ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: East and PacificRenew Vietnam Passport with VN Consulate
Thanks Mr. Leggs, that helps us out, too.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-24 19:35:00
Asia: East and PacificEMERGENCY PROBLEM!
QUOTE (JonasMichaels @ Jan 19 2009, 05:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Jan 19 2009, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I know for a fact that the birthplace of Mai and the birthplace of her father are listed as two different places, because they are two different places. These guys are smoking crack, or trying to get a little something extra.

I wish I could help you. However, you still have plenty of time to get this sorted. Your case is still at NVC, right? Tet is not THAT long. Good luck.



Can you ask Mai what is Nguyen Quan? Does that have to be the same as her dad's? Phuong was looking up the rules online and said they are right, "you have to follow your dad" - whatever that means. Obviously, I am at a loss here as far as understanding what is going on.... Ask Mai if the Nguyen Quan on her Ho Khau and id card was the same as her dads. Thanks
Jonas

Ah, I must stand corrected. Well, not exactly corrected, since I now realize I was talking about something completely different. Sorry about that. I did ask Mai what nguyen quan meant, and she said, "I will have to think about that." At any rate, it's not "place of birth," and I'll be danged, her father's place of birth IS listed right there on her ID card.

The father's place of birth is important because of this whole "registry" thing. My second wife says they do the same thing in China. I'm really beginning to appreciate how easily we here in the U.S. are allowed to move easily from place to place with no hassle and full benefits.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-19 21:18:00
Asia: East and PacificEMERGENCY PROBLEM!
I know for a fact that the birthplace of Mai and the birthplace of her father are listed as two different places, because they are two different places. These guys are smoking crack, or trying to get a little something extra.

I wish I could help you. However, you still have plenty of time to get this sorted. Your case is still at NVC, right? Tet is not THAT long. Good luck.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-19 06:31:00
Asia: East and PacificVietnam newbie member and question! :-)
The DS-230 is supposed to be for non-immigrant visas. Technically, the K-1 and K-3 visas are non-immigrant visas. However, everyone who applies for these visas is an intending immigrant, even though they enter the U.S. on what is a non-immigrant visa. Therefore, some of the questions on the DS-230 seem very strange. We put "N/A" for the strange questions. Look at the example forms for other possible answers you might put instead. Good luck to you.

Edited by Melrose Plant, 19 January 2009 - 09:27 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-19 21:27:00
Asia: East and PacificLearning English
You know, now that the baby is born, it will soon be time to get down to business. Mai has worked all her life, and I know she is bored staying at home all the time. Trouble is, her English has not progressed enough to get a job she would actually want. I also find that I really can't teach her effectively any more, maybe because we are too close to each other, and our focus wanders rather quickly.

Sometimes, she doesn't want to do as I tell her because she feels shy suddenly. For example, I was trying to explain to her why the dog won't listen to her in English (she does fine in Vietnamese), and why our 9-year-old son doesn't listen to her. It's all in the delivery. She just doesn't sound like she means business in English. How do you teach that?

In a few months' time, I think we will look for a teacher for her. She might do better with a stranger.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-02 14:07:00
Asia: East and PacificLearning English
I will not comment about my specific spouse at this time, but I can tell you that Rosetta Stone works well for some things, and it works very poorly for other things.

It does build your vocabulary quickly. You learn all your colors, shapes, numbers, fruits and vegetables, animals, and other useful things like comparative and superlative words.

What it does not do is give much of any conversational language. You never learn to say, "Hi, how are you? How many kids do you have? What's your sign?" That sort of thing.

I like it, but not by itself.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2008-12-23 22:25:00
Asia: East and PacificAnother Baby Boy!
Congratulations, Peter and Thi!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-01 09:39:00
Asia: East and PacificOne for the Little Bitty Baby
QUOTE (Joe Six-Pack @ Feb 1 2009, 11:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
This is my favorite. He looks like he's getting ready to talk.



"I'd like to thank my Daddy and Mommy, the Doctors and Nurses, The Consular Officer who interviewed my Mommy........"

You know, it's odd that you say that, because my dad told me he had a dream that Mickey was talking to him on the way home from the hospital. By bicycle.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-01 19:29:00
Asia: East and PacificOne for the Little Bitty Baby
I think I figured out how to attach a photo. Well, since Peter posted one, now I have to post one, right? It's not really the way I want to attach it, but oh well, I think it will work. I'm only about half computer literate.

This would be our family with the newest addition.

