Not me

Wow, I think you really need to file the I-130 now at the American embassy. Now! You need to make an appointment, and it can take a few weeks, and if you do this you might only have to wait four to six months.

If you leave and file in America you will be waiting maybe 18 months to two years to finish.

You really should have done your research on this website and online before making any long term plans. If you don't file DCF your really going to regret it later.

You can check my earlier post to see how to do DCF at the Beijing embassy, but it will depend were you live as to where you file. I would suggest starting this right away, or even delaying your plans to go back to America until this is finished and the I-130 is files and approved. After that you can go anytime.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/297900-how-i-did-dcf-in-beijing/

I just got my letter from Guangzhou embassy telling me my wife's interview date. It will be May 19th on a Thursday. It only took 16 days from the day I sent the P3 to the embassy to get the letter. Guangzhou is going really fast this year.

This is what I mean though. I had plenty of packages and documents sent from the US to me or my fiance in China and they always arrived within 7 days. One would think a large package sent from some random American would take longer to clear in customs than one sent from the government.

Yeah, but one package from some guy in the US is easier to check. Remember NVC isn't sending the applications one at a time. They bulk ship out thousands of applications with accompanying documents several times a month. That's tens of thousands of papers and hundreds of boxes constantly coming from the US office. I guaranty you when China sends huge boxes of stuff from there government offices American customs officials check through all of them as well. China and America aren't allies, and this is the normal treatment between "unfriendly" nations. Kind of like a bureaucratic pissing match.

I wrote to the consulate in Guangzhou asking if they had received our case from NVC which was mailed on the 22nd and got this infuriating response.

Thank you for your inquiry.

We have received notice that the NVC is sending the case file to the Consulate. We have not yet received the case file. Shipments of case files from the NVC can take four months or longer to arrive in China and clear Chinese customs. We have no control over how quickly case files are cleared by Chinese customs, and long delays are possible. We will send out an instruction package to your beneficiary once we receive the case file. Your patience is appreciated.

Bullsh*t. I lived in China for a lengthy amount of time and it never took more than 7 days to receive anything that was sent to me.

I know it sucks, and I understand what you mean about getting packages and documents inside China. But the package isn't coming from inside China, they are coming from the US.

Customs is the main reason that you will waiting for up to three months before the consulate will even touch your case. The NVC isn't sending your case through FedEx. All of those applications are sent in bulk. China is always suspicious of large boxes of documents coming from "unfriendly" countries. \ After the embassy actually gets your case it will take about three to four weeks before your significant other gets the P3, and then another three to four weeks before they get the P4, and then another three to four weeks for the interview. So you still have about six or seven months before you'll be finished.

The main reason guys wait over two years to get there visa's is because it takes over six months to get the I-130 approved, and then six months to clear through customs and the embassy. That's why DCF is faster because it only deals with the embassy and has no customs checks. Not because they are expediting our cases.

Hang it there, your half way there.

Yes, the forms on the Guangzhou embassy website for the P3 is the same as the package they send you through EMS. You can easily fill them out and have them ready when you do receive the package.

The only thing you will not have is your case number. That comes with the P3 cover letter. You can't send the P3 back to the embassy without that case number.

My wife also got a B2 visa, but we were denied the first time. We found out that it was because she wasn't employed at the time. A month later she did have a job, and she got the visa with no trouble.

What we did do was get invitation letters from family inviting us to America, and about 10,000 USD in her bank account to show she had the means to return to China. Also, you will need strong evidence of your marriage and the evolution of your relationship. The best way to prove you have ties in China is have evidence that family and loved one depend on you for help or care, and that you cannot at this time immigrate. Its doesn't mean you won't immigrate later, but that you understand and will return to the US once your trip is over.

The trick if your denied to keep trying, each time getting more evidence that will help your case. Most people give up after the first rejection, but it usually takes two or three tries. Once you have the visa you can keep it by easily renewing it each year in China without having an interview. You can keep the Visa while you wait for your immigration visa, and could technically live in America with your husband while you wait.

What was the point of the story? Are you asking why the government doesn't take "love" and "sincerity" into account when deciding cases?

I don't mean to be heartless but a 47 year old bachelor without a degree, house and money wouldn't fill me with confidence either.

I remember law makers had complained that the majority of the people filing immigration visas were far below the poverty line, and the main reason they got married was to improve their standard of living. There were attempts to stop the policy of allowing co-sponsors except in rare cases with young couples or students.

I can't comment on the reasons for guys wanting to find online wives, or have really short courtships before marriage. Its a free country, and they have the right to live how they want.

