Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Asia: East and Pacific	The List	QUOTE (Vietnam @ Nov 20 2007, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello fellow Vietnam VJers-- For those that do not know, I (Dalegg) have been keeping the list of Vietnam Visa Seekers for a couple years now. I've begun tapering down the list to include only people who actually ask to be added to the list, and it has been dwindling. Well, my wife (Nicolegg) just received her 10 year green card, so with the exception of applying for citizenshiip, our journey is pretty much over, and with the exception of an occasional pop in now and then, I'm not going to be spending a lot of time here. So.... I need to give up the user "Vietnam" to someone else who may want to keep it going. If you are interested in retaking the list, let me know and I will transfer the E-Mail address you choose to the account. By the way, since you will have the ability to edit a single post over and over, you need to be a little proficient in HTML and be a responsible enough member to not abuse your priveledges. I'll be checking with the Captain to see if anyone interested is worthy! Until someone actually takes it over, I'll keep it up. Good luck to everyone! Dalegg I want to thank you for your time and work on the Vietnam portal. I'm surprised more people haven't asked to be added to the pinned Vietnam Visa Seekers. Perhaps they aren't aware they have to ask. I think it's a valuable service. I know you can search the timlines but it's nice to just click and see what is happening with everyone. I'm glad your wife has her 10 year green card. Good luck to both of you. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-11-23 02:58:00
Asia: East and Pacific	SGN Airport	My trip in March (on United) thru the old terminal was late (3am) and there wasn't a problem tho he wasn't friendly. In September I flew EVA, the new teminal was great but still the woman Immigrantion Oficer wasn't friendly either. I guess it's the procedure.... all business.... I didn't see anyone putting money in their passports on either trip. The new terminal is very nice (better than LAX) tho I wish they had a included a indoor waiting area for Thi and her family....... There's a roof now but when I left it was raining... Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-05 05:22:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Nervous and excited. Oh man....	Good Luck. I hope everything goes smoothly. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-05 05:11:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interview details	I have thought of couple of questions about the interviw, if you could answer them, please. Why did they ask "Did he go to learn more after High School? Is he a big brother?" Also I thought you would get the visa the next day not in a couple of weeks. Did they give her a reason why the wait? I'm planning on going to Vietnam for Thi's interview and hopefully fly back with her but waiting two weeks would be a problem.... I was assuming arriving a couple of days before the interview, then staying for a couple of more days then leave with her to the US if all went well..... Congrats again!! Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-10 04:45:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interview details	QUOTE (NeverSeen @ Dec 10 2007, 01:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Here's how it went down: Tram signed onto Yahoo! at 12:00am. Her computer sat idle and I assumed that it was just on auto login and someone turned it one when she didn't reply to me. Then she pops on. Tram: bbay Tram: baby Tram: i did interview tim: and? Tram: but it is not perfect like me think Tram: what will i do right now tim: ok Tram: ? tim: did they give you a paper? Tram: blue paper tim: what does it say? Tram: they say i need more paper Tram: so sad Tram: i am too sad i dont want to life more tim: it is okay honey Tram: i want to talk with u on headset tim: ok Tram: talk with me Tram: then i will read what i have on blue paper So we pop on the headset and turn on the webcam and she's sitting there all depressed and is going on about "You need to find a new wife in america, and i can not be with you, what will we do" and so on. She wont let me get a word in so I tell her to just stop for a second and let me talk. The she holds up the PINK like a little brat. Obviously we are both over joyed and telling all our family and friends about it right now but i was able to dig the following out of her. A Malaysian girl asked her the questions. Tram said she was very polite to the CO and greeted her with a smile and a "Hello, Madam" She said "Thank you, Madam" when she was handed the pink and said "Goodbye, Madam" when she left. She says the CO was very nice to her and at ease with her because she was polite and happy. If Tram was asked something she didn't understand in English she asked the CO if she could speak Viet and the CO said yes, and Tram replied "Thank you." She said there was no translator and the CO spoke average Vietnamese at best. Questions: How did we meet? Why did your uncle introduce you? Did he go to learn more after High School? Does he have any brothers? Did you meet his parents yet? Is he a big brother? Where did he stay at in Vietnam? And that was it from what she told me so far. She picks up her visa in 2 weeks. I'll have her fly in and meet her at my parents up north so we can have a white Christmas then we'll fly back down to FL to enjoy the 65 degree winter hehehe. Judging by the brief interview I'm guessing the paperwork did most of the talking, along with the confidence Tram took in with her. I'm so proud of her . This will be a holiday season and Christmas I will never forget!! That is Great News!! I wish the best for both of you in your new life together. Thanks for including the questions and info about her interview. After the last two posts about interviews that failed, I was getting worried. Now I feel better that the rest of us will have sucessful interviews too! Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-10 01:55:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interviewed and got the blue slip =(	QUOTE (TungLinh @ Dec 19 2007, 07:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (PeterFB @ Dec 19 2007, 04:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tung Sorry to hear the bad news but it sounds like you just have a little work to do then you will be approved. I too don't understand about the recent two week wait for a visa after approval. On the HCMC Consulate website, they say the next day after 4pm, the visa will be ready to be picked up. The last few approvals have had to wait but before that, it seems most everyone got it the next day. Like you I can't stay for an extended time in Vietnam so I also want to know for sure. I would like to know more about the interveiw if you care to share. What interview questions were asked, who the CO's name was, was the CO's Vietnamese or fluent in Vietnamese, do you know why they asked for a timeline from you (several others have been asked as well but why?). Currently we're waiting for our Packet 3. I'm sure you'll get everything together and get the pink. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Hello Peter and Thi, I am assuming that the recent two week waiting time for the visa after approval is because of the US holiday times. They may be short staffed there during that time. From what my Fiancee told me... her interview wasnt too bad... she got interviewed around 11ish by an African-American woman who told her that she could reply in Vietnamese because the CO understood it and spoke it fluently. They asked her general questions like my birthday, how we knew each other, did we have an engagement ceremony yet, etc etc. They do not give out their names in order to protect themselves; personally I wouldnt either if I was the interviewer. The interview lasted approx 5 - 7 minutes. After that she told my fiancee that she needed to have her papers restamped and that I needed to provide them with additional evidence such as a timeline of our relationship and anything else that we have. That was pretty much it. I've already started the timeline (almost completed actually) and I figured I would head out there after New Years, hoping that they let me through the door to speak to someone. Thanks for your support though!!! Every little thing counts right now! Tunglinh Thanks for the infor about your interview. I agree I think it's more the holidays but has anyone asked why when they get their pink they have to wait? The offical policy is next day after 4pm. While I think it's better if Thi can answer in English, it's good to there's a couple of COs that she can feel comfortable about talking Vietnamese to. Now if only gets one of them..... Vietnam isn't America but still not giving out your name at least first name doesn't sound too friendly. The safety issue I can understand. As a tourist, I never felt in any danger on my two trips to Vietnam. What form are you putting your timeline in? I think I'll have one ready just in case. Thi doesn't have any relatives in the US, she does have an aquaintance or two from Vietnam who have come to the US but she doesn't know where they live in the US only that they came to Florida or San Jose or somethings like that. Once they left there has been no contact with them. As the petitioner you should be able to ask to see a CO. From what I've read here, getting an appointment isn't possible usually, but being insistant and not leaving until someone talks to you seems to work. It may take hours of patience..... From what you've said it looks like you'll soon be together. Good Luck Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent??????	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-21 03:25:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interviewed and got the blue slip =(	Tung Sorry to hear the bad news but it sounds like you just have a little work to do then you will be approved. I too don't understand about the recent two week wait for a visa after approval. On the HCMC Consulate website, they say the next day after 4pm, the visa will be ready to be picked up. The last few approvals have had to wait but before that, it seems most everyone got it the next day. Like you I can't stay for an extended time in Vietnam so I also want to know for sure. I would like to know more about the interveiw if you care to share. What interview questions were asked, who the CO's name was, was the CO's Vietnamese or fluent in Vietnamese, do you know why they asked for a timeline from you (several others have been asked as well but why?). Currently we're waiting for our Packet 3. I'm sure you'll get everything together and get the pink. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-19 04:27:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Thi called HCMC Consulate about Packet 3	Hi All I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. I got an email reply from the Consulate today. Here it is: Dear Mr. Brunner, We received your fiancée's visa petition. We sent her an Instruction Package (Packet 3) on December 11. She is requested to return the completed DS-230 Part I to us as soon as possible. We will schedule her for a visa interview after we receive this form. If your fiancée has not yet received the packet within one month of the mailing date, she can come to our office to pick-up a packet in-person or contact us to request that we mail another packet. It is not difficult to do so. The interview is usually scheduled approximately 2-4 months after we receive the mentioned form. If the case is approved, the applicant can receive an appointment date to return our office to pick up the visa which is currently about 2 weeks or so due to our heavy workloads. Please note that the issuance time also depends on the personal circumstances of the applicant. Thus, we cannot confirm the visa issuance time at this stage. Sincerely, Info Unit Staff Consular Section U.S. Consulate General HCMC Tel: (84-8) 822 9433 – ext 4636 Fax: (84-8) 824 5572 E-mail: hcmcinfo@state.gov (regarding visa issues) acshcmc@state.gov (regarding services for U.S. citizens) Adoption: HanoiAdoptions@state.gov Website: http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov This e-mail is UNCLASSIFIED based on the definitions provided in E.O. 12958. It was a week to get an answer. That's good. While they didn't answer all the questons I asked, I did find out that it appears that 2 weeks is the current wait time to pick up the visa and it may be March or April before she has her interview....... I'm hoping it's February. Thi plans on delivering the required documents tomorrow so the next step is Packet 4. