harry1

After the longest summer since I was about 7 years old and bored to death waiting to get back to school to see my friends, Xiaoming finally arrived. She flew in to LAX and I meet her there for a couple week vacation before bringing her home. All in all the LAX POE was pretty smooth although she was a little delayed getting through immigrations. Because she speaks very good English, she got sent from one line to another where the CBP officer needed her to act as a translater After this, they were of course very nice and passed her through with no hassles. Being all of 4'11" she was able to hide in the back of the crowds coming in to the arrivals hall so I completely missed her entrance and didn't know she was there until the she snuck up behind me.

By the time we got back to Tulsa from our two weeks in California, her Social security card and her green card were waiting for us in the mail. I don't know what the normal processing times for these are, but it was nice to be able to tick those items off the list as soon as we got home.

Congrat!

We are still waiting for the SSC and GC. 10 days and counting...

I just downloaded the Chinese Consulate Affidavit of Single status, had it notarized locally and then sent that notarization to the Secretary of State (CA) and got it notarized again, and brought it to the Chinese Consulate for notarization and autorization. I then took it to China to the local Hukou and they accepted it. They did not bother with my certified copy/notarized divorce decree which was also notarized and given a seal from the consulate, They did not even want to review it or accept it. and just approved my marriage.

Yeah, at the 安徽省级民政局，涉外婚姻登记处 in Hefei, we registered to get married, they need that Chinese Consulate stamped affidavit. I forgot if they need to look at my Secretory of State stamped divorced paper or not.

Hi again.

I have a very important question.

If I were to marry in China what do I need?

and where can I find the AFFIDAVIT OF SINGLE STATUS ?

Can you help.

Thanks.

Craig!!

Do you mean to get it in China or US?

I needed to go to Chinese Consulate in US to get my affidavit of single status stamped. I brought my notarized affidavit and my divorced paper (stamped by Secretory of State) and paid $50 at the Consulate to get the paper work done.

Finally more good news...

Send the I-864 that has original signature, not a photocopy.

A must. Also 3 years tax return with those pay stub, w-2, employment letter...

As long as you wife knows you/your family very well, you got evidence of your real relationshp, interview part is easy...

Finally, it took more than 8 months from filing I-130 to getting the visa.

A couple of problems caused headache and delay.

1, Our joint sponsor didn't provide the tax return for previous 3 years (it's optional on I-864), so when my wife turned in the documents, they insisted that it is required. So in the middle of night before the interview, she scrambled to get the fax at the hotle, because the fax machine did not work well.

2, Then at the interview, VO pointed out that the I-864 form with an electronic signature is not original document. She got a white paper and call-in letter. After getting Fedex from our joint sponsor, she had to go to Guangzhou the second time to turn in the I-864 with hand written signature. 5 days later, visa in hand. Big relief indeed.

EP is the way to go.

The questions asked at the interview were not unusual.

The big concern for the interview is that I don't have a job right now. The application is solely dependent on our joint sponsor. But the VO never bothered to ask.

I'd like to thank all the fellow VJers for your patience answering my questions and hope my experince can help others as well.

Good luck to all!

FYI, my wife got her visa this morning. So it took five days from the interview to arrive. We're very happy and now planning her trip to Florida.

Good for you! Thanks. My wife's ems is out too, should arrive today(China Time) or tomorrow. Hopefully it has the passports with the visa. She is concerned that the additional documents may not be good enough.

Document drop off was on the 23rd and the interview was on the 24th.

oh, It was fast.

24th is the day when my wife turned in additional documents with the call in letter. EMS tracking turns out nothing yet.

Sure, I'll make a post when it arrives. At this moment it is in the mail. They sent it on the 26th I believe.

Thanks.

When she had her interview? 8/23?

Can you let us know when she gets her visa? My wife is also anxiously waiting for hers. Her case is a little complicated. She went to Guangzhou for the second time to turn in additional documents on 8/23. She got a white paper the first time with a call in letter.

Nearly had a heart attack when my wife texted me "Got white paper". Called her and she told me that it says they approved her visa!

"congratulations your visa has been approved...."

Told her to wait two weeks to mail it to her hometown. They can mail almost anywhere in China now.

Her interview was at about 11:10 so she was towards the end of the group I believe.

VO was a lady who is very very friendly.

Questions were:

Describe SO.

When did you meet?

When did you marry?

Did his family attend marriage?

Ans: No but his mom did visit.

Did husband go back to US during his 2 years in China?

Ans: Yes, went back once to US for visa

Looked at pictures, but not the other 400+ pages of docs.

VO said congratulations your visa has been approved. Gave her WHITE paper.

My wife asked, is my visa approved? Confused because she was expecting pink for approval.

