Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Vietnam	Anyone who got PINK use Van Phong Dich Vu in HCMC?	Anybody who did not use Van Phong Dich Vu (Offices/Services help to prepare for K1 documents?) and still got PINK?	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-06-01 09:05:00
Vietnam	Life in Vietnam	Dau Que, Yes, Vietnam government is corrupted. I have known that and have come to accept it...you deal with it and make it work for you. I know as a non Viet Citizen, you can buy land but have to return it in 50 years...I also know most of the laws in Vietnam...both written and unspoken. Like any other country, you take the good with the bad. It's a hell hole because most people have no oppertunity to grow...that's what communist do to a country. But have you seen the younger generation of Vietnam lately? They want to change the country. Most have evolve to embrace the western culture and idealism. For me, walking around a country where people does not look at me DIFFERENTLY makes me feel at home. I grew up with racism and like it or not, it's still around. The feeling of being free, with no burden, when you set foot in Vietnam is enough for me to bare it's ugly sides. If you plan well, life is good...plan ill, life is hell...that's everywhere. When was the last time you were in a rolling black out or your ac broke down in Houston? When was the last time you were in a Hurricane that took out electricity for weeks and you had to go to work? Sorry buddy, but you really don't know much. A NON Vietnamese citizen can ONLY buy an apartment, they CANNOT buy land, also you buy a 50 year lease, you do NOT have to give the land back in 50 years, you only have to pay tax and the tax is small, it is nothing like re buying the land. My wife's uncle just had to pay tax on property his grandfather had bought prior to the the war (50 years ago was when it was bought) He has over 1000 square meters, the house right next to him with far less land sold for about 12 billion (close to 600,000 USD) and he only had to pay 10 million to get a fresh 50 year lease of sorts. So please before you start spouting off about knowing the laws both written and unspoken you really must start to try to learn them, if not you are in for a rude awakening. I know personally since I wanted to buy a house and have it in my name, I found 3 different ones I wanted all for about 1.5 billion, I had cash in hand yet it had to be put into my wife's name, so instead of buying a house (because there was NO way it would be in my name) we ended up buying an apartment, so now with our apartment bought and paid for we are looking to buy land to put in my wifes name so we can build our retirement home. And for all of you that might wonder why it was in my name and not my wifes, simple math I DO trust her, and I DO trust her mother and brother, but what if something happens to her and I did decide to get married again, what would they think then? Read up on the laws, and truly know them dont just say you know them because what you have written is totally wrong. Good luck if you are truly wanting to move here, even as Scott said the economy might be rough, but I am still putting away tons of money working over here, living the life I want to live and still saving well over $1400 a month USD, and that is not counting the money we are saving for land, there is no way in America in 2 years I would have a house bought ($73000 paid in full) and the other money that is still in the bank. Life is truly great at least for me and my wife. Maybe you can be as lucky or luckier. Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-09-11 06:08:00
Vietnam	selling property	Yes, she would be perfectly fine to rent for a year or more. The thing is her mom was planning to sell the house anyway, but we just want to make sure it won't count against us in some way if she does. Another issue she was considering is this. In order to get the visa, she has to get a paper from the authorities that she is single. Also, to sell the house she has to get a paper from the authorities saying she's single... however, when she goes back to get the paper for the house, they will see they already issued her one for the purpose of getting married, which will make it difficult for her to get them to certify again that she's single, which will make it difficult to sell the house. If she needs it done it can be done. As others have said coffee money works wonders, another route would be to get a copy made then have it certified, so that it is a certified copy, this might not work at the consulate but it should work anywhere else in Vietnam. hope this helps Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-09-26 08:49:00
Vietnam	selling property	My fiancee needs to sell a house before moving. It was actually her mom's house, but since her mom is now in the US and she's the last one over there in the immediate family, it's in her name. So, the problem is the letter from the consulate says no guarantees... so don't quit jobs or buy airline tickets or sell property before being approved. Is this just for our info or will they somehow hold it against us if she sells the house too quickly? Because honestly, I want her to come ASAP after the approval. Sure it wasn't the original plan, but I'm too excited to see her now. Do you want her to possibly stay in a hotel or rent a house for a year or more? This is the real question, we all want our loved ones to move asap. Don't jump the gun on this one, not saying you will be denied or put into AP, but it is a possibility. I would wait until you got your result before you even start to think to sell, even if this takes another month or two, in the long run it would be well worth it. Just my thoughts, but it is your life do as you want, and if she sells then gets put into AP she will just have to rent a house or an apartment until the approval, not that bad of a scenario, but if the worse case one pops up then what? Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-09-24 21:34:00
Vietnam	Ship to Vietnam	Hi Visa Community, What's the best way to ship gifts to Vietnam. We want to send a box full of gifts like chocolate etc.. for the holidays. Something affordable, will get there in a reasonable amount of time, and most of all dependable. Thanks!!! US postal service flat rate international box, usually takes about 14 days to arrive, cheapest by far but not the quickest, if you want fast use UPS or DHL or find someone going to Vietnam and have them take it for you	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-10-31 01:03:00
Vietnam	T E F L COURSE IN HCMC	Mr. Wreath, I presume? If you two start another fight I am going to request you both be banned or at least a good time out. You two can fight in private by PM's.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-11-17 09:54:00
