Chris and ZhiJia

Just my input here. My Wife took on my last name when we got married 4 years ago, and since then has travelled back to China multiple times, as well as a recent 3 week trip to South America. Her Green Card is in her Married name, her Passport and Visa are in her Chinese name. She always keeps a copy of our Marriage Certificate with her, and has experienced no problems domestic, or abroad. 

Everyone else's experiences will differ, but she has not experienced any problems. She even recently got a Travel Document (because her Passport was stolen), and then replaced her Passport. The were no problems, or delays due to the different names on the documents.

There are 2 Packages for China. Package 3 is sent via EMS to the Beneficiary, you need to wait for this before you even consider scheduling your interview, otherwise you will be forced to reschedule by the time it arrives, and you have a limited number of reschedules before you are stuck with your date. Package 4 Instructions are sent via Email once Package 3 is completed and returned.
For the K-1 Visa the NVC does not schedule your interview, that appears to be a generic response issued to K-1 and IR1/CR1 applicants.
In regards to filling out the DS-160, and paying the Visa fee, you can do that at any time, the DS-160 never expires, but will need to be filled out again if any of the information changes between the time you fill it out, and the time you receive Packet 3.
You can start Package 3 right now, even without receiving the documents in the mail. Have your Fiancee prepare the following.
1. 2 full color passport style photos (2x2, or approximately 50mmx50mm)
2. Photocopy of the personal page of her passport (the page that has her picture, name, ect...)
3. Complete the DS-160 form on this website https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/default.aspx (Print the Confirmation Page to be sent with the items in 1 and 2)
When Packet 3 arrives you will send items 1, 2, and 3 as well as the instruction sheet that was delivered via EMS back to the Embassy. Once they receive this, they will email you Packet 4.
Here is a photo Album I prepared that shows our Packet 3, and the email we received as Packet 4.
http://imgur.com/a/oFc1x
When you print your DS-160 Confirmation Page, you want to print 2 copies in English, and 1 copy in Chinese.
1 English Copy is sent with Packet 3
1 English Copy is brought with you on the Interview Date
1 Chinese Copy is required to have the medical performed.
Using the instructions in the Image Album I provided, you can start working on Packet 4 as well, you can gather all required documents except for the Medical Exam right now. It is HIGHLY recommended to not have the medical until the week before the Interview, because the validity of your K-1 visa is based on the date of the Medical Exam.
I recommended starting on the Police Certificates, Birth Certificates, Certificates of Marriageability, and what not in Packet 4 now because depending on the Province your Fiance is from you could receive a lot of push back from the local governments. My fiancee had no issues in Shanxi province, but there are others here who were given the run around obtaining these documents.

If you want to ask friends and family to donate money to help offset the immigration costs, DO NOT USE GOFUNDME. GoFundMe takes a cut of the money they donate, it is far easier and cheaper for them to mail you a check, or bring cash directly to your door. So if you raise $10,000 through GoFundMe, they keep $500 for themselves. This site is at best a way to solicit money from random third parties, but if friends and family wish to donate, you are better off having them give the money directly to you, or by gifting it through paypal.

We chose to do this route for the sake of her family, since they would not be able to come to the US to attend a wedding here. We kept everything very private, and in family, nothing was shared on any form of social media, and even after the ceremony we referred to each other as fiancee. This was 100% a ceremony and not a wedding, no paperwork was signed, no legal minister performed the ceremony.
All of the photos were kept within the family, and stored digitally. No photos were presented to USCIS or the Embassy.
Her interview was on 04-05 and she was approved, visa in hand, plane flight booked.
Yes, We took a huge risk but for us it worked out, as others have stated it can be a big problem, so you need to weigh the risks of doing what you want to do.

If anyone else has any positive experiences with a hotel near the Embassy, please let us know about it, as your information will help others who are on their journey find a comfortable place to rest during their interview time.

Thanks for the clarification, I was under the impression that the transcripts were better than the returns.

