Taoistpanda

My wife came on a K3. They wouldn't give her the SSN without a work visa. I applied for that the week after she arrived in Feb, and it took over 4 months fo rher to get the work authorization from the INS. Then, we went to the social security office on a Wed, and she got the card in the mail on the folloiwing Monday (less than a week later). Still with the wait from the INS, it took over 4 months before my wife could get the SSN. This held up my filing my taxes, and putting her on my bank accounts.

Someone else mentioned pics they posted at visa delays. I too posted some more recent pics of Wei and I (under the folder - "Jason and Wei"). My wife and I recently went to Gulf Shores for a beach vacation. You can see some pics at the website I made for my wife at: http://taoistpanda.home.att.net/ MY parents offered to take us there last year, but we were in visa limbo. Thanksfully, she got here in Feb, and we were able to be together for this year's trip Jason

I am very happy for you. I know it was a long wait!

Yes, I hope this mess gets cleared up soon! COngrats to all of you!

I went with my wife to get her state ID here in Texas. She brought her passport with her visa, and I brought the marriage paper. That was enough to get the ID with my last name on it. I am still waiting for the work visa before we can apply for a social security number for her. BUt, I know that the same process is repeated there. So, while all her INS paperwork has her Chinese name. All the things like banks stuff and checks and anything else will have the new last name now.

I know. I certainly feel for the rest of ya'll. The whole mess is ridiculous. We went to get her social security card yesterday, but they won't give us that without the work visa. So, I've sent off the stuff for that today.

I finally got to pick up my laopo at the Houston airport this past Friday. She is with me now. I can hardly believe it after waiting 13 months from the time I got married to have her here with me!!!

Cute cartoon. How true...

Last year, when it was taking so long just for my wife's I-129F to be processed, I wrote to many government agencies to complain and ask fror help. This was last April and March (of 2002). This was at a point before her application had even been sent to the Visa center and then forwarded to GZ. Well, I just got a letter back from the INS yesterday, almost a year later. Here is what it said. Thank you for your letter on April 1, 2002, to President george W. Bush concerning your visa application on behalf of your wife. You letter was forwarded to the Immigration and Naturualization Service (INS). We apologize for the delay in responding and we can understand the concern that prompted you to write. As you may already know, your application was approved on April 23, 2002. Sincerely, Anna-Maria Kilmade Gatons It's a joke that I just now get this letter, and here we are, in January, and my wife FINALLY just got her visa. They take 10 months to write back, and to them, it's all been taken care of.

I had forgotten about it, but several months ago, I wrote to all the new agencies. I wrote to all the big newspapers in the county, MSNBC, CNN, ABC,NBC, and CBS. I wrote a letter telling about what was occurring, and asked for a story to be written/produced. I got the standard reply back from the automated server each time, and never heard anything back. Good luck, though.

It is my understanding that they are violating their own written law by making it take this long. I can't quote it, but have seen some law referred to many times. There is a time frame they are supposed to do this in.

B) - Their system is so screwed up, it's a shame no one can give people a straight answer anymore....

Sorry to hear you are in the same spot. I too was sad during the holidays (Christmas and Thanksgiving). She will be here for Valentine's Day, though, so now I'm trying to figure out what to get her

Since I went the k-3 route, I didn't have to deal with so many of those issues like a letter of intent.

Yes, i meant to mention this as well. I have heard others talka bout it being a scam, and how they get people thinking that they are "official" airport personel.

I am sorry to hear that you are still waiting. It's not easy. My laopo just got hers, but she still won't be here in time for our 1 year anniversary this weekend. I will be pretty sad myself.

My wife brought some e-mails and stuff with her, but also had pics from my visit there. In addition, she brought holiday photos of my family and I from the Christmas before (I had given them to her previously). She stated that the interviewer looked at those, and made sure she knew my birthday and my parents' names.

I think some people are misunderstanding my comments. When you are still in China but are coming here, you can probably lock it if you want. But, once in America, you are supposed to leave it unlocked. When you arrive in San Fran or LA, and catch another flight somewhere else, thats when it should not be locked. To simplify things, it's probably easiest to leave it unlocked the whole time instead of unlocking it at San Fran. If you aren't asked to open it at customs, you may forget to unlock it before you give it to the next check-in place. I just thought I would give this info out. It's what the US govt has been asking all passengers to do since Jan 1st. I personally don't like this new policy. I prefer to lock it. Supposedly if they open any bag to check, they are supposed to place a card inside telling you it has been opened. Just because you declare nothing on the customs form doesn't mean they won't ask you to stand in the line to be checked. I was lucky enough both time to go through when I told them I had no food items. But, I think they may be more likely to check people of non-American origin. As for the Chinese customs declaration, they are pretty much on the honor system there. If you declare nothing, you just walk on through. I was very surprised with the way they do it.

Call Hale Van Koughnet at 202-663-1152 I talked to him a few times. I am not sure where he works, but I called the CA, and was transferred to him a couple of times. This is his direct line, so I assume if you called him it would be fine, since this is who CA sends everyone to anyway. If you get his voicemail, leave him a message. He did get back to me 1 time, so he is willing to call people back. Of course, I complained in great detail to him 1 time, and I work for the government too. So, he remembered me. He was able to give me the resubmission date, and he is also the one who told me that my wife's check had cleared, even before GZ told me or my wife.

I told my wife, Luckybabe, about the new rule concerning luggage here in the U.S., and she asked that I post it here. As of Jan 1st, the American govt is telling people not to lock their suitcases. I do not like that because of the possible theft issue, but apparently they may damage the bag more if they have to break open any locks. As I told my wife about this (to not lock her bag when she comes here next month), she asked me to post this here because some of our chinese fiancees or wives don't know about this. If you have anything real valuable, put it in your carry-on bag. Also, be careful if you take food items here. They are pretty strict on that in the San Fran customs. They ask you first, and then sometimes let you go or make you stand in the line to have your bags checked. Be honest, but it's easier to just avoid the whole thing by having none.

Yes, congrats. Hope she is with you soon.

Well, I got the following response from her last week via e-mail. It was dated 12-31, the same day I wrote my e-mail. But, it didn't come in until 1-9-03, at the exact same time I got a response from GZ telling me my wife's visa had finally been approved. Of course, I had found this out the previous day with a phone call. Mr. Walker: Thank you for your message. We will try quickly to get an answer to your inquiry. I want to assure you that we have not simply been asking people to allow things to run their course. I regret very much the very existence of a backlog. In the five weeks that I have been on this job, I have made working through the backlog a priority. We haven't satisfied everyone yet, as you, of course, know. But you have my personal assurance that we are working very hard to address your case and the many others like it just as quickly as we can. I have asked our Visa office to prepare a more specific response to your message. Sincerely, Maura Harty

Yes, it seems to be an incredibley long train ride. But, she insisted that she didn't want to fly. Anyway, she's on her way home on the train as I write this. I called her on her cell phone this morning.

Well, I only talked to her a few minutes this morning - she has her cell phone. She arrived on the train from Shanghai at almost 10am, and then rushed to the consulate. She says she was the last person they let in to deal with that issue. Anyone else after her would have had to wait until the next day. She sat there most of the day, and left with the visa in her hand about 10 minutes before 4pm. That's all I really know. I was on my way to work when I called her. I'm supposed to call her when I get home from work to wake her up, so she can get up and take the train back to Shanghai.

Well, my wife finally walked out the door at GZ today at 4pm with her visa. Finally, after 1 year!!!