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-27 06:08:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Thi called HCMC Consulate about Packet 3	QUOTE (andrew va thuy @ Dec 23 2007, 11:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Peter, I looked at your timeline and it matches fairly close to mine ( less 1 year ). Since you asked: All dates are approximate - I had people 2-3 weeks before us, end up with Packet 3 & Packet 4 dates behind our date. So around now Thi should be getting a packet 3. { could be now to 2 weeks ). There's not too much you can do but follow the process - and show up to pick up the applications if they get lost. I did go to VN while my fiance had her interview. Not all people are rude at the consulate. Some are helpful and even friendly, but you have no control over who will do the interview, or what kind of day they had or who was last rude to them. Much as we might like to think we can control / infuence outcomes, sometimes we simply cannot. In emails to the consulate I found they woud reply in less than 14 days usually. In those emails that they did answer the question needed to be something that was specific and could not be addressed by typical FAQ. I also made effort to be polite as possible. Once you have been there & seen the whole process you may have a different opinion. We first got blue & we spent a week carefully making a new packet for their review. the guidance I woud have here is if you have ever been audited, this may give you a good idea on how to prepare. That is how I found their approach. Best wishes - its a one of a lifetime kind of experience & only deepened our relationship. Andrew & Thuy Andrew Thanks to you and the rest for answering my request for info about the people at the Consulate. Also thanks for the info about preparing for the interview. GOOD NEWS! Today Thi got her Packet 3! It's Christmas Eve there so this is a very nice Christmas present.!!! She told me about it while we chatting. My mother was also online so she happy for us. Now we fill everything out then return it and really get serious about finishing our paperwork for the interview. I wonder how long it will be beofre we get our interview date. Still waiting for an email reply. I would like to know the answers to the questions. The most important question now is can she take the Packet 3 items to the Consulate in person instead of mailing them? Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent?????? Packet 3 recieved 2007-12-24	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-24 04:08:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Thi called HCMC Consulate about Packet 3	Hmmm I think after Christmas I'll call the Consulate and see what kind of answers I get. I'm hoping the reason for the two week delay between pink and visa is because it's December. There may be fewer US personel there now so it slows things down. Speaking English seems to be the key for getting questions answered and things done at the Consulate. Thi's English is getting pretty good but she's not confident of it yet. My mother and sister in law have been text chattig with her and have no problems with her Englsh. Speaking and hearing it is another matter. We've been spending 1-2 hours voice chatting a day in addition to her Englsh school she goes to 3 times a week. She's been going to school since April. Now we can voice chat without much confusion. I think she'll be fine by the time her interview happens which now looks more like February. I've heard that you can get extensions to your visa when you're in Vietnam. On the way to Vietnam in September I sat next to a French Canadian doctor who is living and working in HCMC. He told me, just go to a local travel agent who can get a visa to go to a different country for a day then return with a new visa for Vietnam. He has to do that for his work visa every 6 months. He's worked in HCMC for 3 years now. He said one job somehow got him a 1 year work visa but his other job wasn't able to do that. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent??????	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-21 02:57:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Thi called HCMC Consulate about Packet 3	QUOTE (visao @ Dec 19 2007, 06:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wrote them an email on Nov 21; they replied on Dec 11 = 20 days. Is better to talk to some on the phone. They're being rude to the Vietnamese (some of them are), but they try to act friendly to Americans. I sent the email last night to them about my questions so I'll find out in 4-5 days or 20........ If I don't get an answer to the email in a week, I'll call them. I have noticed that they seem to be nicer to Americans too....... So far Thi hasn't had a problem and she knows that they can be rude, she says that normal for a lot of businesses too. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent??????	