There are 2 Packages for China. Package 3 is sent via EMS to the Beneficiary, you need to wait for this before you even consider scheduling your interview, otherwise you will be forced to reschedule by the time it arrives, and you have a limited number of reschedules before you are stuck with your date. Package 4 Instructions are sent via Email once Package 3 is completed and returned.
For the K-1 Visa the NVC does not schedule your interview, that appears to be a generic response issued to K-1 and IR1/CR1 applicants.
In regards to filling out the DS-160, and paying the Visa fee, you can do that at any time, the DS-160 never expires, but will need to be filled out again if any of the information changes between the time you fill it out, and the time you receive Packet 3.
You can start Package 3 right now, even without receiving the documents in the mail. Have your Fiancee prepare the following.
1. 2 full color passport style photos (2x2, or approximately 50mmx50mm)
2. Photocopy of the personal page of her passport (the page that has her picture, name, ect...)
3. Complete the DS-160 form on this website https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/default.aspx (Print the Confirmation Page to be sent with the items in 1 and 2)
When Packet 3 arrives you will send items 1, 2, and 3 as well as the instruction sheet that was delivered via EMS back to the Embassy. Once they receive this, they will email you Packet 4.
Here is a photo Album I prepared that shows our Packet 3, and the email we received as Packet 4.
http://imgur.com/a/oFc1x
When you print your DS-160 Confirmation Page, you want to print 2 copies in English, and 1 copy in Chinese.
1 English Copy is sent with Packet 3
1 English Copy is brought with you on the Interview Date
1 Chinese Copy is required to have the medical performed.
Using the instructions in the Image Album I provided, you can start working on Packet 4 as well, you can gather all required documents except for the Medical Exam right now. It is HIGHLY recommended to not have the medical until the week before the Interview, because the validity of your K-1 visa is based on the date of the Medical Exam.
I recommended starting on the Police Certificates, Birth Certificates, Certificates of Marriageability, and what not in Packet 4 now because depending on the Province your Fiance is from you could receive a lot of push back from the local governments. My fiancee had no issues in Shanxi province, but there are others here who were given the run around obtaining these documents.

You can submit the DS-160, but do not schedule your interview. the DS-160 has no expiry on it, and remains valid as long as none of the information submitted on it changes. If there is a change in information, you are required to fill out another DS-160.
It is worth noting that the average time of Delivery on Packet 3 is 30 business days, but has been known to take as long as 45 business days. From 05-24 until now, you are only on 31 Business days (3 days subtracted due to Memorial Day, The 4th of July, and Dragon Boat Festival). The embassy observes all US and Chinese holidays.
Keep checking the status of your Application over here https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx

You won't receive a response on receipt of P3. Paying the fee is not a standard part of the P3 process, but you are more than welcome to pay the fee on the http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ website ahead of time, however it is typically paid after you receive P4 and are prepared to schedule your interview.
Standard processing time of P3 to P4 is just 1 week. Are you sure you have not yet received your P4 email yet?
They email it to both the Petitioner and the Beneficiary. You should be looking for an email
from Guangzhou, IVAppointment (GuangzhouIVAppoint@state.gov).
If you never provided an email address for yourself or the beneficiary on any of the forms you filled out during the entire K-1 process, you will need to contact the embassy and ask about your P4. You can also check on the current status of your visa application here https://ceac.state.gov/ceacstattracker/status.aspx
If no email was provided they are likely sending P4 via EMS, and just like with your P3, you can expect it to arrive within a month or so. However email is the normal processing way.
It's also worth noting that the email about P4 isn't P4, it's just letting you know you are ready to start P4 with instructions on where to find the document online.
After you check the status of your case and/or contact the embassy, and you get confirmation that they truly did receive your P3, you are safe to start preparing P4.
Here is the P4 document for China that the beneficiary will need to prepare.
http://www.ustraveldocs.com/cn/K1%20Visa%20Instructions%20Mar.%202016.pdf
The only part of P4 prepared by the Petitioner is Tax Transcripts, and the I-134

