Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Asia: East and Pacific	My Recent Trip To Saigon to See Thi	QUOTE (PeterFB @ Oct 10 2007, 06:02 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (CK&Tydi @ Oct 10 2007, 12:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (STL_HCMC @ Oct 9 2007, 07:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey CK&Tydi, Unfortunately, the near 2 years that I lived in HCMC, there was no Bank of America. Is this recently that you saw a Bank of America in Vietnam? Was this in HCMC? STL_HCMC QUOTE (CK&Tydi @ Oct 9 2007, 01:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Currently there are a few US banks in Vietnam, Bank of America, Citibank, and HSBC bank. You can withdraw cash from Bofa, Citibank, HSBC bank ATM. STL_HCMC, I am not quiet sure,, maybe i made a mistake from BofA, but i did use my BOfA ATM at Diamond Plaza and Parkson to withdraw money...... Got no problem at all. For sure will be 2 banks, like CitiBankd and HSBC right accross from Nha Tho Duc Ba..... Best just bring Cash and withdraw or use Credit Card if you have too When I was getting a cash advance for buying my curtains, the Vietnam Eximbank teller told me to use the ATM because I wouldn't be charged their 3% fee. But when I tried to get the cash from the ATM, my Wells Fargo credit card wasn't set up to get money from ATMs. Next time I'll get my cards set up before I go so I can see it that actually works and save that fee. I had to gp back to the bank since I didnt have extra cash, the curtains were ready and I was leaving the next day. Otherwise I could have used Xoom to send me money from my US bank, their money transfer fees are very low. Also the bank required me to show them my passport not a photocopy so I had to go get it. The rest of the time, my photocopy was my ID if I needed one. Peter Most banks charge some kind of currency conversion fee for international transactions. It could be anywhere from 1-5% Although the exchange rate banks use is the best rate you can get.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-10-10 16:32:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Visa medical ? Thailand	QUOTE (joymike @ Nov 2 2007, 03:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My fiancee is a month or so away from getting packet 3. She lives in Pattaya and we were wondering if there is a facility in pattaya to get the visa medical? How long does it take to get an appointment after you first call? How long does it generally take for the visit if she does or does not get shots now? 1 hour 3 hours or 1 day? Do you have to have the forms in hand from embassy to get medical? or can you make appt. ahead of time? Same with police check, do you need embassy forms or can you go on you own to file for police report? It looks like the only doctors chosen by the embassy/consulate are in either Chiang Mai or Bangkok. Look here for more information on how the Thailand embassy/consulate handles the medical and interviews. http://www.visajourn...amp;cty=Bangkok	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-11-03 17:36:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Information on US-sized passport photos in Singapore	There is nothing special about passport photos. Just find a photo studio of some kind and have them prepare it as 2x2 in or 5x5 cm.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-11-09 16:23:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Regarding Work Visa!! Pls Help !!	This site primarily covers family based visas. There are not really any visa options if you are to be hired as a self employed contractor. She would need to have a business through which you would be hired as an employee, then that company can sponsor you to get a visa to the US.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-09 20:17:00
Asia: East and Pacific	I-134 assets...	QUOTE (itsallgreektome @ Dec 12 2007, 01:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi everyone. If my husband's army pension is over the povery guidelines does he still have to list any assets? Thanks in advance. He does not have to list assets, if its really close adding assets might be a good idea.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-15 21:46:00
Asia: East and Pacific	And now, in reverse	QUOTE (Johnnynero @ Dec 18 2007, 04:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks. I did read where she'll need to have a re-entry permit that would basically be good for two years... She doesn't plan on becoming a US Citizen regardless - she'd have to give up her Australian Citizenship and she doesn't want to do that. She can be a permenant resident without giving that up. It does seem a bit confusing - surprise, surprise. Again, that's why we're getting started on this now. Are there any Aussies that have done this and if so, how did they go about it? You missed a couple points, both the US and Australia allow for dual citizenship. Both of you, if you take the time to do it, could have citizenship in both countries. QUOTE Can I become a citizen of another country without losing my Australian citizenship? Yes, provided the other citizenship is acquired after 4 April 2002. Prior to 4 April 2002, Section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 provided that adult Australians who did "any act or thing- the sole or dominant purpose of which, and the effect of which, is to acquire the nationality or citizenship of a foreign country shall upon acquisition cease to be an Australian citizen". Any children under 18 also lost their citizenship, unless their other parent was an Australian citizen. Section 17 did not apply to those who acquired another citizenship automatically or simply obtained a passport of a country of which they were already a citizen. Further information on dual citizenship, Australian passports and consular assistance is available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. http://www.citizensh...dual-citz.htm#b Simply establishing permanent residence outside of the US is enough to loose PR status in the US. In order to keep PR status in the US for those two years, you would basically need to keep a permanent address within the US.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-18 17:47:00