Vietnam	T E F L COURSE IN HCMC	I was wondering if anyone here knows anything about the T E F L course in HCMC ? What would I need to bring to cover my expenses and what exactly does the course consist of? Give me alot of details please. Thanks	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-11-17 09:50:00
Vietnam	T E F L COURSE IN HCMC	The good courses are either the TESOL or the CELTA, both are about the same. I took the TESOL from TEFL International, it cost $1400 and it was one month long. They have in class teaching where there is an instructor who watches your lesson and gives you feedback. The course is pretty brutal, you will have to pass with a 60% or higher on a written test for both grammar and Phonetics. The test isn't that bad, but you are there 5 days a week and they teach you how to do lesson plans their way and everything is done by hand, no clip art allowed or internet resources, you use colors, paper and books they have to do your lesson plans. They do this for the worst case situation where you might not have internet, power or any other resource. Over all it was a good course, it helped me ease into teaching, and it also looks good on your resume. The class lasts 1 month, you will be there from Monday through Friday from roughly 8 am until 4 or 5 pm Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-10-17 00:03:00
Vietnam	Child died in Vietnam before DNA sample	I just heard from Clay, their visa was not there waiting, it was pushed back to the 20th, I guess if they keep giving them the run around he will just move here. Hopefully it wont come to that	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-10-12 20:07:00
Vietnam	Child died in Vietnam before DNA sample	Hullo - any news/update from you and the IV unit? Hope things went well, a different , positive outcome for ya ! The last I heard they were not going to issue a visa, but then I talked to him this weekend and he said once they turned in a new medical exam they were going to issue the visa and he was scheduled to turn that in on Monday or Tuesday. So at least they can move on with their life together, it is just so sad that they lost their child. Good luck Clay!	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-10-04 08:40:00
Vietnam	Child died in Vietnam before DNA sample	Sorry for your loss, I know for sure that I would be in the citizen services and blaming the hell out of them for this tragedy, and I would also be in contact with your senator, now that you have the proof that the child was yours and with what happened you can honestly blame the consulate for your loss, I know that getting your wife back to the US will not bring back your loss, but it will help ease the pains you are both going through, go in and give them hell, all of their BS and their delays from your first denial to the delays recently, tell them enough is enough. Good luck Clay, hope that this is the last sorrow you will face on your journey. Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-09-17 10:57:00
Vietnam	Ticket Prices for December	Shouldn't you already be aware that your relationship with someone overseas gonna be costly, even AFTER she comes to the US? You'll need to periodically to spend thousands and thousands of dollars to travel back to VN with her. And once a while, you'll need to send money to her family in order to keep "good" relationship with them. Expect those things BEFORE tying the knot with her. How many accounts do you have now Dan Que?	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-11-03 00:03:00
Vietnam	Plan for getting married in Vietnam	OK. I think I will be getting married in Vietnam next year and need to start planning. I would like to know if this plan will work. I plan to take one month off. I will submit all the paperwork through my girlfriend through power of attorney two weeks before I arrive (We plan to use a local lawyer). She would get the paperwork (with single status) at least two weeks before I arrive in Vietnam. I will get the physical / mental exam in Vietnam as I've read here that it's useless to get in done in the USA. We will have the dam hoi and wedding at the end of week 3 regardless of whether the marriage certificate is issued. I've read you pay a penalty for that, but is it that big a deal? If the marriage certificate doesn't get issued in that time, then I can come back to sign it. But I would rather not do it if I don't have to. Is this plan feasible? It is good you are planning ahead, she can get most of your things notarized ahead of time and this will save time. There is no penalty for having the Dam Hoi prior to the certificate, actually many Vietnamese people wait for months after their party before they even try to do the paperwork simply because they are planning the party first the paperwork second. I would also still recommend that you use a service, I hate saying that but they do know people that can help get your paperwork up towards the front of the line helping with your paperwork issues. I would strongly suggest getting the mental test done as soon as you arrive and then also filing the paperwork pretty much the day that you arrive, because it can take a month or longer to get everything done. When we got married we did use a service and it took almost exactly one month from the date we filed the paperwork, and every paper we had was correct and we were never turned away. A friend of ours was actually turned away 3 separate times for paperwork errors and not having the right paperwork, this is why I suggest the service they make sure everything is correct and as I said earlier they can get things done a bit faster. Good luck and good plan! Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-12-05 21:46:00