All I know is that 70% of all fraud cases in China comes from middle aged lower middle class guys and long distant relationships. So if your cases even has a little whiff of fraud to it they are going to give you the third degree. And its not just China and the US. Canada has a tax if a Canadian citizen marries a foreign spouse and they divorce within the first few years of getting a green card.

Sorry to say it but being in love does not overcome really bad judgment.

What to update everyone that I received Package 3 from the Guangzhou embassy today. It was sent by EMS directly to my home. The address the embassy sued was the one that my wife wrote on the second page of the I-130 application that asked from the applicant's current home address written in Chinese.

It took 41 days to receive the P3 since the day I filed the I-130 on February 22, 2011 at the Beijing embassy.

Thanks for the tip. I will look into CFL. I've been there before. Good information there. I would love to live in China for awhile. I've been there 3 times already and enjoy that country immensely. But I got too many health issues that require too many visits to my doctors. So I can't stay there for an extended period of time. I like the idea of her visiting here, but she keeps complaining that she can't get a visitor visa here. Don't know why. I've already done the money transfer and plan to continue to do it every couple of months.

Anybody else? Ideas?

Its hard for girlfriends and fiances to get a travel visa. Its a whole other game when its wives. It takes a few times and she will need to have about 50,000 or 70,000RMB in the bank for the interview, but it is very doable. I was married for over a year and a half and lived in China, and they still refused my wife a travel visa. It took two tries for us. I know it seems a hassle but it is worth the trouble.

Many guys have the same problem. Try going to this website http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

Its called Candle for Love and it deals exclusively with US visa in China. You will find hundreds of guys on that forum who asked the exact same question, and all the answers they got.

Most of the marriages between a US citizen and a Chinese citizen seem to be long distance, and the embassy does give couples a hard time about this. Visa fraud is high with internet romances so they may be a bit picky. The way I see it you have three choices:

1. Move to China and get a work or student visa and wait six months and DCF in China (you would be finished in maybe 12 to 18 months)

2. Wait to file the I-130 so that you can establish a legitimate like money transfers, gifts, emails, letters, and trips to China and then file the I-130 (waiting time 18 to 24 months)

3. File the I-130 now and maybe get denied a year later, then again maybe you won't get denied. Its a little bit of a gamble, and there is no way to know for sure when you will me done. (waiting time 18 to ???? months)

If you can wait, and want to make sure, spend some time developing the marriage. If you can't wait any longer and want this done as soon as possible then move to China. But if you can't move to China, and you don't mind taking a chance then read this guy's thread and see how much evidence you can get and hope its enough. http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=42725&st=0&p=568443entry568443

It shows you some of the things this guy included that may give you an idea. If you want my opinion from reading hundreds of reports from guys in the exact same position as you, I would wait to file the I-130. A married followed by a brief stay in China and then a I-130 is a red flag. I've seen dozens of wives denied visas because the husbands only spent less then a month or tow in person.

You do have a fourth option. Get your wife a travel visa. Its a little tricky and you may need to apply two or three times, but once your wife gets the travel visa she can easily renew it every year. One couple in Beijing has the wife living in the US for the past five years on a travel visa. Once your wife has the travel visa she can come and go as many times as she wants. Its not too hard to get one, but does take planning and patients. The nice thing is they don't revoke your wife's travel visa while you are filing her CR1 visa.

If you want to make your life simple and happier I would go for the travel visa.

Thank you for all your help Canadian Wife. My permanent address is with my parents, and that is where we are moving to (temporarily, until we find a suitable apartment) doesn't that mean we have an established domicile? My father, who owns the house we are moving to, was the join sponsor for our I-864.

Looking over the I-864 instructions that you sent me we qualify to have domicile in the US since I have voting records and bank statements and a permanent mailing address back home. I even have to go to jury duty when I arrive back in the states in June (a nice welcome home gift).

That is why I think we felt my wife could enter before me, because we already have a home to go to. Do I still need to enter with her, or be waiting for her at our new home?

Thank you for all your help with this.

Domicile only mattered when you were trying to get the CR1 visa. Now that you have the visa it doesn't matter were you live or what you do for employment. Everyone has to follow the rules, and this one is important if you want to get through the POE. I don't know how long you have to stay in the US for your wife not to violate the conditions of her visa.

I know it seems inconvenient, but I don't think having your wife's visa revoked is worth finishing three months of your contact. Could your wife stay a little longer in China? I wish there was an easier way since I'll be in the same situation as you.