For Packet 3, the only thing you will do is prepare the following
1. 2 Passport Style Photos
2. Copy her Personal page of her passport (the one with her picture)
3. DS-160 confirmation page (do not use DS-230, this is for DV Lottery, and Cuban Family Reunification applicants)
4. You will also need to return the Packet 3 instructions that were mailed.
Here is a picture of Packet 3 (http://imgur.com/iIxkC7Z)
Packet 4 is where the large amount of leg-work is required. Packet 4 will be downloaded from the ustraveldocs website. (http://imgur.com/P9BER1x).
Here is a direct link to Packet 4
The most important things for Packet 4, are the following.
1. Certificate of Marriageability (translated and notarized)
2. Police Certificates (translated and notarized)
3. Resume (translated and notarized)
4. Medical Exam (this can be scheduled any time in advance, but is best scheduled 1-2 weeks before the interview. The validity of the K-1 Visa is based on the Medical date) You must bring your DS-160 confirmation page or they won't admit you for the medical.
5. Birth Certificate (translated and notarized)
6. Proof of continued relationship (chat logs, additional photos, phone records, ect..)
7. Another copy of the DS-160 confirmation page
In total you will want 4 copies of the DS-160 confirmation page. This page needs to be in English for Packet 3, and Packet 4, and in Chinese and English for the Medical Exam. (My wife brought English only to her medical and they told her to provide the Chinese copy).

We chose to do this route for the sake of her family, since they would not be able to come to the US to attend a wedding here. We kept everything very private, and in family, nothing was shared on any form of social media, and even after the ceremony we referred to each other as fiancee. This was 100% a ceremony and not a wedding, no paperwork was signed, no legal minister performed the ceremony.
All of the photos were kept within the family, and stored digitally. No photos were presented to USCIS or the Embassy.
Her interview was on 04-05 and she was approved, visa in hand, plane flight booked.
Yes, We took a huge risk but for us it worked out, as others have stated it can be a big problem, so you need to weigh the risks of doing what you want to do.

Don't book until the visa is physically in your hand. Any number of things can happen between the interview and when you receive it.

There are 2 Packages for China. Package 3 is sent via EMS to the Beneficiary, you need to wait for this before you even consider scheduling your interview, otherwise you will be forced to reschedule by the time it arrives, and you have a limited number of reschedules before you are stuck with your date. Package 4 Instructions are sent via Email once Package 3 is completed and returned.
For the K-1 Visa the NVC does not schedule your interview, that appears to be a generic response issued to K-1 and IR1/CR1 applicants.
In regards to filling out the DS-160, and paying the Visa fee, you can do that at any time, the DS-160 never expires, but will need to be filled out again if any of the information changes between the time you fill it out, and the time you receive Packet 3.
You can start Package 3 right now, even without receiving the documents in the mail. Have your Fiancee prepare the following.
1. 2 full color passport style photos (2x2, or approximately 50mmx50mm)
2. Photocopy of the personal page of her passport (the page that has her picture, name, ect...)
3. Complete the DS-160 form on this website https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/default.aspx (Print the Confirmation Page to be sent with the items in 1 and 2)
When Packet 3 arrives you will send items 1, 2, and 3 as well as the instruction sheet that was delivered via EMS back to the Embassy. Once they receive this, they will email you Packet 4.
Here is a photo Album I prepared that shows our Packet 3, and the email we received as Packet 4.
http://imgur.com/a/oFc1x
When you print your DS-160 Confirmation Page, you want to print 2 copies in English, and 1 copy in Chinese.
1 English Copy is sent with Packet 3
1 English Copy is brought with you on the Interview Date
1 Chinese Copy is required to have the medical performed.
Using the instructions in the Image Album I provided, you can start working on Packet 4 as well, you can gather all required documents except for the Medical Exam right now. It is HIGHLY recommended to not have the medical until the week before the Interview, because the validity of your K-1 visa is based on the date of the Medical Exam.
I recommended starting on the Police Certificates, Birth Certificates, Certificates of Marriageability, and what not in Packet 4 now because depending on the Province your Fiance is from you could receive a lot of push back from the local governments. My fiancee had no issues in Shanxi province, but there are others here who were given the run around obtaining these documents.

You need to wait for Packet 3 from the Embassy, it takes around a month to arrive, and is sent via EMS to the Beneficiary. Packet 4 is sent via Email once Packet 3 is completed and returned. Packet 4 will only be sent via EMS if no email address is provided.