Vietnam	Criminal Record Help!!!	I can't get it expunged and yes it's been about 12 years now that I committed those crimes. I did try to get a lawyer to get it expunged but no luck. The offense that I committed was listed in section 707(b). The law stated that if I committed the crimes listed under 707(b) after the age of 14 then I cannot get my record expunged or sealed. Sucks for me. Thanks for your advice. Sealed and expunged are two totally different things. Sealed is when you turn 18, expungement is for any age, if it is a serious crime such as murder or rape they will not expunge it, if it was a serious crime the DA might not want it. Talk to a different lawyer, because they are seperate things. Every state has expungement, they just go about it differently, what needs to be done is a qualified lawyer must petition the court, and notify the DA, if the Da objects to the expungement then a court hearing is held, and this is where you would need to show that you are a good citizen now and trying to better yourself, if the Judge agrees, then it is expunged. If the Da does not object then the paperwork just goes through the court system. Having your juvy reccord sealed is differently than having it expunged. I am not sure on your 707(b) but if it is how you worded it then this was a very serious crime, now if they say it cannot be sealed then it should be able to be expunged later on down the road (now) Any crime that the state will not allow to be expunged is a very serious crime, and thus might come up on a search made by the consulate, so as I said earlier make sure she is aware of your crime and have things that show you are not that person anymore, stress since then you have not been in trouble. Dont offer this to them, but make sure you have it if they ask. Good luck, and seriously consider getting clarification on expungement and having a juvy record sealed, they should be seperate and different. Even with an expungement if you commit a similar crime they can look at your record, an expungement just means when you look for a job it will not show up, or on a regular background check, and for anyone to look into what was expunged they would have to have a court order or be a member of the court investigating a new crime. Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-03-21 02:08:00
Vietnam	Criminal Record Help!!!	Don't sweat it. Even though it was not sealed it should not be any problem. The main thing they look for is crimes against a spouse, murder, or sexual related crimes. The battery might be an issue, but as long as it was not against a woman you should not have any problem. Just make sure your wife knows ALL the details prior to her interview. The last thing you would need is for them to ask and her say she didn't know that. I was also into trouble when I was young and there were no problems with my case going through. BTW have you thought about getting your record expunged? I actually just started this process on mine. Food for thought, they might not have sealed it stating you were tried as an adult, but if it has been 5 to 10 years you can usually get it expunged. Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-03-19 20:54:00
Vietnam	FYI	Sometimes it's necessary to get behind the drama in order to determine what kind of advice is needed. You'll find on any website where relationships are involved, including VJ, that there will always be some people looking for advice on doing something that is morally or legally wrong, and they'll mask their intentions behind a cover story that's party or entirely false. For example, I stopped posting advice in most VAWA related threads after I discovered that a percentage of them weren't really abused, and were setting up their US citizen spouses for false charges just so they could get or keep a green card. I think what Jerome is getting at is that there's apparently another side of this story, and that sympathy might end up being misplaced. Jim you are correct, before someone gives advice they need to know the entire story so that their advice is accurate, it is like helping someone solve a problem with only half the variables your answer is almost never correct, and the OP let everyone on this site know his dirty laundry ages ago, I really don't care what he does, but if he did have a new fiancee like I had heard then it would be probably much easier to just do the divorce here in Vietnam since if what I heard was true then he will most undoubtedly be making another trip to Vietnam, and in his case depending on states a person can do an uncontested divorce but the legal wrangling usually means an attorney is needed or a legal secretary that charges tons less simply because there are motions to file and paperwork that needs to be correct with every t crossed and every i dotted.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-01-05 08:00:00
Vietnam	FYI	I heard you were in Vietnam and in the countryside with another woman and were already engaged I think her name was mimi? I also noticed you were using a different nic and were planning on moving here and teaching? In any case, good luck in what you do decide to do, we each have to live our own life.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-01-04 07:04:00
Vietnam	My wife is pregnant!!!!	Hi guys, I am so happy, excited, and...nervous at the same time that my wife is pregnant. I am going to be a father at 25! But the thing that concern me is that her health insurance is going to be cut off because I am going to quit my job tomorrow. I am going to start a new job in 2-3 weeks but am not sure what to do get her cover for 3 months until I am eligible to buy health insurance at my new job. I can buy health insurance myself for 3 months then cancel it, right? It is even necessary to buy health insurance for the next three months? She is one month pregnant, so she is not going to need a lot medical attention, right? Many insurances will NOT cover pregnancy for the first 8 to 12 months of a new policy, in this case you need to look into extending your existing coverage throughout the pregnancy. Having babies are not cheap! So as Anh Map said make sure you have good answers before you let your current policy expire. BTW congrats!	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-01-20 20:58:00
Vietnam	My wife is pregnant!!!!	First off congrats!!! Second off, when I was managing a company in the US a few years back insurance companies would NOT cover a woman if she was pregnant, and most companies would not cover any birthing expenses if the woman became pregnant within one year of obtaining insurance. I would look into doing as Anh Map suggested and trying to pay for the insurance out of pocket until after the baby is born, or until another insurance company would cover any costs. Good luck and congrats once more! Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-10-25 20:36:00
Vietnam	Visa on its way	Congrats!! Glad everything worked out for the both of you. I bet now you wished you had not waited so long as all the nay sayers told you to wait wait wait. At least your journey is nearing its end. Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-03-20 05:56:00
Vietnam	VN driver's license	check with your state, honestly though do you want her to just go driving right away? Not saying she would do anything wrong, but driving int he US is NOTHING like in Vietnam, in the US they are at a much faster speed and actually have to look both ways and not run red lights because no one seems to be coming. Before I would ever let my wife drive in the US I would at least practice with her first, and then check with the DMV to see if it is valid, last thing you would want is her to get caught driving illegally if you know what I mean.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-04-07 07:51:00
