Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (scandal @ Jun 29 2009, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Just dropping in to say hi.... I used to be a regular on this thread, was stuck 50 days in AP back in Jan/Feb/March. I see some of the old-timers are here: hi Lisa, cdneh, Talyss, and Badgerella! Sorry to see people still getting stuck in AP, but glad to see that the wait times really seem to be shorter than they were. Well, I just wanted to update folks of some good news.... we finally had our embassy interview, and we PASSED!!! My fiancee Thanti had a straightforward interview, after all the hassle we had at NVC and then getting Packet 3/4 at the embassy in Bangkok. She'll pick up her passport with the K-1 visa on Wed, board a flight on Thursday night, arrive in Chicago on Friday morning, and be here with me in time for fireworks on the 4th of July on Saturday. So, things do have a way of working out well in the end if you're patient. Need lots and lots of patience. Congrats, Ron and Thanti!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-08 11:32:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ May 28 2009, 11:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Glad to hear everyone is doing well.... Congrats Matt.... well, you'll be having your interview just a few days before us!! We FINALLY got our date! Yippee!!! It just came in by email 10 minutes ago. I called Thailand, Thanti was sleeping but of course I woke her up with the news. Our interview will be June 29. We're very excited Thanks everyone for your great support through this long process Ron, congrats on FINALLY getting the date! Good luck to you both! I'd also like to share my good news with my fellow AP'ers: Hien's visa was approved on May 27!! Sorry just posting now, we have had internet access problems... She did a great job at the interview and was in and out of the consulate in record time! June 7 POE!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-05-29 19:14:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ May 2 2009, 02:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Badgerella @ May 1 2009, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (mikef @ May 1 2009, 11:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I wonder what happens to the 4 month validity of this visa, all this time wasted, wouldn't it get too close to the expiration specially that this is not the end of the road? The visa, once issued, is valid for six months, not four. The petition, once approved, is valid four months (start counting from your NOA2 date). However, it cannot and won't expire as long as it is being processed by (or just sitting at) USCIS, NVC or an Embassy. They'll just automatically extend it. Example: our petition (NOA2) was going to expire on the 12th of April. We were stuck at NVC for 50-ish days and then, on top of that, rescheduled our interview from March 12th to April 8th. My visa is valid through Oct 7th. You don't need to worry about your case expiration date - it won't expire. Once your visa is issued, it'll be valid for 6 months. Whenever, during that timeframe, you enter the US, your visa becomes invalid and you have 90 days to get done with your business (marrying/AOS-ing, leaving.. whatever rocks your boat!). Good luck mikef, slujon, wasabi, Matt & Bing.... shouldn't be long for you guys now.... you're all in the home stretch for release! Badgerella - we're certainly counting on what you're saying to be correct, that they automatically extend the validity of the NOA2 as long as it's delayed in THEIR hands (USCIS/NVC/DOS) beyond the 4 month period. We had our NOA2 on Jan 14. We're coming up to the 4 month mark in 2 weeks, May 14. We got out of NVC on March 13 but we're STILL!! stuck at Bangkok embassy waiting for an interview date. At this rate our "stuck at embassy to get an interview date" time is rivaling our "stuck AP@NVC" time. Pathetic. If I allowed myself to dwell on it I'd just get depressed and angry. So I try hard not to. Anyway, really hoping that they don't come back to tell us that our petition is expired because we've passed the May 14 date due to THEIR delays. That will make me explode. Ron, this is what is stated on the BKK embassy website in the K-1 section. "The I-129F petition is valid for four months from the date of approval from USCIS. Consular officers can extend the validity of the petition (revalidate the petition) if it expires before the processing of the visa application is completed." Similar statement on the HCM website and likely most all of them. Ours will expire 11 days before Hien's interview so I plan to have both of us sign and notarize new statements of intent to marry just in case so she can bring them to the interview.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-05-02 22:19:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 25 2009, 02:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (mikef @ Apr 24 2009, 09:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> called NVC today, still on AP. 30 days and counting, ridiculus Hang in there Mike... shouldn't be long now. Be prepared for more waiting in Bangkok, we got an email from the embassy today that they're experiencing a "High volume" of interviews to schedule, so we need to wait 6-8 weeks...... PS - Thanks all for good wishes, Thanti is doing fine! Sorry to hear about your delay But glad to know that Thanti is doing well!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-25 10:02:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (mikef @ Apr 24 2009, 11:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> thanks guys, waiting and hoping for the best It'll come soon, Mike. Hang in there.