Attached Files


Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-01 09:54:00
Asia: East and PacificOne for the Little Bitty Baby
QUOTE (Joe Six-Pack @ Jan 30 2009, 11:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks also to our friend em Nh?, without whom things wouldn't have turned out nearly as well.


Em Nh? is Mai's friend who is truly fluent in both English and Vietnamese. You understand that under that kind of stress, Mai somewhat lost her English.
QUOTE
Is that my Vietnamese name? unsure.gif

No, silly, you know better than that. Your Vietnamese name is anh B?c Phét.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-30 20:12:00
Asia: East and PacificOne for the Little Bitty Baby
My wife just had a baby! It was a very long, hard slog for her, but she pulled through and did it!

The baby, a boy, was born at 5:01 p.m., which I believe is the Hour of the Chicken, he weighed 3.48 kg, and was 51 cm long (that's 7 lbs., 11 oz., and 20 inches).

Thanks also to our friend em Nh?, without whom things wouldn't have turned out nearly as well.

Oh, I should also probably add that this was two days ago, not just today.

Edited by Melrose Plant, 30 January 2009 - 12:16 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-30 12:14:00
Asia: East and PacificHelp with Visa
Oh yeah, that. Don't worry about the company name. I just put IBEW. I don't even think they really care about that. It's just Communist paperwork.

Good luck to you on the second time around. Sorry the first didn't work out.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-04 23:45:00
Asia: East and PacificHelp with Visa
QUOTE (bryonm4 @ Feb 3 2009, 09:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks for the info Im getting a single entry Visa because a multiple issue takes 10 days to review. I plan on going back in a month later to pick up the marrage certficate will it be a problem getting another single entry visa that soon?

No, there shouldn't be a problem with that, but there's lots of stuff I don't understand about your case.

First, your avatar shows (though everyone's is so tiny it's hard to tell) a person, presumably you, sitting with an Asian woman. It might be some random Asian woman, but presumably, that is your fiancee-soon-to-be-wife. Furthermore, given that you mention "paperwork" for a wedding in Vietnam, I therefore conclude that this avatar photo was not taken in the U.S. It could have been taken in some other Asian country like Singapore or Malaysia, places where she could freely travel and you could get a visa-on-arrival. While not beyond the realm of possibility, it seems rather unlikely that that is the case.

In the end, I must guess as best I can that you must have visited Vietnam before. So you must not be that terrible at filling out forms. What did you do before?

Also, I don't understand your only entry into your timeline, to-wit:
QUOTE
November 6th they wanted more info then on november 28th they denied and sent back to CSC on december 4th.


Again, I must guess that you applied for a K-1 and the petition was denied. Now you are starting over again with a K-3 or CR-1. No one can give you good advice if he doesn't know anything about what's happened so far with your case.

timeline.gif

In conclusion (and I'm sure everyone is thinking it's about bloody time), just do what Joe Six-Pack said, and they will call you if there's a problem (they called me the first time because I sent the wrong fee). Which there won't be.

Good luck to you, and just remember, when they give you the live, still-beating snake heart at the wedding, just shut up and eat it. You'll be a hero.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-04 09:43:00
Asia: East and PacificIn the Middle of the Night
QUOTE (caochi @ Feb 5 2009, 08:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Feb 5 2009, 03:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (dq2000 @ Feb 5 2009, 03:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's a nice reason to woken up, I'm sure!

Anyhow, my wife told me that there's a nice Vietnamese dictionary app for the iphone..we really regret not buying it and having to buy a electronic dictionary for her sad.gif Check it out if Mai needs one smile.gif

Thanks for the tip. We'll have to look into that. There have been times we wished we had a dictionary with us.

It would be real handy in reverse, too. Whenever I am in Vietnam, I always have a ratty old dictionary stuck in my back pocket. That would help me, too.

Let your wife goes to www.tinhte.com, she will find dictionary for her Iphone. It's very useful for new beginner.

See, that's the problem. . .

My wife is not a new beginner. We need a good and technical dictionary for more complicated situations. So far, I have seen some basic tourist-based applications, but I hope to find something more substantial.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-05 23:48:00
Asia: East and PacificIn the Middle of the Night
QUOTE (dq2000 @ Feb 5 2009, 03:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's a nice reason to woken up, I'm sure!

Anyhow, my wife told me that there's a nice Vietnamese dictionary app for the iphone..we really regret not buying it and having to buy a electronic dictionary for her sad.gif Check it out if Mai needs one smile.gif

Thanks for the tip. We'll have to look into that. There have been times we wished we had a dictionary with us.