Vietnam	Cheating wife	Before you jump ship and run the other way, why don't you talk to her, better yet why don't you fly out here and "surprise" her, find out for yourself. Not to say your cousin would lie to you but..... Hell you are already married, went through all the hoops and you are asking how to throw it all away without any real proof. Maybe just call her out on it and see where it goes. Your life, your decision but to actually answer your question there is really nothing you can do, you can contact the embassy but if she has the passport with a visa in it they won't stop her when she leaves Vietnam to go to the US but at POE they might.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-04-07 07:48:00
Vietnam	Banking in HCMC	It isn't easy if you are not living and working here. When I moved here I wanted to open an account (didn't like sleeping with $30k under the bed) the gut at HSBC looked at me like I was a fool. To make a long story short every bank will want something different but what you are SUPPOSED to have is a passport and a letter from YOUR employer in Vietnam so the bank knows where you are getting your income. You might be able to find a bank to open one without the employer letter but it is unlikely. As Anh Map said a joint bank account doesn't mean ####### in HCMC just your visits, and in our case 3 visits prior to a denial didn't mean #######...	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2012-08-18 10:28:00
Vietnam	Happy Belated Birthday to Uncle Ho!	Jerome, feel free to speak on my behalf!  I'll just sit back and relax.   p.s.  I assume you've earned that BA by now.  You went after that thing like a bulldog and for that you should be commended.    last july and us teaching liscense in hand	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2013-07-26 10:20:00
Vietnam	Happy Belated Birthday to Uncle Ho!	I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley and make a speech decrying the hundreds of civilians who were killed by American troops at My Lai in 1968.   You can do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon.   I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley and make a speech decrying the thousands of civilians who were killed by Viet Cong and NVA troops in Hue City in 1968.   Can you do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon?   I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley, take out my acoustic guitar, and play "Viet Nam Toi Dau".   Can you do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon?   There are millions of Viet Kieu living in America. The only ones who will publicly speak out against the Vietnamese government are the ones who will never return to Vietnam. I watched a man cry while waving a yellow RVN flag in front of the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco because he knew his small act of protest meant he would never see his family in Vietnam again.   Ho Chi Minh may have had noble intentions, but there are very few Viet Kieu living in the US who like what has become of their country thanks to him. There are many in Vietnam who feel the same way, but they'll never tell you the truth as long as they're living under the red flag. It would be healthy for you and Mark to spend some time among the Vietnamese community in the US.   Jim, we can argue about this all night and next week if we want to.  The fact is that we say the VC and NVA did what they did in Hue but do we truly know for sure it was them?  Seriously can you trust that it wasn't the Americans that were pissed off at the offensive and retaliated because of fallen brothers? Then to help the moral in the US we said it was the VC and NVA?  Our country is clearly known for covering up things we did and lieing about what happened in Vietnam.  I am not truly saying it was not the NVA or VC that did it but how do we know for sure.  Facts are simple we fire bombed entire villages because we did not know if they were aiding the VC and it was easier to just fire bomb than to clear them out, we also know the facts that many people were killed by US troops for retaliation of fallen comrades.  The sad truth about history is simple, history is written by the victors, and the only difference between a war hero and a war criminal is who won the war, case in point WWII with what we did to the civilians in Japan, we won so NO one was charged for those killings.     I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley and make a speech decrying the hundreds of civilians who were killed by American troops at My Lai in 1968.   You can do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon.   I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley and make a speech decrying the thousands of civilians who were killed by Viet Cong and NVA troops in Hue City in 1968.   Can you do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon?   I can go today to the plaza at UC Berkeley, take out my acoustic guitar, and play "Viet Nam Toi Dau".   Can you do the same thing in any public plaza in Saigon?   There are millions of Viet Kieu living in America. The only ones who will publicly speak out against the Vietnamese government are the ones who will never return to Vietnam. I watched a man cry while waving a yellow RVN flag in front of the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco because he knew his small act of protest meant he would never see his family in Vietnam again.   Ho Chi Minh may have had noble intentions, but there are very few Viet Kieu living in the US who like what has become of their country thanks to him. There are many in Vietnam who feel the same way, but they'll never tell you the truth as long as they're living under the red flag. It would be healthy for you and Mark to spend some time among the Vietnamese community in the US.   Jim, we can argue about this all night and next week if we want to.  The fact is that we say the VC and NVA did what they did in Hue but do we truly know for sure it was them?  Seriously can you trust that it wasn't the Americans that were pissed off at the offensive and retaliated because of fallen brothers? Then to help the moral in the US we said it was the VC and NVA?  Our country is clearly known for covering up things we did and lieing about what happened in Vietnam.  I am not truly saying it was not the NVA or VC that did it but how do we know for sure.  Facts are simple we fire bombed entire villages because we did not know if they were aiding the VC and it was easier to just fire bomb than to clear them out, we also know the facts that many people were killed by US troops for retaliation of fallen comrades.  The sad truth about history is simple, history is written by the victors, and the only difference between a war hero and a war criminal is who won the war, case in point WWII with what we did to the civilians in Japan, we won so NO one was charged for those killings.   You however are correct in many things you wrote about being able to gather and protest, but there are still more things in the US that are not so true anymore, look at Snoweden and a few other whistle blowers who have been targeted by the US government for standing up	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2013-07-25 21:02:00