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-24 11:22:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 23 2009, 05:53 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 23 2009, 11:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ron, Whats the status on your guys' interview date? How long after they turn in the packet 3 do app's from BKK usually hear something? We are still waiting to hear back from the Embassy. No news yet. They had the Thai New Year (Songkran) which closed the Embassy for 3 business days last week. And we suspect that all the protests in Bangkok may also have distracted them from getting normal business processed even on the days they were open. I hope we'll hear something SOON. Meanwhile, Thanti had a mishap on her way into work a couple of days ago. She was riding on a motorcycle taxi (quite popular in Bangkok, since they can weave through the traffic congestion more quickly than 4 wheeled vehicles). Apparently a regular taxi came around the intersection and hit the motorcycle. Thanti went flying into the street and got banged up a bit. Thankfully no broken bones or serious injuries. She had some cuts and lacerations on her arm and a lot of bruising. She's in some pain but she's a tough cookie. if you're ever in Bangkok, beware of crazy taxi drivers! Oh, the other good news in my life.. I finally had a Skype webcam session with my kids last Saturday. I know it's not much but it's the first one I've had since early March. Just like getting our K-1 visa is a journey, maintaining my relationship to my kids is also a journey. QUOTE (Badgerella @ Apr 23 2009, 11:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ooo.. finally done reading everything you all managed to type while I was gone! My fiance is on his way to the US as I type. As we have it planned, next time I'll see him, it will be over there, but we haven't set any dates yet. There's still a lot to do here before I can move. Welcome back Badgerella! Now that your fiance has left, you can get back to the serious business of hanging out on VJ. Of course I've long ago come to realize that while we come to VJ initially as a means to the end of being united with our loved ones as quickly as possible, we stay and socialize and gossip on VJ as an end in itself! Ron, very sorry to hear that Thanti was banged up a bit. I'm sure she will recover quickly and be with you in the very near future! Congrats on the skype session with your kids. I am so happy to hear that. I hope that was the first of many more to come.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-24 08:10:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Ellie-and-David @ Apr 22 2009, 07:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> SOOOOOOOOO.....Today i had a pretty crappy day. My engagement ring got stuck in customs, I had to tell my band i was leaving earlier than expected.....and then Dave tells me he will be out of contact all of next week. I'm on the phone to him right now and asked him to call them..............the NVC jailers.....AND WE HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM PRISON! It was forwarded to the embassy on the 20th. The day i was super super nice to an NVC rep..... Thank you so much for your support guys. I'll be sticking around here to encourage others. MWAH MWAAAAAH MWAAAAAAAAAAAH !!!!!!!!!! to the AP crew. Congrats!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-22 19:18:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (chefdino @ Apr 20 2009, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> To all who see this although i was only here for a short time i went through more than a month of pure panic same as you. I have found out just now that NVC released Carla and my paperwork to be sent to Lima today. I have no idea how long it will take to get there or what a time line is for rest of this to work out but we are free and i wish all of you the same luck , I believe those of you next to my same times will be soon released as well. I can only imagine that everything is as they say RANDOM. many thanks and please keep up the good work and be patient. < unlike me> Congrats on your short stint here! Good luck with the rest of your journey!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 21:57:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 20 2009, 09:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 20 2009, 09:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> how is this for the wiki page guys == Administrative Processing at NVC == The NVC has a random process of pulling a certain, unknown number of "K" visa petitions for further administrative processing each week. It is unknown what exactly takes place during this process. Some CSR's at NVC have said that they are "verifying documents". But the most common answer will be that "there is no timeframe for the process". There actually is a very predictable timeframe based on VJers experience that has been shared since December 2008. The average time that a case is held during this AP is around 50 days. I would like to add the link to Thantita's list also. And of course to this thread. you guys can add to it on wiki if you want to of course I'll wait to add the link to all of Ron's hard work until he says it's cool ok, made more changes lol http://www.visajourn...ocessing_at_NVC Nice work, Lisa As an aside, does it seem to anyone else that the typical AP release schedule is sliding down to the 35 day mark? not saying it is bad, just observing that it has been awhile since we have had any 50 day-ers. Ron, is it possible to plot the average AP hold time by release week to see what the trend is doing? Edited by toddandhien, 20 April 2009 - 09:56 PM.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 21:52:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	Hey, we got pinned! Nice work, Lisa!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 19:34:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (girarm @ Apr 20 2009, 03:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well misery loves company so I thought I should add my 2 cents to this form… 39 days at NVC for AP…. See I feel better already (not really) I have read all 102 pages and could really feel every ones pain, I hope we all break free soon…. Till then good luck to all, and to me also as I need it!!!!! Welcome!...and sorry...This is the only forum on VJ where we hope NOT to see newcomers. But, unfortunately, Uncle Sam does not want us to be lonely so he throws a few new members to us every week! Best of luck for a speedy release!