They others are right. You wife cannot enter the US through the POE without you. You have two choices. You either go ahead of her or you go together. If she try's to enter without you she could be refused entry.

Also, you should update your timeline. It might not seem important, but many of us use them to get an idea of what to expect.

You can try, but USCIS is a government agency. That means any government worker 9 times out of 10 will only do what is required to do their jobs and nothing more.

You have a better chance of seeing Billy Graham doing the Hula on MTV than finding a government employee who actually cares what we think. This generally applies to most governments anywhere and is not limited to the US only.

But if you do ask someone over to do something, you should keep in mind two things.

1. Are you requesting something they need to do, but aren't required to?

2. Are they not doing something they should be?

If your inquiry doesn't have anything to do with the above, then they probably won't do anything about it. If they aren't doing something they should then its an easy fix, but requires perseverance and patience. However, if you're requesting that they do something that you think they should be doing, then you are really going to have to convince them that it will make their jobs easier.

How about your US tax returns from the past few years? The US taxes on worldwide income. Even if you don't owe tax, you may been required to file.

See this link from the State Dept. website re: domicile -->> http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3183.html#3

No, I filed them late. So I do have my tax returns.

I guess I'm just nervous. I have everything that I've seen others have who've been in the same situation that I'm in (young college students without a there own place). I'm just worried about not having an apartment contract or US employment. I can't leave China until June 30th when my current teaching contract is up. I don't think that gives me enough time to find a job in the US before an interview.

I was s student when I first came to China three years ago. I got married a year after I arrived and have been working full time as a teacher since then.

I'm trying to get together proof of domicile without having to actually go to the US before my wife (I wanted us to leave together)

My hometown is in a rural mountain area in Western North Carolina, and before coming to China I was staying with my folks while I attended college. I was planning on stay with them while I finished my degree.

My question is: Do I need a lease from my Mom renting my room to me and my wife, or will a notarized statment from the head of the household stating that I will be living with them be fine?

Things that I do have for proof of domicile are:

1. Valid Drivers Licence

2. Bank statements from the last three years (2008-2011) sent to my American residence (my folks house)

3. Voter registration card

4. Car lease

5. Car insurance

Do you think this will fly with the embassy? I've had trouble finding example of people being receiving blue slips due to domicile issues. Would it be best I just go back to America and get employment?

I wanted to end this post by telling everyone that my wife's I-130 was approved today. So it took less then a month to get approval. The only way I found out was I contact the Beijing embassy my email asking for an update on the I-130's status. They emailed me a few hours later, and told me that it was approved and being sent to the Guangzhou embassy.

Now I'm off to the next step: Package 3

I'm getting evidence of my domicile together, and having my folks be my co-sponsor. I've been collecting my finical records and filed my tax returns even though i don't owe anything to the IRS.

PS: we were classmates for 6 years in elementary school(i have 2 old pictures that can approve we went to same school during that time).Then after we finished elementary school we went to difference schools to have our educations done.before i finished high school in China and I immigrated to USA with my parents. My mom and his mom are good friends in life. As same as most of Chinese parents, they were so worried about our marriage life when i and my hubby are turning to 30 yrs old soon, so they reconnected us together again. After we had talked on phone for couple times, and i went back to china last May and traveled with him , then we decided that we want to have our own family, so we are married. Then I went to Hongkong with my hubby last OCT for another vacation togethere, but we only stayed there for 3 days because we had to go back to China because his father passed away suddenly. So like my case, do i still need to write an ERO to approve our relationship?

Yes, I think an EOR helps. Its can make a difference if the case is not very strong, but it sounds like you can prove you have a real relationship. It depends on what evidence you are planning to take to the interview. An EOR can help the embassy better understand your case since there isn't any other way to get your story out to them. If your living in America, and can't come to the interview I would suggest getting it notarized. Some people include them with the I-130, and this is what i did.

I'm wondering why you got the K3 visa? Your husband won't get a SS number or work permit when he arrives. CR1 would give you both and they take the same amount of time as the K3.

If you front-load the I-130 with all these supporting documents, do you think you'd need to bring them to the interview? I know this may sound like a stupid question, but it seems to me that they'd have it.

Sorry, I misread what you original wrote. Yes, you will need to see the originals when you have your visa interview. I know it seems a wast of time, but those are the rules. i would also bring everything else you have that you consider evidence as well.

You will also need to being your domicile evidence and the finical records of your co-sponsor and his or her eligibility.