Asia: East and Pacific	And now, in reverse	QUOTE (Johnnynero @ Dec 18 2007, 02:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yep, looked through there... I was confused, though, on what would be the "best" way to go... either file for my visa HERE or file for it THERE while we're living there... We'd likely wait until Becky's been here long enough to get her permanent green card anyway, but figuring how long it took us before, I thought it would be a good idea to start the process as soon as possible. Is there anyone else here that's done the same type of thing? She can loose her permanent green card by basically moving to Australia and staying there for more than a year. She will be eligible for citizenship 3 years after receiving her conditional green card. If you ever plan to come back, thats the only way you can avoid going through the visa process again. http://www.path2usa....ergreencard.htm	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-18 16:42:00
Asia: East and Pacific	And now, in reverse	QUOTE (Johnnynero @ Dec 18 2007, 01:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, here we are, back again! Becky moved from Adelaide, Australia in 2005 and all was great - Visajourney was a GREAT help! We just had our first baby (a boy, born just 4 weeks ago!), and are about to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. We couldn't be happier... Except... We want to move to Austraila. I've been there a few times and absolutely fell in love with Adelaide; what's not to love? Family, Friends, etc and now here I am again, asking for the best advice around. What's the easiest way to do this? I've heard apply for the visa while we're still here and I've heard go there and apply. Help. I see some old friends are still here and even more new ones... I'm sure this topic has come up before but since I've been away for so long... Does that make me a newbie all over again? I would assume you are looking for this site: http://www.immi.gov.au/immigration.htm Australia does allow for dual citizenship. So if you want to make it easier for you and your wife to travel between the US and Australia you may want to wait until your wife is eligible for citizenship. If she spends more than a year outside of the US, she may loose her permanent resident status.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-18 14:27:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Why background check BEFOR NVC???	QUOTE (joymike @ Dec 5 2007, 04:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We are trying to be patient, It is difficult to do so when noa 2's are being processed 6 weeks ahead of ours on a regular basis. Everything was set to be pre or post Christmas to match up with my 11 holidays my employer gives us at Christmas, + 2 weeks vacation befor or after. Now since I promised I would be over at Christmas to meet rest of her family and I have 11 free days I have Spent 1900 on airfare and about 5000 total, then I will do the same at time of Visa which may be Feb. or March 08. Who knows? Very expensive delay for me. Does anyone know if it finally gets to NVC if it will go back to 6-15-07 group of files, or will I be at the back of list? I called about this ? but I got answers about everything but my ? that I had asked.. Thank you for your info. Good luck to us all. Mike Was told on phone, " doing a background check on me. Anybody seen this befor? NOA 1 6-15 NOA 2 ?? Background checks can be done at any step of the process, at the USCIS, NVC or consulate/embassy. If that is the case, then your case may be delayed for a few days, weeks or months.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-12-05 19:51:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Fiji U.S. Consulate	You might have an easier time getting the question you have for them, answered here. Some consulate/embassies are not very communicative. Especially to non-us citizens.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-01 21:19:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Sending money to Japan	If your sending that much, bank to bank wire transfer is probably the best way to do it. Usually the rates are set, and don't vary with the size of the transfer. Ikobo would be $5 + 3%, plus there are withdrawal fees. So just sending the money, $1000 at a time, would cost at least $350.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-12 12:47:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Return to Taiwan after my AOS is approved	QUOTE (yankees @ Jan 15 2008, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (HappyOne @ Jan 11 2008, 06:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> on which base did you adjust your status? Trough marriage? If so, you need you passport, your ticket, your greencard and your marriage certificate (in case your passport is still in your maiden name, while your greencard is in your married name) Yes, I adjusted my status through marriage. Before that, I used to show them my H1B visa when entering the US. But My H1B expired last year so there is no valid visa on my passport. What do I need to show them when entering the US? Your passport and green card is all you need to show.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-15 23:58:00
