Starflyer 59

My wife (at the time fiancee) and I just recently took these exact return flights (Philippine Airlines to Shanghai - American Airlines to Chicago) and here was our experience:
In China, they DID force us to claim all of our bags on arrival and then re-check them at the American Airlines desk. I don't know what the luggage tag said for that first leg of the trip, but I do remember that after re-checking the bags the American Airlines agent gave us new tags with the final destination on them (I remember her asking me to confirm our final destination before she applied the tags).
We were surprised by this because, as the posters above stated, they don't usually make you do this for a simple layover. But China (and/or Philippine Airlines) sure did it to us. I don't know why because I've switched airlines internationally several times before, with several different combinations of airlines, and have never had to do this.
It was kind of a hassle because you arrive/claim bags on the gound floor and have to go up to the second floor to check-in/depart, so we had to fight to push our baggage cart into one of only two elevators they had, and it was very crowded in that area as everybody was attempting to do the exact same thing.
Also, at the Shanghai airport, you have to go through immigration to arrive, and again to depart - even just for a connecting flight. Be sure to have the arrival/departure cards filled out, even though the answer to most of the questions on the arrival card will be "none" or "N/A" for someone who is just connecting. They won't let you pass to your connection without filling them out. I found that out the hard way by only filling out a departure card at first, thinking they wouldn't require the arrival card from someone that was just passing through - I was wrong and had to step to the side at the booth to complete it. [On the arrival card for the question "At what address will you be staying in China?" I was tempted to put "Gate D19" Hahaha!]
It took us every bit of our three hour layover to do all of this and when we finally approached the gate of the American flight it was already boarding.
It's not my intention to scare or worry you, I just want to let you know what happened to us back in November. Mentally, be ready for this. If I had known to expect all of that, it would have been a lot easier to figure out what I needed to do, where I needed to go next, etc...
Good luck to you!
[side note: After that last trip, we decided that next time we would go through Incheon airport in Korea again. It's way smoother! You can get to the gate of your connecting flight in about 20 minutes there - no baggage claim - no immigration lines - just a security checkpoint that has always moved quickly in the previous three times I've been through there. The only reason we went through China last time was because the price was much cheaper].

Tigerflower, I sent only a birth certificate for proof of citizenship. I did not send any passport pages, and did not get an RFE. So I wouldn't sweat about it too much. Of course, as we've talked about before, it may come down to the adjudicator's mood that day, but I just want to let you know that it's possible to get by without passport scans (for evidence of meeting within two years I submitted my boarding passes and photos of us, one of which contained a newspaper with the date clearly legible).

It's okay NYYankees. As we talked about yesterday, I never received my email notification either - for NOA2 or NOA1 (even though I used the G-1145 form). But I have no doubt that your paper NOA2 will be showing up in a few days - as will mine. Good luck to you all the rest of the way. And since we were approved on the same day, maybe our fiancees will interview on the same day, too!

I am the US citizen, and I will soon be attempting to use the online system to schedule the interview appointment for my fiancee. I know that once I have the MNL case # from NVC, and once my fiancee makes the payment, (and we wait until it clears their system) I can then go online to begin this process. I've studied up pretty good on what selections to check and what information of hers I will need to complete the registration, but my question is this:
When I set up my log-in username and password at that site can I use my first & last name and my email address? Or will later attempt to use this information to automatically populate the applicant's data? [i'd like to be able to log in as me, but I know I must register for the appointment as her - and I don't want to mess up before I even get started]
Also, can I use my email address during the appointment registration even though all other information I enter will be pertaining to my fiancee? I'd like to be the one to receive the confirmation email since my fiancee has to go to a cafe for internet access.
Any insight from those that have done this on behalf of their beneficiary fiancee would be appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you AmazingLove. I know that saying that I know how you feel seems very distant, but I was feeling exactly like you do now literally just a few hours ago. Keep the hope - you will be approved very soon.

I guess I will join the party tonight, too. I got home from work and my status at USCIS was changed to post decision activity for approval. I just got off the phone with my fiancee, as I wanted to let her know about it before posting here. Thanks for everyone's support. So many of you are literally only hours away from your approvals now. Stay strong - it is coming and I'm very excited to watch the rest of your approvals roll in!

WOW! Congrats, M_&_R!

Be sure to call and let your lawyer know. Then send her an invoice.

From what I've read, if you receive food stamps, under your name, not hers, that will come back to haunt you when you apply for her permanent residency. That's when you have to be above poverty and they will look into all your finances. Fiancé visa is easier than perm resident. Going to hawaii and being on food stamps isn't looked at when you're a citizen, but when applying for residency you will be questioned hard.
I have two jobs to save save save before my fiancé comes so we have some savings. I know how much he eats... He will triple my food bill lol. However, my fiancé is also working hard so he can help when he comes. We are doing a small cheap cabin honeymoon, with an extra week off work to spend in our apartment. We are saving for our one year to be lavish. Mainly because hopefully we will save enough for our dream trip to, Hawaii. So I know it's a want... Boy do I know... But sometimes, its better to wait and be lavish when you can be sure your finances will be secure post trip.
Besides, so many couples go on lavish honeymoons, and don't make it to a year. Celebrate your anniversary in style... So very many never get to. It seems more special to enjoy an event more people miss out on.
Do what you want, but that's my suggestion.

What value is beauty without character?

We paid fees for services that we expect to be rendered. If VSC hired one of us a a private contractor and we did not deliver as per contract we not only would not get paid we would be fired. VSC has been dealing with the same variables for years and have consistantly processed those applicants that have paid money and filed the necessary forms. The Dream Act and the Syrians should get in line just like the rest of the world population. Usually it is an American citizen that is petitioning VSC, paying the fees, filing necessary paperwork because we speak English, and now we have lost thousands of dollars in plane fares planning our ahead to be lied to by our own government. We have agreed to provide support financially, we have agreed to marry on a K-1 so the US government does not have a foreign immigrant on the welfare rolls. Do they require any of this in the Dream Act or the Syrian immigrants? I think both VSC and us as US citizens have been ignored by our current administration in favor of political pandering. How do you plan ahead when one center is over 40 percent ahead in processing time and one center has for all practical purposes stopped processing and have given the same processing date for a month now. That date is Feb 6, 2012. The American way.... If we are here now with processing what will be the processing times when the volume of work increases 50 times with the Dream Act applicants. When we applied we were told they would be processsed in the order they were received. How did that change for those who do not follow the same path of immigration as we have been required to follow. How did we get at the end of the line after all the work and money we have spent???? Is there a process for getting refunds and punitive damage? I am 66 now and if it takes years to get these processed I will need a nurse not a companion.

What I'm trippin' on is they said the relationship isn't bona fide enough for a fiancee visa, but they'll use the same American fiancee as a reason to deny a tourist visa afterwards. If the CO denies the tourist visa, ask them to put in a good word for you when you come for a fiancee visa again.

Since Vermont is so far behind California why don't they just send some petitions to Cali. Its not fair that the January and February filers from Vermont have been waiting all these months and California is approving applications dated late March and early April. They need to balance this out.