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-20 02:29:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Thi called HCMC Consulate about Packet 3	Hi All I want to share what happened when Thi called the Consulate to find out about the status of our petition. The Consulate has a automated voice system that she had to figure out. It comes either in English or Vietnamese, she choose Vietnamese of course. After pressing the right number of buttons she finally got to talk to a real person. It was a Vietnamese woman who didn't indentify herself. Thi asked her about the status of our visa and the woman asked Thi for our case number and looked up our visa on the computer. She told Thi that the Packet 3 would be sent out between 12/11 and 1/11. If she didn't recieve it by 1/11 she could come to 4 Le Duan St to pick it up. Then the woman hung up. Thi said she didn't think the woman was rude just in a hurry because Thi didn't have enough time to ask any of the other questions. As soon as the woman had answered the first question, she hung up. My two calls to the San Francisco Vietnamese Consulate make me feel that's typical because the first call in February to find out the cost of the travel visa to Vietnam, the man who answered acted the same as the woman. The second call in August to make sure the cost was the same, the man who answered was a more polite, he asked if I had any other questions then did say goodby. However we wanted to have these questions answered: 1. When did they recieve our petition 2. Has the Packet 3 letter been sent out yet? 3. If it hasn't, can she pick it up. 4. I'm coming to Vietnam for the interview, if she get approved for her visa, how soon can she pick it up? I can't stay 3-4 weeks in Vietnam, 7-10 days is the most I can stay. We plan on leaving together. I'd like to ask any other VJs if they would share their experiences with HCMC Consulate personnel, ie their names and whether they were polite or not. If there is a problem with an interview, it would be good to know who at the Consulate might be more reasonable to ask for and who to avoid. Tonight I'm going to email the HCMC Consulate my questios to see if they will answer them in the 4-5 days they say it will take. If they dont' then I may call there. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent??????	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-19 05:08:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interview was a disaster!!	Sorry to hear the bad news. Does the green slip say once you are proven by DNA that your the father, the visa is approved? If so then get the test asap. Here's a link for a low cost DNA test https://www.gtldna.n...CFQU6awodpkSV_w I agree that getting Marc Ellils involved would be a good move. Stay calm, remember you have options and use them. My prays are with you. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-05 05:08:00
Asia: East and Pacific	PINK!	That's great news. I can understand your feellings. I can't wait for Thi to come to LA too. What lawyer did you use? Good Luck!! Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent??????	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-12-21 03:02:00
Asia: East and Pacific	12/31/07 Call to HCMC Consulate to amend our case	Hi All I hope everyone had a great New Year's. Best of luck in 2008. I called the HCMC on 12/31/07 because Thi had discovered after dropping off the DS230 part one, DS 2001 and Checklist at the Consulate, her mother's birth place was wrong. When we originally filled out the I-129f, she asked her mother where she was born. Somehow her mother got confused and answered where her mother (Thi's grandmother) had lived. That mistake was carried over to the DS230. She was very worried that it could cause her not to get her visa. However there's more confusion. The Ho Khau says her mother's brith place is one place while her mother's birth certificate says a different place....... Having not called Vietnam before, I started to look for a low cost way and found several people on VJ liked using SavingCall.com. I called them set up an account and found I had left off one digit of Thi's phone number on the I-129f. I left off the City code. The man helping me was nice enough to call Thi to make sure the number was correct and explain to her how to use my account to call me. Having the account set up, I called the Consulate. I told the woman who answered the phone that I wanted to see how to amend our case but after lookuping our case, she insisted on gving me the required speech about the status of our case. They had recieved the Packet 3 and sometime in the next 2-4 months an interview would be scheduled. We could inquire at the end of February if we hadn't heard anything by then. Then tried to hang up. I explained that I needed to ask some questions before she did. Then she decided to take me off the speakerphone and actually talk to me. She said her mother's birth place and phone being incorrect wasn't a problem (I didn't think it was.) At the iterview, Thi will be asked if there's anything that needs to be changed in the forms. The woman said Thi can make the changes at that time. If we want we can also change them before the interview but didn't say exactly how. She said the only piece of info of concern to the Consulate is the address since the Packet 3 and 4 are mailled. She then asked if I had any other questions and said good bye. I called Thi after that since her English when we voice chat is pretty good. She didn't realize it was me at first...... Now we are gong to start talking on the phone more but still more time voice chatting (it's free). She also has called me now too. Though I'm going to call her most of the time. 6.7 cents a minute is a lot less than 24 cents a minute which is what it costs her to call me. Thi's still worried about her mother's birthplace so I've sent an email to the Consulate to see if they will take the info via email and make the changes. If not then at least we have a record of trying..... If they answer this email in the same time period of the last one (7 days) that would be good. Then we can do whatever they say we should do about it. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-02 05:49:00