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 17:45:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 20 2009, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 19 2009, 11:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 19 2009, 10:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You know? We should ask for this thread to be pinned in this forum. Just a thought Agree. Who do we approach? Kim&Russ? Captain Ewok? Other? Lisa, do you guys have travel plans yet? You must be getting very excited we'll see if this does the trick http://www.visajourn...howtopic=192362 We are excited!! We just booked a flight yesterday for May 7th. FINALLY!! wooofrigginhoooo heh CONGRATS!!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 11:33:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (chefdino @ Apr 20 2009, 02:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Please add my information NOA1 in November sent out on 12th received on 20th then long wait for NOA 2 arrival on march 7th sent to NVC and received by NVC on march 15th ----still in NVC. 35 ish days later .. i would not have even known except that i got worried because Carla never received a packet to start on for interview. I called Peru first because i received a letter saying it passed through NVC and was sent to them. Well truth is it was never sent and is sitting in a pile of other people's packets waiting on something they are not allowed to tell me about. I feel we are blessed to have a system set up to help us get our loved ones over here and still keep a safe country to live in but OMG please can we fix it a bit better???? there are so many people involved in this it seems impossible for me to even guess on a day that i could be happily married in the U.S.A. . We thought we were through the rough part boy were we wrong. ANYONE WHO HAS ANY INFO PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY.... chefdino71@hotmail.com Sorry you are stuck, but welcome to the family. You are in good company here! And because you are at 35 days already, you don't have more than a couple of weeks to wait.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-20 08:57:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 19 2009, 02:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (toddandhien @ Apr 16 2009, 08:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ron, Thantita's list rocks. And very humble of you to name it in honour of your sweetie! (I threw the 'u' in there just for you ). The new server seems much more stable...I was never able to look at your latest handiwork on the old one...always down when I tried. I'm sure with a fresh new look this weekend, you can get that cron job to fire. Personally, I would lose the comments field. They are great for you to use to validate the inclusion of a couple in the list, but detract a little from the concise look that T's list should have. And maybe to be fair to those still waiting to be released, show them first in the display? Us legacy folks can scroll down some to re-live the good times we had with our friends in Portsmouth, NH!! Whatever you choose, I am sure it will be well-received!! And thanks again for all the time you donate to our VJ community! Thanks Todd. Ok, I messed about with it tonight, and I think I've captured the suggestions you made, and a few other things as well. The concise look is back, I agree it looks much more attactive. Let me know what you think. I still haven't gotten around to the by-country/by-month stuff, perhaps tomorrow. I also didn't mow the lawn, but I did get a Toro 6.75hp self-propelling MAN-machine at Lowe's today. Gonna kick up some sod! Ron, The list looks great! I like the bold indicating the folks who are validated AP'ers. Did you get the cron job to fire automatically now? 6.75HP...you are going to be mowing some serious grass!! We are not warm enough here in Maine to be worrying about our grass just yet...but today I can have a beer and look at it! It is actually starting to come green now that the snow is gone!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-19 08:53:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (pgp @ Apr 17 2009, 06:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 17 2009, 03:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (pgp @ Apr 17 2009, 02:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We're out of the NVC! Hopefully the interview will be happening soon. Good luck to everyone still waiting! Congratulations!! 35 days --- that's pretty good! I manually reloaded the statistics page (since I still don't have the cron working). You are now listed under the "K1 Stuck and Released" section. Welcome to the "alumni" Good luck with the rest of the process Thanks! Yes, 35 days was much better than the 400 some odd days we spent in CSC... Speaking of port of entry and wedding dates, is it important to schedule these before the interview to make the consulate happy? We've been waiting so long that we don't plan to schedule anything until she actually has the visa. HCM is a tough consulate and they are looking for LOTS of proof of a valid relationship. But, we made these plans because we want to marry someplace special and if you want to marry in Vacationland on an island in the summer, you have to plan and book ahead!! The fact that she will have our plans to describe to the CO is a bonus.