The Interview officer did not have my wife sign part II of the DS-230

[shira 4]

My wife just returned to Chengdu from Guangzhou after passing her interview. Her visa is now in the status "Issued/Printed." But when I asked my wife if the visa officer had her sign Part II of the DS-230, she said "No." In fact, she asked the visa officer if she should sign, and the visa officer said, "Your husband already sent in this form."

I'm totally confused. I thought that Part II of the DS-230 MUST be signed in the presence of the interviewer. And now I'm wondering if the visa will get held up, even though it's status is "Issued."

What am I missing here?

Edited November 6, 2013 by shira

[shira 4]

I just spoke with my wife again, and she told me that at the document intake the person would not take her ORIGINAL DS-230, even though we used Electronic Processing. And after my wife passed her interview, they quickly made her sign something. I think this was Part II of the COPY of the DS-230, which they must have printed out. This is totally crazy.

Also, the document-intake person insisted that my wife give him the printout of my 2012 1040, even though I'd already included this in my I-864 EP submission.

Has anyone else had an experience like this?

[shira 4]

And one more strange thing: I thought that the Consulate would give back the original police report, birth certificate, and marriage certificate after they checked them. But the document intake person ripped the white covers off of these documents and the originals were never returned.

[bigdog 376]

Hope you had other originals, good color copies would have worked, for the birth and wedding certificate's.

[noahsmama 6]

And one more strange thing: I thought that the Consulate would give back the original police report, birth certificate, and marriage certificate after they checked them. But the document intake person ripped the white covers off of these documents and the originals were never returned.

For my mother, she was given "final processing letter" at the interview and we had to submit additional documents. We thought it was strange, the VO gave all the original documents back to my mother. She said they don't need anymore. I was worried at that time!!!

As of today, no passport in hand yet. I guess it is still waiting to be picked up by CITIC bank courier.

I wouldn't worried too much since the status has already changed from "AP" to ISSUED". They will send the original docs back along with the passport.

Edited November 6, 2013 by noahsmama

[Darnell 8,478]

all docs submitted into NVC with EP must be submitted on interview day.

So, in regards to the I-864 docs, I don't know what to tell you. I used tax transcripts.

The DS-230 thing - folk seem clueless there, the PRC staffers.

IMO, the PRC staffers not know the 'photocopy plus original' thing, so the original was not returned.

I suggest getting several birth certificate white books before leaving China. A white book marriage cert is great also.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Darnell

[shira 4]

all docs submitted into NVC with EP must be submitted on interview day.

So, in regards to the I-864 docs, I don't know what to tell you. I used tax transcripts.

The DS-230 thing - folk seem clueless there, the PRC staffers.

IMO, the PRC staffers not know the 'photocopy plus original' thing, so the original was not returned.

I suggest getting several birth certificate white books before leaving China. A white book marriage cert is great also.

With respect to the 2012 1040, this is what I think happened:

The scanned copy of my 2012 1040, which I included with my EP submission, had my 2012 W-2 as the first page. And I think that the Consulate staff were too stupid to realize that this was indeed the 2012 1040, so they thought my submission didn't include my 2012 tax return, and they asked my wife for it at the document intake. Fortunately, the copy of my 2012 1040 that my wife brought to the Consulate had the 1040 as the first page, so it was "recognized" by the document intake person as a valid tax return.

I'm pretty sure this interpretation of events is correct, because there's another thread on VJ where the wife brought in a copy of the husband's 2012 1040 e-return, and this copy had a cover page as the first page, with the actual 1040 on the second and third pages. The document intake person refused to accept this copy. Incredible!

I'm beginning to think that the personnel handling the documents at the consulate are incompetent, and this is causing a lot of couples major problems.

My wife had two copies of the notarial documents made, so we still have another set of originals.

[Darnell 8,478]

ya, IMO, the PRC staffers are really, really bad.

[shira 4]

For my mother, she was given "final processing letter" at the interview and we had to submit additional documents. We thought it was strange, the VO gave all the original documents back to my mother. She said they don't need anymore. I was worried at that time!!!

As of today, no passport in hand yet. I guess it is still waiting to be picked up by CITIC bank courier.

I wouldn't worried too much since the status has already changed from "AP" to ISSUED". They will send the original docs back along with the passport.

Thank you for this reassurance. After what my wife told me, I really don't know what to expect from the Consulate. I literally spent hundreds of hours assembling evidence and making sure I followed every rule exactly. The fact that my wife's interview was so easy (while almost all of the other women that my wife observed having interviews that same day were falling) was "validation" of what I learned on VJ. But when I finally spoke to my wife and got the details, I got worried.

[unsmiley 111]

all docs submitted into NVC with EP must be submitted on interview day.

So, in regards to the I-864 docs, I don't know what to tell you. I used tax transcripts.

The DS-230 thing - folk seem clueless there, the PRC staffers.

IMO, the PRC staffers not know the 'photocopy plus original' thing, so the original was not returned.

I suggest getting several birth certificate white books before leaving China. A white book marriage cert is great also.

Question: Wife and I are disagreeing about these for the upcoming interview. We used electronic processing.

1) I will be giving her an original of my I-864. She wants me to notarize it. I don't want to modify it in any way since that is not what I scanned and sent. She says the only way they know it is my signature is to notarize it.

2) Will she need to show my original I-864 supporting documents, like original 1099s and W2s? I don't really want to bring the whole pile and I don't want the intake people to keep my original set.

[Darnell 8,478]

1. no notarization needed.

2. best thing is to make copies of those supporting documents. Bestest thing is to provide tax transcripts instead.

[unsmiley 111]

1. no notarization needed.

2. best thing is to make copies of those supporting documents. Bestest thing is to provide tax transcripts instead.

Thanks and sorry to bug you, but just to clarify regarding tax return and 1099s and W2s: You mean bring copies and originals and give them the copies, or just bring only copies?

[Darnell 8,478]

No, I mean a tax transcript.

It's a different thing. It's not a tax return.

Are you in the USA this week? can get into the local IRS office near you, ask for tax transcripts - just walk in, ask for, walk out with.

----

[unsmiley 111]

Tomorrow is my last day here, leaving Friday. I do know what transcripts are, never thought they were necessary. Is it really worth it at this point - and will a transcript satisfy the requirement for supporting 1099s/W2s, or would I need tax transcripts AND the 1099s/W2s?

[noahsmama 6]

I only provided them a copy of each, 2012 tax return, W2 and recent paystubs. 1 Original employment verification letter.

If you have the originals, bring with you and the copies.