Asia: East and Pacific	happy surprise: packet 4!	That's a great way to start the New Year!! I hope everything goes smoothly! Since you filed 3 weeks earlier than we did, we better finish getting all our papers ready! Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-03 02:11:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Visa Waiver for Vietnamese Americans	QUOTE (violet18ac3 @ Sep 4 2007, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ok, slightly off topic, does anyone know how much it cost to apply for visa? i looked everywhere on their website and i didnt see anything about the fee. Also, you have to send in your original passport in order to get the visa? Thanks A single entry toursit visa good for 30 days thru the San Francisco Vietnam Consulte is $45. You can call them, (415)922-1707 ext 1 or 2 or 7, but don't be surprised if no one answers or returns your call if you leave a message. Each time I got my visa I had to call several times and leaving a message didn't get a response. I also checked with the Washington DC Embassy, the fee thru them is $65 for regular processing. They also want two money orders. One for $25 marked Visa Fee and one for $40 marked regualr processing fee. Express processing added another $20 to the procesing money order. Their email didn't say what express processing was compared to regular processing. I sent my passport and the USPS money order to San Francisco via USPS Express mail with a return USPS Express enevelope. It took about 4 business days to get the visa. They wanted only one money order. There's a PDF form to download and fill out on the site. Here's the link http://www.vietnamco...ularsection.asp Peter	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2007-09-05 03:48:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Interview: PINK!	That's great that you got the pink. Thanks for the info about the interview. That will be very helpful to Thi and me. 3 weeks for the visa is not what I was hoping to hear tho.......but we'll deal with it. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-09 03:15:00
Asia: East and Pacific	PINK After Lawyers Help!!!!!!!!	I'm glad to hear you were able to successfully work everything out. I agree persistance is the key to success. Best of Luck to both of you. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-09 05:11:00
Asia: East and Pacific	What's the funniest English?	Thi has a problem with money.... She always wants me to fay for things. When I was visiting her I told her everytime she said fay, she would have to pay........ She also goes to scone.....school Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-15 05:40:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Using Google Images As A Learning Tool.	I have used Google maps to show Thi where I live and shown her where she lives. I have used my digital camera to take pictures of the things around the house, etc to show her as well. I haven't used Google Image search. I'm a little old fashion, I use Google to search the topic then find the pictures on the site....... I keep forgetting to click Images when I search..... old habits?....... Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-15 05:51:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Viet Nam -v- Vietnam	QUOTE (Melrose Plant @ Jan 14 2008, 02:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have had the same experiences with Pimsleur as you, Peter. That was the first method that really got me off the ground. However, I had to supplement. We may have learned our native language by speaking and hearing, but as you can guess, I am no longer 3 years old! If I can't see the word, I won't remember it. Even though it says specifically not to do this, I looked up many words in the dictionary for better retention. Then later, over months, I listened to all the CDs in the car again. That cemented things a lot better. One caveat with Pimsleur, though--they speak very squarely in the northern dialect, which is good for me, but may present some difficulties for most of you on this site (I still haven't found another Northerner amongst us, hehe). According to my fiancee, the woman on those CDs speaks with a classic, crisp, standard Hanoi accent, but the man sounds as if he's from some other area in the North (outside Hanoi). Also, there are a few other things she says are a little funny with that set, most notably the continuous use of the word "tôi" for "I." Technically, that is correct, but it's not very common practice in everyday situations. One usually refers to himself in the second person in Vietnamese, using the appropriate word depending on one's age compared to the listener. Almost unforgivable, however, is the failure of the CD to teach the second person pronoun "em." When you get to be our age, almost everyone in VN is "em." It would be very funny to go around calling your 25 year old waitress "ch?" That is exactly how they teach you on the CD, however. I guess you have to draw the line somewhere on how much information you're teaching a beginner. I could go on, but I won't. I'm probably boring the pants off a lot of you, sorry. One more thing, though. Rosetta Stone is very good for teaching vocabulary, but useless for teaching ordinary conversations like you learn with Pimsleur. Plus, you can't do it in the car (unless you're not driving)! Plus, you run into the occasional, "What in the devil is that supposed to be a picture of"? Actually you're not boring me at all. I have found that every Vietnamese language CD/program I find is Northern Dialect and some of the same kind of things you have mentioned. Thi sometimes asks me why I say things the way I do so I follow what she tells me since I'm trying to talk to her........As you pointed out most everyone seems to be "Southerns" so why are there no courses using it? I agree that most courses have their good and bad points. When you have to $$$$ to buy several courses just to learn enough to know you don't know much, it's a little maddening. I'm still looking for the "right" course. I did find a very good Spanish course ( I live in Los Angeles) but the company only does Spanish. I found I was learning to hear, speak, write grammar and how to construct sentences with that one. However I don't have time to learn both languages at the same time so for now, it's Vietnamese. Pimsleur is good at helping with grammar and sentence construct too but without any writing and reading it's not enough to be the only course. Thanks for info about it. Also is there any more than the 30 units? What's next after that? Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-15 05:30:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Viet Nam -v- Vietnam	Even before I met Thi, I decided I wanted to learn Vietnamese. I have some clients who are Vietnamese singers so I thought learning it would be interesting so I could understand their music and culture better. (I'm a musician/MI retailer/consultant). I was hoping they would help me but since they also speak English, they usuallywould speak English with me. If you are helping your fiance learn Egnlish then you understand what patience is....... So I understand why they didn't want to spend time helping me learn when they spoke English too. I've tried Before You Know it (www.byki.com). I use a Mac so I'm limited in the computer based language programs. BYKI is both Mac and PC. They start off with a free version which you can upgrade later. I have found it useful but I don't use it that much because I didn't decide to upgrade to the paid version. I got Pimsleur's Vietnamese audio CD course (www.pimsleurapproach.com/l) which I like for learning to speak and hear Vietnamese. It's approach is that you first learned to speak and hear before you learned to read and write. Since I drive a lot to my clients, I can also study Vietnamese! I also have bought Educational Services Language/30 Vietnamese course. It has both audio Cassette or CD and a phrase book but I didn't find I was learning like I have with Pemsleur's. The phrase book is useful because it has helped me with reading and writing. I also have the Lonely Planet Phrasebook. It comes with a English->Vietnamese and Vietnamese->English dictionary. That I use some but mostly the dictionary. I have also found online, the www.vdict.com dictionary and translator to be usefull too. I have used the dictionary at Vietfun.com too. Of course being in Vietnam with her family who mostly speak only Vietnamese is the best way to learn. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-14 02:59:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Viet Nam -v- Vietnam	Interesting links. Thanks Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-13 01:56:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Questions About Viet Nam	Thi and I have talked about something similar to that. If she doesn't get her K1 visa, she wants me to move to Vietnam, get married and live there. While it does have it's appeal, there's a lot of details to work out. 1. Vietnam has a lot of rules for marrying an Vietnamese citizen. http://www.vietnamem...y_a_vietnamese/ I found it interesting that they want a mental exam to see you are crazy...... 2. What job would I do in Vietnam? On the way over in September I talked to a French Canadian doctor that was interesting. Also I can't be self employed, I have to either work for someone or be a partner with a Vietnamese in a business. Then there's the business visa issues. 3. I have lots of bills like most Americans so I don't have the finances to move there, I am buying my house but I have little equity to cash out now. I do like my house...... 4. An American or other foreigner can't own property in Vietnam, not directly at least for now. There's no such thing as mortgage in Vietnam. So where would we live? 5. I don't know if I'd adjust to that humdity. 6. I haven't won the lottery yet....... There's probably some other details as well but I think she will get her visa so I'm not concerned about it. If she doesn't her K1 visa and we can't get a K3 visa and moving is the only answer, then we'll deal with it. I have a question for you, why file K3? If you want to marry her in Vietnam, have you filed with the Vietnamese government? Until you do, you won't be legally married in Vietnam. Granted everyone is different, but I think going for a K1 visa makes more sense. Besides, I don't want a shrink tellling me I'm crazy...... Some of my friends already think that...... Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-16 05:02:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Questions About Viet Nam	1. Thi lives in Saigon and thinks she is using FBT. The local number is 9301280. 2. She doesn't have health insurance and doesn't know if it's available. 3. She lives with her mother and brother so she's not sure what would be comfortable for others but thinks $150-250 a month would be a safe range. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-13 03:05:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Why Do I Not Trust The U.S. Postal Service With My Passport?	The two trips I've taken this year to Vietnam, I have sent my passport to the San Francisco Consulate. I sent it USPS Express mail. One busines day to get there, one busines day for processing and one busines day back. It's also $45 for a 30 day tourist visa from them. The Vietnam Embassy in Washington said it would be longer and more expensive so I sent it to SF instead. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-15 05:45:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Update on 12/31/07 Email to Consulate	Another update to the last email to the Consulate. I sent the second email on 1/8/08. Stil have yet to recieve a reply. The first email they answered in the 5 business days as they said they would. Now it's 1/22/08..... I guess they decided it wasn't worth replying to a second email from me. In any case, yesterday, Thi went to the Consulate to ask them herself. They told her it's no problem, she will fix ####### at her interview. In order not to have her too stressed at the interview, I have already redo and sent to her the amended G325a form. She has copies of the DS 230 part one so she will refill out that. And so the wait continues for our interview date. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-23 02:01:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Update on 12/31/07 Email to Consulate	Hi All I realize that the US Consulate is a busy place. That maybe I should let sleeping dogs lie but..... I recieved a reply tonight from the Consulate about Thi's mother's birthplace being wrong on Thi's G325a and DS230 part one as well as a couple of other smaller issues. Here is their reply: QUOTE Dear Mr. Burnner: In order for us to correct your fiancée's place of birth (POB), your fiancée will need to send us her birth certificate (BC). She can submit her BC in person (between 1-3pm, any working day) or by fax or by mail. Sincerely, Information Unit Staff Consular Section U.S. Consulate General HCMC Tel: (84-8) 822 9433 - ext 4636 Fax: (84-8) 824 5572 E-mail: hcmcinfo@state.gov (regarding visa issues) acshcmc@state.gov (regarding services for U.S. citizens) Adoption: HanoiAdoptions@state.gov Website: http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov <http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/> This e-mail is UNCLASSIFIED based on the definitions provided in E.O. 12958. The good news is it took only 5 business days to get a reply. The bad news is I don't thnk they pay attention to the content of what you send them. How did Thi's mother's birthplace being wrong become Thi's brithplace being wrong? Here's what I sent them ________________________________ QUOTE From: Peter Brunner Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 6:00 PM To: HCMC Consular Info Subject: Corrections of I-129f for Thi Kim Nguyen Dear sir I am writing to follow up on a phone call I made to the Consulate today. While the Vietnamese woman who answered the phone told me that amending our petition to correct these errors could be done at the interview, I would like to tell you the corrections via email and have the corrections made to our case. The corrections are minor ones I believe. If this email isn't the proper way to correct these errors, Please inform us of what we should do. On the I-129f : 1. There wasn't enough room on the Part B Information about your Alien Fiancee Section #2 Address (Number and Street) to write the complete address because it was written using the fillable PDF form. The complete address is below as requested when asking about K1 visas. It is correct in all other places on all the forms. She received her Packet 3 thru the mail with no problem. 2. In the Part B Information about your Alien Fiancee Section #15 Your Fiancee's Address Abroad. Her phone number is improperly written. I forget the city code of her phone number. The correct phone number (848) 990-xxxx. Her phone number is correct in all other places on all the forms. On Thi's G-325a form her mother's birth place is incorrect. Due to a miscommunication between me, Thi and her mother in March when we asked her where she was born, she answered Bac Ninh. That is where Thi's grandmother lived. On Thi's mother's birth certificate her birth place is listed as THANH LIET- THANH TRI- HA DONG. On Thi's DS-230 part one, Item #18, Thi's mother's birth place was also incorrectly written because of we copied the information from G-325a. The correct birth place is THANH LIET- THANH TRI- HA DONG. Her name is Thi Kim Nguyen (as it appears on the I-129f) 2xx duong : xxx xxxx xxx Phuong : 1 ; Quan : Tan Binh ; TPHCM Viet Nam phone : 990xxxx Birthdate 02-13-1971 Our case number HCM20007xxxxxx My Name is Peter Franklin Brunner (Petitioner) Thank you Peter Brunner __________________________________ While I can understand if English is your second language you could get confused by pronouns her, she, her mother. But if you read the sentence "On Thi's G325a form her mother's brith place is incorrect." The pronouns should be apparent of who her, she, her mother is. No matter, the important thing is to fix the mistake because I don't want any problems. Here's my response to them in hopes of getting this resolved: QUOTE Dear Sir Both Thi and I thank you for your quick reply. There seems to be a bit of confusion about my previous email. My fiancee's, Thi Kim Nguyen, place of birth is correct. I was asking about correcting her mother's birth place. Her mother's birth place is incorrect on Thi Kim Nguyen's G-325a and DS-230 part one as I had previously stated in my original email. Please refer to my original email at the bottom of this email. I'm sorry if my wording of my original email confused anyone. Let me state again, Thi Kim Nguyen's birth place is correct. It is Thi Kim Nguyen's mother's birth place which is incorrect. Her mother's name is Nam Thi Nguyen. In order to correct her mother's (Nam Thi Nguyen) birth place, can Thi bring her mother's (Nam Thi Nguyen) birth certificate to the US Consulate between 1-3pm any working day? Does her mother, Nam Thi Nguyen have to come to the US Consulate with Thi? Since your email reply didn't address my other questions, May I assume that the shorten address in my I-129f Part B Information about your Alien Fiancee Section #2 Address (Number and Street) isn't a problem? Also your email reply didn't address my other question, May I assume that the missing city code number (8) in my I-129f Part B Information about your Alien Fiancee Section #15 Your Fiancee's Address Abroad isn't a problem? Again her correct phone number is (848) 990-xxxx. I realize you are busy and want to resolve these questions as quickly and easily as possible. I appreciate your help in our case. My fiancee's name is Thi Kim Nguyen (as it appears on the I-129f) 2xx duong : xxx xxxx xxx Phoung : 1 ; Quan : Tan Binh ; TPHCM Viet Nam phone : 990xxxx Birthdate 02-13-1971 Our case number HCM20007xxxxxx My name is Peter Franklin Brunner (Petitioner) Thank You Peter Brunner Now I hope they will read and answer everything this time so Thi and I can move ahead with our preparations for her interview and not worry about these issuses. Sorry for the long post but irks me when you try to be honest and direct then get responses like this. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-08 05:47:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Of course it would happen like this...... Email from Consulate	Hi All Earlier tonight I posted about not getting an email from the Consulate for about 2 weeks. Well...... They sent their reply after I posted....... I wonder are they monitoring this forum?........They read my post then sent their reply????? Hey I'm happy they replied!!! Thi will fill out another DS-230 part one and part two at her interview which I guess makes the one in the Packet 3 null. We have to add a letter of explanation for the error on the G325A and redo it. We have already redone the form so now we'll write an explanation. In the next paragraph they say: "Your fiancee is scheduled for a visa interview on February 27, at 8:00 a.m. Notification of this appointment was sent to her on January 14 to the following address: xxxxx xxxxx HO CHI MINH CITY. If your fiancee has not received the appointment letter about two weeks before the interview date, she should come to our office to pick-up another copy between 1:00 and 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except holidays. Your fiancee's case may be terminated if she fails