Asia: East and Pacific	When should I file the application?	QUOTE (Mr323 @ Jan 21 2008, 04:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi All: Is it easy to file the K1 Application by myself or do I need to hire an agency to file it? In your cases, do you file it by yourself? Regards If you don't have any complications (overstays, criminal convictions, medical issues), you can certainly do it yourself. Most of the people on this site have done it without an agency or lawyer.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-21 18:08:00
Asia: East and Pacific	When should I file the application?	QUOTE (Mr323 @ Jan 6 2008, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi all, I am new in here and I am pleased to meet everyone. I have known my girlfriend in Vietnam for about 2 years (December 2005 to present) and I travelled to Vietnam to meet her 3 times already (June 2006, Dec 2006, Dec 2007). Each time, I spent about 3 to 4 weeks getting to know her. We plan to have our engagement in the Summer 2008. Should I file the K1 Fiancee Visa right now or wait after the engagement in the Summer 2008 and file the application after the engagement? Thank you for your help. Regards, It doesn't matter, If you want to have the visa by next summer or fall you need to start now.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-07 01:51:00
Asia: East and Pacific	What is the weirdest food you ate in SE Asia?	QUOTE (Jamie76 @ Jan 17 2008, 05:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Brian&Mel @ Jan 16 2008, 11:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Jan 15 2008, 07:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hope some of these stories can take our minds off the darker side of life. Hands down, the weirdest thing I ate in Vietnam was a raw, still-beating snake heart. That, like most weird things women over there like to make you eat, it supposed to be good for "men's health." My wife is from Malaysia and keeps saying "you made me eat cheese while I was in the US so I'm going to make you eat Durian when you come to KL" Durian is good. I'm not sure why people make a big deal out of it. Tastes like vanilla custard. Strangest thing would be insects but that really isn't strange. I should add, the smell of Durian is a little strange (sulfur like)...you will definitely remember it a day or two after eating it every time you burp. I couldn't get enough of it but it is pretty rich. Durian isn't really weird. But I don't care for it. It doesn't taste as bad as it smells, but you do get an aftertaste for a at least a few hours afterwards when you burp. Durian reminds me of fermented herring that you can get in Sweden. Very strong smell.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-18 14:01:00
Asia: East and Pacific	How many will live in spouses Foriegn Country	QUOTE (Addie_Goodvibes @ Jan 25 2008, 03:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How many here will be leaving USA to live in spouses Home country? Does anyone here know the laws regarding GC validity if moving over seas? Well if you are outside of the US for more than 1 year on a GC, you cannot enter without a reentry permit, and after 2 years, you will loose PR status. But you may loose it sooner if your permanent residence has moved outside the US. If both countries involved allow for dual citizenship (US does, but not all other countries do), than you are better off waiting to get that before moving back and forth.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-25 16:34:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Happy Australia Day	QUOTE (AussieGal @ Jan 25 2008, 12:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> G'Day Happy Australia Day to everyone Cheers Parys I was in Bali last year during Australia Day. All the clubs and bars had drink specials and other events relating to Australia Day.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-25 15:19:00
Asia: East and Pacific	How much money do I need to make a year	QUOTE (Mr323 @ Jan 21 2008, 11:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi All: I get this information from wikipedia. Base on this, how much money do I need to make a year so I can sponsor my fiancee to come to USA? Best Regards, http://en.wikipedia....e_United_States Persons in Family Unit 48 Contiguous States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii 1 $10,210 $12,770 $11,750 2 $13,690 $17,120 $15,750 3 $17,170 $21,470 $19,750 4 $20,650 $25,820 $23,750 5 $24,130 $30,170 $27,750 6 $27,610 $34,520 $31,750 7 $31,090 $38,870 $35,750 8 $34,570 $43,220 $39,750 For each additional person, add $3,480 $4,350 $4,000 If your total household size will be 2, and you are in the 48 Contiguous States Then take $13,690 and multiply it by 1.25. Which equals $17112.50. The 2008 numbers should be out soon which likely will be a bit higher.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-21 18:11:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Cancel my I-129F File	QUOTE (lilycobe @ Jan 28 2008, 03:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi, I just file my I-129F in November, but now it looked like we will not going to work out. How can I cancel my petition? Do I just have to call up the center that I file my petition and ask them to cancel my petition? Thanks. Send a letter to the USCIS indicating that you want to withdraw your petition.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-01-28 16:28:00