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-17 18:01:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 17 2009, 06:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (toddandhien @ Apr 17 2009, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We are looking at a POE of June 7 in SFO right now. I am going for the interview and will bring her back with me. subject to change but it will be around that point. Wedding plans set for August 8 on Great Diamond Island here in Maine. Oh, and you can take Chinh and Erik off the K-1 waiting list. He is posting now in preparation for her interview on 4/28. They were never in AP. Regarding POE and Wedding - that's terrific!! You guys must be so excited that after all the waiting it feels like it's FINALLY about to happen! (I know you're feeling that, that's what I'M certainly feeling!) About Chinh & Erik - I am powerless to move them off the lists. It's all in the hands of the scripts at this point . Technology run amok. Their timeline gives a date entered NVC on Feb26, and no dates after that. They will need to edit their timeline to get off the list. That's why I disclaim right at the top that the data is only as accurate as the timelines it's based upon. BTW - I did see and agree with your suggestions. I'm plannig to devote some time this weekend to cleaning it up. Sunday is supposed to be gray and raining here in Chicago, so that seems like a good time to work on the list. I think Saturday I'll buy a lawnmower and mow the back lawn on my new home. Yup, that's what we are feeling! Pretty excited. OK, I thought you could force some data by pegging it some way. But you are the expert...I'm just one of the users who asks for impossible things (just like at work)!! Have fun with the lawn...gotta do something while waiting for the USG to pick up the pace and get you your dates!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-17 17:57:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 17 2009, 01:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (toddandhien @ Apr 17 2009, 12:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ron, thanks. You guys are next. Hang in there for just a little. In reading your summary of e-mails from the embassy, they read almost EXACTLY the way that mine read from the HCM consulate. I confirmed receipt of Hien's Packet 3 info and got, "we will schedule her as soon as possible...". Right. Then I pinged them 2 weeks later and got, "we have not yet scheduled the beneficiary for an interview date but when we do we will notify her by mail. Check back in a month if you have not seen anything." OK, that made me feel real good. 1 WEEK later (today her time) she got Packet 4 in the mail. It seems that it takes them about a month to get an interview date and mail it (at least in VN). But i think it is not ALL bureaucracy...I think they are doing background checks on the beneficiary (and family) again (I forget where I read that). She will be home with you in the month of June for sure!! Thanks Todd. Thantita is active on a Thai-language message board similar to VJ (usvisa4thai.com) for Thai beneficiaries that swap their immigration stories and advice . The scoop on that site is that they never even open the Packet3 materials until the Interview itself. Meaning they can't be doing background checks and stuff during the interval. I'm not sure if that's true. It seems weird to me, because why would they insist on a whole long checklist of things to include in P-3 if they don't even open it? Anyway, the process is different in each country. So whatever happens in Thailand will be quite different for you in Vietnam. Thanks for your support- I hope you're right about making a June POE happen! What about you guys? Now that you have an interview date scheduled, do you have thoughts about POE? Are there summertime wedding bells in your future? We are looking at a POE of June 7 in SFO right now. I am going for the interview and will bring her back with me. subject to change but it will be around that point. Wedding plans set for August 8 on Great Diamond Island here in Maine. Oh, and you can take Chinh and Erik off the K-1 waiting list. He is posting now in preparation for her interview on 4/28. They were never in AP. Edited by toddandhien, 17 April 2009 - 04:04 PM.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-17 16:00:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 17 2009, 09:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This has been our most recent correspondence with the BKK consulate. ... How long does it take to find an empty slot on the calendar and schedule the interview date?? I just can't understand this bureaucracy. Every hurdle you cross (NOA2, NVC, you think... ok... we're on our way now. We got out of NVC on March 13, and the end is still not in sight. Also, we got a report from a member on the Sawasdee3 thread (Thai hangout on VJ). Joe&Noi had their interview today for CR1 and were APPROVED! (Yay Joe&Noi!!!). But in their very detailed report of their interview, they said there were 5 K-1 interviews today in Bangkok, and 4 of them were DENIED. GULP. BKK is getting a reputation as a very difficult consulate. Just venting a little. I get frustrated by this whole thing sometimes. I'm sure you guys can relate. Ron, thanks. You guys are next. Hang in there for just a little. In reading your summary of e-mails from the embassy, they read almost EXACTLY the way that mine read from the HCM consulate. I confirmed receipt of Hien's Packet 3 info and got, "we will schedule her as soon as possible...". Right. Then I pinged them 2 weeks later and got, "we have not yet scheduled the beneficiary for an interview date but when we do we will notify her by mail. Check back in a month if you have not seen anything." OK, that made me feel real good. 1 WEEK later (today her time) she got Packet 4 in the mail. It seems that it takes them about a month to get an interview date and mail it (at least in VN). But i think it is not ALL bureaucracy...I think they are doing background checks on the beneficiary (and family) again (I forget where I read that). She will be home with you in the month of June for sure!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-17 12:07:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	We FINALLY received Packet 4 yesterday and now have an interview date...May 27!