Keith-N-Min

Lo and Behold GC is on it way... Miracles never cease to amaze me... Checked the USCIS website last night and the message that has been displayed since last Nov (after Biometrics were completed) finally changed... In a nutshell it said "On June 16, 2006, a welcome notice was mailed for this case" sure was a little bit of a fight there at the end... but the fruits of our labor is sweet :-) Good Luck, Best Wishes, and Happy Trails to all those that followed and will follow in our footsteps... Thanks All !!!

Update.... We ere able to contact a civil surgeon in the Boston area..on short notice... He saw Min on Tuesday. He said that the IO was wrong sending Min to him for another physical... He said a Class B medical condition is obvoisly physical defect...like paraplegic, quadriplegic, spinabifida...etc and that a Class A Medical condition is HIV, STD, etc.. and she had tested negative for these in China... He said spoke to the IO's supervisor and learned that she was an Interviewer in training, luck of the draw... cost us $250 for medical and 3 days lost work for Min... I took PTO... When I spoke to the Supervising Officer yesterday... he said our case would be approved... but he couldn't do it then cuase our file had been misplaced... apparently the Interviwer took it with her and she was not in the office yesterday. He also said that she was wrong for suggesting I fill out an I-130, as Min was a K-1. He apologized and said he would call us when Min was approved... in the mean time... they took her entry permit, her work authorization card... and we wait in limbo... Is this one messed up organization or what...

Well Min and her daughter had there interview today... WOuld be nice to tell you all it went smooth, but this is the Dept of Homesick Security were talking of... Murphy's Law always applies.. We had been waiting so patiently since early Oct for an interview. We finally got interview date in mid May... no reason for delay, no RFE, no name check delays.. They had Bio in early Nov and FBI name check was back and ok in early Dec. The interview was a joke... we had an interview time of 12...and we weren't called until 3:30... whats the use of having a time at all... if they aren't going to keep a timely schedule.. that aside was the most pleasant part of the interview.. The interviewer ask for all the documents.. I gave them all to her one at a time as she askeed for them.. she didn't need copies as she said she already had them, just wanted to check that we had the originals... then she said we needed I-693 for Min... I told her it was done in GUZ..she said, oh so it was!!! Then after checking all the documents and swearing both Min and her daughter in... and asking them the obvious Q's, she said we only had one problem... Min was designated a class B medical risk, so she needs to get another physical here in US before she can approve her... this was becuase of a broken arm she had when she was 7 years old... how absurd, what kind of a medical risk is she to the USA with a broken arm?. and to boot she was cleared at GUZ oh brother... then she proceed to tell me that a new procedure was required for all K-1ers Adjusting Status and that I needed to file a I-130 petition for alien relative... WHAT!!! I was really taken back... I almost came out of my chair.... but I remained calm... she said I only have to pay the filing fee ($190) and the adjustment is immediate. I told her this was not standard procedure when I filed AOS in October 2006. Min came to US in July 2006(K-1) and we married in July 2006, and filed AOS in Oct 2006. She then said she need to look more into the I-130 filing as this was relatively new procedure... but she would waive it for us...if we can get medical done and have results return in person to the Boston office by this Friday. The whole thing stinks if you ask me... Anyway we were able to find a civil surgeon to do her physical tomorrow morning.... hope they can get results quickly so we can hand carry this document to the interviewing officer tomorrow.. Anyone else here hear of this new procedure for K1 visa's??? I have checked the UCIS website and see nothing of this new procedure... Also how long does it take to get results of the Physical from the Civil Surgeon? Anways hopefully we can get this all behind us this week... and move into another waiting phase (Removal of Temporary Conditions)...

I called the civil surgeon's office, two of them in Boston area. They are saying my wife and daughter need to get a whole series of shot... since they have no records from China. The list is as follows and they will not sign the supplemental form until the series is complete... a six month or longer wait... 2ea-MMR (2nd at 4weeks) 2ea-Varicella aka Chicken Pox (2nd at 4weeks) 3ea-Polio (every 4 weeks) 3ea-Hep B (2nd at 4weeks, 3rd at 6 months) 3ea-Tetenus (2nd at 4 weeks, 3rd at 6month) what have others encountered? one civil surgeon I called does not give shots...they just charge $25 to sign the form. Can I file the AOS without the I-693A..or will they bounce it back to me.... Thanks Keith-N-Min

Is there a list of required vaccinations? aside from the familiar childhood vaccinations are there any exotic ones.. I don't want to turn her into a pincushion. My SO didn't bring her vaccination record from China... So she will have a pretty sore arm.. Am I right in assuming that I can goto my family physician to get the shots and then just have the civil surgeon. I called one CS office here in Boston area...and they want to do Physical Exam again...along with TB test... I told them she had exam in China. SHe said Oh we can't rely on Chinese Dr... Also she will fail TB test as she had vaccination for TB as a child.. so they'll have to do a chest x-ray..oh what a racket they have going... I will keep calling CS till I find one that knows how things work. Thanks Keith

