Carl

This addresses the original topic here, of course, but I'll point out for clarification that Ying is an American citizen. TRUE DAT

Granted it was nearly 10 years ago for my wife, but because I had a dual Major of History and Social Sciences (specialties of Diplomatic & Military history and Poli-sci) the first time through, my wife read me the questions and answers to which I first gave her the answer, that at her request the historical background to the answer.

From the time Ying arrived in the US in December 2005 till we moved to China in October 2010, Ying and I had been back to China two or three times. during the seven years we were in China, we came back to the US for vacation, once. We returned for good in July 2017. As of now, Ying has no desire to return to China any time soon, but if we do it will be only for a month during the summer.

Seven years ago, I was burned out at my job, so I decided we needed a change, so Ying and I decided to go move to China for an indeterminate amount of time. After doing tutoring in Yanji for about a year, I decided it was time to get a real job. I was able to secure work from a company called Ameson Cultural Institute based in Nanjing China. This company, in partnership with various Chinese high schools (mine was Jiangsu Suzhou No. 10 High School), ran the American High School Program for Chinese kids who were planning on skipping the GaoKao and instead apply for college abroad in the US, Canada or Australia. Since most were planning on an American university, most took the SAT/ACT. Five plus years ago, we were surprised to learn that Ying was pregnant. Nine months later we were blessed to have a little girl we named Lexi. Since Ying and I were US citizens, Lexi too acquired US citizenship at birth (although we needed to do paperwork 'renouncing' her 'Chinese citizenship.' Since Lexi was close to school age, and Ying refused to put her into any schools in China, we decided to return to Texas and enroll Lexi there (Ying was happily surprised to learn that public schools in the US are free (taxpayer supported)). Life has been good since we returned and hopefully soon, I will be returning to the VA back at my old job.

Hello all, I've been hanging around at the CFV, so I haven't been around here, but even though Lexi was born here, recent events may have some effect. Before we came back to China, Ying became a naturalized citizen, so her Chinese passport was invalidated and she has more than a few Chinese visas and residence permits in her US passport. When we applied for our last residence permits, the computer in Nanjing spit out that her Hoku in Yanji was never invalidated and she never formally renounced her Chinese citizenship, despite the fact the Chinese consulates in Houston and in Hong Kong issued her visas. So she had our HR department send her brother in Yanji her passport so he could go the local PSB and file the proper paperwork and then send it back to our HR. When we went to register Lexi's birth, the officer at the consulate said the fact Ying and I were both US citizens made the determination of Lexi's citizenship status easier. If Ying had still been a Chinese citizen, it would have been a more difficult process. Her certificate says she is a natural born US citizen because we are too. In joking, I asked if she was eligible to be president even though she was born in China he said he didn't know. When the controversy of Ted Cruz's birth came up the article I read cited the "The Naturalization Act of 1750" which clearly stated that Children born abroad to US citizens are considered NATURAL BORN US citizens. Granted the law has been superseded by other laws, but to date it is the only law that defined the status of children of US citizens born abroad. But my question is this, would Lexi still need the PSB to sign off on her leaving China

Congrats.... I actually believe the interview begins the minute you are called when the officer engages in small talk, weather, family and the like. If the persons answers back in clear English, it is a given she will pass.

You are informed that the participents are considered plaintiffs and the auditorium is in actuality a federal court of law, but as long as proper decorum is followed and you are not being disruptive, you can take photographs and recording of the procedures is allowed. After the ceremony, most judges will make themselves available as long as necessary for photographs with the new citizens.

Good luck, Ying decided early on she wanted to get her citizenship, once she applied she spent a lot of time reading, watching TV and working with friends to improve her English. She was constantly asking me questions about US history and government. By the time dhe had her interview she knew nore about the US than most native born citizens.

A few months ago I accepted a teaching position with an organization called Ameson Institute where I would be teaching American History and English Lit to Chinese students who instead of taking the test for placement in a Chinese university will instead be taking the SAT and ACT because they are planning on going to college in the US. Initially I was going to be assigned to the #2 High school in Shijianghuang. It was a new school that was added to the program, but today they informed me that that high school is no longer part of the program. Instead I will be assigned to the #1 High School in Hefei, Anhui, still teaching the same courses. I am curious about any information about Hefei. I would like to know as much about the place as possible.