Vietnam	Happy Belated Birthday to Uncle Ho!	Me and Mark do not get along but I have to agree with him on this one.  The US lied to get us involved in Vietnam, we promised many Vietnamese people we would help, some of the war crimes we committed riveled that of the VC.  Then when we left we left many holding the bag and we did not care.  We knew what would happen, hell HCM even came to us BEFORE he went to Communism and asked for us to help him get rid of the French and we REFUSED.  Thus he went to China and Russia and found support.  Also the South Vietnamese government we propped up was far worse than HCM was.  Hell we kept Pol Pot in Cambodia in power and if you have not heard about the killing fields then do some research.  After we left Vietnam the North went through both Cambodia and Laos getting rid of those corrupt murderous rulers.  War is hell no matter who you are there are always good sides and bad sides but HCM was a far better leader than those in the south.  If you think Mark or I am a liar on the real start of the Vietnam war, look for the classified documents in the freedom of information act or look online for many of the true stories of the Vietnam war.  I have tons of "American propaganda" films where it shows how much good we were doing, but when they talk about the entire village that OUR men slaughtered (men, women and children) they only talk for a minute on the subject and to give more insight there was only 1 person charged and convicted for that crime, he served 5 years in prison ohh wait I mean house arrest at his barracks (private residence at a military base.)  I know the North did many bad things but we were no angels so don't try to sugar coat it Edited by jeromebinh, 14 July 2013 - 03:05 AM.	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2013-07-14 03:05:00
Vietnam	Visa on arrival	My sister just did it in Jan/Dec. She went to Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. No problems. 3-month Visa on Arrival--I did her paperwork, she just travelled. She did forget her pictures, but it was okay because they just took her picture there for like $5 USD. Thanks, I know the one I usually use said they cant, but a different one I called and they said that they could do it, so I went with them, should know tomorrow for certain if it went through. Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-02-23 12:48:00
Vietnam	Visa on arrival	Has anyone done a 3 month multiple visit visa recently? Have you done it with a visa on arrival? I tried to use the same visa service I used the last three times and they said that they could no longer do a 3 month multiple visit visa on arrival, that I would have to send it to the embassy in the US to get it done. While other sites still offer this same visa on their website. I called one of them and told them what I was told, and they said they could still do it. The prices are the same, I just do not like to send my passport off. Expecially when I am going to leave on a trip with short notice, if something were to happen to it along the way, I would be screwed. So my question is have any of you done the 3 month multiple visits with a visa on arrival recently? Thanks Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-02-23 07:59:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource		jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-10-25 03:17:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource	QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Oct 23 2009, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> any additions? Scott, why don't we get this pinned? This is a very good one to get pinned if you ask me Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-10-23 19:06:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource	bump for general purpose	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-09-22 21:01:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource	QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Aug 17 2009, 07:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Jerome, What info did they want in the blue? a timeline and what else? Timeline, proof of residence for my ex wife with whom I have been divorced for 2 years prior to meeting my fiancee, they also wanted to know her citizenship status, she was a american, go figure,and proof of residence where my fiancees family lives in the united states	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-08-18 15:28:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource	Here is my timeline with our personal information removed, hope this helps people! (Your Name and Address here) USA U.S. Consulate General. Immigrant Visa Section 4 Le Duan St., District 01, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I, (your name and birthdate here) a citizen of the U.S. am the Fiancé of (your fiancee's name). The following is a sworn affidavit documenting the timeline of our relationship during May 23rd, 2008 to the present. Case number (your fiancee's case number here) May 23rd. I received a smile on Saigondarlings.com from (your fiancee's name). I looked at her profile and I noticed that her Yahoo I.D. was in her profile. I added her to my Yahoo Messenger list. She added me as a friend and our relationship started. From the first time we started to chat with Yahoo we used the Voice feature and Web cam. We talked about one another and then we talked about what we both wanted in our future. May 26th. (your fiancee's name) sent me photos for the first time May 27th. We talked a couple of hours on Yahoo using voice about what each other wants in life. I know it is soon in a relationship but I know that night I was starting to fall in love with her. She is a wonderful person I can see when we talk about our day that she truly cares about others. She tells me about what each student does at school, about her family, and about her friends. I can tell through our conversations that she is serious about her future. It is strange but when you know you are meant to be with someone you just know, and I know that with her at this point. May 28th. I sent (your fiancee's name) 2 separate emails one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I talked about my