ALTERNATIVES TO MEETING AND/OR MARRYING IN VIETNAM

Thứ Năm, 23 Tháng Tám 201200:00(Xem: 40864)
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 Năm, 09 Tháng Bảy 2015(Xem: 13260)
Does travel outside the United States affect permanent resident status and does it increase the waiting time for Naturalization?
Thứ Tư, 01 Tháng Bảy 2015(Xem: 13687)
Who will benefit with the Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage?
Thứ Tư, 17 Tháng Sáu 2015(Xem: 18923)
As a battered spouse, you may apply for your Green Card under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The VAWA provisions allow certain spouses of U.S.
Thứ Tư, 10 Tháng Sáu 2015(Xem: 15420)
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced a rule that will now make it possible for dependents of F-1 students to study in the United States on a limited basis.
Thứ Ba, 26 Tháng Năm 2015(Xem: 14384)
The US-Vietnamese Adoption Program was resumed last year. There were three important aspects to this new program, now called the Special Adoption Program:
Thứ Năm, 21 Tháng Năm 2015(Xem: 15592)
The White House has announced that President Obama has done all that he can to change immigration policy through executive action.
Thứ Năm, 14 Tháng Năm 2015(Xem: 33477)
More than 4.4 million people are on the legal immigrant visa waiting list according to the State Department.
Thứ Tư, 06 Tháng Năm 2015(Xem: 15011)
For Vietnamese immigrants, there are two basic categories that offer a Green Card: Family sponsored immigrants and Employment based immigrants.
Thứ Tư, 29 Tháng Tư 2015(Xem: 14223)
Last year, the news reports said that Vietnam — a communist nation that shows little regard for basic human rights — has become the first Southeast Asian country to lift its ban on same-sex marriage.
Thứ Tư, 22 Tháng Tư 2015(Xem: 15348)
The injunction that is holding up the start of the New DACA and the DAPA was not lifted at the appeals court hearing on 17 April.