Lee VD

It looks like it had been 3 years since I was last on CFL. Just a little update... we just had our 8 year anniversary and everything is still going as well as in the early days! I read some of the sad stories here but for me, everything has been wonderful. She is so supportive, helpful, and affectionate (in all ways ), she is every man's dream. I guess I really lucked out somehow. I give her a good life and she really appreciates it. She is not working outside the house but keeping a great home and doing her frugal shopping. She drives the car I bought her so is as independent as she wants to be. Unbelievable she essentially gave up her PhD to be with me. My mother is a bit disappointed in that... she just got her PhD herself a few years ago! We have been enjoying travel, particularly to Europe, once or twice a year. I do travel almost constantly for work but I am home on the weekends. This gives us each some alone time which helps our hearts stay fond of each other! I hope many others have been as luck as we have been and to those just starting the journey, best of luck! Make sure to invest the time to really get to know each other BEFORE doing the filing.

I am hoping I never need to go back and that in 10 years there will be visa-free reciprocity between the US and China Dreaming...?

In the end success... both of us Q2 10yr multiple entry 180days. Cancelled Chinese passport returned. $280 poorer I parked at the Walgreens a block behind the consulate, despite the tow-threat signs in that parking lot as well, I felt it was pretty safe as the lot was wide open.

I went to get new visas for me and my wife (now in her new US passport) at Houston and encountered some undocumented requirements: - They need TWO photocopies EACH of the former Chinese citizen's Chinese and US passports (info page). - They need TWO photocopies of the invite letter and inviter's Chinese ID. - They need TWO photocopies of any name change court order (if applicable). Note that the photocopy machine in the lobby only takes quarters, so be sure to bring extras as most people coming to the window were sent to the photocopy machine for one reason or another. The guard at the door checks that the application is typed and is v.2013 (the latest). If not, you will be turned away at the door. Many people did not photocopy the passport info page and there is a sign in the line to remind people of that. It was quite annoying in that for each issue discovered above I was turned away and had to come back to the window (after the next person completed) rather than being told about all the needs so I could make one trip. The agent looked at the passports right away and turned me away right away apparently knowing this is a surprise to everyone. Once everything was triple checked, the agent said "I will now cancel her passport" and right in front of me cut a big corner off the first paper page and stamped it cancelled on the first 5 or so pages. GULP! They confirmed I will get it back at pickup. My flight itinerary was reviewed carefully and I was quizzed on why we needed 180 days when our stay was 31. I explained our future stays may be longer and this stay may get extended based on health of the family. That was accepted and the receipt says M/180 on it. Another note: If you are coming for pickup and come before opening to get in line (highly recommended! the line was 20 people deep at 8:45am) you can line up on the left side of the door as pickups are let in first. Also, those coming for tourism visas were asked to provide hotel reservations in addition to air reservations.

Oath ceremony went OK but it was very full, something like 80 people... It took a couple hours end to end! There was a new officer who ran the ceremony so it was a little halting... We submitted the passport form the same day at the office near home. Now we have to get ready to get the Chinese visas for me and her. That I need to turn in in Houston since I work there. Now to go back to the thread on that! Also need to notify SSA and DHS (for Global Entry). Almost done!!! We are mostly sick of having had to get visas for every country we visit!

Interview complete and she passed with flying colors. She got the first 6 questions right so the test was ended as a pass. For the CCP question, the interviewer was nice and even led her to try and answer in a way that was favorable to her but she was not sure if he was trying to trick her or not. He said "...so you joined for economic reasons..." and she said "no, for education reasons" but he said "...but that is essentially for your economic benefit...". So, she caught on and it worked out. She was honest in her letter that she joined to provide a better career development path. She didn't mention specifically that joining was not a specific condition of her employment or career track (but prepared to truthfully answer that), so we knew that was a potential issue by the wording of the law. Unfortunately, she was told there is no oath ceremony today (it's a Tuesday) so she was scheduled for Fri. Nov 6th, about 10 days from now. Puts a little more pressure on getting her passport before our next trip on Dec. 7th but we will be expediting it.

Rachel (Ruiqing) has her citizenship interview tomorrow in Seattle. She has studied like crazy with copious notes (even looked up pronunciations on each of the Indian tribes!). The boys and I have tested her hard and she constantly scores 100% so no worries on the testing part. We have incorporated the boys into family quizzing sessions so they learn too. Her English should be just fine with 6 years of total immersion on top of her having a good mastery when I met her. From what I have read, for this location at least, if she has an early enough interview (she does), she can do a same day oath ceremony so we are hoping for that. Passport application is ready to drop off later in the afternoon! The only real risk: CCP... She is ready to answer to it just as she did for K-1 and GC... can only hope they come to the same conclusion...

Biometrics done yesterday in Seattle at 1pm on a Friday. It was not very busy at all and she was through the gauntlet in 20 minutes. One tip, they make you fill out a silly form with all info they already know, maybe its just to test you to see if you are who you say you are. Get the form and get in line right away with a pen and complete the form while waiting in line, that will make sure you draw the lowest number possible to await your biometrics. There were 4 stations so it went quickly. I would think walk-ins would have been accommodated but I don't know for sure.