Also, for the letters as support in support of your couple/relationship... did you get those notarized? Along with your Evolution of Relationship letter? I'm just trying to figure out how much stuff I should get notarized.

I only had the translation of my apartment lease notarized. You don't need to notarize the EOR letter, I didn't and they excepted it. I would get notarized statements from friends and family testify to knowledge of your marriage and its legitimacy. You can notarize if you want to be same rather than sorry, but it was too expesnive for me to worry about.

If you front-load the I-130 with all these supporting documents, do you think you'd need to bring them to the interview? I know this may sound like a stupid question, but it seems to me that they'd have it.

Yes. Anything you submit with the application will be a copy, but you must bring the originals to the embassy when you file the I-130. If you don't have the originals the embassy can refuse to expect it, or even reject the application completely. Not to worry, the embassy will look through your file first, and if they think everything is in order will instruct you pay the application fee.

Everything that I listed in my cover letter I did bring the originals to the I-130 appointment.

And by photocopies of your passports, that's all the stamp pages as well? Basically, anything where you've gotten stamps or visas, is that correct?

Yes, you need all pages of your passport that are stamped along with the bio page. When I filed I made copies of all the pages, even the blank ones. The instructions did say all pages, and that is what I did. But once I submitted the application to the embassy they returned the copies of the blank pages.

The embassy will also ask you for copies of your spouse's passport, and all the pages as well. Be sure to take the originals of everything you submit since they have the right to request the originals to anything you submit with the I-130.

You have to understand that China has a high percentage of visa fraud (mostly due to the sheer number of people applying)

I do know that in the instructions for filing the I-130 they do require you send evidence that you have a real marriage, and not a marriage of convince. They list a few things such as joint bank accounts and co-singed leases. The instructions also state that any other evidence not stated specifically that proves a real relationship between the applicant and beneficiary will also be excepted. I wouldn't go overboard and send a thousand emails and letters with the application, but I would send anything that you think is your strongest and most obvious evidence of a real marriage.

That would include pictures, plane tickets stubs, stamped visas from trips aboard, commingling financial resources etc... The strongest evidence I found was anything that can prove you both live together. If you have that then you'll be fine. Your problem at the interview since your using DCF is to prove domicile in the US.

That means you will need to prove you have ties to the US, and that have a place to live and a way to care for your significant other when you arrive in the US. This would include things like an apartment lease in the US or a job. You will also need to met the finical requirements to sponsor your spouse. If you don't make over 125% above the poverty line (for a family of four that would be over $31,000 a year) then you will need to find a co-sponsor.

Don't forget you need to file your tax-returns even if you did not make any income. You will need that later after the I-130 is approved. If you did not file your tax returns from the past three years you can late file them now and it won't be a problem if you don't owe anything in back taxes. Your co-sponsor will also need to submit their tax-returns and W2s with the application, along with proof of employment. If you have been married over a year you must file your taxes as MARRIED. YOU MUST FILE YOUR SPOUSE AS 'non-resident alien' on your taxes. Some guys didn't know this and later had problems with their spouse's visa on interview day

You will bring any evidence you submitted in the I-130 to the interview, along with everything else you have. You will also need your evidecne that proves your domicial in America, and anything else the embassy will want regarding your co-sponsor's eligibility to help sponsor your spouse.

You will also want to include a EOR (Evolution of Relationship) letter with the I-130. Most say you don't need to have it notarized, but some do it anyways. This is a letter you write in your own words detailing how your relationship with your spouse has developed since you met to the present day. It helps the embassy fill in the details and cross reference your evidence to see if your story matches up with what they have.

Don't forget that a well organized application will make them happy, and by extension you as well.

the idea of front loading the I-130 with as much as they can take is important because anything you send will be in the system for months. That means the Guangzhou embassy will have all the time they need to look over your evidence and come to a conclusion before the interview.

I've know embassy workers who complained that it wasn't really possible to be completely sure if an application was legitimate or not until the interview. They said it was much easier to tell once they saw a real person to decide if there was fraud involved. Unfortunately the embassy throws a wide net when weeding out the fraud cases, and many innocent couple get caught in it.

Don't go over board with the chat logs and letters unless they really show the progress and development of the relationship. Having a well 'organized' application with plenty of reference material shows the VO that you are serious about your intentions. Also, don't forget to include a EOR (evolution of relationship) letter with the I-130. Although it is not necessary it helps paint a picture of your relationship in greater detail, and allows them to fact check your story more easily. I've seen a lot of guys get into trouble later on because they didn't take the I-130 seriously.