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-17 07:48:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (spikeyflip @ Apr 16 2009, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> blah...signing in to the thread ^^;; just called during lunch and I got the AP response BS Sorry to hear that you are stuck...but welcome to the family.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-16 19:22:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 16 2009, 02:01 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A few updates regarding the "Stuck at NVC" statistics website: 1. Given the rush of new AP releases, perhaps we're rapidly getting to the point where we can shut this down and don't need it any longer! I wish that's true, however something tells me that they're still queuing up new AP cases just as they're freeing old ones. 2. I gave up once and for all on the old hosting service I was using, nxserve.net. They had one advantage: they were FREE. I learned something from this experience: you get what you pay for! Free web hosting is like free beer ... a myth So, I shelled out the grand sum of $14 for a 2 month hosting package on godaddy.com. And another $1.19 for our very own domain apnvc.info. This should be much more stable and reliable. The new URL is now simply: http://apnvc.info . This is also updated in my VJ signature, so it can be accessed from my postings directly. 3. I've moved over the script from the old site to the new one. I had to make some adjustments (most notably godaddy doesn't have all the CPAN packages I relied upon, in particular the Error package which gives 'try' exception handling (use Error qw(:try)). It seems to be working ok without that, but it may blow up on certain date conversions that the exceptions were previously trapping. Like, people who enter illegal dates such as Nov 31. Before the exception handling would safely process these. Now I think the script will just abort and ####### out if it encounters a date like that. So I'll monitor that.. if it starts happening, I'll need to manually do my own exception handling. (Ok, that's technobabble I know, but I got on a roll there...) 4. I can't get the cron job to fire . I spent a fair bit of time on it, but I'm giving up for tonight. I'll contact their help desk tomorrow and ask them why it's not working. The cron job is intended to run the script every hour, to refresh the files from the VJ database. Since it's not working that means the website will just sit there stale and static. It is currently showing server time of Wed Apr 15 22:24:48 2009 PDT, which was when I last ran the script manually. It will stay that way unless the script is run manually again, or I get the cron job to start firing hourly. (By the way, if anybody wants to run the script manually to force a data refresh, just PM me and I can give you simple instructions to force a run of the script. It's really easy to do.) 5. I decided to rename it. Before I referred to it as "aka Ron's list". I realize that this was quite selfish. To be more altruistic I'd like to name it in honor of my patient and long-suffering honey - Thantita. Ergo - Thantita's List is born 6. What else? The 'By country' stats is still a work in progress. I hope to get around to that on the weekend, now that it's finally hosted in a proper home. Also 'by month' stats, which I think will be useful to see if we start to get a reduction in the length of time cases are spending in AP @ NVC, down from the 50 range to hopefully more like the 30-40 range, or even lower. 7. As always - any comments or suggestions are welcome. Either about additional information you'd like to see, or not want to see (e.g. I'm thinking of dumping the 'Leftovers' page, and I haven't decided if I like the Comments being displayed or not), or just cosmetic things like the color scheme, font size, etc. Ron, Thantita's list rocks. And very humble of you to name it in honour of your sweetie! (I threw the 'u' in there just for you ). The new server seems much more stable...I was never able to look at your latest handiwork on the old one...always down when I tried. I'm sure with a fresh new look this weekend, you can get that cron job to fire. Personally, I would lose the comments field. They are great for you to use to validate the inclusion of a couple in the list, but detract a little from the concise look that T's list should have. And maybe to be fair to those still waiting to be released, show them first in the display? Us legacy folks can scroll down some to re-live the good times we had with our friends in Portsmouth, NH!! Whatever you choose, I am sure it will be well-received!! And thanks again for all the time you donate to our VJ community!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-16 08:01:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	Wow! SO much good news on here all at once! Congrats to all who have been released by NVC! Maybe the average wait is coming down and we have seen the worst of it. I certainly hope so. Best of luck for a quick release to all who are still waiting!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-14 18:14:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (LUISH @ Apr 13 2009, 08:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> WELL GUYS I JUST MADE THAT 8:30 AM PHONE CALL TO NVC AND TO MY SURPRISE THEY RELEASED FROM NVC JAIL AND THE PETITIONS HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO BOGOTA , COLOMBIA, JUST TO MAKE SURE I CALLED AGAIN AND YES CASE WAS FORWARDED ON APRIL 10TH TO COLOMBIA........ YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONLY 37 DAYS AT NVC................................... HOPE EVERYONE GETS RELEASED SOON......... ALSO WANNA SAY THANKS TO MY STUCK@NVC FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT, I STILL BE CHECKING WITH U GUYS BLESSINGS LUISH Congrats, Luish!!!! Way to go! QUOTE (Y's_habibitk @ Apr 13 2009, 12:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We were approved last night! Y will be coming home in about 3 weeks Thanks for the support here during AP guys The CO mentioned nothing about the NVC AP btw. But did ask who I lived with, which I remeber being a question on anothers interview..and not a common one for our consulaet with K visas. good luck to everyone still stuck and those awaiting an interview Awesome!! Very happy for the both of you! Good luck with everything!!!