ALTERNATIVES TO MEETING AND/OR MARRYING IN VIETNAM

Thứ Năm, 23 Tháng Tám 201200:00(Xem: 43115)
ALTERNATIVES TO MEETING AND/OR MARRYING IN VIETNAM
An American citizen who wants to sponsor a fiancée in Vietnam must meet the fiancée in person during the two years before filing the petition. We have had some inquiries about where that meeting in person must take place. Must it be in Vietnam or could it be in some other country?
 
The regulations do not say where the meeting should be. It’s not necessary for the couple to meet in Vietnam. They could have their personal meeting in any country, such as Thailand or Cambodia.
 
No matter where they meet, they would need to show proof of the meeting. Normally, this proof would include: Copies of all airline-boarding passes, hotel receipts, passport stamps as well as color photos of the couple. It would also be helpful to have copies of phone bills, cell phone bills, emails, and letters with postmarked envelopes. This type of evidence will usually satisfy US CIS when the fiancée petition is filed.
 
However, there is one more item to consider: the US Consulate in Saigon will expect to see evidence of an engagement celebration. Thus, if the couple meets in person outside of Vietnam and does not celebrate the engagement in Vietnam, the Consulate will have some questions.
 
We have also received some inquiries about marriage registration at Vietnamese embassies or consular offices . For example, could a couple request the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok to register their marriage?
 
In theory, this is possible, but the processing time could easily be two to three months and it would involve a lot of paperwork and red tape. In addition, both the Vietnamese officials in Bangkok and the US Consulate officials in Saigon would be suspicious about why the couple did not want to marry in Vietnam.
 
And, in the case of marriages, the US Consulate will also expect to see evidence of a large wedding celebration and reception in Vietnam, involving many local guests and relatives from abroad.
 
Finally, even if the couple registers the marriage at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, the immigrant visa processing cannot be done in a third country. It must be done at the US Consulate in Saigon. So, there appear to be more disadvantages than advantages to registering a marriage outside of Vietnam.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Q.1. Are there any exceptions to the rule about meeting the fiancée in person before filing a fiancée petition?
 
A.1. There are two exceptions: one is if the culture does not allow fiancées to meet in person and the other is if the requirement to meet would be an extreme hardship. Neither of these exceptions is applicable to Vietnam.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Q.2. If the Vietnamese Embassy in some other country agrees to allow a couple to register their marriage at the embassy, why couldn’t the alien spouse apply for an immigrant visa at the US Embassy in that other country?
 
A.2. The standard State Department procedure is for the alien spouse to be interviewed in her home country. It would be almost impossible to arrange for a visa interview elsewhere.

 
ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com
Immigration Support Services-Tham Van Di Tru

9070 Bolsa Avenue, Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933 
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888 
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388 
42 Dang Thi Nhu, P. Nguyen Thai Binh, Q1, HCM (848) 3914-7638
Thứ Ba, 04 Tháng Mười 2016(Xem: 24548)
A permanent resident who has remained outside the United States for longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of a Re-entry Permit, will require a new immigrant visa to enter the United States and resume permanent residence. There is a returning resident special immigrant visa called the SB-1.
Thứ Ba, 14 Tháng Sáu 2016(Xem: 23509)
The State Department has told all consulates that they could return petitions to CIS in the US only if they had good reason to do so. This means that the consular officer must have some information that was not available when CIS approved the petition.
Chủ Nhật, 29 Tháng Năm 2016(Xem: 26721)
In the United States, if we look at Mr. Obama’s Presidential Job Approval Ratings, we see that in May this year, only 51% of Americans were satisfied with his work. His approval ratings from January 2009 till now have an average rating of only 47%.
Thứ Tư, 27 Tháng Tư 2016(Xem: 25570)
In October 2009, the President signed a new law that allows eligible widows or widowers of U.S. citizens to qualify for permanent resident status regardless of how long the couple was married. Repeat,regardless of how long the couple was married.
Thứ Năm, 21 Tháng Tư 2016(Xem: 25397)
President Obama is facing the very real possibility of a deadlock at the Supreme Court.
Thứ Tư, 06 Tháng Tư 2016(Xem: 25020)
On a recent show, we talked about residence requirements for Naturalization purposes.
Thứ Tư, 30 Tháng Ba 2016(Xem: 27437)
Every year, we bring you an update of visa activities at the US Consulate General in Saigon.
Thứ Tư, 23 Tháng Ba 2016(Xem: 23872)
During the first week of April, over 100,000 hopeful job seekers will send their H1-B applications to USCIS. CIS will return the forms and fees to more than 40,000 of these applicants.
Thứ Năm, 17 Tháng Ba 2016(Xem: 20892)
There are a number of requirements you have to meet in order to qualify for U.S. citizenship. Among the most complicated of these are the residency requirements, which look at how long you've been living in the U.S. and your immigration status during that time.
Thứ Tư, 09 Tháng Ba 2016(Xem: 21109)
On February 25, 2016, US CIS provided new guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on the general policies and procedures for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence.