>>Dunno - maybe if you were to post the exact code you're using to retrieve the data, it would be clearer for us
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>As per message #1555645, this is pretty much how it is. When oDataAdapter.SelectCommand receives the oCommand object, the oCommand object contains the proper parameter. As I did show its SQLType and it returns NVarChar. It also returns the proper value and size. So, it seems to be related in the Using section. But, I wouldn't know what else could be added in the code to specify more at the parameter construction level that what I do now.
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>This is why I showed the declarations. As I use the IDb approach, maybe there is something not supported in there.
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>In SSMS, however, I can execute that search. So, there seems to be something at the VB.NET level. I am still searching about it.

Can you look at the exact command being sent from .NET? Fire up SQL Profiler before executing your code.