Carl

This is a subject I also discussed with my Ying. As is, she does not have a middle name, only her given name and her family name. I told her that if she wanted to keep her name I would not have a problem with that. However she has insisted in taking my name, so I told her I that I wanted her to keep her family name as her middle name. What I think will happen is when we are in China, and as far as her family and freinds are concerned her name will always be Jiang Ying, but in the US her name will be Ying Jiang Sharp. That is something I can live with. There are some here who will agree with that decision and others who will not, but such a decision is ours, and ours alone to make. So if we are not concerned about it, nobody else should be either. Just my thoughts and 2 cents worth. Carl

As far as I know she only needs a single certificate to marry in China. For her visa she will need her divorce book translated into English along with a statement from the translator that they are fluent in both English and Chinese

I have read some posts mentioning 001. I asked my wife if she had heard of it, she has not......what is the website for 001? I would like to send it to my wife so she can read firsthand information about interviews from the people who went through them. Thanks Carl

I am no expert, but I think that the fact she went back to China after marrying you would be a plus in her favor because she could have stayed past her visa date, byt because she did go back shows that neither of you were willing to flaunt our laws. So if you were to apply for the I-130 or the K-3 and interview time comes, she clearly states that she married in the US while there on her student visa, she knew she had to go back to China to legally apply for her immigration visa. The fact that you were willing to go back to China to be with her should prove that your marriage is a valid one. Just my thoughts and opinions Carl

It will be an interesting interview for my wife. She speaks English, Russian and Chinese. I can see her saying something under her breath in Russian during the interview. Since she now has a job teaching English, I hope this helps her improve her English skills. Carl

When I called about my I-130 to the help center, I to inquired about an I-129f, she said that since the I-130 was approved, they would not even process the I-129f. I would be wasting my money to send it in. I believe them, because I figure that the government would not balk at the chance to collect more money for its coffers. They gave me the number of the state department office that handles visas. As of now they don't have a record of recievieng the visa, but they said it takes up to 90 days to get to a visa request. So I have to wait till Jan, 22 to call them and badger them about the visa, but I also check the automated service daily to check if they have recieved it. Carl

Well this thread makes me glad I insisted Ying went and got a copy and a translation of her birth certificate. I did submit a copy of her birth certificate with the I-130, but I kept copies for my own records, so in case I need to submit them again, I have it. Just goes to show that you need more than what is required, because as sure as God made little green apples, the government is sure to ask for a form or some documentation you don't have. forwarned is forarmed Carl

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, I print off Ying's address with the edition of her name on top and her city, province and China, PRC in english characters in the address. I then tape it to the front and go to the post office and mail it. Regular mail takes about 4 to 6 months to get there, but air mail takes only days. You decide Carl

I have sent many packages to Ying in China via USPS air mail with no trouble. It generally takes 7 to 10 days for it to get there. While using UPS might be more reliable it is a little more costlier. There are good points and bad points for both. But I trust the security and sanctity of the US postal system that my packages will arrive in a timely and intact manner. But people should use whatever method they are comfortable with and don't worry. As many have already found out, The mail always gets through. carl

I hate to say this, but in the aftermath of 9-11 and the transfer of INS to the newly created Department of Homeland Security, an already slow process has been slowed down even more in order to justify (at least in the governments mind) any and all attempts to keep future terrorists out of the country. Now while this may be a case of locking the barn door after the horse has fled, it is what we have to work with for now, until the government gets its act together and realizes that some countries are less a threat (i.e. China), than other countries that are supposedly our friends (i.e. France, Spain, and Germany). All we can do is just keep our faith and hope that while the process may seem eternal, it is still finite. Just my opinon Carl

The other day I was in a chat room on AFF when I was talking to a guy who used to work in the Visa office at GZ. He e-mailed me his number and we talked for a while. He said that the I-130/CR-1 process was much faster than the I-129/ K-1 K-3 process, so that is all I filed. All I can do is watch and wait to see where things go from there. TTYL Carl

Better yet..... Let the guy board the airplane and let the Phillippino authorities he is coming and let them throw him in their prisons. There he would definately get what was coming to him.