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-13 18:49:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Steve and Grace @ Apr 11 2009, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks all for your responses. I had a feeling so I didn't want to get my hopes up. The live operator told me on Friday I was in AP. The letter saying my case was being forwarded was dated two days earlier. I just wanted to find out for sure. Now I'll don my patience garb and continue waiting with the rest of you and join you all in hoping for a speedy resolution of ALL of our cases! Best wishes, Steve & Grace Sorry to hear that you are stuck in AP but you have at least found our (growing) family to spend the next ~7 weeks with while you wait. If you have time, read back through a number of the pages here to get a sense for how things have gone for folks. Good luck on a speedy release and a quick completion to your K-1 journey in Manila.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-11 21:41:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (wasabi @ Apr 11 2009, 02:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (wasabi @ Apr 10 2009, 08:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have received an NVC case number in the mail but when I call the hotline it says case not received. The case number was assigned almost two weeks ago. When I call and ask about the case it is in their system just not in the automated phone system. has anyone else had this happen to them? QUOTE You should talk directly to operator, after press #1 for English, normal press #5 immediately or #2 in system I have called and the operator can see the case. I just can't check it with the phone system which would be more ideal. Can anyone check their cases using the automated phone system? K-1 cases cannot be checked through the automated system. You must speak to an operator each time.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-11 06:06:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (caochi @ Apr 10 2009, 08:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> toddandhien, have any news for your interview yet? I e-mailed the consulate on Monday and got a response today: "We have not scheduled the beneficiary for an interview yet..." How about you?	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-10 20:17:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (uscandual @ Apr 10 2009, 06:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (luck-e and Kookie @ Apr 8 2009, 12:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hello all, Initially, I started my journey posting questions about my K1 visa petition being too complicated as it is. The first post I had was about filing a K1 visa petition as soon as getting divorced. With it, after I stated my case, I got all the haters, without even thinking whats the real deal. Let me give you guys an idea on what was our situation before today. ......... My STucked @ NVC family means alot to me. Thank you, thank you thank you. OK. So a few days ago Luck-e and Kookie shared with us their story. Like them, I find VJ in general, and this thread in particular, to be a kind of 'home', with friendly and sympathetic folks. So I thought I'd share my story here as well. Sorry this is long, it's just a very complicated situation. ... Thanks for letting me vent. Ron, Thanks for having the courage to share your remarkable story. Many can sympathize with you but I can relate as a divorced dad of 2 teenagers. My situation is incredibly simple in comparison with yours. I am lucky to live near my kids and see them regularly...which makes me feel such deep sorrow for you. You really deserve a break but everyone keeps handing you delays. Waiting sucks but I know that you are very, very near the end of your Visa Journey!! She will be with you in a matter of weeks and at least part of your life can regain some stability. Best of luck to you with everything. I REALLY hope that your son goes to school in Canada or the US so you two can re-connect!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-10 18:52:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Badgerella @ Apr 8 2009, 08:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We're done with the interview! Hopefully they'll give my passport back soon, too. With the visa in it, of course. Apparently, they'll call back today or tomorrow and have me pick it up. Congratulations!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-08 21:29:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (luck-e and Kookie @ Apr 7 2009, 06:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hi you guys!! interview done today. i passed!! woohoo! Great news!! congratulations!!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-07 07:56:00
National Visa Center (Dept of State)	STUCK @ NVC for AP	QUOTE (Joe & Nadya @ Apr 6 2009, 01:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> GUYS, YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 52 DAYS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH GOD, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! tHANK YOU ALL YOU, WHO SUPPORTED US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! QUOTE (MashaJam @ Apr 6 2009, 10:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Ron, your new code is much faster now and web page is easier to read. It's a comfort to be here amongst friends who are also separated with their loved ones. Best wishes to Joe and Nadya for release this week! Thank you, Jam!!! It was like in a hell, but it has come true!!!!!!!! Good luck to you!!! Congratulations!!!! very happy for both of you! Good luck on the rest of your journey!