Brief update first... Min and Wangwang arrived in the US on July 21st at NYC. We stayed at the Doubletree in Midtown Manhatten and they mostly slept the next few days. We did get in a few hours of sight seeing. It was a very hot and humid weekend so they preferred staying inside, which was A-OK with me. We got married the following weekend in Beantown with both our daughter in attendance. We are currently enjoying each others cooking styles... I am ready to start preparing the AOS paperwork... I have the following forms: G-325 Biographic I-131 Advanced Parole I-485 AOS I-765 EAD I-864 Affidavit Of Support am I forgetting anything...I am sure once I get into these forms indepth I will have more q's or confusion. quick question on innoculations required for K1'rs Since we have a K2'r getting ready to start school in the near future, she will be required to have certain shots before she can start school... will they make her get these shots again when they go for thier medical exam (that they already had in GZ)? Also what is the protocol or ideal practice that follows once the AOS is submitted? Thanks Keith-N-Min

The form I am referring to is specifically called "Unmarried Certificate" it was sent in P4 packet. After the medical exam when she went to get the report they wanted this form and not the one from her City government office that was notarized and translated. The next day in the morning when she handed in all her documents they had her sign the form as well as a few others.. Hope this helps... I would definetly have the one from the city as well cause its better to have to much than not enough.

I believe in the P4 packet that the embassy sent her is a form called the Unmarried Certificate. If this is the form the hospital was referring to, then it has to be signed in front of the consulate(they are the notarizing agency for this form). Since the form comes from the Consulate, and if it was missing, I imagine that they will have the form at the Consulate and she just needs to fill in the blanks and then sign it in front of the VO. We went through this a week ago so its fresh in my memory. Good Luck and Best Wishes Keith and Min

Was quite the week in GZ, but after all is said and done we flew away with a passed interview and Visa in hand. I'll be flying state side either this weekend or next.. I allowed myself an extra week after the interview just incase problems arose. So my original date back is 6-5, but i'd like to save this extra week for when Min and her daughter actually arrive in the US sometime in late June or early July. So need to get busy and call my travel agent or Air China to see about moving my date. Thanks CFL Keith and Min

I arrived in China on Monday, been good weather and excellent food. We will fly in on China Southern from Kunming to Guangzhou on Sunday morning. Only thing I had notarized was the I-134 too... Only mention of certified tax return was if one is self-employed. I am not, I am caught in the mix of everyday corporate life, so I get regular paychecks and W2's. Hope to see you on Wednesday... Have a safe trip!

Well Guys I am in China with my Minmin. She lives in Kunming. We will be flying to GZ on Sunday and have interview on Wednesday. I have a couple of quick question I hope someone there can answer. 1. My Fiancee has full custody of her daughter, does she need anything other than the formal court order for her daughter to get K2. ie like father's permission even though he does not have custody, what is GZ take on this? 2. Also it is not indicated anywhere on the I-134 that my tax returns have to be certified or notarized. I make copies of my 1040's for my records each year, these are what I brought with me. Yet after reading the instructional packet sent to Min somewhere I read they have to notarized. If so can I take my copies to the consulate, when I am there, and have them notarized or do they want an IRS certification? (I pray not the latter) Thanks Keith N Min PS will keep you informed as to the success :-)

Congrats We are busy preparing for the Interview too.. I think you've got most everything covered if you just follow CFL directions. Thanks CFL for all your help! Keith and Min

I have a q pertaining to this subject that my sweetie asked me... Since both her and her daughter must attend the interview, does her daughter have to wait around to pick up her visa or can her daughter go back to her hometown (cause she is still in school) and have her mother pick-up her visa. This is probably a GZ question for citizen hour I imagine, unless someone attending soon can ask.. Thanks Keith N Min

Congratulations! Its indeed a long and sobering process. I remember my elation when I found out that Min's P4 was sent. Now I am in scramble mode to get my visa, airline tickets, emails in order, pictures in order, I-134, employment letter, so many things to remember so little time, ugh! Am I forgetting anything??? Best Wishes!

Just wait till you have to Adjust Status in the US.. The BCIS offices here in States aren't that much better.. I remember standing outside the BCIS (formerly INS) Office in Seattle in 2000 for over 5 hours. Happened during a cold spell so it was bitterely cold outside. Me and the person I was inline with would take turns going to my car and getting warm. There must have been 100-120 people in line that morning. I have also recently been to the Federal Building in Boston and had to wait inline outside too, although the wait was not as long as the Seattle Office. It was still an all day trip none the less. So don't expect our lovely State Dept to change policy just because your within the US borders. I have come to believe that if it has anything to do with the government, federal, state, or local; doesn't matter, when it come right down to it... You must hurry up and wait :-)