VO says "yes".

Entire interview 3 minutes.

THANKS VISA JOURNEY COMMUNITY! Couldn't have done it without this site. So happy that we are done with this process...and she will come to America!

Talking like that and behaving like that is not normal and it should not be happening to someone from their wife or husband. Its unacceptable behavior and it is not normal what so ever. If you love your husband or wife and want to be with them, you don't try to find every excuse to not talk to them or avoid them and you most certainly do not call them fat or ugly or say that their body is gross.

Don't try to make this behavior ok by saying its Chinese culture!

Well said, it doesn't sound good. I am from China, if she loves you, she will show it one way or the other.

Email from the Consulate:

Please be advised that if the interviewing officer did not return the original appointment letter to your beneficiaries, the letter may probably be in their files, and she does not need to submit the appointment letter when she comes back to the Consulate to submit their passports and the required document(s). Your beneficiary can come any Monday through Wednesday(except Chinese and American holidays) from 12:30 pm-2:30 pm with the call-in letter.

If your beneficiary choose to have their visa packets delivered to their home, she can just go back home after submitting their passports with the required documents and the COD EMS waybill. Normally speaking, visa packets will be passed to the China post 2-3 days later, and will be ready to be delivered to the applicants. If your beneficiary would like to pick up the visa packets by herself, she will need to make necessary arrangements with the China Post. Detailed instructions will be given to her when she comes to submit passports and required documents.

I might ask your question using this form: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/immigrant-visa-unit-question.html

However,

1. I think typically they are referring to the orginal appointment letter. If you don't have a copy of the letter, I believe others have successfully entered the consulate with just the call-back form.

2. I think you will only have to turn in these documents.

3. It can take 2 days to 14 days+ to receive the visa. You likely should be able to have the visa mailed to anywhere in China. http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/china-post-delivery-of-approved-immigrant-visas-now-available-to-applicants-throughout-china.html

I did ask questions on their web site and waiting for the answer. I do think guys here often have better ideas than the answers from the Consulate. Thank for sharing.

My wife and her son had their interview on 8/10-11 and were told to bring the original I-864 of joint sponsor's. (The signature on the form is electronic, my sponsor had just mailed out a new one with his signature on it to my wife) She was given a Final Processing/Call-in Letter (a piece of white paper), which states: please make sure to bring this notice and attached appointment letter together with the passports for all immigrant visa applicants.

But she was only given this notice letter, but not an appointment letter.

1, She'd like to know if this appointment letter is the original one for 8/10-11 interview or a new one, which was neglected by the VO? Will she be able to walk in on a Monday or wednesday to turn in the document without the "new" appointment letter? After she came out, she realized that she didn't have this "new" appointment letter, so she tried to go back to ask, but one Chinese guard refused to let her in, even she explained that she just came out a few minutes ago. Sigh...She feels like the guard is like a dog...a bad kind...a countryman letting her down...

2, When she comes back again (as instructed on a Mond. or Wed., will she just turn in the document at 12:30pm and leave, or she needs to come in again next day as the original interview?

3, On the Final Processing/Call-in Letter, the paragraph "Your immigrant (or K) visa application has been approved..." was checked, we assume that hers and her son's visa applications have been approved pending receipt of the original I-864. If this is the case, when will the visa be mailed after she turns in the original I-864, in days or weeks/months?

Is our understanding correct? Anybody has similar experience?

Thanks

The consulate website lists this also. It will make it much easier than waiting around or arranging with a friend to forward the visa.

After hearing the news, my wife said she is a lucky person. Her interview date is 8/10-11, the Consulate changed the policy for her:)

Congratulations and thank you for sharing your roller coaster ride with us

Found new thing about visa mailing

Starting August 1st, 2011, approved immigrant visas will be mailed directly to the recipient's home address via China Post. There will be a COD (cash on delivery) charge for this visa delivery service.

Thanks for sharing, will double check with the Consulate.

A partnership I was involved in sustained steep business losses from 2007 through 2010. Line 22, which apparently is the magic line on the 1040, on my 2010 tax return showed <$150,000>. I have enough assets to compensate for a lack of income and I also have another business that is profitable. The problem was that there is no hard and fast rule concerning whether or how much they will allow you to use assets to supplement income. Nor is it predictable how they will read into atypical tax returns. Since I had no co-sponsor, I had to make the best case possible for myself. I did this by giving ample evidence of my current, successful business: P/L and Balance Sheets, letters from my accountant and suppliers, international wire transfers, invoices, bank statements, etc. Perhaps I lucked out, but I'm more inclined to believe that the letters of explanation and supporting documentation saved the day.

If you have a joint sponsor with sufficient income, that is not a red flag and you should have no problem.