So, what you are saying is that the Q1 visa (> 180 days) is not a 10 year visa? It makes sense but I was getting the impression here that people were trying to get Q1 10-year visas to allow for > 180 day stays. Did anyone get a Q1 10-year?

Amazingly we got super fast turnaround time on the request. They must have processed in one day... it didn't wait 7 days to get mailed. Fortunately they were able to give us the latest day we requested, so we are good to go! Would have been faster if you could do it online! Infopass appointment and UK Visa/USCIS biometric appointments can be done online....

We are in the same situation. She updated her explanation letter from the one she submitted for her K-1. The one tricky thing is that she never formally quit, she was technically active up until she left China (as she was still employed and didn't want to jeopardize that... she also explained this in the letter). She obviously hasn't paid dues or participated since so by default she is out. Although it was not required for her job, in higher education, it is highly encouraged and "looks good on your resume" so may have had an indirect influence on getting her job as a professor. Will report back how it turns out. I am sure it will come up in the interview!

Some experience on the Chinese retirement benefits. My wife worked for a few years and has built up some pension benefits. From all of her calls and research she was told that with her green card she can ask for a buy-out of the pension. She found she had to go back to her home city (apparently her houkou was not transferred correctly, so it's split) and inquire there. Every time she has been there she has gone to the office. Last time I went with her. The office responsible for pensions is only open seemingly random days in the months. She had green card in hand ready to cash out but we were literally run around from department to department with no success. No one knew how to process! It didn't surprise me that they were going to be less than accommodating to pay out money. We had to give up that attempt. She still wanted to try and get it but the amount they quoted was only a few thousand yuan... Now, for someone with a lot more years put into the system, the equation would be different. I am not sure if she can get anything after she becomes a U.S. citizen but she seems to want to keep trying... Lee

Once again, government inefficiency and bureaucracy rears its ugly head.... My wife did biometrics with CBP for Global Entry on 3/17. We had an appointment scheduled at the USCIS for biometrics for a UK Visa the next day, 3/18. We asked if those biometrics on the 17th could be used for the 18th. Answer no, of course, that's a different department (aren't they both part of DHS?). Wasn't the point of the post 9/11 consolidation to be able to SHARE security information? Surely all the biometrics on file from the green card process, several entries to the U.S., and this should be enough to provide fingerprint data, but no... So, 3/18 biometrics were done for UK visa (in Houston). That was easy, you could schedule it online as you apply for the visa online. You can choose any location in the country and date/time available. She applied for the N400 shortly after this (after she was challenged by the CBP officer suspiciously as to why she hasn't applied for citizenship, in a tone implying she is still active in the CCP or something...) We were waiting for the appointment notice hoping to get it by 4/13 when we would be out of town again until 4/23. It never came yet. We arrived home on the evening of 4/23 to get the appointment notice telling her to appear on 4/23 at 11am!! The notice was dated 4/3, it was postage metered on 4/10! It took 7 days to print and mail? Of course we called USCIS to inquire as to what to do and got the expected only answer: mail in to reschedule. No option to schedule online, no option to speak to a person to schedule a day that works for us. I travel constantly for work and she comes with me. We will be out of the country in the latter half of May into early June. I sent in the notice with a request to re-schedule on some days in early May that works for us. However, I see that the likely turn around time is not going to allow those options so we are likely to get a reschedule during our next trip. We may also get that notice in the mail when we are gone and miss it again. If the case has not already been considered abandoned, will likely be cancelled on a second missed appointment, you think? So here's the plan: I have heard that walk-ins are possible but have seen mixed results reported: 1) allowed right in, 20 mins, done 2) turned away at the door 3) allowed in but waiting several hours standby unsuccessfully as each hour block could not be processed in the hour available. I am scheduling an InfoPass appointment for the last business day we are at home, first thing in the morning. If we get the appointment letter before then and it gives us a date that does not work, will send in again requesting for reschedule for sometime in late June when we are home. If we do not get the appointment letter, will go to InfoPass appointment and request to know what date we have been scheduled (if the letter is being processed or in the mail). Ask if we can do it right there and then, or ask to reschedule for a day that works.... if they will do it for us. I am trying to figure out what days are better to attempt a walk in (Seattle). Seeing mixed results reports online, Mondays are bad and Wednesdays may be good (no scheduled appointments some say?), however I think we can only get there on a Friday anyway. With an InfoPass appointment at least we can get in the door. From those few reporting using this path they have all been successful in getting biometrics done then. I debated going straight for a walk in after missing the appointment but only day we can get there is a Monday and I see a couple unsuccessful reports for that day of the week. (If we could only schedule online, like the UK visa process allows, there would be no issue... or be able to book with a person) Any other advice? Lee

What if the next visit will be for less than 30 days? Can we apply for the Q visa with invitation letter even though the invitation letter will detail the short visit? ...or will they see the short visit and just give an L visa? Of course we want a Q to provide for the ability to visit in the future for more than 30 days. Should the invitation letter explain the potential future need?

Wondering if there is any new information on this? Will the ID card be requested and confiscated upon entry or in any other official business if the ID is flagged in someway? How does Chinese government know that the person has switched to US Citizen? Can he/she still enter China on Chinese passport? or is it just a matter of risk of being found out? If one does send in the Chinese passport requesting a visa in a US passport, do they get the Chinese passport back or is it confiscated? Lee