It would be real handy in reverse, too. Whenever I am in Vietnam, I always have a ratty old dictionary stuck in my back pocket. That would help me, too.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-05 18:06:00
Asia: East and PacificIn the Middle of the Night
Hello All,

Mai and I just got iPhones. Why we need iPhones is beyond me, but Mai wanted an iPhone. She insists that it isn't just because they look cool, but I have yet to see her do anything with her iPhone except make phone calls and check to see what time it is. And every once in a while, she might check to see how cold it is in Hanoi, because I programmed that in there for her.

I, on the other hand, like to play with mine a little bit more, even though I don't know how to use most of the features very effectively. For example, our friend em Nhu had to show me how to delete emails without opening them first. Wickedly simple, but unless you "wipe" the correct way on the screen accidentally, you just have to know how to do it. And no, I certainly don't need an iPhone either. But I've got one somehow.

The point of all this is that I've got the thing set up, just yesterday, to continuously check my email. I don't feel the need to check my email all the time, I was just playing with the phone. It makes a little noise whenever it detects a new email. A very quiet noise, but loud enough I was irritated I forgot to turn it off before I went to bed last night.

Having been awakened anyway, I decided to reach over and find out who was mailing me in the middle of the night. I figured it was yet another person who is convinced that I suffer from severe and persistent Erectile Dysfunction. It was not. In fact, it was an automatically generated email from CRIS, tell me Mai's Green Card production has been ordered. Good news!

But why do they send the thing out in the middle of the night? I guess I don't care. Thank you for listening to my little story.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-05 09:09:00
Asia: East and PacificMarriage in Vietnam
If I were in your situation, I would send out the invitations. I mean, what the hell?

I will venture to say that most of the grooms are the Lone Rangers at their weddings. I am a rare exception. My parents are retired and relatively well off, and my sister and her husband are college professors, so they have the summers off, and it all worked out for us and they were able to travel to Vietnam and meet Mai's family. Most people go to their Vietnamese weddings alone without family or friends. It is true.

In my experience, most of the evidence brought to the interview is ignored, so submit those invitations and other stuff with your I-129F and I-130F. Good luck to you.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-05 23:56:00
Asia: East and PacificCurrent Vietnam Visa Prices.
QUOTE (Joe Six-Pack @ Feb 2 2009, 01:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
This is information from a man at the SF Consulate that I spoke with. I was having a hard time understanding him, but I think the information is accurate.

You must have got the same guy I got before. I repeated his figures in Vietnamese just to make sure I understood correctly. Good thing, too. Some people say, "thirty" and "forty" so that they sound remarkably the same.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-02 14:14:00
Asia: East and PacificBlue slip - need relationship timeline and list of relatives
ANOTHER blue paper that turned PINK! That's awesome! I wonder what kind of acid they stuck the blue paper in? And do they test a pink paper to make sure it STAYS pink? Do they have a control substance? Would it make any difference if the staff had cleaned the toilets that day using vinegar or bleach?

Whatever the working formula, congratulations on stumbling on to it!
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-13 09:46:00
Asia: East and PacificBlue slip - need relationship timeline and list of relatives
Sorry to hear that, but it does sound like what they're asking for is fairly straightforward.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-01-09 11:27:00
Asia: East and PacificGoing to Hcmc for 2nd visit - to do list?
QUOTE (luckytxn @ Feb 8 2009, 12:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
It was also a nice area and felt very safe to walk around. Lol.

Those nice young men with the machine guns do have a way of making you feel safe. laughing.gif
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-08 10:05:00
Asia: East and PacificGoing to Hcmc for 2nd visit - to do list?
I think you're very lucky. I flew Cathay Pacific one time, and I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately, the only reason I got to fly them is because there was a huge storm in Taiwan, so my China Air Lines flight there was cancelled.

At any rate, it sounds like you've got the basics covered. Will you have anyone from your family there, or are you the Lone Ranger? I was lucky to have my parents, my sister, and her husband at my L? ?n H?i. Quite aside from the good evidence it provided, it gave our families a chance to meet each other and truly appreciate how special our "accidental" meeting was.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-01 19:24:00
Asia: East and Pacificemployer letter
QUOTE (Mr. Leggs @ Feb 7 2009, 10:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
how is Iowa, Melrose?. I used to live in Davenport, IA back in the 80's

Iowa is definitely doing much better now than it was back in the 80s, at least economy-wise. It is still cold here in the winter for a Vietnamese. However, as you well know, we here in Iowa have this wonderful invention called Central Heat, so the Vietnamese woman can stay comfortably, if somewhat expensively, warm. laughing.gif