family, how I was raised, and that I am starting to gain true feelings for her. Talking every with Yahoo Voice service. I have started to fall in love with her, and I have told her for the first time that I love her. We became a boyfriend and girlfriend. May 29th. We mainly use Yahoo as communication. It has a voice and web cam feature that is better and cheaper than a phone. We have daily chat, sometimes twice each day. Our chats include talk of each others days, what our plans are for the next day, and how our family is doing. We chat like we are husband and wife. Talking about each aspect of our day as if we were sitting across the table at dinner. June 2nd. I sent (your fiancee's name) gifts for the first time. I sent her a shirt some shoes and a card that sang the song “How sweet it is to be loved by you” Month of June. We continue to have daily communication each day, and on the weekends we have chat 2 times each day for hours each time. June 12th. (your fiancee's name) sang me a song “Happy Birthday” and we chatted for hours. July 1st. I sent her gifts again. I sent her a gold ring with diamonds saying “love” on the side of the ring. I also sent her a white skirt and a white shirt. I hid the ring on a button on the shirt. This way when she tried on the shirt for the first time she would find it then. It was a surprise for her. Month of July. Same as in June and every month. We have daily communication using Yahoo chat with voice and web cam. It is so wonderful to be able to see who you are talking to while you talk. You can actually tell that they are interested in you and not just talking on the phone saying yes, yes, yes. July 17th. got the package with the ring. I asked her to wait to open that package until we could chat. While we were chatting she opened up the package, and I asked her to put the shirt on over her other shirt just to try it on. When she did she did not notice the ring fall, and I said “Honey, what was that that fell?” She looked then when she found it she started to cry. It was a very special day. I called Binh on the telephone for the first time. Call quality is less than expected so we decided to use the telephone when the internet was down or if we were not home. August 6th. I sent her gifts again. I sent Strawberry cheesecake in a box, small candies, and peaches from my garden. August 23rd. She received the gifts. She told me the peaches did not taste right. When she showed them to me I had her throw them away because they were spoiled. I felt badly. September 3rd. We started to get very serious. We talked about our futures in particular. Binh told me that she would leave Vietnam for me. We also talked about marriage, but we both decided that before we officially proposed that we should meet in person. This way we could make sure that our feelings were genuine. At this point in our relationship we know that we both want to marry one another and that we deeply and truly love each other. September 6th. I started to look for a plane ticket and dates for my arrival. September 11th. I tried to call my mom and she was not there. was able to speak with my son using the speaker phone and Yahoo. October 15th. I bought the plane ticket. We start to plan my trip. October 27th. I call my mother with my home phone and I put her on Speaker phone and Binh gets to wish her happy birthday. was extremely happy and so was my mother. Binh talked to my mom for quite a while on the phone. When I was about to hang up the phone Binh said “bye mom” I think my mom started to cry when she heard her say that. I love (your fiancee's name) so much for that. When Binh said that to my mom I knew that she wanted to be a part of my family November 4th. We start to talk about what type of engagement party we will want to have. (your fiancee's name)starts to look at different restaurants and send me information on them. November 17th. We have decided on the restaurant Van Thanh Resort. We reserve 10 tables for our party. picks out a 5 course meal with my help. We have crab soup to start. Then we had bread and beef, fried spring roll, we have a hot pot with beef and sea food. For dessert we have traditional Hue cakes and grapes. November 28th. I send $600 for deposit for the restaurant for our engagement party. We know now that it is only a formality that we are not formally engaged. I want to ask her to marry me in person not over the internet. I love (your fiancee's name) so much at this point in our relationship that she is the only thing I think about. December 5th. We start to make plans for the engagement party. We start to pick out the invitation cards and we do more planning on my trip. starts to look for hotels for me while I am in Vietnam. December 17th. I chat one more time with (your fiancee's name) before I leave to go and visit her. I tell her how much I love her and that if something were to happen on my flight over there for her to know I loved her and I want her to be happy. She starts to cry and tells me not to talk that way. December 18th. I leave Indiana to go to Vietnam. December 19th. I arrive at SGN airport about midnight. As soon as I walked out of the airport I see hundreds of people. I start to scan the people until I see the most beautiful woman in the world. (your fiancee's name) comes running up with her brother Hung. (your fiancee's name) gives me a big hug and we have our first kiss. It was the kiss I will remember for the rest of my life. I stayed the night at Alan and Van’s house. They are Binh’s friends. December 20th. In the morning (your fiancee's name) took me to the hotel Thai Ha Huy on Le Van Sy Street, where we checked in. Later in the morning we went to her house and I get to meet her Mother, aunts. Her brother Hung is also there. (your fiancee's name)and I get to talk all morning long. About 2:00 p.m. we decide to go to the zoo in HCMC. Hung joins us for the afternoon. While at the Zoo I decide to propose to her. I picked the spot in front of the Lions cage while the Lion was roaring. I got down on my knee and took (your fiancee's name)by the hand and put the engagement ring on her finger as I asked her to marry me. (your fiancee's name) said yes as soon as I asked her. I stood up and gave her a kiss. We finished our walk through the zoo then we hurried home so that we could tell mom the good news. When we told her, she told Binh to make me promise that I would take care of her for the rest of our lives. I told (your fiancee's name)to tell her that I would always protect and take care of her. Then she hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. December 21st. (your fiancee's name) and I went out and got Traditional wedding rings for the engagement ceremony. After we went shopping for our rings we went to Saigon Super Bowl so that we