I thought I would make this post for anyone who is also going through the same thing that I am. As stated in the 'Title' I submitted my I-130 application by DCF at the Beijing embassy. I will give give some of my background and steps that I took to get to where I am now in the immigration process for my wife.

I am American 29 years old and my wife is Chinese 27 years old. We have never been married before and have no children. We met August 2008 and have been living together ever since. We were married August 2009 in Taiyuan, and a month later moved from Suzhou to Beijing because of work. I am an English teacher in China.

I paid a consultant (who is an retired embassy Visa officer, about 25+ years on the job) to help with the process since me and my wife wanted to immigrate together to America. He told us that we had two choices.

1. We could file the CR1/IR1 now, and maybe wait over a year to finish

2. Get my wife a travel visa to visit and return from US as a way to establish a record with the embassy (told us it would take less then 6 months most of the time)

The other reason he suggested to go for the travel visa was that they do a check your background, and anything they find that would be a reason for denial for a travel visa could also be a red flag for a immigration visa. I applied in July of 2010 for her travel visa, and was denied since she wasn't employed at the time. We applied again (this time my wife did have a job) and she was granted a travel visa in October of 2010.

We spent the Chinese new year at my parent's home, and returned middle of February this year. About a week after I returned I called the Beijing embassy to make an appointment to submit my I-130 application, but no one answered. I left a message everyday for about five days. I also emailed the embassy with the email they supplied for making appointments, and about two days later emailed me back when I would like to come in and submitted the application. They told me that they are available for submissions Tuesday through Thursday 2-4:30 pm. I emailed them back that I wanted Tuesday or the soonest possible. The replied with a time and date which was 2:45 pm February 22nd.

I put together the application, and I already had been gathering evidence of me and my wife's relationship together over the last three years. The hardest part was writing all the jobs my wife has had over the last five years, and were she's lived. Need to attach three extra sheets of paper to the G-325A to put everything on. I also found out that when they say they want colored copies of all pages in your passport they don't mean any blank pages. Also, take a full copy of your wife's or husband's passport along with the passport itself since the Beijing embassy will ask to see it.

I was advised by several people to front-load the I-130 with as much evidence of me and my wife's marriage and relationship as the embassy will take. The Guangzhou embassy are the one's who will ultimately decide if a visa is granted. By having everything upfront the Guangzhou embassy will have time to look over all evidence for months before the interview date. They gives them plenty of time to come to some kind of judgment before any interview takes place. These are the things that I included in the application.

* One copy of my US passport

* Four copies Form G325A for myself

* One ADIT photograph of myself

* Four copies Form G325A for my wife

* One ADIT photograph of my wife

* One copy of original certified copy of our marriage certificate

* One copy of original certified copy of the official translation of our marriage certificate

* two copies of notarized translations of last two apartment contacts showing joint residence for the last two years

* Three copies of Sworn affidavits from my mother, father and sister testify to our marriage and relationship

* Photographs of me and my wife together with family and friend over the last three years (about 89 pictures)

*One copy of my Evolution of Relationship letter detailing our ongoing relationship together

* One copy Copies of Airline tickets when we both traveled to my home in the US

* Copies Greeting Cards and accompanying envelopes from my family congratulating us on our marriage.

* Copies of my bank accounts over the last three years showing my banking activity in China

* Copy of a newspaper from my home town announcing our marriage.

I filed on February 22, 2011 and am now waiting for the next step in the process. Currently I am filing my tax returns and listing my wife on my taxes as a 'non-resident alien', getting my W2s, filling out a resume on monster.com, and also having my mother and father (who will be co-sponsors) send there W2s and tax returns along with other pieces of evidence that I will need to prove domicile to the Guangzhou embassy on my wife's interview day.

Here's hoping everything will go well, and that me and my wife have soon live a happy life in the US.

I am going to file my wife's immigration visa through DCF at the Beijing embassy.

I am 28 years old, and my wife is 26. We have been living together for over two and half years (since August 5, 2008). We have been married for over 1 and half years (since August 3, 2009). I've never been married before, and neither has my wife. We don't have any children. My wife and I have visited my family in America, and we have plane tickets and photos to prove it. She speaks fluent English, and is college educated.

I couldn't get a joint bank account since I have been living in China for the last few years. I do have two apartment contracts with both of our names going back over the last year and half. My wife translated the documents herself, and we got the translation notarized in America.

Do you think the embassy will accept this this? It cost too much in China (over 2000rmb to translate and notarize).

Anyone have any advice with DCF in Beijing? Anyone done this before?