Asia: East and Pacific	How long is Police Certificate from Vietnam good for?	QUOTE (YuAndDan @ Mar 5 2008, 04:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In general most police certs are valid for 1 year. It is best to just wait until NOA2 or NVC sends case to the Embassy before getting it. Thats a general rule, but some countries have validity shorter than that. Indonesia is only 6 months for example.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-03-05 17:48:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Preparing Home for Vietnamese Fiance	I do like the suggestion of waiting until she is here before doing most of the work. That way you can pick out stuff together. But definetly look for a good asian grocery store that you can visit. Being able to get food from home will help with any homesickness. Other than that, just try to be as accomidating as possible. Being able to make home really feel like home will help her adjust and feel comfortable here.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-03-10 17:52:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Cosign for I-129F	QUOTE (Kelvin Ly @ Nov 13 2007, 09:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A friend of mine is trying to bring his fiance here. He's not making enuf money (below 21K, which is the guideline). I've heard a rumor that Vietnam Consulate would not pass your interview if there's a co-sign for I-129F, but rather I-130. Is this true? It varies by consulate/embassy, but having a co-sponsor can make it more difficult for some places.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-11-13 12:01:00
Asia: East and Pacific	US to Thailand calling card - best quality	QUOTE (JenniferJarin @ Aug 20 2007, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jamie76 @ Jul 29 2007, 01:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've noticed lately that when I call my fiancee at night (her morning/afternoon) using a phone card, the sound quality has been terrible. I can barely hear her and she can't hear me. When she calls me back it's crystal clear. If I call her in the morning or afternoon here, there are no problems with the call quality. I've been using Skype. My fiance and I call each other twice a day for free with our Skype IDs -- plus, with a camera (he has one on his pc, and I have one built into my mac) you can actually see the other person on the other end, which makes the long-distance thing SO much easier! And you can hang out and talk as long as you want, even send files and video, etc. Also, there's a new thing Skype is doing, where you can get a local number and the calls are all free (but you have to pay $60.00 for the year. Basically, how it works is that your fiance abroad could sign up free for Skype, then get a local number for the US. You can then call your fiance at this number and also leave messages if they're unavailable -- and you can get a US area code with your own area code so all your calls are free.) I don't know how well this local number works yet -- just testing it myself as I am leaving for Thailand soon and I want my contacts to be able to reach me by calling a local number when I'm gone, a number I can pick up via my laptop. I can hear their voicemail via my computer because I don't want to miss calls. Also, your fiance (or you can do this for your fiance from the us, even) can put $10.00 into their account. Then if you aren't online (where you can talk for free and/or video chat) your fiance can call you in the US, and the cost is only .03-.04 per minute. SO cheap. My fiance does this when I'm not on the computer -- he'll call my home phone in LA via his computer in Thailand -- the cost is just pennies -- and then he'll wake me up in the morning and tell me to go online so we can have a free face-to-face (via computer) talk.) This has made the time apart bring us closer together. The internet technology that's accessible in this day and age is phenomenal. With VoIP, you do have to pay attention if the connection is metered or not. My fiancee has broadband, well more narrowband compared to the speeds here, but she is also limited to 3GB of traffic each moth. Voice and webcam can consume quite a bit of that very quickly if your not paying attention.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-08-23 17:28:00
Asia: East and Pacific	US to Thailand calling card - best quality	btw, I had skype-in and skype-out. Unless the other end is on a fast internet line it sounds almost inaudible. ymmv Dial up has really poor latency, could be anywhere from 500 ms to 2000ms. Even if there is enough bandwidth for the voice data, you will have a noticeable delay between the two parties. If both ends have DSL or better and there is nothing in between causing problems with latency (like the taiwan earthquake), then computer to computer voice works pretty well.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-07-18 01:17:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Airfares to VN	QUOTE (visao @ Mar 27 2008, 10:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kevin&Loan @ Mar 27 2008, 07:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I just went 3 weeks ago and it was $1250 inclusive of visa from Houston to Saigon via Eva. However, it is $1550 for July. I paid over 6K for tickets for myself, my wife, my kid and mother this coming trip in July ... Ouch ... It really hurts. $1550 is too high- rip-off:o That's even much higher than the Vietnamese Tet season. The most I heard for Tet was $1400 round trip. $1250 seems right about what I paid too around this time. It does depend on where you are flying from. You can get really cheap fares from LAX or SFO. But if you dont live there or near there, you will be adding on $200-500 depending where you live.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-03-27 11:25:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Airfares to VN	Its still the low season, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding decent fares. EVA has a special for flights to Siagon, Hanoi and Phnom Penh from LAX: http://www.evaair.co...ions_LAX_240301 If you don't live in LA, you would have to book a seperate ticket to LAX. Which isn't bad as long as you leave yourself enough time between fights to get your luggage and check in again.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-03-27 02:10:00