I went this route too. Once I had the Apostille from Texas' Secretary of State and the translation/certification of the consulate in Houston, acceptance by the Chinese authorities was no problem at all.

We had an RFE because I didn't submit sworn affidavits from people who knew us that we were still happily living together as husband and wife. I had a letter from my bank that we had a jount accounts and submitted a bank statement showing both our names on it.

Ying renewed her passport at the Houston consualate for our final trip trip to China before she got her USC, You just need fill out the forms, submit the old passport and pay the fee with a money order. We had passport pictures but the girl processing the forms didn't like them so Ying had to get a picture done by their photograhper. We also had to get a prepaid UPS or Fed Ex mailer which they used to send the new passport back to you. It was painless and simple.

On a side note, if the clerk gives you any grief , politely ask to speak to a supervisor. That usually gets results.

We have been lucky. The only time I had flight trouble was my first trip to China. United cancelled my flight from San Antonio to San Francisco, but when I called the agent worked to get me on different flights from San Antonio (SAT) to Chicago to Beijing, SAT to LAX to Beijing, but finally the best he could do was a flight out of Austin to SFO so I could catch my original flight. That was no trouble since Austin was onlt 90 mailes further from SAT.

Oh, I think I got it. So, she did arrive Oct 18 of this year. The 1 year I-551 stamp ensures that she will receive her 2 year GC in the mail in time. And then, we will wait until 90 days before 2 years of being here to then file I-751. After that, she will then receive the 10 year GC. Is that right? Also, if we decide to visit China in the meantime, it should be no problem with the 2 year GC as long as we are valid? If this is right, I thank you. You have described it quite clearly and I believe I understand it fully now. I much appreciate this as I was looking everywhere for the answer. This site is the best on net for the issues involving immigration and Chinese. You have been a huge help. Thanks again. Will When Ying applied for her greencard we had a bit of a snag because I forgot to do the affidavits, but that was quickly rectified as soon as I got the RFE and she got her 10 yr greencard, but it soon became moot because as soon as she was eligible (3 years in the US), she applied for and got her US citizenship before her fourth.

After living in Yanji for nearly a month, I have decided that there is no way I would want to drive a car in that city. It is organized chaos on the streets and the majority of cars on the streets are taxis and busses. They outnumber pov's by at least 2 or 3 to 1 and they are the scareiest drivers I have seen, but they get you where you need to be. Example.... It can be 2 or 3 lanes of bumper to bumper, stop and go driving on your side of the street and some joker in the oncoming lane, usually a taxi, will bang a U turn and try to fit into a space between cars that is hardly big enough to for a person in. You can also have two cars each in their lane and there is somebody who will straddle the dividing line to shoot that gap between the cars just to gain a space. It is also not uncommon for drivers to get into the oncoming lane to get around a line of cars stopped for whatever reason with no reguard that there might be oncoming traffic that could very likely cut them off. also many of those same drivers ignore red lights and if given the chance, blow right through them. The streets of Yanji is also the home farmers that drive those three wheeled put-put tractors/ motorcycles and carts drawn by either a mule or a cow. There is also some road construction that really botches up the traffic flow and makes for some interesting routings.

One of the reasons Ying got US citizenship is the ability to travel to many countries without needing a visa, whereas if she reatined her Chinese citizenship she would need a visa for every one of these.

The key here would be to take a trip to China and renew your passport in-country, rather than from the U.S. Actually renewing the passport is not a problem. All she has to do is show her green card. Chinese consulates know that they take the green card at the swearing in ceremony because afterward it is not needed.

according to HHS website the 2009 guidelines have been extended to May 31, 2010 but that ends this weekend unless Congress extends it longer or issues 2010 guidelines.