For Packet 3, the only thing you will do is prepare the following
1. 2 Passport Style Photos
2. Copy her Personal page of her passport (the one with her picture)
3. DS-160 confirmation page (do not use DS-230, this is for DV Lottery, and Cuban Family Reunification applicants)
4. You will also need to return the Packet 3 instructions that were mailed.
Here is a picture of Packet 3 (http://imgur.com/iIxkC7Z)
Packet 4 is where the large amount of leg-work is required. Packet 4 will be downloaded from the ustraveldocs website. (http://imgur.com/P9BER1x).
Here is a direct link to Packet 4
The most important things for Packet 4, are the following.
1. Certificate of Marriageability (translated and notarized)
2. Police Certificates (translated and notarized)
3. Resume (translated and notarized)
4. Medical Exam (this can be scheduled any time in advance, but is best scheduled 1-2 weeks before the interview. The validity of the K-1 Visa is based on the Medical date) You must bring your DS-160 confirmation page or they won't admit you for the medical.
5. Birth Certificate (translated and notarized)
6. Proof of continued relationship (chat logs, additional photos, phone records, ect..)
7. Another copy of the DS-160 confirmation page
In total you will want 4 copies of the DS-160 confirmation page. This page needs to be in English for Packet 3, and Packet 4, and in Chinese and English for the Medical Exam. (My wife brought English only to her medical and they told her to provide the Chinese copy).

Having outstanding debt will not cause a visa denial, or prevent her from leaving the country, as long as her payments are current.
 
My wife currently owes $35,000 in debt on a home loan, which we are still paying together. She was able to receive her K-1, and leave the country with no issue, and is currently here in the US with me, and has received her Green Card.

Once she got her K-1 Visa her tourist visa is no longer valid, and she cannot choose which Visa to use, immigration will use her K-1 Visa.

We got caught up in the whole family life stuff, so we stopped actively monitoring the Case status.
She checked her email today, and had a message from USCIS on 03-31-2017.
 
I-485 has been approved, Now we are just waiting for the card to be produced. We are very happy that we did not have to do an interview, everything has been such smooth sailing during this entire process.

Thank you all for your suggestions and reminders ( I don't know how to @ each person ).  This will be the second one for us because my fiance failed the first interview when he was nervous seeing consular officer and we didn't prepare well.  This time I will fly over there to support him.  

What life, Part of this process is abandoning your former life. She resigned her job, left her friends, left her family, she left her former life. She has built a new life here in the USA, it is her right to be able to continue that life, just because she made one wrong decision you want to send her back home. I'm sorry but this isn't the game of Monopoly "go back home, go directly home, do not pass go, ect..." this is real life, and she has every right as much as you do to be in this country.
To the OP, you have started down the correct path, and have received plenty of great advise. The police can help you recover the items and documents that belong to you, and a lawyer can help you with the Divorce process. You are also able to adjust status and remove conditions on your own, The people here barring the one I quoted above are more than willing to assist you through as much of this process as we can.

This really shows how people should always read the comparison of the various visa types in full before hastily sending off the I-129F in the mail. I'm sure a lot of people only read the part that the K-1 is faster than a CR-1 and overlook all the disadvantages. Too late for the OP now unless they abandon the current petition and file a spousal petition after marriage but hopefully will serve as a reminder to new lurkers. 

It ships from the NBC office in Missouri.

Good catch,
 
On the bottom it says Serves as I-512 Advance Parole
 
Thank you, time to call the wife.

Look closely at the bottom of the card. Since you have approvals for both EAD and travel, it should say something about travel.

Maybe someone with more knowledge can help answer this for me, as I try to understand.
 
1. He is a GC Holder, Not a Citizen (Yet)
2. His Ex entered on a Tourist Visa
3. They married
4. They Separated (No documents Filed)
5. She then while Out of status on an Expired Tourist Visa, tried to File for Green Card
 
Is she even allowed to file for a Green Card without being married to a non-citizen? I know people can file and claim Vawa (with ample proof) if they were married to a citizen.