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-04-06 15:13:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Letter, Time Line	QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Jul 4 2009, 09:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Here is a link to some files that were previously posted that should possibly be in the guides area or some download area... http://www.visajourn...howtopic=192925 I also included the image below what one could see if they arrive with inadequate evidence. Dont forget about the pain of those who recently went before us, like Jack & Xuan , 2x2y2z and philliptham... http://www.visajourn...h...t=0&start=0 http://ww http://www.visajourn...howtopic=188957 Thuy and I play a game once or twice each week in which I ask her questions like I am CO and she asks me questions like CO grilling me... I am working on a more extensive list of questions that we should prepare for, so there is no confusion like Philliptham had. Preparation can prevent a great deal of pain... I had no idea until last night when I was reading through past posts, just how trigger happy HCMC is to shoot us down and what that actually means and how difficult it can be to resolve if at all. Remember that whatever we say in the letter must match the docs and what the SO says when questioned... exactly... I prepared a list of more than 200 questions that I took from our timeline, the guides here at VJ, from others' posts and from elsewhere on the internet. For 3 months, Hien and I practiced going through these in English to be sure she was comfortable and then she practiced the answers in VN with her sister during her free time. This made sure that there was no confusion about anything I had put in documents for USCIS, it boosted her confidence level and it also taught her a lot of new English words. EVERY question that she was asked at her interview was on the list we had practiced (including "describe the town where he lives"). Made it a breeze for her to confidently talk to the CO in VN and English.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-06 11:24:00
Asia: East and Pacific	divorced decree?	QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Jul 9 2009, 08:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (L179 @ Jul 9 2009, 04:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i believe it is sufficient L179 This may be the case at other Consulates, but NOT HCMC. The USC should be prepared to show proof that the ex no longer resides with them. This can be a notarized affidavit from ex, bills showing different addresses, if ex owns a home the tax role for ex.anything that shows the ex somewhere else than where you live... The fact that they asked John for it was actually expected... as the rest of us that have exwives going through HCMC expect the request. The timeline for his ex was a special situation... unless your ex came from VN as a K1 you wont likely see that request. Did John say they needed a timeline for his ex?...or just a timeline and info about his ex? I would recommend showing evidence that proves that the petitioner and the ex lived apart from well before the petition until current time. As Jim notes, you are trying to prove that you are not scamming them with a fake divorce. I also produced a notarized letter from me that gave my address for the last 10 years, along with my ex-wife's address for the last 10 years, her SSN, DOB, city/state of birth, phone number and e-mail address. I was trying to show them that I would welcome them to contact her by any means possible if they so choose. Attached to that I had bills from past and current showing my name/address and similar bills past and current showing her name/address. If you have nothing to hide, why not give them everything?	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-09 10:46:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Food in the US and a VN bride	After 5 weeks, Hien is beginning to enjoy American food. I agree with others that when she first arrives, plan on eating at home and let her cook what she is comfortable with. That will mean quickly taking her to the local Asian market and getting stocked up with nuoc mam and other vital ingredients, along with the "correct" type of rice. Remember that she has just flown for 20-28 hours and is setting up camp in a new country...she may want something that makes her feel comfortable. Hien much prefers when we eat at home. Whether we cook VN or US is now less an issue but controlling the cooking and the taste is very important to her, as well as not spending money at restaurants. Last week we made buffalo wings at home. She liked them so much that we have had them twice now. We used the hottest sauce we could find and it was barely enough spice for her. I found that her desire to eat American foods is much higher here than in VN. The reason is that the American food in VN does not taste like it does here so she never developed much of a taste for it.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-13 14:47:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Finally interview date!	The interview questions tend to be drawn from the same very large pool of questions that exist. What will vary is your unique response. As Jim noted, review all the questions that you can find in the forums and then practice the answers with your fiance. A lot. You don't have much time, so make it a priority. It seems that they will focus the questions that they ask in areas where they want to probe based upon the information submitted previously (red flag areas). Pay particular attention to these in your practicing but be sure to cover all the small ones as well. She should know everything well enough to project total confidence at the interview. Don't underestimate the importance of this work over the next 4 weeks.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-15 09:20:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Relative introduction (gioi thieu) is a red flag???	yes, it is one of many potential red flags at the HCM consulate. Just be prepared to document it well, be sure to provide a list of relatives she might have in the US and be certain that the story she tells about your introduction and first meeting exactly match what you may include in your timeline.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-15 18:30:00