My Affidavit of Single Status is a story in itself (PM me and I'll tell you the story). But finally ended up with my copying the affidavit from the Chinese embassy's website, demoving the blurb about previous marriages/divorces (even though I had been marrried and divorced in CA & OR), swearing that I was currently single and never been married in the State of Texas. I got it notarized, got an Apostille from Texas' Secretary of State, sent it to the Chinese consulate in China with the G-1 Application of Notarization w/ $25 and a copy of my passport title page. They translated it, notarized it again and sent it back to me. Didn't have a lick of trouble

Lets look at this from the beat cop's perspective. He pulls over a car with no rear plates. While he is still doing required 'housekeeping' duties (radioing location and reason for stop, getting paperwork) the car suddenly takes off... Any policeman would assume person has something to hide and takes chase. Car attempts to go into parking structure, policeman follows. Now given events in world wide, I would not doubt that the policeman had thoughts of "Large car, no plates, running away, trying to go into a parking facility.... SUICIDE CAR BOMB!!!!" Now if he knew it was the Chinese Consulate he could have assumed it could have been in response to China's actions in Tibet and felt that public safety trumped national sovergnity. If he didn't know he still would have assumed it was a public danger. Now back to the stop, If you have ever seen "COPS", there are numerous instances where they pull over a car for a minor infraction, like a burned out tailight, only to drive off the moment the officer gets out. When finally caught I'll hear the cop ask "Why did you run?" and the person respond "I had a gun under the seat." or "I had a pound of marijuana in the trunk." The cops response is usually "You idiot, I was just pulling you over for having a taillight out, I would have given you a warning and let you go, now you're going to jail."

When Ying got here we waited for her SSAN card which never arrived, so we went to the local SSAN office. The girl there looked Ying up on her computer and sain that immigration had't submitted her information yet, so she decided to treat Ying as someone who was applying for her initial card. About two weeks later Ying had her SSAN card

At the home of Ying's parents they use cornstalks and corncobs as fuel for the "big wok cookstove." http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/4193449747_ebdb07e06e.jpg Whereas the small stove her mom uses to heat water uses coal. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4193459223_126a750747_o.jpg

When we went through Incheon on Asiana and had a great trip. Ying was still a Chinese citizen back then, but as long as we stayed in the international terminal she did not need a visa. Now she is a USC and need not worry. We went through Incheon on this trip because they had a direct flight to Yanji thus avoiding the zoo in Beijing. We had to go through an x-ray and metal detector once we got off our flight from LAX. We had a lengthy layover and since it was early morinng there was not a whole lot open. but eventually there was a few restaurants opening where I could get some food. They accepted credit cards and American cash at the current exchange rate. In the waiting area the only internet access was the pay sites and all the plugs were those huge 220 types that you need a special adapter for, but I was to tired to mess around so Ying and I took a nap waiting for the flight. On the trip back I came alone and coming from China I didn't have to go through the metal detector, but went directly into the terminal. This time the terminal was bustling so I went to a nearby bar to get a beer. The bar had the standard electric outlets so I plugged in and set up my computer and found out I was close enough to the Delta VIP lounge that I could glom onto their free internet. Once I went back to the waiting area I noticed that my laptop battery was beginning to drop but I noticed another westerner using an adapter to charge his laptop. I asked him where he got it and he told me that they had them at the customer service kiosks. I went there and they told me I had to surrender my boarding pass to get the adapter. Since I had about five to six hours till my flight left, I agreed, found a plug close enough to the waiting area and recharged both my laptop and cell phone. One huge difference I noticed in leaving China from Yanji over Beijing was in Beijing they had a special line to process folks going to the US where the customs officer confiscated my denture adhesive. Leaving Yanji they only took cigarette lighters, matches and any other flame producing items, so if you smokers have a Zippo lighter, leave it at home and buy a disposable bic.

Ying became a US citizen for a few reasons, onw was because she does not like the Chinese government, she also feels it is more conveinent because she does not have to go back to the US every year to keep her green card active, but we can also go to many countries in Europe, Central and South America, Canada, Japan, Korea and Thailand without a visa. Since we would have to leave the country a quick trip to Japan and Korea works out nice.