Asia: East and Pacific	filing taxes from overseas	QUOTE (larymiriam @ Apr 2 2008, 06:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hello does anyone know what tax form I have to file from overseas as a USC? Im doing DCF for my wife in Sydney and they need my tax return from this year but I dont know which form to file. I didnt work in the states at all last year, but I did work in Australia for part of 2007 so they want me to show them a tax return. I am not exempt from filing because I made too much but I also was wondering if I'm exempt for any other reason. Anyone know about this tax stuff? (IRS website is very confusing) I belive you would use the regular 1040. You won't have to pay taxes on income up to about $85,000, but you still have to file.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-04-02 23:29:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Prenuptial agreement - anyone else do one?	QUOTE (Jamie76 @ Aug 29 2007, 05:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (HappyOne @ Aug 29 2007, 11:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This is a real hot topic!! I personally do not understand how a person can get marry to someone that he does not trust. Of course he say that he loves her but is this the only thing?? Think about that deeper. Why would a man go to the 3rd countries to find a wife?? It is just because modern women are not as easy to control. So the question here is should the woman not be more worried than the man? The woman is giving up her entire life to be with the man she loves and sorry for this expression but it sounds like she is treated like a piece of #######. She does not give up her life to be someones slave!!! Most of the cases I have read about where the "Thai" women are using their husband to get to the US....I have to say that the man is stupid enough to fall for that because if you would take your time to get to know the person better (and not decide to get marry so fast) than you do not have to worry that she is using you! Of course the man got a reason to worry about this issue because reality is that there are that kind of person out there that uses the man but the man can control the situation!! No offens to anybody....just my 2 cents! So you are saying Thailand is a 3rd world country? That is pretty offensive. Economically, Thailand is still considered a 3rd world country, though developing country is a better term.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-08-30 02:17:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Airline fares	The other option is to book the domestic and international flights seperatly. Just need to make sure you leave enough time between flights.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-04-17 11:57:00
Asia: East and Pacific	What is MRV?	QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Apr 17 2008, 10:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey, you know if you keep adding to the posts really fast, it "morphs" them all into one automatically? Whoops! No it doesn't. That was really weird. No, it does! It happened again! Haha, that was 5 posts for the price of 2! If you reply to two posts quickly enough with no replies from others in between, it will join the two posts.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2008-04-17 23:46:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Birth Certificate Translation	QUOTE (JenniferJarin @ Nov 10 2007, 03:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Jamie76 @ Nov 9 2007, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello all... My fiancee needs to get her birth certificate translated in to English due to an RFE we received. Does anyone know of a sevice that will do this for her? I need to make this as painless as possible for her as she can't get time off from work. So, basically, she would need to fax her b.c. to them so they can translate it and certify it (I guess) and then. It has to be in Bangkok. She completed her own translation on Thai Dep. of Consular Affairs. Ministry of Foreign Affairs forms, but I am not sure if they would accept it. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I need to take care of this ASAP. Uh... why? We didn't send my fiance's birth certificate in the original k-1 petition to the USCIS. It is not required at that stage. It's only required for them to present at the US Embassy in BKK for their k-1 interview. And it doesn't need to be in translation for that, because it's in Thailand. She will only need it translated when she needs to adjust status after marriage in the USA. That is correct, its not needed with the original petition. However, if you do send it, it needs to be translated.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-11-10 08:22:00
Vietnam	Why is divorce a red flag? Just wondering.	I saw a VJ-er mention this in a post: "I guess NOT having any of the "classic" HCMC Consulate red flags (divorce, children from previous marriage, beneficiary family in the US, introduced by family members)" I'm just wondering why a divorce would be considered a red flag? And is the seriousness of the red flag the same if the couple is in their 20s or their 40s? HCMC is a difficult consulate to get a marriage visa through due to the high rate of fraud. There are a lot of Vietnamese living in the US and they are often making arrangements for relatives in Vietnam to marry US citizens for the sole purpose of immigration. I guess they have found a certain type of US citizen that is particularly targeted for visa fruad.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2010-08-03 13:19:00