Asia: East and Pacific	My wife ineterview was ok but attached blue pager@HCMC	My ex would not sign a letter but did give me copies of bills. I signed and had notarized a letter that described her history and attached her bills. Get as much as you can from your ex but if she will not help, get the info some other way. Be sure to give the consulate plenty of evidence.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-10 10:41:00
Asia: East and Pacific	My wife ineterview was ok but attached blue pager@HCMC	QUOTE (JimVaPhuong @ Jul 9 2009, 01:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (johncali9 @ Jul 8 2009, 09:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Anh map @ Jul 8 2009, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Another interview or they want the information returned by Aug 6? They want a time line and the information about your ex wife? She only had the timeline with her at the interview? Or she had both the interview and info about your ex? If they asked for something that she did not have that is why they said to wait and send all together. They also asked me for proof of where my ex wife lived. My ex did not cooperate, but I was able to give them enough proof. Let me know if you need some ideas for that. If she can scan the blue slip and email to you and you can post that will help so we can read everything. Dear anh map I do have anything for her timeline and exwife bit the CO not looking and return the Thoease papers told my wife that bring to aug 6 Sounds like they had the blue slip prepared before your wife ever got to the interview window. In that case, it won't make much difference what she says or tries to give them - they've already decided. If they say to bring the information back on August 6, then that's what your wife should do. Don't worry - most people seem to get the pink after turning in the timeline and other requested info. I seem to recall one VJ member recently managed to avoid the blue slip by including the timeline with the documents that are submitted the first time your fiancee is called up to the window. I also seem to remember that somebody else tried the same tactic, but the VN girl taking the documents wouldn't accept the timeline. Other people have been including the timeline with the I-129F package, which I think is probably the best bet for anyone going through HCM. Most of the things they want to know about in the timeline happen before you submit the petition anyway. Good luck! That was me. Actually, I did both. Put a timeline in the 129F package and then an expanded one with the papers at the window. More is better, in my opinion. They can always refuse to look at it but they can't look at what you don't give them. John, I don't think you need to worry. Many before you have had the same request and later they receive the pink. Please be sure to update your timeline as needed and give plenty of evidence to show that you and your ex-wife have been living apart for many months (not just apart now). Good luck!	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-09 10:33:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Vaccine & Medical Exam	everyone is different. That's why they go and talk to the immunization people first. Whatever they need based on history, age, gender, etc, they will give. Hien got only 1 shot for tetanus/diptheria. But she needs to have it 2 more times in the US (2 months between each shot).	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-06-30 11:55:00
Asia: East and Pacific	HCM Interview Preparation Please Help!	The interview letter says that regardless of whether a copy was sent to NVC and accepted, they want the originals at the consulate for the interview. I would not take a chance on this. I would recommend that you bring the original of every document listed on page 2 of the letter. Regarding the I-864 and what you need: If you provide the tax transcript (available by fax as Scott mentioned...but not sure if they will fax it overseas), you do not need to provide W-2. W-2's are only needed if you provide a copy of your tax return. read the instructions at uscis.gov. So you can take Roger's advice and have a friend fedex you your files from home or do as Scott advises and do a new I-864. Just be sure that you do it exactly the same and get your tax transcripts faxed to you. Good luck.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-16 11:25:00
Asia: East and Pacific	Blue Slip More Information Needed. Help?	QUOTE (ScottThuy @ Jul 16 2009, 09:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (calilove @ Jul 15 2009, 11:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Eric and An Thuy @ Jul 15 2009, 10:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You must have your timeline in correct order. Good luck Some people said they still required another timeline even though it was brought to the interview. What is up with this? Seems to me that they won't accept any timeline at the time of the interview? a qualified timeline will be accepted only at a later date to serve their purpose? almost seems like a stalling tactic... They accepted mine when Hien interviewed but with many others, they are told to bring it later. I think it is a way for them to have more time to look at your paperwork, research some things that they want to look at more closely and then look at your timeline a month later. For this reason, I am a big proponent of front-loading the petition. Hit them with absolutely everything so there is not much new for them to have to assess come interview day. They are going to see it all eventually...not sure why one would not want to get it all in early...?? This does not help the OP, but rather a consideration for others who may just be starting the process.	toddandhien	Male	Vietnam	2009-07-16 15:13:00