could relax and have some fun. We went bowling and I won both games. We got ice cream from the market in Super Bowl and brought it back for her family. December 22nd. (your fiancee's name) and I went to the Reunification Palace. While there they had a school doing a field trip, and one of the students said “hello” in English so I replied in Vietnamese “Xin Chao” For the rest of the visit every time the students would go by I would be saying “Xin Chao” over and over again. After we left the Reunification Palace we went to visit the Notre Dame church, and to take a few photos. We ate dinner at Alan and Van’s house. We had some spicy Thai food. Alan offered for me to stay with them at their home. December 23rd. (your fiancee's name) and I checked out of the Hotel and moved my clothes to Alan and Van’s house. We then went to the War museum. Later that night Binh introduced me to two of her good friends, Chad and Uyen. We had drinks at Saigon pho coffee shop. We had milk shakes, and we talked for a couple of hours. December 24th. In the morning I got fitted for my ao dai. After that we relaxed at her house. (your fiancee's name) mother made chicken noodle soup for lunch and Spaghetti for Dinner December 25th. We went to celebrate Christmas at Alan and Van’s house. We ate Barbecue ribs, fish, squid, and baked potatoes and toasted with champagne. Later that night we called my mother and son, wishing them a merry Christmas. December 26th. We prepared for the traditional engagement party at home with the help from her mother and brother. We went to pick up my ao dai. Later in the evening we went to an Italian restaurant Chef Mama and had Lasagna and Lamb. December 27th. Our engagement ceremony day! In the morning we were busy getting the house ready and greeting guests at her house. At noon (your fiancee's name)went to get her hair done and I stayed at her house with her brother and got dressed and greeted more family and friends. At 3:00 p.m. we prayed to her ancestors and I was introduced to her family and relatives. At 6:00 pm we went to Van Thanh Resort Restaurant-Binh Quoi Tourism. There we had an engagement dinner with 100 of her relatives and friends. December 28th. My Fiancée and I went shopping at “backpackers” area and relaxed at her home. December 29th. My Fiancée and I went to Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province. Along the way we visited my fiancée’s aunt, uncle and cousin at their home. When we got to the park we went off the trail into the actual jungle, and we did not see anything, when we got back to the trail Binh started to scream she noticed that her legs and feet were covered in leeches. We had to take our shoes and socks off and even take the shoe laces out of our shoes to get all the leeches off of us. There had to be over 100 on each of us. After we got our shoes back on we started to walk down the trail again. I heard a noise and as I took one more step I saw out of the corner of my eye a Cobra. I jumped back and could not believe my eyes. It started to go back into the jungle so I gently pulled on its tail so that it would turn and face me, so that I could get photos of it. I also was able to take a video of it. I used a stick to pick him up. It was a great time in the Jungle with my beautiful Fiancée. When we got back from the National Park we went to eat Vietnamese pancakes for dinner. This is when I found out that people leave the skin on shrimp and eat it. December 30th. In the morning we were about to go to Mekong Delta, while Binh was getting ready I was petting Alan’s dog when it decided to bite me twice. I had to go to Family Medical Practice HCMC. They put stitches in both bites. We were unable to go to Mekong Delta, so instead we went to the movies and watched “The Day The Earth Stood Still”. Then we had dinner at Majestic restaurant and ate hotpot and fresh spring rolls December 31st. We went stayed at Alan and Van’s house and just spent time together talking to each other and with Alan before he had to go back to China on business. January 1st 2009. We went to her house to wish her family happy new year. We went to watch the film Australia at Galaxy cinema, and then we went back to Alan and Van’s house to spend time together and talk about our future. January 2nd. We stayed at her house most of the day with some shopping near her home. I made Mexican food for her family. My fiancée told me that I was a very lucky man and that she thinks I am the only man to ever cook in her mother’s kitchen. January 3rd. My fiancée, her mother, brother and 2 of his friends went to Dai Nam National Park, Binh Duong Province. We had a great time looking at all the water fountains and waterfalls. We took many photos, and videos of the day. January 4th. We relaxed at her mom’s house and I made a bread bowl dish for lunch. We also went walking around HCMC and went to the post office and took photos. January 5th. We treated Van, her daughter and her maid to Mexican food for letting me stay with them. January 6th. My last day in Vietnam. It was a very sad day. We mainly set around my fiancée’s house. In the evening we went to eat dinner as a family. We had hot pot. Then my fiancée and her mother took me to the airport. We waited outside the airport for about 20 minutes, and I had to go inside. I was so sad and I did not want to let them see me cry. January 12th. I sent my fiancée an American flag bikini for her birthday along with 2 shirts and a Valentine card that I spoke into saying “I love you Binh today, tomorrow, always and forever. You are always in my heart always on my mind. I love you” February 1st. I filed the K1 Visa application February 9th. I received the NOA1 from USCIS February 23rd. I sent 4 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, 2 packages of salsa mix, 5 bags of beef jerky, and two tank tops. February 24th. I ordered a Digital photo frame for my fiancée’s mother’s birthday on April 8th. Month of March. We continue to have daily conversations with Voice service from Yahoo messenger and web cam. Each night we talk about our days, and our dreams. I will take my laptop outside to show her the house, and my dogs. When I cook I take the laptop in the kitchen and she can watch me cook. It is as if we were together. March 25th. My fiancée received the digital photo frame for her mom’s birthday April 8th. We received NOA2 approval letter from USCIS. April 20th. My fiancée told me on Yahoo that she sent me Lacquer painting for my birthday April 27th. My fiancée tells me she has received packet 3!! May 9th. My fiancée shows me a robe that she bought for my son and cigarettes that she bought for my mom. She tells me that she is going to send them the next day. May 15th I sent 2 packages of really hot salsa mix, and a bag of dill