Thanks for asking, we are doing well.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-08 10:27:00
Asia: East and Pacificemployer letter
Now, that standard letter is just peachy if you have the kind of job where they can just fill in those blanks. However, not all of us have a job where we can say, I have been employed by such and such for 7 years, and I make $55,000 per year. For example, I got 5 different W-2s for tax year 2008. That is very normal in my profession. I had to make up my own letter, but it worked just fine in the end, I guess.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-07 23:10:00
Asia: East and PacificCase rejected at HCMC and sent back to USCIS what do I do now?
I would take their advice with a grain of salt, for two reasons: 1) They can't get your name right, evidently. Details, details. 2) They make a living from scaring people into hiring them. It's easy to see that just reading the home page of their website. And let's face it. They are Russian specialists. Vietnam is a whole 'nother ballgame. Marc Ellis lives in Saigon at least half the time, maybe more. Homeboy and Lollipop don't.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-11 18:33:00
Asia: East and PacificCase rejected at HCMC and sent back to USCIS what do I do now?
I have been to a Chinese wedding before. Yes, I can tell you they spend a LOT more money on dinner than the Vietnamese. They generally serve a 12 course meal.

Our 500 guest wedding was elaborate and I'm sure it was expensive, but I'm also sure it was a lot less money per capita than a Chinese style wedding. I don't know about the cost because my wife's family paid for everything. They may have made out well on the monetary donations as well. I have no idea.

Thank goodness the Vietnamese don't write thank-you notes. We'd still be writing them today.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-07 11:04:00
Asia: East and PacificCase rejected at HCMC and sent back to USCIS what do I do now?
QUOTE (payxibka @ Feb 6 2009, 09:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Brianandphuong @ Feb 6 2009, 08:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Anyone know a good attorney that could help. I dont have lots of money to waste but im willing to spend money on a good lawyer. I know there is mention of a lawyer in Ho Chi Minh City so I use him or get a lawyer here in America?

She has not been told anything yet. In the first post I copied and pasted my email I received from them. She has not got her letter in the mail yet. All i can say is im so heart broken. I would do anything to get my wife here......


Applied for a K-1 Fiance(e) visa and you use the term wife?

Yes, this is a kind of weird thing in Vietnam. Most of us got "married," that is, we had a wedding ceremony, but without paperwork. So we tend to refer to each other as wives and husbands, even though it doesn't have the force of law. They understand this at the HCMC consulate.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-06 10:42:00
Asia: East and Pacificanyone ever stayed here?
Apparently, these sorts of things are only funny to Western ears. Mai didn't really "get" any of them. "Sound of that is a-very different," she said, "I don't understand why that can be funny."

Then again, she also can't understand how anyone could confuse "ba gi?" (3 o'clock) with "bà gìa" (old woman). On the flip side, she can't seem to understand that "Wal-Mart" should not be pronounced "Wal-Mark," even though she is perfectly capable of saying it the first and correct way easily. As adults, our brains block out different things, I guess.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-14 15:40:00
Asia: East and Pacificanyone ever stayed here?
Also, I heard the Phúc Yêu is quite nice.

OK, I gotta stop. rofl.gif
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-11 19:13:00
Asia: East and Pacificanyone ever stayed here?
No, but I stayed at the Phúc Mì once.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-11 19:10:00
Asia: East and PacificYour new blended family
I posted this thread on a whim last night, after snapping that photo of the Two Brothers together. Then I got summoned to come to bed, so I didn't have a lot of time to elaborate.

My elder son and my wife get along pretty well, actually. He's been talking with her on the webcam for almost as long as I have, after all. He doesn't listen to her very well, but then, he doesn't listen to anyone very well. Certain members of this website can attest to that. He adores his new baby brother, even if we have to constantly remind him that Mister Em isn't yet strong enough to roughhouse with Mister Anh. I may even get him to change a diaper someday.

My parents and wife get along really well. Wife Mai says that my parents have so many Vietnamese values, and I suppose that's true. Although Dad says he'd never be able to live in Vietnam, or at least the places he's visited. "Why's that?" I asked, expecting something about the lack of air-conditioning. "The two things I really like to talk about, politics and religion, nobody will talk about here." Fair enough.

That leaves the ex-wife. I guess even that is pretty good. After all, I wouldn't want them to get along really, really well. That might go very badly for me. They are civil to each other, and even generous on a public level. Privately, neither of them understands what I see or ever saw in the other. I trust I don't need to go into greater detail. You probably get the picture.

Those of you with a humorous story, or even a profound story that points out our human-ness, I invite you to post here.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-15 10:22:00
Asia: East and PacificYour new blended family
Some of you, I realize are married for the first time, but for many of you, like me, this is the second go-round.