I was at this website whick has the customs regulations for China. It does not specify a limit, but rather says : Reasonable amounts of money (currently up to $5,000 US), alcohol and cigarettes, cameras, and tape-recorders can be brought into China. Certain valuable items, such as amateur video and camera equipment, computers, and gold, must be declared on the form. the website is: PCW Travel: Customs, Travel Information Hope it helps Carl

Don't quote me on this, but I think the limit is more than 2 cartons. In the Duty Free store in San Francisco you can buy boxes holding up to 10 cartons. When I went to China I asked the customs guy there, and I think he said I can take that many into the country as well as up to 5 bottles of wine, but it is something that needs to be looked into for future reference for us who travel to China Carl

I too have had ny share of those scams. I got one last year where they said that I am the relative to a family (same last name as mine) that was killed in an automobile acdident in their country (Somewhere in Africa). It turs out that this family had a sizable amount of money on their person, and if I were to send them my bank's name, address, routing number, my name and acount number they would forward me the money. I had a good laugh over it. I knew the odds of anybody in my family ever going to Africa are few and far between. I talked to my wife a few days later, she said she opened an account on Yahoo under a ficticous name, and she too recieved the same e-mail. The only different thing was that the name was the ficticous name she opened the account under. I told my wife it was a scam, and to ignore it. so look out for this one Carl

Yesterday (Tuesday, Nov, 16) I called the National Service Center. I asked about filing a I-129f so my wife might get a K-3 visa so she could come in over early and then wait for her CR-1. The person told me that I would be wasting my money. Because her I-130 has been approved, they would not even process the I-129f. I appreciated her honesty, especially when it was an opportunity for the government to garner a few more dollars into the treasury, so I am waiting for the NOA-2 to arrive and start the next step. Carl

I got this off the Western Union website. You decide. 5. How much money can I send from westernunion.com ? Initially, the maximum amount of money you can send online with a revolving 30-day period is $999.99. Once you have used the Western Union Money transfer service on the web, at least once over the course of 120 days, you may send up to a maximum of $2,000 within a revolving 30-day period. If Arizona is your state of residence, you may only send up to a maximum of $950 per transaction. Carl

Since I live in Texas, I sent my I-130 to the Texas Service Center. But the TSC is so far behind in processing applications (as of 11-8-04 they are still processing June, 2003), they evidently transfer your application to other service centers that are more caught up. My own was transferred to the California center which is processing September 2004. In a phone conversation I learned that my petition has since been approved, so now it is time for the next step. I for one an glad that the government actually did something right for once.

HAHAHAHHAHAH About the same age. It must be a constant for us Carls. but I actually got more grief over my last name, Sharp Carl

I called the National Service center today. According to the person I called my I-130 was approved on October 21, and I should recieve my NOA-2 by November 21. So I am one step closer to getting Ying here. Because of my move my mail was messed up, so I recieved my reciept notice late, thus did not file a I-129f for a K-1 visa. I asked the person I talked to said that since the I-130 was approved I would be wasting my money. They would not even process the I-129f (Good information). So, I am anxiously waiting for the next step in the process . Carl

I don't usually call unless my wife Ying is someplace she cannot get to a computer. We do most of our chatting on either yahoo or MSN chat. That way my only cost is that of an Internet connection. But when I do, I use me SPRINT long distance.....no problems with the connection. Thanks carl

What are the questions asked by the VO's during the interview. I am hoping to conduct a mock interview during audio chats with her so she can get comfortable with her answers and help her to polish her English skills. Hope y'all can help me and others out. Thanks a lot Carl

I can only speak for myself on this matter. I work at the local VA hospital. When I announced to my workmates that I married Ying, everybody was very happy for me. The chaplin wants to have a welcome to the US party for us and since we really did not have any type of ceremony in China has suggested that she do a special ceremony for us. As for my parents, they think I was crazy to marry again, but now that I am, they will treat her as their own daughter. I hope you are as lucky

Hello all, The best thing to do is to call the IRS directly. I called then this morning (Thursday). I had forgotten the SSN of my ex-wife, which I needed for my 2001 tax return. She called it up on her computer, asked me some questions to verify my identity, and said she could print it up and send it to me. When I asked her if she can get my returns for 2002 and 2003, she said it would be no problem. I should have them in a week or so. just an idea..... Carl

I got my Receipt notice today. I sent a copy to my wife to show her things are happening. I geuss because the Texas Service Center is still processing I-130's from June 2003, it was transferred to the California center, and for that I am estatic..... The step has been taken------on to the next ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09-10-2004-------I-130 sent to Texas Service Center $185 09-15-2004-------Recieved by Service Center 09-28-2004-------Notice Date 10-12-2004-------Notified USCIS of new address 10-21-2004-------Receipt notice remailed from California Service Center 10-27-2004-------Received I-797 Receipt Notice ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every journey begins with but a single step........