pickle mix, and some sweets. May 19th. My fiancée told me that she sent off packet 3 to the HCMC Consulate. June 2nd. I sent my fiancée all the documents that were requested by the HCMC Consulate June 8th. I requested Vacation time to make a second trip to Vietnam before the interview, but my boss would not allow me to use my vacation time. June 11th. My fiancée tells me that she received packet 4 from the HCMC Consulate. June 12th. My fiancée sings me songs and plays her guitar on Yahoo for my birthday. She said “I look like a monkey and I smell like one too!” We both laughed about it. June 13th. My fiancée told me that she has received the documents I sent her. June 16th. I sent my fiancée a web cam, strawberry jam, and tortillas for Mexican food. July 3rd. I sent my fiancée a cell phone with a sim card that would work once she landed in America so that I could find her easily at the airport when she arrived. July 4th. We talked about our planned wedding. We have decided on the date of September 5th over the Labor Day weekend. We have also decided that it would be in Missouri where most of my friends live. We can not get any more exact plans until after we know she is going to get the visa. I want to make sure she will be here before we reserve the exact church and banquet hall. July 9th. My fiancée went to do her medical exam at Cho Ray Hospital. July 20th. We talk about the interview and discuss our plans on when she will come to America after she gets the pink slip. July 23rd. My fiancée’s visa interview is at 9:30. I called her before she went there and told her that I will be awake until we know about the visa. She called me at 1:00 a.m. my time and told me she has no news yet but that she is at lunch break. Then at 2:35 a.m. she called me and said that we got a blue slip. We are both heart broken because she says they are asking for evidence that no one ever told us that we needed. July 24th. I talked to her for hours trying to cheer her up, and to figure out what we need for this visa. We are both heart broken over the news. I keep telling her that blue is not a denial, with the requested information we can still get the visa and I promised to get her the information that she needs. I applied for a visa to come back to Vietnam on August 1st. I tell my boss I have to take time off from August 1st to the 12th, so that I can go back to Vietnam. My fiancée needs me and I will be there for her. I love (your fiancee's name) and she is my world. August 1st. I plan to travel to Vietnam, to personally deliver the requested information on my ex wife and on the timeline on Monday August 3rd I, (place your name here) swear that what I have written is accurate and truthful. ________________________________________ Date _________________	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-08-17 18:12:00
Vietnam	HCMC Timeline Resource	That is interesting to know. My post should be back up after they edit my personal info!	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2009-08-17 17:37:00
Vietnam	Need A great Lawyer - Marc Ellis is the one.	Thank you very much. I was told it was $100 us for a consultation fee, and then $1500 for the fee, good luck just remember he is good, but the interview will be totally up to you, as he will not be able to go in there. Jerome and Binh	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-04-07 19:32:00
Vietnam	Need A great Lawyer - Marc Ellis is the one.	This has almost become an advertisement for Marc Ellis. The fact is that there are many lawyers out there that can help out anycase, and just because you hire ANY of them this does not mean you will get a visa. Some people swear by them, but this is not accurate, as they had an lawyer, so what if they did not have him? The outcome might have still been an approval, or maybe not, no one knows for certain. So before you hire any lawyer, just make sure that you know there is still the possibility that your case can get denied with or without him. Also take note that the interview itself will be done by a CO and your loved one only, no lawyer can go with your loved one into the interview, the lawyer mainly will make sure that your case is put together professionally, and that you can have answers to any possibly identified redflags resolved prior to your interview, this is truly about all that any lawyer can do in a visa case. Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-04-03 21:17:00
Vietnam	Need A great Lawyer - Marc Ellis is the one.	Not trying to knock Marc Ellis, but my experiance with him was less than satisfactory. Each case is different, each persons reaction is different, Marc does know what he is doing but there are many others that know it as well. I heard the secret with Marc is to catch him in the morning where he is a little more refreshed and alert, and I also heard he is going to be getting married soon. Everyone talks that Marc can do something at the consulate, maybe the CO do know him, and maybe they do infact go easier on people with a lawyer, but the only thing a lawyer can truly do is make sure that everything is filled out correctly, and that your case is presented in a professional manner, the lawyer can not go into the interview with you, he can not submit evidence for you, only tell you what HE/SHE thinks is wrong, and depending on the CO it may or may not be right, for those that choose any lawyer know the facts, dont let them mislead you in telling you that they guarentee you will get approved, because this is a lie, they can not do that. Just my take on the entire thing Jerome	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-03-31 22:18:00
Vietnam	Vietnam VisaJourney Members	LIVING IN VIETNAM Jeromebinh (HCMC) Mr. Saigon (HCMC) CURRENTLY IN VIETNAM Pohtaytoh (Long&Linh)(Da Nang) GOING TO VIETNAM Ralph does not live in Vietnam any longer he has been state side for many months now	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2011-05-17 19:45:00
Vietnam	Vietnam VisaJourney Members	LIVING IN VIETNAM Mr. Saigon (HCMC) Ralph&Hanh (HCMC) Jeromebinh (HCMC) CURRENTLY IN VIETNAM No one?? GOING TO VIETNAM Nodink................. Jan XX, 2011	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-11-22 05:56:00
Vietnam	Vietnam VisaJourney Members	"A list of VJ members traveling to Vietnam" Please post your name and date if you are in, going to, or thinking about traveling to Vietnam... Please DO NOT post interview dates--leave those for your timeline/signature... LIVING IN VIETNAM Mr. Saigon (HCMC) Ralph&Hanh (HCMC) Jeromebinh (HCMC) Jake (HCMC) 6 months here 6 months in America will be leaving November CURRENTLY IN VIETNAM No one?? GOING TO VIETNAM Carrick..................................Aug 7,2010 - Aug 15, 2010	jeromebinh	Male	Vietnam	2010-06-06 06:17:00