coast, and I will ship from the West..

[long&kieu 1]

congrats!!

[Tuanv 2]

Congrat! I think that your finance got a break big time! If you were not there to smooth thing with the CO, thing could have been different. Again, congratulation to you both.

[long&kieu 1]

so did you submit timeline, 10yr residency and stuff prior??

[Dan_P 5]

Congratulations to both you and your fiancee!

Wow, I didn't know that I could go inside the consulate with my wife. I will definitely try to go to Vietnam to be with my wife in the waiting room.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Congratulations!

Thanks for the details about your experience. It sure helps those of us waiting to hear about results from those who go before us.

Scott

I also want to thank you for the interview details. Most come here and take and do not help the others after them and these details are a huge help. I have noticed for awhile that we have gotten more to let us know this stuff and I am very happy to all that have. God bless you both and have a long and happy life.

[astrlsrfr 1]

Congratulations astrlsrfr!

Of the people you saw get pink, how many brought their significant other with them? Were there a lot of fiancées waiting there like you were?

Thanks ) I would say about 40% of the pinks which *I* observed seemed to have an SO with them. That prolly translates to like 60% of the K1/CR1s, ince you have to remember that there are also a few other visa types going on at the same time.

[astrlsrfr 1]

so did you submit timeline, 10yr residency and stuff prior??

No. I had prepared all 4 of those extra docs in advance, just in case. I chose NOT to notarize them in advance, since I knew I would have time after her interview to notarize them if needed. We were prepared to offer them up in their un-notarized form, as a possible help during the interview.