to pursue the application within one year of the interview appointment. Please note that your fiancee will be asked to complete the form DS-230 part I again." We were chatting when I got the email so I forwarded it her. After translating it she was thrilled and late for English School! Now we have to finish all the evidence quickly! Quickly Quickly (as she likes to say) Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28 Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14 Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23 Interview Date 2008-2-27	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-23 05:26:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Blue Monday	Sorry to hear about that. I'm sure you'll be able to straighten it out. I had a similar situation, it was a girlfriend, a house we bought together and 35 cats (when we split up). It was before I met Thi. She know about it but it isnt in our petition. We did talk about it in our chats tho.... I'm better make sure Thi's ready just in case. Another couple also had a bi-lingual black woman, but their experience was pleasant and got the pink..... Let us know when you have more details. Again, I'm sure you'll get the pink in the end!! Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28 Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14 Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23 Interview Date 2008-2-27	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-28 02:14:00
Asia: East and Pacific	My blue slip bullet points	Guy What the Consulate is asking sounds reasonable and you should be able to satisfy them easily. Once they have your statemnets, I'm sure you'll get approved. Thanks for the update, Thi and I have been talking about this, since she has only been using English since July 2006. She's been going to English school which has helped a lot. Thanks to your posts, she will be better prepared. Good Luck Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28 Packet 4 sent 2008-1-14 Email Reply with Interview Date 2008-1-23 Interview Date 2008-2-27	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-28 06:28:00
Asia: East and Pacific	How many people have sent money to Vietnam?	In order to make it easy for her to chat and email, I sent her money to buy a computer and set up DSL ($600) so she could do so from home and not a internet store. That was about 3 months after we started to email each other. It was taking her about 3 days to go to the internet store, print out the email, translate the email, answer it and translate it into English then go to the internet store to send her reply when we first started. I have been sending money for Thi to take English classes. She is also spending most of her time now chatting with me (3 or 4 hours a day), studying English and preparing for the interviw so she isn't making much money as a tailor. It probably averages to about $75 month inlcluding school. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-14 03:40:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Entry/Exit Procedures: Viet Nam	On my first trip in March, I flew into the old HCMC terminal. My flight was 6 hours late. I had emailed Thi from Hong Kong that I would be late but she never checked her email so she, Tuan and Dung waited........ When I finally arrived at 3am, I found going thru Immigranton felt like Mission Impossible. Every official was in a uniform, didn't smile, didn't talk, they only waved you to come to their desk then held out their hand for your papers and looked like they hated everybody.......Just like on the MI TV show. Went downstairs, got my bags and then stood in line at customs. Showed them my form, put my bags on belt walked over to the over side, picked them up and went on my way. On my second trip in September, I flew intot the new one. The flight was on time. Went to Immigration and found the officials about the same. The first time it was a male official, this time a female but no difference, except I said thank you (in English by habbit) but didn't get any response. This time I had to wait to get my bags then showed them my form, put my bags on the belt, walked to the over side, picked up my bags and went on my way. Leaving was the same except I had to go thru security. But no one ever asked me what I was carrying or stopped me. I just handed them the form. I had more trouble on my second trip with US customs. I came back with several moon cakes. The ones with chicken in them got thrown in the trash by US customs. No meat produts are allowed in the US from Vietnam. I told the customs people I had moon cakes, candy, tea and coffee when they asked if I had any food stuffs wtih me. That got me to the inspection line where they went thru all of my bags. I had also bought some gifts for friends and family, no CD/DVDs. I took a digital camera, USB portable drive (for files/pictures), cell phone (which I didn't use in Vietnam, no Veziron service), no computer. I did see lots of people with laptops and nobody seemed to care at either US or Vietnamese Customs. I didn't see any difference in my two trips between native US citizens and Vietnamese Americans but I wasn't watching that closely. (On my first return trip, two Indian sikh business men where being harassed by United personel because they didn't have passports with visas stamps from a layover. They never left the airport, why would they need visas? In the end Untied said their person was out of line but didn't say they were sorry to them. The men said they were accused of being terrorists by the airline based on their looks. They were upset about their treatment and telling everyone who would listen......) All the Vietnamese officials seem to be trained to not talk unless absolutely necessary so I thought it felt a little awkward being use to US officials usually being more friendly. You know, Hi, how are you, have a good trip, etc. Peter and Thi I-129F Sent : 2007-05-26 I-129F NOA1 : 2007-06-11 I-129F RFE(s) : RFE Reply(s) : I-129F NOA2 : 2007-10-26 Touched: 2007-11-02 NVC Recieved: 2007-11-16 Consulate recieved ?????? Packet 3 sent 2007-12-11 Packet 3 received 2007-12-24 Packet 3 returned 2007-12-28	PeterFB	Male	Vietnam	2008-01-21 02:56:00