Vietnam	Vietnam Relationship/Marriage Scammers	I know absolutely nothing of this world of marriage scammers. And since my wife and I are being punished because of these folks (and the stupidity of the consulate monkeys), I'd like to know what goes on. How do they set this stuff up? How much money is in it? Is it anything like in the movies, where they get someone into the U.S. and then the person works as a slave for several years to pay it off? It seems like a bunch of rubbish to me. I do know that Taiwan and Vietnam have a huge marriage thing going on -almost all the flights between the two countries are filled with marriage-brokering folks in various stages. It varies by country. In the case of Vietnam it has to do with family relationships. The US only allows immediate relatives to be petitioned for, and often with long wait times. Setting up a marriage for a relative is a way around those restrictions. This is why questions of how the couple was introduced are important. As far as money, I've heard numbers of between $5000-10000 quoted. Thats what the USC is paid for the marriage. The indentured servant thing happens too, but more often then not, through container ships across the pacific.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2010-08-29 16:24:00
IMBRA Special Topics	Sexual Exploitation	Lawyer or not has been discussed hundreds of times and more often than not they are a bad move. The one exception is where there are complications but a waver is not that much of a complication. I would do it yourself If I were you. Cool, who should I call/where should I get the waiver from? As far as i know, all you have to do is write a letter requesting a waiver of a requirement which you may be denied. Provide a reason why and give supporting evidence to request. Im not a lawyer, so I dont know if there is any more to it. Generally most people go through the process without a lawyer since generally most of the cases are pretty straight forward. People tend to use lawyers when thier case has some complications with it. If you do consider using a lawyer, dont nessiarly go with the first person you find. Take the time to "interview" several lawyers to make sure you find one that is an immigration lawyer and has experience with k class visas. This site: http://www.aila.org/ would be a good starting point.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-03-10 01:42:00
IMBRA Special Topics	Sexual Exploitation	I think when it comes to sex exploitation it's When sex is meant to be publicized with or without money as the purpose.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-03-08 14:09:00
IMBRA Special Topics	What is the meaning of "Met"	For the K-1 visa, its meeting in person. Either here, the benifcieries country or somewhere else. Just answering the question though is not enough. You will need to provide passport stamps, photos, airline boarding passes, hotel receipts, and other proof that puts the two of you at the same place at the same time.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-04-30 23:17:00
IMBRA Special Topics	RFE Waiver	If the petitioner filed only one K-1 in the past that and was approved 2001, an RFE for a waiver make any sense? I thought the waiver request applies to 2 or more applications in the past prior to current filing. This is my second K-1 application coming after one that was approved in 2001. The filling limitation law states that: "IMBRA imposes limitations on the number of petitions a petitioner for a K nonimmigrant visa for an alien fiancé(e) (K-1) may file or have approved without seeking a waiver of the application of those limitations. If the petitioner has filed two or more K-1 visa petitions at any time in the past, or previously had a K-1 visa petition approved within two years prior to the filing of the current petition, the petitioner must request a waiver. These limitations do not apply to petitioners for a K nonimmigrant visa for an alien spouse (K-3)." Any Takers? You can call the USCIS and follow the RFE prompts to get more information. I dont think you would need an RFE wavier, but its best to make sure.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-07-17 01:42:00
USCIS Service Centers	Calling USCIS? (Feb VSC filer, still no NOA2)	I'm a bit worried about my case now after viewing many other cases on this site that were sent in after mine and approved much quicker. I've not received any RFE's so I wanted to call vermont and see if I can get some info about the case. However, on the USCIS site it states that they will not give you any more detailed information than the general posted case processing estimates. Is it worth my while to call? Will I be able to find out anything new? Thanks!!! I see this on your timeline : Based on timeline data, your I129f may be adjudicated as early as March 18, 2007*. If this date has passed by more than 10 days or your application is past due per USCIS processing times then you should consider calling the USCIS to inquire on your petition. Relax and have a cup of tea	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-04-01 11:24:00
USCIS Service Centers	Ending Chain Immigartion- when is it effective?	The law has to pass both houses of congress first and be signed by the president before it can even be put into effect.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-05-23 12:17:00
USCIS Service Centers	USCIS Reported Processing Times	There is another thread talking about this, appearntly NSC is the only service center that lists I-129f processing times.	Dan J	Male	Indonesia	2007-06-17 20:38:00