Thanks for sharing!

Generally they will both stand at the window together, but Officer can and sometimes does ask pointed question to the children. My stepson was asked very basic questions, who is your visa sponser? My stepdad. What is his name? xxxx xxxxxx

How old is he? ancient(he actually said this which made officer laugh).

etc etc

I would have stepson prepared to answer some basic questions about you.

Your name

Address

Age

What you do for work

How many times you have been to China

Any shared interests

Mostly your wife will take the brunt of the questions though, she is the one that really needs to be prepared.

The other issue you need to be prepared for is mother son relationship, is it legit.

Best to make a photo album of pictures of your wife and stepson together from birth through present. Also have the notarized letter from the father giving permission for son to travel to America. These 2 items can help you avoid the dreaded DNA testing that sometimes GUZ will throw at people, adding a 2 month delay in getting Visa.

Thank you! I'll let them know.

They do have those notarized documents of mother-son relationship.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

They will have interview on the same day next week. Will they be interviewed together or separately? If separately, any specific questions my stepson needs to prepare for?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

Congratulations!

Would you please share a little more details about the "financial issue"?

I do not have a job yet, so we have a joint sponsor. USCIS or NVC have not had trouble with it. I am wondering if this could be a red flag at the interview (8/10).

Thsnk

Casprd:

From your timeline about the interview experience, you wrote:

All in all, a stressful day, but not too bad and we finished with pink when a lot of people at his window got blue or white so we can't complain.

What are those poeple who got blue? Are they petitioning for their siblings/parents/fiancee?

Thanks

Congrat and Thank you!

Sure no problem. We arrived on Saturday morning since that was the way the flights worked out and we wanted to not be rushed on anything and have as many days together as possible. As others have said, Guangzhou United Family medical clinic is not that busy so we went sunday afternoon to have her medical done with the plan of coming back monday at 12:30 to catch the shuttle for the vaccinations. You can do it in one day but be sure to arrive several hours before 12:00 for the medical exam so it can be completed and you can make the shuttle for the vaccinations the same day. The medical clinic that does the vaccinations is not open on sunday. Unless there is something that comes up in the medical, she will get the results the same day. She may have to return in the afternoon to pick them up so again, best to arrive early in the morning.

Document Drop off appointments start at 12:30 so worst case she can go and get the medical results in the morning this day, but that is pushing things a bit in case there is a problem. At the document drop off she will get a number and possibly a green sticker on her interview letter. Keep this as it has some bearing on the interview later. Not sure exactly what, but they split the 7:30 group up based on having this sticker or not. All of the interviews should be done by about 12:30 as this is when they start taking documents for the next day. After the interview, assuming she is approved, she will go to the EMS desk to pay for the visa delivery/pickup. Here you can designate if you will pick it up or have it delivered. Just because you don't live in one of the designated areas or Guangzhou doesn't mean you can't get it delivered. If she has a friend or family member in one of those places she can have it sent to them. The key is they must have the original of the EMS airbill (kind of like ups or fedex airbill). Without this no one can get the visa, even your wife. There is a website she can check to see when the EMS package is ready and there is a special desk at the post office for dealing with visa pickups. My wifes interview was on thursday and the visa was ready friday afternoon about 5:00 or so. The sheet says if you choose to have it delivered they will hold it for 7 days, but we learned they won't hold it for 7 minutes and it was on the way to her friends house friday evening. Her friend had gone out of town for the holiday so we tried to arrange to pick up the visa at the delivering post office, but they wouldn't release it since her friend now had the original EMS receipt .

IMO a lot of the visa delivery time is related to when during the week you have your interview. I think they push to have them all out by friday afternoon so a monday/tuesday interview could take longer than a wednesday/thursday or thursday/friday interview. Just a guess, but it would be interesting to know from others if this is the case or not.

So long story longer, it may be ready the next day but you can't really count on that. You can have it delivered to someone you know in the designated areas as an alternative and not wait around for it, but if you choose this then the chances of picking it up should it be ready the next day are slim. If you really want to push, you can do the whole thing in 3 or 4 days

Day 1 - Arrive very early and go to GUF for medical for same day results. It takes a good hour to get to the east railway train station from the airport by taxi.

Day 2 - Go for Document drop off in the afternoon.

Day 3 - Go for interview in the morning and be done with the Salmon colored slip and the EMS receipt by 1:00 at the latest. If having it mailed then you're done.

Day 4 - Visa may be ready by this point, but no guarantees.

We met at the largest Chinese dating site: Jiayuan (www.jiayuan.com)

With less than three months chatting day and night, I went back to China to meet her in person and ...the history.

First chat: 8/16/2010, Married on Thanksgiving day, 2010

Thank you all.