I would like to hear some of your experiences with your new SE Asians spouses and how your family is accepting them.

As for me, my life is far from ideal, and our newly re-arranged family has its share of problems, but sometimes, it's just perfect. See photo.

Incidentally, for those of you who may have stumbled in from another certain thread, that bottle contains 100% s?a m?.

Attached Files


Edited by Melrose Plant, 15 February 2009 - 12:20 AM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-15 00:17:00
Asia: East and Pacificpassport time stamp question help!!
OK, I've gotten three visas, and all of them have been permanently affixed to my passport. The first two were single entries and the last one was a multi. Where are you getting visas that aren't glued in? I know there are more options now than there used to be. I physically sent my passport to San Francisco each time. Sorry for the stupid question.

An afterthought: Could this be a difference between POEs? I've always come in through Noi Bai Airport just outside of Hanoi. Them Commies up there LOVE stamps. I can't imagine they would pass up the opportunity to stamp your passport, permanently affixed visa or not.

Edited by Melrose Plant, 15 February 2009 - 10:37 AM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-15 10:34:00
Asia: East and Pacificpassport time stamp question help!!
If you get the type of visa where you send off your passport to the Vietnamese embassy or consulate (which, not so long ago, was your only option), you will get a stamp in your passport.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-14 15:11:00
Asia: East and PacificHB2 Visa
QUOTE (bryonm4 @ Feb 17 2009, 02:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I was reading where you can bring your wife over sooner if she can find a work sponsor and get a HB2 Visa. She can stay for 5 or 6 months as long as she can pass an english test and can only work at the place that gave her the visa. This would be wonderfull if we can do it. If I can find a sponsor and she can pass the english test will they let her come over on a HB2 visa or will the fact that she was denied a K1 hurt our chances?

Believe it or not, I actually know a little bit about this. Unless your wife has some very specialized skill that cannot be found locally, this is just simply not an option. I happen to know two people who came over on HB2 visas (actually, I believe they were HB1s). One now has a Green Card, and the other has a long wait for a Green Card. But that is not the point. One of these people is a world class pianist, and the other is a talented computer programmer. Their employers went to bat for them for very specific reasons. It would seem doubtful that your wife would have the qualifications to get the HB1/HB2 visa.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-17 18:11:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Waiting Game...
Ah, Quan Hai Ba Trung. My favorite aunt, Co An, lives somewhere in that sector. Don't ask me how to get to her house, though.

As for the other, you see, that's what you get for living in California. tongue.gif Here in the hinterlands, nobody really cares if a person speaks with six clear and distinct tones, because they figure that war was over with before the speaker was out of diapers. I haven't yet tried flying the current Vietnamese flag yet. It's in the garage.

P.S. By the way, I have another aunt who lives in Santa Monica. Weird, huh?

Edited by Melrose Plant, 21 February 2009 - 10:47 PM.

Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-21 22:46:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Waiting Game...
No way! We're the only two Hanoi people on this entire site, I think. Everyone else is from down South.

Whereabouts in Hanoi does she live? Mai is actually from Ha Dong city, which has now been annexed by Hanoi, but was formerly what we would call a suburb.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-18 21:38:00
Asia: East and PacificThe Waiting Game...
It is unlikely that it was received and Packet 4 was sent to a black hole. It's only been three weeks. As you can see by my timeline, it took two months for us.

I would just call there once a week and see if she's got an interview date. She can even call there too. Then, if she still doesn't receive Packet 4, someone is going to have to go down there in person and get it. Their phone number is (011) 84-8-3520-4200. Here is the relevant page of their website which will tell you what not to forget (HCM number, beneficiary's DOB, that sort of thing).

Good luck.

And yes, I agree. The Vietnamese need to institute ZIP codes. But as to not knowing her own address....Where exactly is your wife from?
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-18 17:09:00
Asia: East and PacificSpot the Error
No, the date of the visa won't be an issue at all. Even with a single entry, it's a range, not a specific entry/exit date. As for the birth year being wrong, I really wouldn't think it would be that big of a deal, but then, I've never been through customs at the south end of the country, either.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-21 22:35:00
Asia: East and PacificSpot the Error
Well, it DID say, "This is an overnight flight," which is not 100% technically correct. The flight to Seoul is the overnight flight. Although, given the late hour of your arrival in HCMC, that is almost yet another overnight flight. Perfect. You'll be able to sneak that 125 lb. McIntosh amp right through customs for my nephew.
Melrose PlantMaleVietnam2009-02-21 15:51:00