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Diplomatic mail waiting 1-2 months


LiandLarry

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So who posts and poses the question? The moderator? I would like to know why GUZ refuses to sign for our cases for 1 to 2 months. They should go right through customs since this is diplomatic mail. I have heard it might be because of weight, no matter what the weight of the box is it should be signed for immediately. I am sure NVC doesn't order special boxes that are bigger and hold more weight than any other embassy/consulate special for GUZ. Has anyone ever asked them why this practice takes place and is allowed to continue? It seems like having diplomatic mail sitting in a warehouse somewhere for such a long period instead of being brought directly to the consulate should be against the law. It is priority stuff and shouldn't be laying around. Even customs can't open it. Diplomatic mail should be sent directly to the consulate and inside those walls. They should be signed for by "STAMP" days after entering the country at most. I know others are interested too. I think the Secretary of State for Consular Affairs might not be happy if they knew of this practice.

 

Can someone pose this query to GUZ?

 

Sincerely,

 

Larry

Edited by LiandLarry (see edit history)
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This is an issue already addressed, but I'll do it again. It is true that items shipped to a U.S. diplomatic mission under diplomatic seal via diplomatic pouch are not subject to customs inspection. However, cases shipped to us from NVC are not shipped under diplomatic seal and are not shipped via diplomatic pouch, they are shipped via commercial carrier - DHL. Once the boxes arrive in customs quarantine we are notified of that, we then request that the boxes be released and, after some wait, the boxes are released. DHL picks up the boxes and delivers them to the Consulate.

 

A comment was made earlier that since the boxes were listed as "U.S. Diplomatic Papers" on some DHL tracking list and they were, therefore, immune from Chinese customs handling. Simply because a commercial carrier notes in internal documents an item as "U.S. Diplomatic Papers" that doesn't by any stretch of the imagination mean that the item will be handled in accordance with international accords on diplomatic privileges and immunities. I can take a big red pen and mark "U.S. Diplomatic Papers" on every piece of personal mail that I send out. Does that mean that my personal will be immune from customs inspection? Of course not.

 

There are a great many frustrations and areas of misunderstanding that make you crazy as the immigrant visa process is navigated. I would hope that all would try to resist the temptation to spend too much time finding conspiracy ("the Consulate is trying to fool us with this crap about cases being held up in Chinese Customs. How stupid do they think we are ... etc, etc) where there is no conspiracy.

 

 

On a separate issue, I feel I need to comment on the tendency of some posters to keep referring to "black pearl", usually in a negative light. We understand that on different boards that specialize in discussing visa issues there is a tendency to come up with nicknames to identify interviewing officers. However, on CFL it is now plain that any female african-american officer that shows up at the window is automatically the dreaded "BLACK PEARL" :lol:. Come on, guys, there is more than one female african american woman in this business, officers come and officers go. This labeling is racial stereotyping of the worst sort. Bearing in mind that I am a hick from a small west Texas town, I know racial stereotyping - it is ugly and should be avoided.

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I have sent many packages to China over the years and it has never taken more than 2 weeks for any of them to clear customs and arrive at their destination. Usually a week to 10 days. Why does it take 5 weeks or more for a package from NVC to clear customs and be delivered to the consulate?

 

It has been noted on this board before that the original "black pearl" who earned her notorious reputation has probably been cycled out of GZ a long time ago. Unfortunately she has attained the status of urban legend and every following black female VO is labeled "Black Pearl" I would agree with you that it is inane and they don't deserve the reputation of their predecessor.

Edited by warpedbored (see edit history)
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I suspect part of the reason is that your packages go through the regular customs process, our does not. For us, the boxes arrive, we get notified. We notify the embassy, embassy gins up a diplomatic note, sends note to us, we send note to Chinese Customs. They get it, think about it, decide when they want to release the boxes. They release the boxes, DHL picks up boxes, deliver boxes to us. We get the boxes, bust them open, enter the cases into the computer.

 

Too many people on CFL are really, really trying hard to find shady practices in this issue. You're barking up the wrong tree.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know this subject has been beaten to death. And I apologize to GUZ in advance for my question.

 

I still would like an explanation as to why some packages are picked up and entered into GUZ computer within 1 month, while other packages sometime sit for 2-3 months. It appears that some packages just sit in DHL and are passed up by others arriving later.

 

And no I'm not trying hard to find shady practices in this issue. I just want an explanation for the disparity.

 

This isn't a question about name checks and all the other reasons why some cases take longer. This is only about cases sitting in DHL longer then others. The only answer I can come up with is if GUZ waits 2-3 months before picking up a shipment. Then I would understand why such a difference in time.

 

Thank you

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